Woolwich Township dates to 1767, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 61% of U.S. towns · #245 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Most of Woolwich Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2006. Its Register listings are the Gov. Charles C. Stratton House, the Moravian Church and the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church and Mount Zion Cemetery. 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, Woolwich Township is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #245 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 Woolwich 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 Woolwich Township’s 2.2 sits near the middle of its state (42% of New Jersey towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1767.
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 Woolwich Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost two-thirds of its people between 1870 and 1920, then grew more than tenfold.
23 censuses, 1800–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Woolwich Township’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Woolwich Township on the map, 1890 to 1967
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Woolwich Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1890Salem 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 Woolwich Township.
Woolwich was formed by royal charter on March 7, 1767, from portions of Greenwich Township and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships as an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Franklin Township (January 27, 1820), Spicer Township (March 13, 1844, now known as Harrison Township), West Woolwich Township (March 7, 1877, now known as Logan Township) and Swedesboro (April 9, 1902). The township was named after Woolwich, England.
In 1767, according to Wikidata. the census of 1800 counted 2,768 people here.
How does Woolwich Township rank for history?
Woolwich Township is more historic than 61% of U.S. towns, #245 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 Woolwich Township?
Three places: the Gov. Charles C. Stratton House (listed 1973), the Moravian Church (1973) and the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church and Mount Zion Cemetery (2001).
How old are the homes in Woolwich Township?
2% of Woolwich 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 2006.
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 (9), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, 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.
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