Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey

Communities of Franklin Township

The following are census-designated place

Census-designated place

A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

s, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township. While they have their own separate identities, they are all unincorporated areas.

East Millstone
East Millstone, New Jersey
East Millstone is a census-designated place and historic district within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is a small rural community that grew and prospered with a small industrial base in the 19th Century, centered around the Delaware and Raritan Canal at...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Franklin Park
Franklin Park, New Jersey
Franklin Park is an unincorporated area within portions of North Brunswick Township and South Brunswick Township in Middlesex County and Franklin Township in Somerset County, in New Jersey, United States...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Griggstown
Griggstown, New Jersey
Griggstown is an unincorporated area and a historic district within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. It was first settled around 1733.-Selected sites:* * Griggstown Quail Farm...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Kingston
Kingston, New Jersey
Kingston is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

(officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission
New Jersey State Planning Commission
The New Jersey State Planning Commission is responsible for oversight of planning issues affecting the U.S. state of New Jersey. The Commission consists of 17 members representing State government, local government and the public. Local government and public members are appointed by the Governor of...

.) The Kingston Village Advisory Committee
Kingston Village Advisory Committee
The Kingston Village Advisory Committee, jointly appointed by the South Brunswick Township and Franklin Township Councils, reports to both Township Councils on matters of concern to the historic "village" of Kingston and its citizens...

, jointly appointed by the Councils of Franklin and South Brunswick Township
South Brunswick Township, New Jersey
South Brunswick Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 43,417....

s, advises Franklin on matters of concern to Kingston
Kingston, New Jersey
Kingston is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County...

's citizens.
Middlebush
Middlebush, New Jersey
Middlebush is an unincorporated area and community located within Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is perhaps most distinguished as being the host section for Franklin Township's municipal complex....

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Pleasant Plains
Pleasant Plains, New Jersey
Pleasant Plains is an unincorporated area and hamlet located within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. Having no distinct boundaries, a large area in the center of Franklin Township centered on the intersections of South Middlebush Road with Claremont and Suydam Roads is generally...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Six Mile Run
Six Mile Run, New Jersey
Six Mile Run has been used to name several different but related features in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey.-Historic district on the National Register of Historic Places :...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Somerset
Somerset, New Jersey
Somerset is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located at the easternmost section within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. At the 2000 United States Census, the CDP population was 23,040...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

(CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

with 2000 population of 23,040)
Ten Mile Run, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Weston
Weston, New Jersey
Weston is an unincorporated area of Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Situated on the east side of the Millstone River north of East Millstone and south of Zarephath , early names used for the area were Schenck's Mill, Van Neste's Mill and Frogtown...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Zarephath
Zarephath, New Jersey
Zarephath is an unincorporated area of Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It was the communal home to the Pillar of Fire Church, and was the worldwide headquarters of Pillar of Fire International and housed the church's college, Somerset Christian College, and radio...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

religious community in western part of the township, centered around the Pillar of Fire Church
Pillar of Fire Church
The Pillar of Fire International is a Christian organization founded in Denver, Colorado in 1901 by Alma White, with headquarters in Zarephath, New Jersey. The Pillar of Fire was originally incorporated as the Pentecostal Union, but changed its name to distance itself from Pentecostalism in 1915...

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 50,903 people, 19,355 households, and 12,987 families residing in the township. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

was 1,088.3 people per square mile (420.2/km²). There were 19,789 housing units at an average density of 423.1 per square mile (163.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 55.11% White, 25.98% African American, 0.18% Native American, 12.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.56% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.11% of the population.

There were 19,355 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $67,923, and the median income for a family was $78,177 (these figures had risen to $87,417 and $99,526 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $52,351 versus $41,101 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

for the township was $31,209. About 3.1% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

The Township of Franklin is chartered under the Faulkner Act

Faulkner Act (New Jersey)

The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...

as Council-Manager

Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)

The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Council-Manager government.The council consists of 5, 7, or 9 members elected by the public...

, Plan D. The Township Council consists of nine members - a Mayor elected from the Township at large, five elected for each of the five wards and three elected from the Township at large.

The Mayor is the Chief Legislative Officer of the Township and is elected by the voters to serve for a four-year term. The Township Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of the Township, provides for the administration of the Township's daily operations, and is hired by and serves at the pleasure of the Township Council. Council elections are held at the June Primary and November General Elections in odd numbered years.

In 1998 the township voted 6,092 to 2,834 to raise their property taxes by 3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation with the money to be used to preserve open space

Open space reserve

Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...

