Frenchtown, New Jersey
| Frenchtown, New Jersey | |
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| — Borough — | |
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| Coordinates: 40°31′33″N 75°03′22″W / 40.52583°N 75.05611°WCoordinates: 40°31′33″N 75°03′22″W / 40.52583°N 75.05611°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Hunterdon |
| Incorporated | April 4, 1867 |
| Government[1][2] | |
| • Type | Borough (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | Ronald M. Sworen (term ends 2011)[3] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.3 sq mi (3.5 km2) |
| • Land | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation[4] | 190 ft (58 m) |
| Population (2010 Census) | |
| • Total | 1,373 |
| • Density | 1,100/sq mi (390/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08825 |
| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-25350[5][6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885227[7] |
Frenchtown is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373.
Frenchtown Borough is located along the banks of the Delaware River on the Hunterdon Plateau. Various names have been applied to this settlement, after the many ferry operators residing on both sides of the river. Alexandria Ville, Sunbeam, and Frenchtown were the official names by which this community was known over the years. The Borough was formed by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 4, 1867, from portions of Alexandria Township. Additional territory was gained from Kingwood Township in 1865.[8]
The first bridge across the Delaware at Frenchtown was a six-span covered wooden bridge built in 1841 on the five piers that still stand today, and the community became a gateway to Pennsylvania. The Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge, a free Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission bridge over the Delaware River connects Frenchtown to Uhlerstown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.[9]
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[edit] History
In 1757, three joint owners of a tract purchased from the West Jersey Land Society began laying out streets and building lots at Calvin's Ferry. The developing town was to be called "Alexandria" in honor of William Alexander, one of the three owners. In 1776, the three sold the settlement to Thomas Lowrey, a Flemington speculator.
In 1794, Lowrey sold the tract to Paul Henri Mallet-Prevost, a Swiss fugitive from the French Revolution. He and other early settlers were French speaking, leading some to begin calling the place "Frenchtown."
The town grew substantially in the next four decades. A trade in grain and other farm products developed. Boatmen and river men helped fuel Frenchtown's growth through their buying of cargo and food, and hiring of pilots. In the years after Henri Mallet-Prevost's death, his sons sold off portions of their property; no longer was the town privately owned.
The arrival of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad in 1853 sparked continued growth in Frenchtown. Steam-powered industry became widely developed, and by the 1860s, mills were being converted into larger factories. Around the same time, the town had three major hotels, The Lower Hotel (Present day Frenchtown Inn), The Middle Hotel (no longer existing), and the Upper Hotel (The National Hotel). In 1889, Britton Brothers Big Brick Store, which sold a variety of goods, opened on Bridge Street.
In the early 20th century, growth was spurred by the arrival of Frenchtown Porcelain Works, the establishment of the Milford plant of the Warren Paper Company, and the rise of the poultry industry.[10]
[edit] Geography
Frenchtown is located at 40°31′40″N 75°03′39″W / 40.527820°N 75.060953°W (40.527820, -75.060953).[11]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (4.48%) is water.
Frenchtown borders Kingwood Township and Alexandria Township. Frenchtown also borders the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is south of Milford borough.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,189 |
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| 1940 | 1,238 | 4.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,305 | 5.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,340 | 2.7% | |
| 1970 | 1,459 | 8.9% | |
| 1980 | 1,573 | 7.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,528 | −2.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,488 | −2.6% | |
| 2010 | 1,373 | −7.7% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[12] | |||
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 1,488 people, 613 households, and 375 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,160.7 people per square mile (448.8/km2). There were 630 housing units at an average density of 491.4 per square mile (190.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.97% White, 0.40% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 1.34% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.62% of the population.
