Summit dates to 1710, and 33% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #15 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 96 buildings. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1843.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Summit’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Summit is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #15 of 468 in New Jersey. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Summit’s overall grade.
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 Summit’s 45.4 sits above most of its state (80% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 103 historic buildings outnumber those of 90% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1710.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points).
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 Summit’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Prior to European contact the area that would become Summit was home to the Lenape Indians mainly along the Passaic River and along the shores of Surprise Lake with New Jersey Route 24 forming part of the "Great Minisink Trail." The region in which Summit is located was purchased from Native Americans on October 28, 1664. Summit's earliest European settlers came to the area around the year 1710. The original name of Summit was "Turkey Hill" to distinguish it from the area then known as "Turkey" (New Providence's original name until 1759). During the American Revolutionary War, Summit was known as "Beacon Hill", because "Beacon #10" was lit on an eastern ridge in Summit as part of a network to warn the New Jersey militiamen of approaching British troops.
His preliminary education was received in the private schools of Summit, which was further added to by a course of study in the Peddie Institute, at Hightstown, New Jersey. Upon leaving school he took up the vocation of journalism, and in 1883 established the Summit Record, at Summit, conducting the same until 1885. In 1886 he moved to Chicago, and there continued in the newspaper business until 1893. Returning to Summit, the subject of this review was, in March, 1896, elected justice of the peace for the county of Union, and has con-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Union County, New Jersey1897 · page 589Read the page →
Read the text
The town of Summit includes the whole of the center and main road called Springfield avenue, leading from the village of New Providence. The outskirts are surrounded with fine country-seats,— the home of retired as well as business men from the adjacent cities of Newark and New York.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Summit, 1710 to 1995
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1710, according to Wikidata. Summit’s post office opened in 1843, and the census of 1870 counted 1,176 people here.
How does Summit rank for history?
Summit is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #15 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 Summit?
5 listings: 3 buildings, 1 historic district, the Summit Downtown Historic District, with 96 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 103 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Summit?
33% of Summit’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1953.
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 (16), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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