.

Members of the Township Council are:

Brian D. Levine
Brian D. Levine
Brian D. Levine is the mayor of Franklin Township , New Jersey, a community with more than 60,000 residents.A Republican, Levine has been elected to the mayoralty twice, in a municipality with a heavy Democratic advantage in voter registration...

, Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

(term ends December 31, 2011)
Rajiv Prasad, Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...

At-Large (2011)
Kimberly Francois, At-Large (2011)
Brian G. Regan, At-Large for unexpired term of Daniel Glicklich starting 3/22/11 (2011)
Theodore Chase, 1st Ward (2013)
Rozalyn Sherman, 2nd Ward (2013)
Phillip Kramer, 3rd Ward (2013)
Carl Wright, 4th Ward (2013)
James Vassanella, 5th Ward (2013)

Federal, state and county representation

Franklin Township is split between the 6th and 12th Congressional Districts.

Franklin Township is in the

Culture and history

It has been unclear if the Township was named for founding father Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...

or for his illegitimate son William Franklin

William Franklin

William Franklin was an American soldier and colonial administrator. He served as the last Colonial Governor of New Jersey. Franklin was a steadfast Loyalist throughout the American War of Independence, despite his father Benjamin Franklin's role as one of the most prominent Patriots during the...

, a Loyalist

Loyalist (American Revolution)

Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...

and the last Royal Governor of New Jersey (from 1763 to 1776). In 2000, after considering the evidence set forth by William B. Brahms

William B. Brahms

William B. Brahms is an American librarian, encyclopedist, author and historian best known for his encyclopedic works on historical "lasts" , in particular, the reference works Notable Last Facts: A Compendium of Endings, Conclusions, Terminations and Final Events Throughout History and Last...

in his books Images of America: Franklin Township (1997) and Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History, commissioned by the Franklin Township Public Library, 1998, Chapter 12, Municipal Government, The Case for William Franklin and The Case for Benjamin Franklin), the Township Council chose the theory that the Township was indeed named for Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin Township was very much a part of Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

history and the scene of many raiding parties along Route 27, then known as the King's Highway. In fact, two British generals, Cornwallis

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...

and DeHeister, tried to lure General

General

A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

and his Continental Army

Continental Army

The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...

into battle on the plains of Middlebush

Middlebush, New Jersey

Middlebush is an unincorporated area and community located within Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is perhaps most distinguished as being the host section for Franklin Township's municipal complex....

and East Millstone

East Millstone, New Jersey

East Millstone is a census-designated place and historic district within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is a small rural community that grew and prospered with a small industrial base in the 19th Century, centered around the Delaware and Raritan Canal at...

. Washington, however, kept his troops at Chimney Rock, just north of Franklin, until the British withdrew. Several of the prosperous Middlebush farms were destroyed by the British soldiers during their retreat. In 1777, near the mill on the Millstone River

Millstone River

The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County and flows northward through southern Somerset County into the Raritan River at Manville. Almost three quarters of its length is paralleled by...

at Weston

Weston, New Jersey

Weston is an unincorporated area of Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Situated on the east side of the Millstone River north of East Millstone and south of Zarephath , early names used for the area were Schenck's Mill, Van Neste's Mill and Frogtown...

, the Continental Army and local militia engaged and successfully drove off a British foraging party of about 600 troops, sent out of New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...

by General Cornwallis. In 1783, Washington composed his farewell address to his army while staying at Rockingham

Rockingham, Kingston

Rockingham House was the home of John Berrien I and George Washington's final headquarters of the Revolutionary War, located in Franklin Township, New Jersey near Rocky Hill. The house has been moved within southern Franklin Township several times, and is now closer to the Franklin portion of...

near Kingston, NJ

Kingston, New Jersey

Kingston is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County...

.

One of the most important developments for Franklin was the building of the Delaware & Raritan Canal in 1834. Twenty-two miles of this continuous water route from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

to Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

run through the Township. During the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, up to 200,000 tons of freight were hauled by mule and horse-drawn barges, a great economic boon for the area. The building of the railroads led to the decline of this once successful mode of transportation. Today the canal is the source of drinking water and provides recreation for area residents and visitors to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.

The Van Wickle House

Van Wickle House

The Van Wickle House is a historical house located at 1289 Easton Avenue in Somerset, New Jersey. It was built in 1722 by Symen Van Wickle aka Symen Van Wicklin.-Evert Van Wickle:...

