Sparta, New Jersey

Sparta Township, New Jersey
Township
Township of Sparta
Lake Mohawk Boardwalk in Sparta
Map of Sparta Township in Sussex County. Inset: Location of Sussex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Sparta Township, New Jersey
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Sussex
Incorporated	April 14, 1845
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)
• Body	Township Council
• Mayor	Jerry J. Murphy (term ends December 31, 2015)
• Manager	William E. Close
• Clerk	Mary Coe
Area
• Total	38.965 sq mi (100.920 km2)
• Land	36.942 sq mi (95.680 km2)
• Water	2.023 sq mi (5.240 km2)  5.19%
• Rank	58th of 566 in state 5th of 24 in county
Elevation	620 ft (190 m)
Population  (2010 Census)
• Total	19,722
• Estimate  (2014)	19,333
• Rank	131st of 566 in state 2nd of 24 in county
• Density	533.9/sq mi (206.1/km2)
• Rank	441st of 566 in state 9th of 24 in county
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP code	07871
Area code(s)	973 exchanges: 726, 729
FIPS code	3403769690
GNIS feature ID	0882265
Website	www.spartanj.org

Sparta Township is a township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 19,722, reflecting an increase of 1,642 (+9.1%) from the 18,080 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 2,923 (+19.3%) from the 15,157 counted in the 1990 Census.

Sparta was organized as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1845, from portions of Byram Township, Frankford Township, Hardyston Township and (the now-defunct) Newton Township. The township was named after the existing community of Sparta, which had been settled and named years before, the name likely coming from Sparta, Greece. Ogdensburg borough was incorporated on February 26, 1914, from portions of Sparta Township.

History

Overview

Pre-colonial Sparta was inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans. In the 1750s, Dutch explorers discovered red ores in the area and attempted to mine copper. No permanent settlers arrived until 1778, when Robert Ogden and his wife built their home and constructed an iron forge on lands he had acquired and "called their house and farm Sparta." The first public building in Sparta was the Presbyterian Church which was incorporated in 1786. Schools were established in Ogdensburg by 1806 and in Sparta by 1812.

Iron, zinc, and limestone supported a mining industry for over 100 years, but today the mining operations have ceased and the township is now a residential community served by retail, professional, and service small businesses. According to the 2000 census, 65% of Sparta Township workers commute to jobs outside of the county.

Mining industry

Iron

Robert Ogden settled in 1778 near the present town of Ogdensburg and built an iron forge, utilizing local ore from his Ogden Mine on Sparta Mountain. The Horseshoe mine was opened in 1772 by the Englishmen Spargo and Harvey who shipped ore by horse and mule to the forges at Sparta and Hopewell. It wasn't until 1868 that the Ogden Mine Railroad began operations and made it economical to ship zinc and iron ore to Nolan's Point on Lake Hopatcong where the Morris Canal had a marine terminal that could ship ore to Newark. In 1872, the New Jersey Midland Railroad (later known as the New York, Susquehanna & Western) extended to Ogdensburg and captured the zinc ore traffic.

In 1836, Henry Decker, along with Nelson Hunt and Lewis Sherman, began the manufacture of anchors at their forges in Sparta. Their success led to a small industry of forging anchors in Sparta, but by the end of the Civil War the forge industry in Sparta had come to an end.

In 1889, Thomas Edison invested $3.5 million in his Edison Ore-Milling Company to build iron operations on 2,500 acres (10 km²) of Sparta Mountain. Edison hoped to concentrate the mountain's vast quantities of low-grade ore and supply East Coast mills with raw material. At its peak Edison's operation employed 500 people, but after a 10 year effort he abandoned his attempt to compete with more economical ores from Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range. The availability of the cheap Minnesota ores put an end to iron mining in Sparta.

Zinc

In 1848 the New Jersey Zinc Company began operations at Sterling Hill. Earlier attempts to obtain iron from the mineral rich ore of the Sterling Hill failed because of manganese contamination, but zinc was recoverable and the ores at Sterling Hill were rich with it.

In 1856 the Passaic Zinc Company started operations at the Sterling Hill Mine and constructed large ore crushers, shipping the ores to the company's plant in Jersey City.

