High Bridge, New Jersey
| High Bridge, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: 40°40′06″N 74°53′44″W / 40.66833°N 74.89556°WCoordinates: 40°40′06″N 74°53′44″W / 40.66833°N 74.89556°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Hunterdon |
| Incorporated | March 29, 1871 |
| Government[1][2] | |
| • Type | Borough (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | Mark Desire |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.4 sq mi (6.3 km2) |
| • Land | 2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation[3] | 305 ft (93 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,648 |
| • Density | 1,520.0/sq mi (588.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08829 |
| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-31320[4][5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885251[6] |
| Website | http://www.highbridge.org |
High Bridge is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 3,648.
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[edit] History
High Bridge was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 29, 1871, from portions of both Clinton Township and Lebanon Township and Bethlehem Township. On February 19, 1898, the borough of High Bridge was incorporated from portions of the township, with the remainder returned to Clinton and Lebanon Townships.[7]
High Bridge Borough is located on the South Branch of the Raritan River in the north central part of Hunterdon County. Water from the South Branch was a valuable power source for one of the first ironworks in the United States, established by William Allen and Joseph Turner of Philadelphia. Allen was the mayor of Philadelphia, a Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, and a prominent landowner in New Jersey. The Central Railroad of New Jersey built a high bridge across the river from which structure the locality ultimately took its name.[8]
[edit] Geography
High Bridge is located at 40°40′07″N 74°53′33″W / 40.668594°N 74.892415°W (40.668594, -74.892415).[9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which, 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.82%) is water. It is drained by the South Branch of the Raritan River.
High Bridge borders Clinton Township and Lebanon Township.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,860 |
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| 1940 | 1,781 | −4.2% | |
| 1950 | 1,854 | 4.1% | |
| 1960 | 2,148 | 15.9% | |
| 1970 | 2,606 | 21.3% | |
| 1980 | 3,435 | 31.8% | |
| 1990 | 3,886 | 13.1% | |
| 2000 | 3,776 | −2.8% | |
| 2010 | 3,648 | −3.4% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[10] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 3,776 people, 1,428 households, and 1,051 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,566.0 people per square mile (604.9/km2). There were 1,478 housing units at an average density of 613.0 per square mile (236.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.24% White, 0.79% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.12% of the population.
There were 1,428 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $68,719, and the median income for a family was $75,357. Males had a median income of $56,607 versus $35,450 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,276. About 1.9% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
High Bridge 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 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.[1][11]
The Mayor of High Bridge Borough is Mark Desire. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Mike Stemple, Tom Flynn, Lynn Hughes, Michael Lynch, Victoria Miller and Dean Rapp.[2]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
High Bridge Borough is in the 7th Congressional district. New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
High Bridge 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).[12]
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.[13] 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).[14]
[edit] Education
The High Bridge School District serves students in grades K to 8. Schools in the districts (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[15]) are High Bridge Elementary School for grades Pre-K - 5 (300 students) and High Bridge Middle School for grades 6 - 8 (142 students).
Students in grades 9 through 12 attend Voorhees High School in Lebanon Township as part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. Voorhees High School serves students from Califon Borough (67 students), Glen Gardner Borough (75 students), Hampton Borough (87 students), High Bridge Borough (217 students), Lebanon Township (404 students) and Tewksbury Township (235 students).[16]
[edit] Transportation
The High Bridge station is the western terminus on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line. It is located at the southern end of the station. The parking lot for the station is located one block to the west. The station only uses the southern track for inbound and outbound trains. There is a station building that is no longer used and there are two small shelters. This station has limited weekday service and no weekend service. The station has been the western terminus of the line since 1983, although there have been proposals to once again have service to Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
[edit] Recreation
High Bridge serves as the southern terminus of a rail trail that was created out of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch. The trail is maintained by Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation and is called the Columbia Trail. The trail runs northeastward from the center of the borough (at the junction of Main Street and Church Street) towards Califon, through a scenic area outside the borough limits, known as the Ken Lockwood Gorge.
Union Forge Park is High Bridge's main public park, located across the Raritan River from Taylor Wharton. Another park is the Borough Commons, conveniently situated at the start of the Columbia Trail.
