Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
- see also: the Borough of Hopewell, New Jersey, Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey
| Township of Hopewell, New Jersey | |
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| — Township — | |
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| Coordinates: 40°20′00″N 74°48′59″W / 40.3333333°N 74.81639°WCoordinates: 40°20′00″N 74°48′59″W / 40.3333333°N 74.81639°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Mercer |
| Founded | February 20, 1700 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Mayor | Jim Burd |
| • Administrator | Paul Pogorzelski[1] |
| Area[2] | |
| • Total | 58.66 sq mi (151.9 km2) |
| • Land | 58.11 sq mi (150.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.54 sq mi (1.4 km2) ??.??% |
| Elevation[3] | 217 ft (66 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[4] | |
| • Total | 17,304 |
| • Density | 294.99/sq mi (113.92/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08560 - Titusville[5] |
| Area code(s) | 609 |
| FIPS code | 34-33180[6][7] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882129[8] |
| Website | http://www.hopewelltwp.org |
Hopewell Township is a Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 17,304.[4]
Hopewell Township dates back to February 20, 1700, when the area was still part of Burlington County. It was formerly the name for one of two portions of 800 acres (3.2 km2) of land purchased in 1714 by William Trent, and was formally set off to Hunterdon County, when that county was created on March 11, 1714. Trenton Township was formed out of this estate on June 3, 1719, later to become the City of Trenton. Hopewell Township was incorporated by Royal Charter on March 1, 1755, and incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Hopewell Township became part of Mercer County at its creation on February 22, 1838. Portions of the township were taken to form Marion Township (February 22, 1838, reverted back to Hopewell Township on February 14, 1839), Pennington (January 31, 1890) and Hopewell Borough (April 14, 1891), with additional portions of the township transferred to both Pennington and Hopewell Borough in 1915.[9]
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 58.66 square miles (151.9 km2), of which, 58.11 square miles (150.5 km2) of it is land and 0.54 square miles (1.4 km2) of it (0.92%) is water.[2]
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West Amwell Twp | East Amwell Twp | Montgomery Twp | |
| Upper Makesfield Twp, PA and Solebury Twp, PA |
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Princeton Twp | ||
 Hopewell Twp  |
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| Ewing Twp | Lawrence Township |
Also, Hopewell Twp surrounds Pennington and Hopewell.
Titusville is an unincorporated area located within Hopewell Township.
Washington Crossing State Park is located in the western part of the township.
Some neighborhoods in the township include Hopewell Hunt, Brandon Farms, and Elm Ridge.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 3,907 |
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| 1940 | 3,738 | −4.3% | |
| 1950 | 4,731 | 26.6% | |
| 1960 | 7,818 | 65.3% | |
| 1970 | 10,030 | 28.3% | |
| 1980 | 10,893 | 8.6% | |
| 1990 | 11,590 | 6.4% | |
| 2000 | 16,105 | 39.0% | |
| 2010 | 17,304 | 7.4% | |
| Population sources: 1930-1990[10] 2000[11] 2010[12][4] |
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As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 17,304. The racial makeup of the township was 86.7% White, 2.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 8.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.[12]
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 16,105 people, 5,498 households, and 4,431 families residing in the township. The population density was 277.1 people per square mile (107.0/km²). There were 5,629 housing units at an average density of 96.9 per square mile (37.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 77.30% White, 15.83% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.97% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population.[11]
There were 5,498 households out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.11.[11]
In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males.[11]
The median income for a household in the township was $93,640, and the median income for a family was $101,579. Males had a median income of $66,849 versus $47,701 for females. The per capita income for the township was $43,947. About 0.9% of families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[11]
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Hopewell Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with at least one seat coming up for election each year.[13] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.[14]
As of January 2011, the members of the Hopewell Township Committee are: Mayor James Burd, Deputy Mayor Michael Markulec, Kim Johnson, Vanessa Sandom, and John Murphy.[15]
Hopewell Township is served by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station & Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, located in Trenton.[16]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Hopewell Township is in the 12th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 15th state legislative district.[17] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[4]
New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District is represented by Rush D. Holt, Jr. (D, Hopewell Township).[18] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 15th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Shirley Turner (D, Lawrence Township, Mercer County) and in the General Assembly by Reed Gusciora (D, Trenton) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Ewing Township).[19] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[20] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[21]
Under Mercer County's form of government, the County Executive performs executive functions and oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders acts in a legislative capacity, setting policy. As of 2011, the County Executive is Brian M. Hughes.[22] Members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders are elected at-large to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. A Freeholder Chair and Vice-Chair are selected on an annual basis from among its members.[23] County Freeholders are Freeholder Chair Pasqual "Pat" Colavita, Jr. (term ends December 31, 2012; Lawrenceville)[24], Freeholder Vice Chair Lucylle R. S. Walter (2011; Ewing Township)[25], Samuel T. Frisby (2011; Trenton)[26], Ann M. Cannon (2012; East Windsor Township)[27], Anthony P. Carabelli (2013; Trenton)[28], John Cimino (2011; Hamilton Township)[29] and Andrew Koontz (2013; Princeton Borough)[30][31]
[edit] Transportation
A couple of major roads pass through. Route 29 passes through the southwestern part of Hopewell alongside the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Route 31 is the main north-south road that goes through the township. Interstate 95(M) also passes through in the southern part with two interchanges: Exits 3 (Scotch Road) and 4 (Route 31). I-295 is outside the municipality in neighboring Lawrence Township.