, located next to the Delaware and Raritan Canal

Delaware and Raritan Canal

The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...

in the Somerset section of the township, in between New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

and South Bound Brook

South Bound Brook, New Jersey

South Bound Brook is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,563.What is now South Bound Brook was originally formed as a town within Franklin Township...

, was built in 1722 by Dutch

Dutch people

The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

settlers and is now owned and maintained by The Meadows Foundation

Meadows Foundation

The Meadows Foundation of Somerset County, New Jersey is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1978. It oversaw the restoration of seven historic houses in Somerset. The homes are on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.-Houses:* Van Liew-Suydam...

. The lovely old home sits peacefully next to Rutgers Preparatory School

Rutgers Preparatory School

Rutgers Preparatory School is a private, coeducational, university preparatory day school located in Somerset, New Jersey serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade...

, away from busy Easton Avenue behind some trees and a Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

-era graveyard.

Franklin Township enjoyed passenger and freight railroad service during the later half of the 19th century via the Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad

Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad

The Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad was chartered in the mid-19th century as a seven-mile long branch line from New Brunswick, New Jersey to East Millstone, New Jersey. Construction was completed and the line began operation on December 19, 1854...

(M&NB) which opened in 1854. The railroad was built and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

(PRR), from a junction with the PRR mainline at Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

to East Millstone

East Millstone, New Jersey

, New Jersey

New Jersey

. The M&NB is now known as the Conrail Millstone Secondary Branch. The branch line is still operated by Conrail up to just west of Clyde Road in Somerset

Somerset, New Jersey

Somerset is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located at the easternmost section within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. At the 2000 United States Census, the CDP population was 23,040...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

, serving local industry in the industrial section of Somerset.

In 1922, the infamous Hall-Mills Murder

Hall-Mills Murder

The Hall-Mills murder case involved an Episcopal priest and a member of his choir with whom he having an affair, who were killed on September 14, 1922, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The suspected murderers, the priest's wife and her brothers, were acquitted in a 1926 trial...

took place in Franklin Township, in the area adjacent to New Brunswick known as Somerset.

Utilities

Gas and electricity are provided by PSE&G. Water comes from the Delaware and Raritan Canal

Delaware and Raritan Canal

from water bought from American Water

American Water (company)

thumb|right|350px|The Iowa American Water Company plant in [[Davenport, Iowa]] on the banks of the [[Mississippi River]]American Water is a public utility company operating in the United States and Canada...

and North Brunswick, New Jersey and New Brunswick, New Jersey

New Brunswick, New Jersey

. In 2011 the township considered privatizing the system and awarding the contract to United Water

United Water

United Water Resources, founded as Hackensack Water Company in 1869, has grown into one of the United States's largest water services companies. It is headquartered in Harrington Park, New Jersey. The company owns and operates water and wastewater utilities and also has contracts to operate...

Points of interest

The Blackwells Mills Canal House
Blackwells Mills Canal House
The Blackwells Mills Canal House is located at Blackwells Mills Road & Canal Road in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey, USA, on the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Across the canal is Blackwells Mills, New Jersey.-History:...

, located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road (598 Canal Road, Somerset) on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, was built around 1835, at the same time as the canal. It was constructed to house the bridge tender, who would open the swing bridge when canal boats came through, then close it to allow traffic to cross over the canal. The building is leased from the State and is maintained and operated by the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association in conjunction with the Meadows Foundation
Meadows Foundation
The Meadows Foundation of Somerset County, New Jersey is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1978. It oversaw the restoration of seven historic houses in Somerset. The homes are on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.-Houses:* Van Liew-Suydam...

.
Colonial Park
Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens
The Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens are gardens and an arboretum located in Colonial Park , 150 Mettlers Road, in the East Millstone area of Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. The grounds are open daily without fee....

, part of the Somerset County Park System, is a 685.5 acres (2.8 km²) facility located in the western portion of Franklin Township near East Millstone
East Millstone, New Jersey
East Millstone is a census-designated place and historic district within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is a small rural community that grew and prospered with a small industrial base in the 19th Century, centered around the Delaware and Raritan Canal at...

with entrances off Mettlers Lane and Elizabeth Avenue. The park offers many recreational activities, including picnicking, hiking, biking, fishing, golf and tennis. It features a 144 acre (0.58274784 km²) Arboretum, a 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) leash-free dog area, a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) fitness parcourse, paddleboat rentals, a unique 18-hole putting course, the 18 hole championship Spooky Brook Golf Course, 3 stocked fishing ponds, softball fields, tennis center, playground, nature trail, a 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) Perennial Garden, the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, an accredited All-America Rose Selections (AARS) display garden, and the Fragrance and Sensory Garden, designed to be of special interest to visitors who are visually or physically impaired.
A portion of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...

runs for some 22 miles (35 km) along much of the northern and western borders of Franklin Township eventually making its way as far south as Trenton with a feeder canal following the Delaware River north for another 22 miles (35 km) to Bull's Island near Frenchtown
Frenchtown, New Jersey
Frenchtown is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373....

