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Martinsville, New Jersey

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Martinsville, New Jersey
Census-designated place
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountySomerset
TownshipBridgewater
Area
[1]
 • Total
12.398 sq mi (32.111 km2)
 • Land12.322 sq mi (31.914 km2)
 • Water0.076 sq mi (0.198 km2)  0.62%
Elevation
[2]
259 ft (79 m)
Population
 (2010 Census)[3]
 • Total
11,980
 • Density972.3/sq mi (375.4/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP code
08836[4]
Area code908[5]
FIPS code3444430[1][6]
GNIS feature ID02584010[1][7]

Martinsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Bridgewater Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States.[9][10][11] As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 11,980.[3][12]

Martinsville is located in northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township; the 08836 ZIP code also takes in the southern extension of Bernards Township. It is an affluent, predominantly residential area, though it does have its own commercial center along Washington Valley Road, and its own post office.

History

The Middlebrook encampment was a seasonal encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War near Martinsville that straddled the ridge of the First Watchung Mountains. Its position provided a natural fortress not only protecting the Continental Army, but also overlooking the plains towards New Brunswick where the British forces were stationed in 1777.

Tradition holds that it was at the Middlebrook encampment that the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a Thirteen Star Flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater. Since 1889, the first hoisting of the flag is commemorated annually each July 4 with a changing of the flag, a reading of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the delivery of an historical address.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Martinsville had a total area of 12.398 square miles (32.111 km2), including 12.322 square miles (31.914 km2) of land and 0.076 square miles (0.198 km2) of water (0.62%).[1][8]

Demographics

Census 2010

Template:USCensusDemographics

Points of interest

  • Washington Valley Park, part of the Somerset County Park System, is located in Martinsville. The park offers extensive hiking and mountain biking opportunities. A notable hike in the park is an hour-long hike around the out-of-use reservoir that once served Bound Brook, New Jersey.
  • The Mount Bethel Baptist Meetinghouse, located in Martinsville, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Devil's Tree is a solitary oak located in a field on Mountain Road. Legend has it that it is the property of the Devil and a gateway to Hell.[13]
  • There is a Revolutionary War cemetery in the Spring Run section of Martinsville, where soldiers of both American and British troops are buried, along with some early settlers of the area.[14]

Education

The Pingry School's upper division for grades 6 to 12 is located in Martinsville.

Little Friends of Jesus Nursery School (preschool, non-parochial) operate under the supervision of Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.[15]

Notable people

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

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

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Gazetteer of New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 21, 2016.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Martinsville Census Designated Place, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed February 11, 2013.
  3. ^ a b DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Martinsville CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 10, 2013.
  4. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Martinsville, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed February 11, 2013.
  5. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Martinsville, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 8, 2014.
  6. ^ American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  7. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  8. ^ a b US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  9. ^ GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Somerset County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 11, 2013.
  10. ^ 2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 11, 2013.
  11. ^ New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed February 11, 2013.
  12. ^ Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 19, 2015.
  13. ^ Sceurman, Mark; Moran, Mike. Weird N.J.: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets, p. 14. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2009. ISBN 9781402766855. Accessed May 4, 2015. "The Devil's Tree - Alpine is by no means the only place in the state to meet the devil. He is also said to frequent a certain tree in the Martinsville section of Bernards Township, Somerset County."
  14. ^ "The Devil's Tree", Weird NJ. Accessed October 8, 2014.
  15. ^ Find a school, Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Accessed September 11, 2012.
  16. ^ Considine, Bob. "In writing romance, Martinsville author living a real adventure: Writer's 22nd novel coming out this week", copy of article from the Courier-Post, March 26, 2007. Accessed December 20, 2007. "So if there's a giant gale coming out of the Martinsville section of Bridgewater on Tuesday, it might just be the exhale of Andrea Kane."
  17. ^ Geraldine B. Laybourne, Symantec. Accessed May 4, 2015. "A native of Martinsville, New Jersey, she and her husband Kit have two children and four grandchildren."
  18. ^ Freeman, Muriel. "Upton Sinclair: Recalling a Muckraker", The New York Times, December 17, 1978. Accessed May 4, 2015. "MARTINSVILLE UPTON SINCLAIR, muckraker extraordinaire and the author of more than 100 books, died in Bridgewater Township on Nov. 25, 1968, at the age of 90. "
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