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BHistory
History · Stafford Township

Stafford Township dates to 1750, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns · #270 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Its Register listings are the Manahawkin Baptist Church and the Cavarly Cottage. Most of Stafford Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1790.

1750founded
2on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Stafford Township began

When was Stafford Township founded?

1750

Stafford Township dates its founding to 1750 (Wikidata). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.

First census: 883 in 17902020 census: 28,617276 years

How historic is Stafford Township?

B

More historic than 56% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1819.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Stafford Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stafford Township is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #270 of 468 in New Jersey. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stafford Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1750, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19402.2% of homes (±1.2) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register2 listings, 0.7 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 56%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 42%

New Jersey towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Jersey town has 3.7 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Stafford Township’s 0.7 sits below most of its state (29% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1750.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Stafford Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Stafford Township, and 12 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Stafford Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1840 and 1920, then grew more than tenfold.On the map since 18885 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1972. Watch Stafford Township change.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Manahawkin
1819–today
Cedar Run
1881–1954
Mayetta
1890–1954
Warren Grove
1908–1935
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Bay SideBeach Haven WestBeach ViewCedar RunDeer Lake ParkDeerhavenLakeview TerraceManahawkinManahawkin TerraceMayettaOcean AcresWarren Grove
Gone or out of use
BeachviewairportManahawkinairportOld Manahawkin Baptist Churchchurch
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Stafford Township
GreenwoodManahawkin Baptist Church

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Stafford Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Stafford Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Stafford Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,000180018501900195020002,149 in 1840Low: 830

Lost half of its people between 1840 and 1920, then grew more than tenfold.

23 censuses, 1790–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Stafford Township’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Stafford Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Stafford Township.

Read it all →

Stafford Township was formed by royal charter on March 3, 1750, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. It was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, and became part of the newly formed Ocean County on February 15, 1850. Portions of the township were taken to form Union Township (March 10, 1846, now Barnegat Township), Eagleswood Township (March 17, 1874), Long Beach City Borough (September 19, 1894, now Surf City) and Long Beach Township (March 23, 1899). The township was named after Staffordshire, England.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Stafford Township, 1750 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1750
    FoundingStafford Township is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1819Post officeThe Manahawkin post office opens
  5. 1881Post officeThe Cedar Run post office opens
  6. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 1890Post officeThe Mayetta post office opens
  8. 20th century
  9. 1954Post officeThe Cedar Run post office closes
  10. 1954Post officeThe Mayetta post office closes
  11. 21st century
  12. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 28,617
By decade

Stafford Township, decade by decade

Today6 recent
New Jersey National Guard - Flickr - The National Guard (37)2012New Jersey National Guard - Flickr - The National Gua…NJ Guard responds to Hurricane Sandy 121108-F-AL508-0022012NJ Guard responds to Hurricane Sandy 121108-F-AL508-0…MH-65 Atlantic City DVIDS11165982012MH-65 Atlantic City DVIDS1116598Chief of the National Guard Bureau - Flickr - The National Guard2012Chief of the National Guard Bureau - Flickr - The Nat…STAFFORD TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM, OCEAN COUNTY2007STAFFORD TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM, OCEAN CO…Stafford twp nj 0292005Stafford twp nj 029
On the map

Stafford Township on the map, 1888 to 1972

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Stafford Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Stafford Township on the 1888 USGS mapStafford Township on the 1893 USGS mapStafford Township on the 1942 USGS mapStafford Township on the 1951 USGS mapStafford Township on the 1972 USGS map1888Little Egg Harbor sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Stafford Township.

On the National Register

2 historic places in Stafford Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Manahawkin Baptist Church
Manahawkin Baptist ChurchCavarly Cottage
Buildings
Manahawkin Baptist ChurchBuilding
Cavarly CottageBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Stafford Township

Nobody well known was born in Stafford Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Mark GeigerAmerican association football referee · b. 1974
Brady NoonAmerican actor · b. 2005
Frank MolinaroAmerican wrestler and coach · b. 1988
M
Monique LuizAmerican former child model · b. 1961
Doc CramerAmerican baseball player and coach · b. 1905
Clark HarrisPlayer of American football · b. 1984
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Barnegat Township1 historic placeB−Long Beach TownshipIts storyC−Ship BottomIts storyC−Surf CityIts storyC−Eagleswood TownshipIts storyC+Harvey CedarsIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Stafford Township’s history

What year was Stafford Township founded?

In 1750, according to Wikidata. Stafford Township’s post office opened in 1819, and the first U.S. census counted 883 people here in 1790.

How does Stafford Township rank for history?

Stafford Township is more historic than 56% of U.S. towns, #270 of 468 in New Jersey. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Stafford Township?

Two places: the Manahawkin Baptist Church (listed 1973) and the Cavarly Cottage (2006).

How old are the homes in Stafford Township?

2% of Stafford Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1992.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.