By 1868, both iron and zinc operations were in progress at Sterling Hill, but the numerous companies and claims were embroiled in continuous legal battles, the largest of which was a 12-year dispute between the New Jersey Zinc Company and the Franklin Iron Company over rights to mixed ores, each company having purchased the right to mine zinc and iron, respectively. In 1880 the Franklin Iron Company acquired the New Jersey Zinc Company's operations at Sterling Hill mine, ending the dispute. Large scale operations began in 1897 when the claims were consolidated under the New Jersey Zinc Company and by 1900 its mill was processing 1,500 tons of ore daily.

Zinc operations continued until 1986 when the Sterling Hill mine ceased operation. The Sterling Hill mine site is currently occupied by the Sterling Hill Mining Museum and is open to the public for tours.

Limestone

After closing his iron operations, Thomas Edison recouped his losses by opening a quarry called Limecrest near Sparta in 1919. The lime quarry fed Edison's Portland cement operations, and was in continuous operation under various owners for nearly 100 years until closed in 2003. During the years of its operation the limestone quarry was an important source of employment and tax revenue for Sparta. Limestone is no longer mined, but a limited amount of granite continues to be quarried by a handful of employees.

Tourism

The former New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad station in Sparta, as viewed from a nearby business in November 2011. The station depot burned in an early morning fire on September 3, 2012.

The New Jersey Midland Railroad opened to Ogdensburg in 1872 for zinc ore traffic, but in 1882 the line was extended to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and a station was built at Sparta, giving tourists easy access to the many boarding houses that served summer residents from the cities. Passenger service ended in 1935, but by then Sparta was well established as a summer destination. In 1926, the Arthur D. Crane Company along with developer and designer Herbert L. Closs constructed a 600-foot (180 m) dam across the Wallkill River to form 300-acre (1.2 km²) Lake Mohawk in 1928. The private resort community created by the Crane Company consisted primarily of summer homes, but the homes began to be winterized in the 1940s and the current membership of 2,600 families are largely year-round residents.

Geography

Sparta Township had a total area of 38.965 square miles (100.920 km²), including 36.942 square miles (95.680 km²) of land and 2.023 square miles (5.240 km²) of water (5.19%).

Lake Mohawk (with 8,092 out of the CDP's total 2010 Census population of 9,916 in the township) is a unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) split between Byram Township and Sparta Township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Ackerson, Edison, Hopewell, Houses Corner, Monroe, Sparta Junction, Sussex Mills, Upper Mohawk and Woodruffs Gap.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	1,919		—
1860	2,062		7.5%
1870	2,032		−1.5%
1880	2,274		11.9%
1890	1,724		−24.2%
1900	2,070		20.1%
1910	1,579		−23.7%
1920	1,017	*	−35.6%
1930	1,316		29.4%
1940	1,729		31.4%
1950	3,021		74.7%
1960	6,717		122.3%
1970	10,819		61.1%
1980	13,333		23.2%
1990	15,157		13.7%
2000	18,080		19.3%
2010	19,722		9.1%
2014 (est.)	19,333		−2.0%
Population sources: 1850-1920 1850-1870 1850 1870 1880-1890 1890-1910 1910-1930 1930-1990 2000 2010 * = Lost territory in previous decade.

Sparta has been noted for the high number of pilots and their families who settle in the area. In his 1994 book The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International, James Kaplan describes the home township of an interviewee as "thickly populated, for no particular reason, with pilots, many of whom do their flying out of Kennedy. The view out [the pilot's] picture window is of trees ... The lights and noise of Manhattan, fifty miles distant, attract flight attendants, single people mostly. Pilots like the woods."

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $112,699 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,658) and the median family income was $127,669 (+/- $8,981). Males had a median income of $89,118 (+/- $5,949) versus $60,590 (+/- $5,416) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $50,115 (+/- $3,064). About 2.3% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 18,080 people, 6,225 households, and 5,029 families residing in the township. The population density was 483.5 people per square mile (186.7/km²). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 176.2 per square mile (68.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.7% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.

There were 6,225 households out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the township the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $89,835, and the median income for a family was $100,658. Males had a median income of $74,293 versus $39,349 for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,910. About 1.0% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Sparta Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager (Plan B) form of municipal government, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of July 1, 1960. The five-member nonpartisan Council is elected at-large for four-year terms of office on a staggered basis with either two or three seats coming up for election every other year as part of the November general election. The council chooses a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among themselves to serve one-year terms of office. The Township Council has the responsibility for all legislative matters.

The Council's responsibilities include enacting ordinances and resolutions, establishing policies, preparing the annual budget with the assistance of the Township Manager and the Treasurer, and levying taxes. Additionally, the Council makes appointments to both the policy and decision-making boards and various advisory committees in accordance with general law and Township ordinances and resolutions.

The council voted to shift its municipal elections from May to November, and voters approved a 2011 referendum that ended a requirement that a runoff election be held in June in the event that no candidate received a majority of votes in the May council election. The first election in which the candidates receiving the most votes won office was held in November 2012.

As of 2015, members of the Sparta Township Council are Mayor Jerry J. Murphy (whose term ends December 31, 2016), Deputy Mayor Christine Quinn (2016), Gilbert A. Gibbs (2018), Joshua Hertzberg (2018) and Molly Ann Whilesmith (2018).

Federal, state and county representation

Sparta Township is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Sparta Township had been split between the 5th Congressional District and the 11th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 11th congressional district is represented by Mikie Sherrill (D, Montclair). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and George Helmy (Mountain Lakes, term ends 2024).

For the 2024-2025 session, the 24th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Parker Space (R, Wantage Township) and in the General Assembly by Dawn Fantasia (R, Franklin) and Mike Inganamort (R, Chester Township). Template:NJ Governor

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 13,647 registered voters in Sparta Township, of which 2,393 (17.5% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,854 (35.6% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 6,387 (46.8% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 13 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 69.2% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 97.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 6,370 votes (61.6% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,747 votes (36.3% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 188 votes (1.8% vs. 2.1%), among the 10,335 ballots cast by the township's 14,177 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.9% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 6,462 votes (59.9% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 4,171 votes (38.7% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 103 votes (1.0% vs. 1.5%), among the 10,781 ballots cast by the township's 13,490 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.9% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,622 votes (65.8% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 3,311 votes (32.9% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 102 votes (1.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 10,070 ballots cast by the township's 12,537 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.3% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 72.8% of the vote (4,431 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.6% (1,496 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (159 votes), among the 6,140 ballots cast by the township's 14,360 registered voters (54 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christiereceived 4,694 votes (65.2% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,844 votes (25.6% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 593 votes (8.2% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 37 votes (0.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 7,202 ballots cast by the township's 13,308 registered voters, yielding a 54.1% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).

Education

The Sparta Township Public School District serves students in public school from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's four schools had an enrollment of 3,697 students and 268.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.78:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Helen Morgan School (pre-K - grade 2; 734 students), Alpine Elementary School (grades 3-5; 838 students), Mohawk Avenue School (grade 3), Sparta Middle School (grades 6-8; 923) and Sparta High School (grades 9-12; 1,202 students).

The Sparta Education Foundation was founded in 2006 to help with budgetary issues in the Sparta school district and to bring extra funds to the public school district from concerned private citizens and groups. In 2009, the Foundation provided technology money for SMART boards and projectors in Alpine and Helen Morgan schools. The Board of Education office is located in the Mohawk Avenue School. Dennis Tobin is the Superintendent of Schools.

Sparta is also home to Sussex County Technical School, a county-wide technical high school.

Private schools

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson is responsible for Rev. George A. Brown Elementary and Pope John XXIII High School.

Sparta is home of Hilltop Country Day School, a private school for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Veritas Christian Academy, a small private school, educates students in grades 9-12.

Transportation

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 132.81 miles (213.74 km) of roadways, of which 97.07 miles (156.22 km) were maintained by the municipality, 20.05 miles (32.27 km) by Sussex County and 15.69 miles (25.25 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Public transportation

Sparta is served by the Skylands Connect bus, which provides service to Newton, Hamburg and Sussex. Lakeland Bus Lines provides commuter service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan from the Sparta police station and Blue Heron Road park and rides on the Route 80 route.

