European settlement began in 1708, when George Willocks acquired land from the Lenape in the area, followed by an acquisition by the proprietors of West Jersey of a tract covering 100,000 acres (160 sq mi; 400 km2).

[26] The earliest European settlers were of English extraction and were followed by a large German contingent who began to settle in the area around 1749 and became the strongest influence around the time Tewksbury became a township.

[24] The more than 100 structures and its mixture of Victorian, Federal, New England and Georgian style homes in Oldwick is protected by its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

[32][33][34] Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Apgar's Corner, Bissell, Cokesbury, Fairmount, Farmersville, Fox Hill, Laurel Farms, Lower Fairmount, Mountainville, New Germantown, Oldwick, Pottersville, Sutton and Vernoy.

[35] The 2010 United States census counted 5,993 people, 2,189 households, and 1,769 families in the township.

Of all households, 15.3% were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[47] As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 5,541 people, 1,986 households, and 1,662 families residing in the township.

12.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[45][46] Tewksbury Township hosts part of a rail trail that was created out of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch.

[6][51] At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each serving a one-year term.

[61][62][63] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 7th congressional district is represented by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield).

[65] For the 2024-2025 session, the 23rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Doug Steinhardt (R, Lopatcong Township) and in the General Assembly by John DiMaio (R, Hackettstown) and Erik Peterson (R, Franklin Township).

[72][73] Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are Clerk Mary H. Melfi (R; Flemington, 2026),[74][75] Sheriff Fredrick W. Brown (R; Alexandria Township, 2025)[76][77] and Surrogate Heidi Rohrbach (R; Lebanon Township, 2028).

[102][103] The original elementary school, Sawmill, opened in 1951 and was sold in 2003 for $1 million to the Hunterdon County Educational Services Commission.

[107][108][109] Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

The community has been settled since the 1740s, when Ralph Smith bought land in the northern part of Oldwick.

The construction of the Zion Lutheran Church in 1749 (remodeled in 1831) is a fixture of the community, as it utilizes the architectural style of vernacular Gothic/Greek revival.

Other notable properties include the Tewksbury Inn (built in 1800 in the Colonial Revival architectural style) and the Oldwick Methodist Church (built in 1865 in the Romanesque architectural style).

[113] Interstate 78[114] passes through the township, and is accessible via Oldwick Road (County Route 523) at Exit 24.

[116] People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Tewksbury Township include: