Washington Township’s post office opened in 1802, and 13 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns · #114 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Washington Township was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. 13 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 226 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1870.
The Washington Township post office opened in 1802, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1868. Ten smaller post offices, Washington (1802), German Valley (1821) and Pleasant Grove (1834), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 1,880 in 18702020 census: 18,197224 years
How historic is Washington Township?
A−
More historic than 80% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Washington Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1868.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 80% of U.S. towns, #114 of 468 in New Jersey. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Washington Township’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 Washington Township’s 146 sits above most of its state (88% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 266 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.0 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1868.
Founding year: the first post office (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.
Washington Borough separated from Washington Township as of February 20, 1868. The community grew during the 19th century as a result of the transportation routes that ran through or near the borough. The Morris Canal ran along the north end of town and two rail lines of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad crossed within the borough. Intersecting in the center of the borough are two major roadways, which today are Route 31 and Route 57. The borough was ultimately named for the "Washington House", a tavern built by Revolutionary War Col. William McCullough in 1811 that was later destroyed by fire in 1869.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Washington Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1888Hackettstown 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.
People over time
Washington Township, census by census
Grew from 1,880 people in 1870 to 7,299 in 2020, 3 times over.
16 censuses, 1870–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Washington Township’s Wikipedia page.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Washington Township post office opened in 1802, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1868.
How does Washington Township rank for history?
Washington Township is more historic than 80% of U.S. towns, #114 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?
13 listings: 10 buildings, among them the Flocktown Schoolhouse (listed 1982, the first), and 3 historic districts, the German Valley Historic District, the Middle Valley Historic District and the Schooley's Mountain Historic District, with 226 contributing buildings. 266 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Washington Township?
7% of Washington Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1979.
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 Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (13), 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.