Emergency services

Police

The Sparta Police Department is headquartered in the Municipal Building. The department is led by the Chief of Police Ernest I. Reigstad. The department purchased four new Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors, which were added to the existing pool of Crown Victoria police cruisers. A police utility vehicle was purchased for the highest ranking officer patrolling at a given time. Sparta has a dispatching center in which trained professionals deal with 911 calls 24/7, dispatching police, fire department, and EMS.

Emergency Medical Services

The Sparta Ambulance Squad was founded on July 11, 1947, by the VFW post #7428. Today, the squad is staffed by a combination of volunteers and paid EMTs. During the day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., ambulances are staffed by two paid EMTs. From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Volunteer crews are on call to handle emergencies. If a crew is not found in Sparta, mutual aid agreements exist between Sparta, Franklin Borough, and Ogdensberg Borough. The squad operates four ambulances (4191, 4192, 4193 and 4194) and an Emergency Response Unit (4195) with its over sixty members. Sparta Ambulance Squad's building is located at 14 Sparta Avenue. In 2013, the squad responded to 1,425 calls.

Fire

The Sparta Fire Department serves the township, providing firefighting services along with vehicle extrication and HazMat services. The department's headquarters is located at 141 Woodport Road but it also has substations on Glen Road and Sparta Stanhope Road.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Sparta Township, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Sparta Township include:

• Greg Baty (born 1964), former NFL player.
• Mike Budnik (born 1974), former professional inline skater, and professional mixed martial arts fighter.
• Cassidy, musuician who was the lead singer for the band Antigone Rising from 1999 through 2008.
• Deal Casino, four-member pop-rock band.
• Frank Dolce (born 1996), actor who appeared in Sons of Tucson on television and on Broadway in the role of Michael in Billy Elliot the Musical.
• Charles Joseph Fletcher (1922-2011), inventor and the owner and chief executive of an aeronautical equipment manufacturing and engineering company, Technology General Corporation.
• Chris Jent (born 1970), former NBA basketball player and current coach.
• F. Ross Johnson (born 1931), Canadian businessman and former CEO of RJR Nabisco.
• Jordan Lawlor (born 1992), musician, currently on tour with the band M83.
• Jeff Lenosky (born 1971), US National Mountain Bike Champion and World Record Holder.
• Wendy Mass (born 1967), author.
• Dan Miller (born 1981), UFC Contender, CFFC Middleweight Champion, IFL Middleweight Champion.
• Jim Miller (born 1984), UFC Contender, CFFC Lightweight Champion, Reality Fighting Featherweight Champion.
• Troy Murphy (born 1980), NBA basketball player.
• Gene Prebola (born 1938), former NFL tight end who played for the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and New York Jets.
• Sylvia Pressler (1934-2010), New Jersey court judge whose rulings included one allowing girls to participate in Little League Baseball.
• Tom Raney, Comics artist known for his work on Uncanny X-Men and The Outsiders.
• J. Allyn Rosser (born 1957), poet.
• Tim Sweeney (born 1980), former professional baseball player who became a sports agent and participated in The Amazing Race 23.
• Arthur Tipton (1882-1942), football player and United States Army officer.
• Russ Van Atta (1906-1986), former Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees and the Saint Louis Browns who served as Sheriff of Sussex County and as a county freeholder.

Sources

• Kaplan, James (1994). The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International. New York: William Morrow and Company.
• McCabe, Wayne T.; Gordon, Kate (1996). A Penny A View...An Album of Postcard Views...Sparta, N.J. Newton, New Jersey: Historic Preservation Alternatives.
• Pierson, Duane (1981). Images of Sparta. Newton, New Jersey: Minisink Press.
• Snell, James P. (1881). History of Sussex & Warren Counties, New Jersey with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck.
• Truran, William R. (2005). Sparta, NJ: Head of the Wallkill. Sparta, New Jersey: Trupower Press.

External links

• Official website
• School Performance Reports for the Sparta Township Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education