The High Bridge Hills golf course, located near Route 31, provides another means of recreation in the small town.[17]
[edit] Historic sites
Solitude House, built circa 1710-1725, is managed by the Union Forge Heritage Association, it became the centerpiece of the iron plantation that became Union Forge Ironworks. Later called Taylor Iron and Steel Company, it eventually became known as Taylor-Wharton. John Penn, the last royal governor of Pennsylvania, and Benjamin Chew, the last Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, were political prisoners at Solitude House during the American Revolutionary War. Five generations of the Taylor family managed the business and continued to live in the house, until 1938. The museum houses the Taylor-Wharton Collection as well as exhibits that depict the life and times of the residents and ironworkers who lived in High Bridge. The Union Forge Heritage Association, a 501(c)3 corporation, manages the Museum.[18]
The Taylor Steel Workers Historical Greenway, created by the Union Forge Heritage Association connects to the Columbia Trail.
The TISCO Headquarters, constructed in 1742 for the Union Iron Works, is the oldest office building in New Jersey.[19]
Lake Solitude dam, replacing the crib dam of 1858, replaced in 1909, is the last remaining example of a buttress dam in New Jersey, built by master engineer Frank S. Tainter.[20]
Springside Farm, established in 1803, by Archibald S. Taylor, as the agricultural farm of the Taylor Iron and Steel Company.
[edit] Business
High Bridge has a resurgent downtown (Main Street) that is home to eateries, services and professionals. Circa Restaurant, at the center of Main Street, has received acclaim from a variety of sources including a food editor from The New York Times who proclaimed, "Circa is the kind of place I wish were in my town."[21]
The businesses are collectively marketed by the High Bridge Business Association, which assists its member businesses through co-operative advertising, press releases, goodwill and other benefits.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of High Bridge include
- Naomi Jakobsson (born 1941 as Naomi Dick), represents the 103rd District in the Illinois House of Representatives.[citation needed]
- Howard Menger (1922–2009), UFO contactee whose writings on the subject include The High Bridge Incident, about his initial contact with aliens, when he was ten years old.[22]
- Dan Smith (born 1975), former MLB pitcher who played for the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox.[23]
- George W. Taylor (1808–1862), Union Army brigadier general during the American Civil War.,ref>Historic Clinton, Clinton, New Jersey. Accessed February 20, 2011. "George W. Taylor, son of Archibald Taylor, was raised at 'Solitude', a special elitist residential area that became High Bridge."</ref>
[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 High Bridge Council, Borough of High Bridge. Accessed February 20, 2011.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of High Bridge, 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.
- ^ Hunterdon County webpage for High Bridge Borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed March 20, 2007.
- ^ "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, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ High Bridge Borough Government: Overview, Borough of High Bridge. Accessed March 12, 2007.
- ^ 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 High Bridge School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 4, 2008.
- ^ Voorhees High School 2007 Report Card Narratives, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 4, 2008. "Voorhees High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in the state. With an enrollment of 1200 students in grades 9-12, the school serves the communities of Califon, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township, and Tewksbury Township."
- ^ http://www.highbridgehills.com/index.php
- ^ Solitude House Museum, accessed November 28, 2008.
- ^ TISCO Building, New Jersey Historic Trust. Accessed February 20, 2011.
- ^ O'Brien, Walter. "Historic Solitude House shares birthday party with nation", Home News Tribune, July 1, 2008. Accessed February 20, 2011. "Tour Lake Solitude Dam recently named to Preservation New Jersey's 2008 10 Most Endangered List and the last remaining buttress dam in the state."
- ^ Cook, Karla. "DINING/HIGH BRIDGE; Having Fun, With Mussels and More", The New York Times, October 15, 2006. Accessed September 28, 2008. "Yet Circa is the kind of place I wish were in my town. The space is magical; only the steak breaks the $30 mark in the dinner category; and Mr. Coury, who graduated from the French Culinary Institute and worked at the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse, the Frenchtown Inn and Nodo in Princeton, is having fun."
- ^ Bolton, Whitney. "New York Day by Day", Reading Eagle, May 17, 1957. Accessed February 20, 2011.
- ^ Dan Smith player profile, The Baseball Cube. Accessed July 29, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Borough of High Bridge, New Jersey
- High Bridge Public Library
- Web page for High Bridge Borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
- High Bridge School District
- High Bridge School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the High Bridge School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District
- High Bridge Emergency Squad
- Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance
- Photo Essay of High Bridge from 1991
- Old postcards of High Bridge and attractions.
- High Bridge Business Association
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