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BHistory
History · Washington Township

Washington Township dates to 1840, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 55% of U.S. towns · #277 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

Most of Washington Township was built recently: 3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1962. Its Register listings are the Seven Chimneys and the Nicholas Zabriskie House. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1840.

1840founded
2on the National Register
3%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Washington Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Washington Township began

When was Washington Township founded?

1840

Washington Township dates its founding to 1840 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1840.

First census: 1,833 in 18402020 census: 9,285186 years

How historic is Washington Township?

B

More historic than 55% 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 Washington Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Washington Township is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #277 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 Washington Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1840, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19402.7% of homes (±1.8) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register2 listings, 4 historic buildings, 4.3 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 55%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 41%

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 Washington Township’s 4.3 sits near the middle of its state (54% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1840.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 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 Washington Township’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.Shrank, then grewLost two-thirds of its people between 1890 and 1910, then grew more than tenfold.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1997. Watch Washington Township change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1840: 186 years of Washington Township.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Washington Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Washington Township’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 viewSevench: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Washington Township, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00018501900195020002,942 in 1890Low: 100

Lost two-thirds of its people between 1890 and 1910, then grew more than tenfold.

19 censuses, 1840–2020.

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

On the map

Washington Township on the map, 1888 to 1997

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

Washington Township on the 1888 USGS mapWashington Township on the 1892 USGS mapWashington Township on the 1900 USGS mapWashington Township on the 1934 USGS mapWashington Township on the 1955 USGS mapWashington Township on the 1970 USGS mapWashington Township on the 1981 USGS mapWashington Township on the 1997 USGS map1888Paterson 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 Washington Township.

The story

How Washington Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Washington Township.

Read it all →

The Lenape Native Americans first inhabited the township and many names throughout the general area were passed down from the Lenape. Pascack and Kinderkamack are just two of these names. However, after Dutch and other European settlers began arriving in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lenape population was decimated. It is estimated that by 1750, 90% of the Lenape population in and around present-day New Jersey was killed by European settlement through war and European diseases.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Washington Township, 1840 to 1988

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1840
    FoundingWashington Township is established
  3. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  4. 20th century
  5. 1970CensusPopulation peaks at 10,577
  6. 1988Born hereCorey Raji is born here
By decade

Washington Township, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
SevenchDate?Sevench
Today15 recent
Washington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ public library, Dec. 20242024Washington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ public library, Dec. …Washington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ municipal building, Dec. 20242024Washington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ municipal building, D…Washington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ fire department, Oct. 20242024Washington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ fire department, Oct.…Schlegel Lake, Wasington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ, Dec. 20242024Schlegel Lake, Wasington Twp., Bergen Co., NJ, Dec. 2…Pine Lake Swimming2020Pine Lake SwimmingBig Rock and Little Rock2020Big Rock and Little RockNICHOLAS ZABRISKE HOUSE WASHINGTON TWP, BERGEN COUNTY2015NICHOLAS ZABRISKE HOUSE WASHINGTON TWP, BERGEN COUNTYWashington Township NJ2014Washington Township NJIHA from air2011IHA from airClark field2008Clark fieldCensus Bureau map of Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey2008Census Bureau map of Washington Township, Bergen Coun…MapClark field 32007Clark field 3Clark field 22007Clark field 2Clark field 12007Clark field 1Njmap-02662005Njmap-0266
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.

Sevench
Retake this viewSevench

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Washington Township

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts
first listed
1971
Seven Chimneys
Seven ChimneysNicholas Zabriskie House
Buildings
Seven ChimneysBuilding
Nicholas Zabriskie HouseBuilding

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Westwood1 historic placeBHillsdale8 historic placesB+Ridgewood13 historic placesA−Ho-Ho-Kus5 historic placesB+Paramus6 historic placesCEmersonIts storyD

Questions about Washington Township’s history

What year was Washington Township founded?

In 1840, according to Wikidata. the census of 1840 counted 1,833 people here.

How does Washington Township rank for history?

Washington Township is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #277 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 Washington Township?

Two places: the Seven Chimneys (listed 1971) and the Nicholas Zabriskie House (1983).

How old are the homes in Washington Township?

3% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 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 (16), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.