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A−History
History · West Orange Township

West Orange Township’s post office opened in 1888, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 77% of U.S. towns · #138 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it

5 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 132 buildings between them. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1870.

1888first post office
5on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
17old photos & papers
32famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From West Orange Township’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How West Orange Township began

When was West Orange Township founded?

1888

The West Orange Township post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name. Three smaller post offices, McClellan (1885), Pleasantdale (1886) and West Orange (1888), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

First census: 2,106 in 18702020 census: 48,843138 years

How historic is West Orange Township?

A−

More historic than 77% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first West Orange Township post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade

What drives West Orange Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, West Orange Township is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #138 of 468 in New Jersey. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of West Orange Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1888, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194024.8% of homes (±2.3) · typical NJ town 14.7% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register5 listings, 137 historic buildings, 28.2 per 10,000 residents · typical NJ town 3.7 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 77%
NewerOlder
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 71%

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 West Orange Township’s 28.2 sits above most of its state (77% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 137 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% 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 (±2.3 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.

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 West Orange Township’s past

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

A historic districtThe Llewellyn Park Historic District takes in 112 historic buildings.Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s West Orange Township, and 8 old place names are still on the map.On the map since 18888 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1995. Watch West Orange Township change.A town in old photos17 old photos, postcards and papers, 1860–1970.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

5 listings protect 137 historic buildings

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

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
137
each building in a district counts
first listed
1966
Edison National Historic Site
Edison National Historic SiteSt. Mark's Episcopal ChurchEdison Storage Battery Company BuildingLlewellyn Park Historic DistrictThomas Edison National Historical Park
BuildingsDistricts
Edison National Historic SiteDistrict
St. Mark's Episcopal ChurchBuilding
Edison Storage Battery Company BuildingBuilding
All 5 listings
Llewellyn Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986Thomas Edison National Historical ParkDistrict · listed 2023

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

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

McClellan
1885–1888
Pleasantdale
1886–1920
West Orange
1888–1901
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
GregoryHutton ParkLlewellyn ParkPleasantdaleSaint CloudThe ValleyTory CornerWest Orange
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside West Orange Township
Edison GravesiteRosedale

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

On the map

West Orange Township on the map, 1888 to 1995

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

West Orange Township on the 1888 USGS mapWest Orange Township on the 1894 USGS mapWest Orange Township on the 1906 USGS mapWest Orange Township on the 1947 USGS mapWest Orange Township on the 1954 USGS mapWest Orange Township on the 1970 USGS mapWest Orange Township on the 1981 USGS mapWest Orange Township on the 1995 USGS map1888Morristown 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 West Orange Township.

The story

How West Orange Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of West Orange Township.

Read it all →

West Orange was originally part of the Native American Hackensack clan's territory, for over 10,000 years. The Hackensack were a phratry of the Unami tribe of the Lenni Lenape. In their language, "Leni Lenape" means, "the original people". The Acquackanonk sub-tribe were located along the Passaic River. They were part of the Algonquin language family, and known as "Delaware Indians" by the 18th century. They identified themselves with the totem of the Turtle. They were hunter-gatherers, matrilineal, and had cultural traditions such as wedding ceremonies. Northfield Avenue and Old Indian Road in West Orange, remain as original Hackensack trails. Their main settlement was where the city of Hackensack is today. They would travel to the ocean or mountains to hunt for food. The Passaic River runs in an upside-down V shape—8 miles (13 km) west and east, and 13 miles (21 km) north of West Oran…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

West Orange Township, 1860 to 1981

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1860In the archiveEntrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.J
  3. 1880In the archive1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Essex County - West Orange - ED…
  4. 1885Post officeThe McClellan post office opens
  5. 1886Post officeThe Pleasantdale post office opens
  6. 1888Post officeThe McClellan post office closes
  7. 1888Post officeThe West Orange post office opens
  8. 1888On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 20th century
  10. 1901Post officeThe West Orange post office closes
  11. 1909In the archiveLlewellyn Station
  12. 1914In the archiveEdison 's big generator, 12-10-14
  13. 1920In the archiveBoard of Health of West Orange, N.J., runs this Health Center and Baby welfare station
  14. 1920Post officeThe Pleasantdale post office closes
  15. 1922Born hereJoan Caulfield is born here
  16. 1930In the archiveThomas Edison, half-length portrait, facing front, seated at desk, demonstrating new scre…
  17. 1962Born hereLaura San Giacomo is born here
  18. 1978Born hereLeo Fitzpatrick is born here
  19. 1981Born hereMichael Pitt is born here
By decade