There were 613 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $52,109, and the median income for a family was $62,132. Males had a median income of $42,321 versus $30,952 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,765. About 2.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
According to the NJSP Website there are no registered sex offenders located in Frenchtown in 2007.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Frenchtown is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Mayor presides at council meetings, but has no vote except to break ties. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. The NJ Borough Act of 1987 allowed for the delegation of executive responsibility to an appointed administrator.[1]
The Mayor of Frenchtown Borough is Warren Cooper, whose term of office began January 1, 2012. Members of the Frenchtown Borough Council are Brad Myhre, Seth A. Grossman, Gerry St. Onge, Robb Arent, Bryan Davison, and William Sullivan.[2] In elections held on November 8, 2011, 16-year incumbent Ronald Sworen was defeated by Democrat Warren Cooper, who will take office in January 2012.[13]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Frenchtown is in the 12th Congressional district. New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District is represented by Rush D. Holt, Jr. (D, Hopewell Township).[14] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
Frenchtown is in the The 23rd Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Michael J. Doherty (R, Washington Township, Warren County) and in the General Assembly by John DiMaio (R, Hackettstown) and Erik Peterson (R, Franklin Township, Hunterdon County).[15]
Hunterdon County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who serve three-year terms of office at-large, with either one or two seats up for election each year on a staggered basis.[16] As of 2011, Hunterdon County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Matt Holt (Clinton Town), Freeholder Deputy Director Robert Walton (Hampton), William Mennen (Tewksbury Township),George B. Melick (Tewksbury Township), and Ronald Sworen (Frenchtown).[17]
[edit] Education
The Frenchtown School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Edith Ort Thomas Elementary School had an enrollment of 156 students in the 2009-10 school year.[18]
Public school students in grade 9 - 12 attend the Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, which serves almost 1,000 students in western Hunterdon County. Students from Alexandria, Holland and Kingwood Townships along with the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford attend the high school. The school is part of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District.[19]
[edit] Transportation
Frenchtown is the northern terminus of Route 29, the western terminus of Route 12, and the southern terminus of Route 513.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Frenchtown include:
- James Agee (1909–55), author, editor, poet; lived in Frenchtown with second wife Alma from 1938–1939; wrote Let Us Now Praise Famous Men while in Frenchtown.[20][21]
- Nathanael West (1903–40), novelist, screenwriter and satirist, author of Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust, boarded at the Frenchtown Inn during the 1930s.[22]
- Lois Hunt (1925–2009), soprano opera singer who toured for decades with baritone Earl Wrightson.[23]
- Anne Kursinski (born 1959), top show jumping competitor.[24]
- Harvey Spencer Lewis (1883–1939), Rosicrucian author, occultist and mystic.[25]
- J. Linus McAtee (1897–1963), thoroughbred horse racing jockey.
- Billy Pauch (born 1957), race car driver.[26]
- Elizabeth Gilbert (born 1969), author of Eat, Pray, Love[27]
[edit] Trivia
- The Robert Cormier novel Heroes is set in Frenchtown, New Jersey.
[edit] References
- ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 103.
- ^ a b Frenchtown Borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed June 2, 2008.
- ^ 2011 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed November 10, 2011.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Frenchtown, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 155.
- ^ Uhlerstown-Frenchtown bridge, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Accessed June 2, 2008.
- ^ Friends of the Frenchtown Library. The Growth of Frenchtown.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Mustac, Frank. "Challenger Cooper defeats Frenchtown's longtime incumbent mayor Sworen", Hunterdon County Democrat, November 8, 2011. Accessed November 10, 2011. "There’ll be a new mayor in the borough, and his name is Warren Cooper. Cooper, a Democrat, unseated longtime incumbent Ron Sworen, who at the end of his tenure will have served four consecutive terms for a total of 16 years."
- ^ Municipalities, Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr. Accessed June 29, 2008.
- ^ Legislative Roster 2012-2013 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2012.
- ^ About the Board, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 5, 2011.
- ^ Hunterdon County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed February 9, 2011.
- ^ Data for the Frenchtown School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 10, 2011.
- ^ Home, Delaware Valley Regional High School. Accessed June 2, 2008. "Delaware Valley Regional High School serves over 1000 students in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Students from Alexandria, Holland, & Kingwood Townships along with the boroughs of Frenchtown and Milford attend Del Val."
- ^ "Agee Chronology". Agee Films. http://www.ageefilms.org/ageebio.html. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ David Madden and Jeffrey J. Folks, ed. (1997). Remembering James Agee. University of Georgia Press. p. 66. http://books.google.com/books?id=qcSQQUnsInEC&pg=PA66.
- ^ Bucks County and the Delaware Valley Alive, Hunter Publishing, 2010.
- ^ Grimes, William. "Lois Hunt, Half of Popular Operatic Duo, Dies at 84", The New York Times, July 28, 2009. Accessed July 28, 2009.
- ^ Cosdon, Christina K. "Kappler lands 2nd Invitational", St. Petersburg Times, March 30, 2003. Accessed August 12, 2007. "Anne Kursinski, 43, of Frenchtown, N.J., and Eros placed third for $26,000."
- ^ Harvey Spencer Lewis - Introduction. The Global Oneness Commitment. Accessed June 2, 2008.
- ^ Staff. "Pauch wins for the 72nd time at NES", The Times of Trenton, April 27, 2009. Accessed July 28, 2009. "Billy Pauch of Frenchtown proved just why he is the all-time leading winner at the New Egypt Speedway."
- ^ Rich, Motoko. "Eat, Pray, Love. Then What? Get Married.", The New York Times, August 19, 2009. Accessed August 20, 2009.
[edit] External links
- Frenchtown.com
- Hunterdon County web page for Frenchtown Borough
- Frenchtown Elementary School
- Frenchtown School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Frenchtown School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- Delaware Valley Regional High School District
- Uhlerstown-Frenchtown bridge, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
- Frenchtown NJ
- Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance
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