A couple major county roads that go through are County Route 518, County Route 546, County Route 569 and County Route 579.
Hopewell Township was supposed to be the where the Somerset Freeway would have started in the south and end in the north in either Piscataway or Franklin. This would have completed I-95 in New Jersey. Originally, I-295 had extended into Hopewell and ended where the supposed Somerset Freeway interchange was to be built. Ultimately, the Somerset Freeway was cancelled in 1982. I-295 was re designated I-95 from the cancelled interchange to the exit at U.S. Route 1 in 1993.
[edit] Education
Students in public school for kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, a comprehensive regional public school district serving (as of 2005) nearly 4,000 students from Hopewell Borough (371 students), Hopewell Township (2,998 students), and Pennington Borough (497 students). Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[32]) include four Elementary Schools (K-5) — Bear Tavern Elementary School with 532 students, Hopewell Elementary School with 522 students, Stony Brook Elementary School with 522 students, Toll Gate Grammar School with 310 students — Timberlane Middle School with 952 students in grades 6 -8, and Hopewell Valley Central High School, which has an enrollment of 1,152 students in grades 9 - 12.
[edit] The Hopewell Project
Hopewell is home to an experimental renewable energy project called The Hopewell Project, which uses solar power to generate hydrogen that is used to provide 100% of a home's heating, cooling and electrical needs. The Hopewell Solar-Hydrogen Residence was dedicated on October 20, 2006.
[edit] Media
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Hopewell Township include:
- John Gano (1727–1804), Baptist minister who is said to have baptized George Washington.[33]
- John Hart (c. 1711-79), signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.[34]
- Rush D. Holt (born 1948), U.S. Congressman for the 12th Congressional District of New Jersey.[35]
- James W. Marshall (1810–85), sawmill operator, whose 1848 discovery of gold in the American River in California set the stage for the California Gold Rush.[36]
[edit] References
- ^ Staff Members, Hopewell Township. Accessed September 24, 2011.
- ^ a b GCT-PH1. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2000 for Mercer County, New Jersey -- County Subdivision and Place, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 23, 2011.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Hopewell, Geographic Names Information System, accessed June 3, 2007.
- ^ a b c d 2011 Apportionment Redistricting: Municipalities sorted alphabetically, New Jersey Department of State, p. 5. Accessed September 23, 2011.
- ^ Look Up a ZIP Code, United States Postal Service. Accessed September 24, 2011.
- ^ 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. 162.
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 2, 2009. Accessed September 23, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights: Hopewell township, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 23, 2011.
- ^ a b Profile of General Demographic Characteristics for Hopewell township, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed August 11, 2011.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 103.
- ^ THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE FORM OF GOVERNMENT, Hopewell Township. Accessed August 25, 2006.
- ^ Hopewell Township Committee, Hopewell Township. Accessed February 1, 2011.
- ^ Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, Rutgers University. Accessed October 12, 2007.
- ^ 2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 59. Accessed September 23, 2011.
- ^ Municipalities, Congressman Rush D. Holt, Jr. Accessed June 29, 2008.
- ^ Legislative Roster 2012-2013 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2012.
- ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "About the Lieutenant Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/lt/. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ County Executive, Mercer County, New Jersey. Accessed January 5, 2011.
- ^ What is a Freeholder?, Mercer County, New Jersey. Accessed January 5, 2011.
- ^ Pasquale "Pat" Colavita, Jr., Mercer County. Accessed January 6, 2011.
- ^ Lucylle R. S. Walter, Mercer County. Accessed January 6, 2011.
- ^ Samuel T. Frisby, Mercer County. Accessed August 1, 2011.
- ^ Ann M. Cannon, Mercer County. Accessed January 6, 2011.
- ^ Anthony P. Carabelli, Mercer County. Accessed January 6, 2011.
- ^ John Cimino, Mercer County. Accessed January 6, 2011.
- ^ Andrew Koontz, Mercer County. Accessed January 6, 2011.
- ^ Meet the Freeholders, Mercer County. Accessed January 6, 2011.
- ^ Data for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 11, 2008.
- ^ Rasmussen, Dr. Mark. "Baptists We Should Know: John Gano", The Baptist Voice. Accessed February 2, 2011.
- ^ John Hart, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed June 17, 2007.
- ^ Staff. "HOLT CLAIMS WIN IN 12TH DISTRICT, BUT ZIMMER DECLINES TO CONCEDE PRELIMINARY RETURNS PUT THE U.S. HOUSE INCUMBENT AHEAD BY 581 VOTES - WITH ABOUT 400 BALLOTS TO GO.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 18, 2000. Accessed February 2, 2011. "U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, the physicist from Hopewell Township, declared victory yesterday in his hard-fought 12th District contest against Republican challenger Dick Zimmer."
- ^ Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. 7. New Jersey Historical Society. 1922. p. 278. http://books.google.com/books?id=ErafAAAAMAAJ. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
[edit] External links
- Hopewell Township web site
- Hopewell Valley School District
- Hopewell Valley Regional School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- Hopewell Township Fire District
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