West Orange Township, decade by decade

7 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1860s–1900s5 items
Entrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.J1860Entrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.JEntrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.J1860Entrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.J1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Essex County - West Orange - ED 7-364 to 40118801950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (N…Llewellyn Station1909Llewellyn StationWest Orange Station - 19091909West Orange Station - 1909
1910s7 items
Edison 's big generator, 12-10-141914Edison 's big generator, 12-10-14Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey - 4TH LIBERTY LOAN ACTIVITIES, AT WEST ORANGE, N.J. Parade during …1917Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey …Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey - 4TH LIBERTY LOAN ACTIVITIES, WEST ORANGE, N.J. Float in Liberty …1917Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey …Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey - LIBERTY LOAN ACTIVITIES AT WEST ORANGE, N.J1917Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey …Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey - LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN IN WEST ORANGE, N.J. Liberty Day Parade1917Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey …Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey - LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN IN WEST ORANGE, N.J. One of the floats in …1917Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey …Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey - LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN IN WEST ORANGE, N.J. Policemen on parade L…1917Liberty Bonds - Parades - Arizona through New Jersey …
1920s–1930s4 items
Board of Health of West Orange, N.J., runs this Health Center and Baby welfare station1920Board of Health of West Orange, N.J., runs this Healt…Thomas Alva Edison, 1847-1931, punching time clock on his 74th birthday anniversary, February 11, 1921, standing, rear …1921Thomas Alva Edison, 1847-1931, punching time clock on…Chemistry Laboratory - Edison Laboratory, West Orange, NJ1929Chemistry Laboratory - Edison Laboratory, West Orange…Thomas Edison, half-length portrait, facing front, seated at desk, demonstrating new screen device in his West Orange, …1930Thomas Edison, half-length portrait, facing front, se…
1940s–1960snothing 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
1970s1 item
Edison National Historic Site, West Orange, New Jersey. May 19571970Edison National Historic Site, West Orange, New Jerse…
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
Today1 recent
Maryleen Schiltkamp contribution to Cow Parade for Organon in 20002000Maryleen Schiltkamp contribution to Cow Parade for Or…
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.

Entrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.J
Retake this viewEntrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.J, 1860

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

West Orange Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,0001880190019201940196019802000202048,843

Grew from 2,106 people in 1870 to 48,843 in 2020, more than tenfold.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

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

Famous people

32 famous people were born in West Orange Township

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

See all →
Michael PittAmerican actor, model and musician · b. 1981
Laura San GiacomoAmerican actress · b. 1962
Joan CaulfieldAmerican actress and former fashion model · b. 1922
L
Leo FitzpatrickAmerican actor · b. 1978
Brendan ByrneAmerican politician and prosecutor · b. 1924
Charles EdisonAmerican politician · b. 1890
Help out

Finish West Orange Township’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
5 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewEntrance to Llewellyn Park, Orange, N.J: 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.

City of Orange Township4 historic placesAMontclair Township54 historic placesALivingston Township1 historic placeBSouth Orange Village Township8 historic placesA+Essex FellsIts storyCVerona TownshipIts storyA−Millburn Township1 historic placeA−

Questions about West Orange Township’s history

What year was West Orange Township founded?

The West Orange Township post office opened in 1888, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does West Orange Township rank for history?

West Orange Township is more historic than 77% of U.S. towns, #138 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 West Orange Township?

5 listings: 2 buildings and 3 historic districts, the Edison National Historic Site, the Llewellyn Park Historic District and the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, with 132 contributing buildings. 137 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in West Orange Township?

25% of West Orange Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.3 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1956.

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 Library of Congress (2), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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.