Westfield dates to 1794, and 37% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 94% of U.S. towns · #37 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 48 buildings. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1810.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1805.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Westfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Westfield is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #37 of 468 in New Jersey. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Westfield’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 Westfield’s 17.4 sits above most of its state (74% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 54 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.6 points). Two sources give 1794.
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 Westfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Westfield took its name from the rich "fields west of Elizabeth Town, and hence for over one hundred years went by the name of West Fields." Town records say that "the settlement of Westfield dates back to the last year (1699) of the seventeenth century. It was the result of the 'Clinker Lot Division.' Almost immediately after the division emigration from the older parts of the town of Elizabeth began to set towards the interior,—especially to the territory lying between the Rahway river, on the east, and the mountains, on the west. It was not, however, until 1720 that the settlers became numerous enough to constitute a distinct community."
Passages that mention Westfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Union County, New Jersey1897 · page 559Read the page →
Read the text
part of Westfield township, Union county. New Jersey, held July 16, 1895, at the Locust Grove school house, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: Whereas, The township of Westfield contains an area of about twelve square miles, in the southern half of which the village of Westfield, containing less than two square miles, is situated, and Whereas, The northern section of the township has been for years and is now taxed for the maintenance of a fire department and the lighting of streets in the village, and
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Elizabeth, New Jersey1868 · page 329Read the page →
Read the text
sides of the npper Rahway river, and a large settlement on the North of the Eiver, at the crossing of the Woodbridge road. A few scattered habitations were found in the present town of Westfield, and at the Scotch Plains. Neither church nor minister was yet to be found in the regions beyond towards the setting sun. It was the extreme border of civilization. An Episcopal Church, as already related, had been organized within these bounds, but its numbers were
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Union County, New Jersey1897 · page 397Read the page →
Read the text
[by CHARLES t. BUELL.] On April i, 1800, the post office was established at Plainfield, New Jersey, which before that time had been known by the name of Milltown, being a part of Westfield township, and included in Essex county ; before the establishment of the post office here the few inhabitants had received their letters at the post office at the nearby village of Scotch Plains.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Elizabeth, New Jersey1868 · page 580Read the page →
Read the text
counties of Essex and Middlesex; thence along the line of Middlesex to the place of heginning, (be) set off from the township of Elizabeth, and made a separate township, to be called by the name of " the Township of Westfield." * It lias already been stated, that the settlement of the neighborhood, to -svliich was early given the name of Westfield, dates back to the last year (1699-1700) of the seventeenth century. It was the result of what was called " The
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Westfield, 1777 to 1996
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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.
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.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1886Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
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.
Retake this view1950 Census Enumeration District Maps - New Jersey (NJ) - Union County - Westfield - ED 20-287 to 314, 1880
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Westfield’s page.
In 1794, according to Wikidata. Westfield’s post office opened in 1805, and the census of 1810 counted 2,152 people here.
How does Westfield rank for history?
Westfield is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #37 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 Westfield?
7 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Miller-Cory House (listed 1972, the first), 1 historic district, the Stoneleigh Park Historic District, with 48 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 54 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Westfield?
37% of Westfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.6 points), against a typical 15% for a New Jersey town; the median home was built in 1953.
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 (24), the National Register of Historic Places (7), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
![[by CHARLES t. BUELL.] On April i, 1800, the post office was established at Plainfield, New Jersey, which before that time had been known by the name of Milltown, being a part of Westfield township, and included in Essex county ; before the establishment of the post office here the few inhabitants …](https://images.townratings.com/story/11165/bk-11e04f8d0daa3932-l.jpg)
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