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Ventnor City HallVentnor City Hall · Photo: Smallbones · CC0
BHistory
History · Ventnor City

Ventnor City dates to 1903, and 30% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 64% of U.S. towns · #224 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 29 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1910.

1903founded
3on the National Register
30%homes built before 1940
5old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ventnor City’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ventnor City began

When was Ventnor City founded?

1903

Ventnor City dates its founding to 1903 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1910.

First census: 491 in 19102020 census: 9,210123 years

How historic is Ventnor City?

B

More historic than 64% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1891.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Ventnor City’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ventnor City is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #224 of 468 in New Jersey. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ventnor City’s overall grade.
Founding era1903, from Wikipedia: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194030.4% of homes (±3.7) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register3 listings, 31 historic buildings, 33.5 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 64%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 52%

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 Ventnor City’s 33.5 sits above most of its state (78% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 31 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.7 points). Two sources give 1903.

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Ventnor City’s past

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

On the map since 18877 editions of the USGS map, 1887 to 1994. Watch Ventnor City change.Boom and bustPeaked at 12,910 in 2000; 9,210 people lived here in 2020.A historic districtThe Stafford, John, Historic District takes in 29 historic buildings.Old housesHalf of Ventnor City’s homes were built before 1962.
★ What stands out · On the map

Ventnor City on the map, 1887 to 1994

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

Ventnor City on the 1887 USGS mapVentnor City on the 1894 USGS mapVentnor City on the 1940 USGS mapVentnor City on the 1952 USGS mapVentnor City on the 1972 USGS mapVentnor City on the 1989 USGS mapVentnor City on the 1994 USGS map1887Atlantic City 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 Ventnor City.

People over time

Ventnor City, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,000192019401960198020002020Peak: 12,910

Peaked at 12,910 in 2000; 9,210 people lived here in 2020.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

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

On the National Register

3 listings protect 31 historic buildings

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

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
31
each building in a district counts
first listed
1988
Stafford, John, Historic District
Ventnor City HallStafford, John, Historic DistrictTofani-DiMuzio House
BuildingsDistricts
Ventnor City HallBuilding
All 3 listings
Stafford, John, Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988Tofani-DiMuzio HouseBuilding · listed 2015

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

The story

How Ventnor City came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ventnor City.

Read it all →

S. Bartram Richards, the wife of the secretary-treasurer of the Camden and Atlantic Land Company, suggested the name "Ventnor" for the area then being developed by the company south of Atlantic City, having recently visited the English seaside resort on the Isle of Wight with the same name. The name was chosen in January 1889. The city was formally incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1903.

Chapter 51 of the laws and Sessions of the State of New Jersey provided the beginning to Ventnor City, stating:

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Ventnor City, 1887 to 2000

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1887On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1891Post officeThe Ventnor post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1903
    FoundingVentnor City is established
  6. 1903Post officeThe Ventnor post office closes
  7. 1930Born hereLouise Todd Cope is born here
  8. 1946Born hereWayne Colman is born here
  9. 1952Born hereJohn Roman is born here
  10. 1970In the archiveFrank S. "Hap" Farley
  11. 1981Born hereB. J. Callaghan is born here
  12. 21st century
  13. 2000CensusPopulation peaks at 12,910
By decade

Ventnor City, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1970s2 items
Frank S. "Hap" Farley1970Frank S. "Hap" FarleyVentnor City Beach, 19721972Ventnor City Beach, 1972
1980s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Date unknown3 to date
GENERAL VIEW OF EAST FACADE - 7223-27 Ventnor Avenue (Commercial), Ventnor City, Atlantic County, NJDate?GENERAL VIEW OF EAST FACADE - 7223-27 Ventnor Avenue …GENERAL VIEW OF EAST FACADE LOOKING SOUTHWEST - Ventnor Twin Theater, 5211 Ventnor Avenue, Ventnor City, Atlantic Count…Date?GENERAL VIEW OF EAST FACADE LOOKING SOUTHWEST - Ventn…USACE Ventnor City, New Jersey ShoreDate?USACE Ventnor City, New Jersey Shore
Today9 recent
Ventnor City rowhouses2026Ventnor City rowhousesVentnor Police Vehicle2024Ventnor Police VehicleVentnor Board of Education32024Ventnor Board of Education3Ventnor Board of Education22024Ventnor Board of Education2Ventnor Board of Education12024Ventnor Board of Education1Longport-AC skyline from NJ 152, January 20212021Longport-AC skyline from NJ 152, January 2021Hello from Ventnor City, New Jersey - Large Letter Postcard2013Hello from Ventnor City, New Jersey - Large Letter Po…Document103 Marion Ventor2010103 Marion VentorCensus Bureau map of Ventnor City, New Jersey2008Census Bureau map of Ventnor City, New JerseyMap
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.

Frank S. "Hap" Farley
Retake this viewFrank S. "Hap" Farley, 1970

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

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

4 famous people were born in Ventnor City

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
B
B. J. CallaghanAmerican soccer coach · b. 1981
J
John RomanAmerican football player · b. 1952
W
Wayne ColmanAmerican football player · b. 1946
L
Louise Todd CopeTextile artist (b. 1930) · b. 1930
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and old corners

Another post office, Ventnor, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Ventnor Heights

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

Help out

Start Ventnor City’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ventnor City’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo3 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewFrank S. "Hap" Farley: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Atlantic City14 historic placesB+Egg Harbor Township1 historic placeBMargate City2 historic placesB+

Questions about Ventnor City’s history

What year was Ventnor City founded?

In 1903, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Ventnor City’s post office opened in 1891, and the census of 1910 counted 491 people here.

How does Ventnor City rank for history?

Ventnor City is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #224 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 Ventnor City?

Three places: the Ventnor City Hall (listed 1996), the Stafford, John, Historic District (1988) and the Tofani-DiMuzio House (2015).

How old are the homes in Ventnor City?

30% of Ventnor City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.7 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1962.

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 (14), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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) 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.