More historic than 55% of U.S. towns · #275 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Waterford Township was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1800.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waterford Township is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #275 of 468 in New Jersey. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Waterford 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 Waterford Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (12% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1695.
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 (±3.3 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 Waterford Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost half of its people between 1840 and 1910, then grew 7-fold.
23 censuses, 1800–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Waterford Township’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
Jackson
1862–1867
Atco
1867–today
Louden
1900–1913
18601940today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AtcoBishopsDunbartonJacksonLoudenParkdalePestletownWaterford Works
Gone or out of use
Rusnaks Private Stripairport
1cemetery inside Waterford Township
Saint Anthonys
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Waterford Township, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Waterford Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Waterford Township is a township in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 10,421, a decrease of 228 (−2.1%) from the 2010 census count of 10,649, which in turn reflected an increase of 155 (+1.5%) from the 10,494 counted in the 2000 census. Waterford Township was originally created by Royal charter on June 1, 1695, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. The township was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. On March 13, 1844, Waterford Township became one of the original townships in the newly created Camden County. The settlement of Long-a-Coming (now the borough o…
Waterford Township was established in 1695. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 10,649 to 10,421 (-2%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Waterford Township, 1695 to 1990
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Waterford Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1890Hammonton 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 Waterford Township.
Stories next door
History across the town line
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1695, according to Wikidata. Waterford Township’s post office opened in 1862, and the census of 1800 counted 1,629 people here.
How does Waterford Township rank for history?
Waterford Township is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #275 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.
How old are the homes in Waterford Township?
9% of Waterford Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.3 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1976.
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 (2), 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.
Date?
2004
