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B−History
History · Upper Saddle River

Upper Saddle River dates to 1894, and 6 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 51% of U.S. towns · #303 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Upper Saddle River was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. 6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 1 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1910 on, and the census since 1900.

1894founded
6on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Upper Saddle River’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Upper Saddle River began

When was Upper Saddle River founded?

1894

Upper Saddle River dates its founding to 1894 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 326 in 19002020 census: 8,353132 years

How historic is Upper Saddle River?

B−

More historic than 51% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Upper Saddle River’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Upper Saddle River is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns, #303 of 468 in New Jersey. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Upper Saddle River’s overall grade.
Founding era1894, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19408.3% of homes (±6.7) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register6 listings, 9 historic buildings, 10.7 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 51%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 35%

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 Upper Saddle River’s 10.7 sits above most of its state (69% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 9 historic buildings outnumber those of 75% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.7 points). Two sources give 1894.

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 Upper Saddle River’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19105 editions of the USGS map, 1910 to 1995. Watch Upper Saddle River change.Landmarks on the Register6 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Upper Saddle River’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Upper Saddle River’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewSaddle River Reformed Church, East Sadd…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Upper Saddle River on the map, 1910 to 1995

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

Upper Saddle River on the 1910 USGS mapUpper Saddle River on the 1934 USGS mapUpper Saddle River on the 1945 USGS mapUpper Saddle River on the 1955 USGS mapUpper Saddle River on the 1995 USGS map1910Ramapo 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 Upper Saddle River.

On the National Register

6 historic places in Upper Saddle River

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

places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
9
each building in a district counts
first listed
1982
New North Reformed Low Dutch Church
New North Reformed Low Dutch Church, built 1819Hopper HouseHopper-Goetschius House, built 1739Terhune-Hopper HouseTexwipe Corporation Headquarters, built 1985Hennion House
BuildingsDistricts
New North Reformed Low Dutch ChurchBuilt 1819
Hopper HouseBuilding
Hopper-Goetschius HouseBuilt 1739
Terhune-Hopper HouseBuilding
Texwipe Corporation HeadquartersBuilt 1985
All 6 listings
Hennion HouseBuilding · listed 1983

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

The story

How Upper Saddle River came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Upper Saddle River.

Read it all →

Upper Saddle River was originally settled by the Lenape Native Americans and was colonized in the 18th century principally by Dutch settlers who built mills along the Saddle River. The area was granted borough status in 1894 and remained principally rural until the 1950s. The suburban growth of New Jersey included Upper Saddle River and surrounding municipalities, as the borough's population increased tenfold from 1950 to 1970. The population has remained fairly constant since 1970.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Upper Saddle River, 1739 to 1986

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1739BuiltHopper-Goetschius House is built
  3. 19th century
  4. 1819BuiltNew North Reformed Low Dutch Church is built
  5. 1894
    FoundingUpper Saddle River is established
  6. 20th century
  7. 1910On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1985BuiltTexwipe Corporation Headquarters is built
  9. 1986Born hereMichael Ray Garvin is born here
By decade

Upper Saddle River, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Saddle River Reformed Church, East Saddle River & Upper Saddle River RoadsDate?Saddle River Reformed Church, East Saddle River & Upp…
Today5 recent
Eruv black2018Eruv blackTERHUNE-HOPPER HOUSE2015TERHUNE-HOPPER HOUSEHOPPER HOUSE2015HOPPER HOUSEENNION HOUSE2015ENNION HOUSECensus Bureau map of2008Census Bureau map ofMap
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Saddle River Reformed Church, East Saddle River & Upper Saddle River Roads
Retake this viewSaddle River Reformed Church, East Saddle River & Upper Saddle River Roads

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Upper Saddle River’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Upper Saddle River, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00019001920194019601980200020208,353

Grew from 326 people in 1900 to 8,353 in 2020, more than tenfold.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Upper Saddle River’s Wikipedia page.

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Ramsey2 historic placesC+Saddle River22 historic placesB−Mahwah Township10 historic placesB−Montvale3 historic placesB−Woodcliff Lake7 historic placesB−

Questions about Upper Saddle River’s history

What year was Upper Saddle River founded?

In 1894, according to Wikidata. the census of 1900 counted 326 people here.

How does Upper Saddle River rank for history?

Upper Saddle River is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns, #303 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 Upper Saddle River?

6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the New North Reformed Low Dutch Church (listed 1982, the first), and 1 historic district, the Texwipe Corporation Headquarters, with 1 contributing buildings. 9 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Upper Saddle River?

8% of Upper Saddle River’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.7 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1971.

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 (5), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (5), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) 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.