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History · Stone Harbor

Stone Harbor’s post office opened in 1894, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940

Its Register listings are the U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 35 and the Rufwud Cottage. Its Register listings are the U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 35 and the Rufwud Cottage. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1920.

1894first post office
2on the National Register
13%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Stone Harbor began

When was Stone Harbor founded?

1894

The Stone Harbor post office opened in 1894, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1914.

First census: 159 in 19202020 census: 796132 years
Founding year: the first Stone Harbor post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1914.The full story ↓

What stands out about Stone Harbor’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Stone Harbor are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18885 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1972. Watch Stone Harbor change.Boom and bustPeaked at 1,187 in 1980; 796 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Stone Harbor’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Stone Harbor’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Stone Harbor on the map, 1888 to 1972

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

Stone Harbor on the 1888 USGS mapStone Harbor on the 1894 USGS mapStone Harbor on the 1944 USGS mapStone Harbor on the 1955 USGS mapStone Harbor on the 1972 USGS map1888Dennisville 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 Stone Harbor.

People over time

Stone Harbor, census by census

02004006008001,0001,200192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,187

Peaked at 1,187 in 1980; 796 people lived here in 2020.

11 censuses, 1920–2020.

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

The story

How Stone Harbor came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Stone Harbor.

Read it all →

Development began in the late 19th century as a beach resort along the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad line. The community was marketed to wealthy residents of Philadelphia seeking a resort destination for a second home.

Stone Harbor was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 3, 1914, from portions of Middle Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 28, 1914. The borough gained a portion of Avalon on December 27, 1941. The borough is said to be named for an English sea captain named Stone who sought shelter from a storm in the area.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Stone Harbor, 1888 to 1980

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1894Post officeThe Stoneharbor post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1917BuiltRufwud Cottage is built
  6. 1980CensusPopulation peaks at 1,187
By decade

Stone Harbor, decade by decade

Today11 recent
2nd Avenue Boulevard looking north, Stone Harbor, N. J20112nd Avenue Boulevard looking north, Stone Harbor, N. JPostcard2nd Ave & water works, Stone Harbor, N. J20112nd Ave & water works, Stone Harbor, N. JPostcardBayside Sunset2010Bayside SunsetA view of2010A view ofPhoto of the Week - Sanderlings at2008Photo of the Week - Sanderlings atCensus Bureau map of2008Census Bureau map ofMapStoneharborwatertower2007StoneharborwatertowerStone harbor new jersey surfers 3 by bill cramer2007Stone harbor new jersey surfers 3 by bill cramerStone harbor new jersey surfers 2 by bill cramer2007Stone harbor new jersey surfers 2 by bill cramerStone harbor new jersey surfers 1 by bill cramer2007Stone harbor new jersey surfers 1 by bill cramerShort Billed Dowitcher2004Short Billed Dowitcher
On the National Register

2 historic places in Stone Harbor

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
2008
U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 35
U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 35Rufwud Cottage, built 1917
Buildings
U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 35Building
Rufwud CottageBuilt 1917

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

Famous people

Famous people close to Stone Harbor

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

See all →
Paul VolckerAmerican economist · b. 1927
Gregory Goodwin PincusAmerican biochemist · b. 1903
Keith AndesAmerican actor · b. 1920
Peter ErskineAmerican musician · b. 1954
Gay TaleseAmerican writer · b. 1932
Frank VogelAmerican basketball coach · b. 1973
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Middle Township7 historic placesB+North Wildwood2 historic placesB−

Questions about Stone Harbor’s history

What year was Stone Harbor founded?

The Stone Harbor post office opened in 1894, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1914.

What is on the National Register in Stone Harbor?

Two places: the U.S. Life-Saving Station No. 35 (listed 2008) and the Rufwud Cottage (2014).

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (11), Wikidata (1), 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.