The fort was named in honor of Brigadier General Hugh Mercer, who died earlier that year in the Battle of Princeton.

A park, monument, and museum commemorate Fort Mifflin on its original site.

On October 22, 1777, in the Battle of Red Bank, an attack by 900 Hessian troops, serving under British Major General William Howe, who then occupied Philadelphia, was repelled, with heavy losses on the Hessian side, including the death of their commander, Colonel Carl Emil Kurt von Donop, by the 600 Continental Army defenders under Colonel Christopher Greene.

[21][22] In 1895, the area began to be commercially developed as a religious retreat for members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and called National Park on the Delaware.

[23] National Park was formally established as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 15, 1902, from portions of West Deptford Township.

[24] The town's name likely originated as a reference to the county park at Red Bank Battlefield.

[26][27] The 2010 United States census counted 3,036 people, 1,092 households, and 816 families in the borough.

[5] The borough form of government used by National Park is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie.

The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council.

[37][38] As of 2025[update], the mayor of National Park is Democrat Dennis Burke, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.

Members of the Borough Council are Jason Bish (D, 2026), Sean D. Grannan Sr. (D, 2027), Aimee Hart (D, 2025), Julie MacDonald (D, 2025), Ronald Sparks Jr. (D, 2027) and Kate Wadsworth (D, 2026).

[3][39][40][41][42][43] Aimee Hart was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Joy Gunn.

Joy Hibbs Gunn was selected by the borough council in August 2014 from three names nominated by the municipal Democratic committee to fill the vacant seat of Dennis Mehaffey, who resigned in the previous month due to conflicts with his work schedule.

[47][48][49] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 1st congressional district is represented by Donald Norcross (D, Camden).

[52] For the 2024-2025 session, the 3rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by John Burzichelli (D, Paulsboro) and in the General Assembly by David Bailey (D, Woodstown) and Heather Simmons (D, Glassboro).

[90] Students are also eligible to attend Gloucester County Institute of Technology, a four-year high school in Deptford Township that provides technical and vocational education.

[91] The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operated St. Matthews School, which had campuses in National Park and the Verga section of West Deptford Township, New Jersey.

[99] NJ Transit local bus service is available on the 455 route operating between Cherry Hill Mall and Paulsboro.