. The canal and adjacent tow path offer many recreational activities, from hiking and biking to fishing and boating. Access points with parking can be found near most road crossings of the canal, via bridges at Colonial Park
Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens
The Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens are gardens and an arboretum located in Colonial Park , 150 Mettlers Road, in the East Millstone area of Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. The grounds are open daily without fee....

(see above) and the Van Wickle House
Van Wickle House
The Van Wickle House is a historical house located at 1289 Easton Avenue in Somerset, New Jersey. It was built in 1722 by Symen Van Wickle aka Symen Van Wicklin.-Evert Van Wickle:...

(see below) in Franklin Township as well as at many of the locks on the canal.
The John W. Flemer Preserve is a 7.4 acres (29,946.8 m²) preserve adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...

in Kingston
Kingston, New Jersey
Kingston is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County...

that features a 2 miles (3.2 km) trail on the east bank of the Canal that offers a connection to the tow path on the west side of the Canal for a round trip hike.
The Franklin Inn
Franklin Inn
The Franklin Inn was built by Cornelius Van Liew in 1752. Located at 2371 Amwell Road , East Millstone, NJ. Originally the Van Liew farmhouse, it has also been known as Annie Van Liew's House and, after being remodeled into a tavern and inn, the Franklin House Hotel...

, at 2371 Amwell Road (Route 514
County Route 514 (New Jersey)
County Route 514 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from US 202 in East Amwell Township to Bayway Avenue in Elizabeth...

), East Millstone
East Millstone, New Jersey
East Millstone is a census-designated place and historic district within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is a small rural community that grew and prospered with a small industrial base in the 19th Century, centered around the Delaware and Raritan Canal at...

, NJ a farmhouse built c. 1752 by Cornelius Van Liew, it has also been known as Annie Van Liew's House and, after being remodeled into a tavern and inn, the Franklin House Hotel.
The Hageman Farm
Hageman Farm
The Hageman Farm is a historic house located at 209 South Middlebush Road in Somerset, New Jersey. It is a registered historic place of New Jersey.-Hageman family:...

, at 209 South Middlebush Road, is a c. 1861 historic farm. Owned by Franklin Township, the farm is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation
Meadows Foundation
The Meadows Foundation of Somerset County, New Jersey is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1978. It oversaw the restoration of seven historic houses in Somerset. The homes are on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.-Houses:* Van Liew-Suydam...

.
The William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest
Hutcheson Memorial Forest
The William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest is a natural preserve at 2150 Amwell Rd. about 3/4 of a mile east of East Millstone in Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ. It is known for its untouched stand of old growth forest...

, a 500 acres (2 km²) natural preserve that includes a 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) virgin old growth forest designated a National Natural Landmark, is located at 2150 Amwell Rd. (Route 514
County Route 514 (New Jersey)
County Route 514 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from US 202 in East Amwell Township to Bayway Avenue in Elizabeth...

) about 3/4 of a mile east of East Millstone
East Millstone, New Jersey
East Millstone is a census-designated place and historic district within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It is a small rural community that grew and prospered with a small industrial base in the 19th Century, centered around the Delaware and Raritan Canal at...

.
The Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve is a 164 acre (0.66368504 km²) preserve located between Bennets Lane and Skillmans Lane in the Somerset section that features 111 acre (0.44920146 km²) of grassland, forest and scrubland and a 2.5 acres (10,117.2 m²) wetland attracting migratory birds and amphibians with over 3 miles (4.8 km) of pedestrian trails, bird boxes and interpretive signage.
Rockingham State Historic Site
Rockingham, Kingston
Rockingham House was the home of John Berrien I and George Washington's final headquarters of the Revolutionary War, located in Franklin Township, New Jersey near Rocky Hill. The house has been moved within southern Franklin Township several times, and is now closer to the Franklin portion of...

, near Kingston
Kingston, New Jersey
Kingston is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which has been officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The CDP portion, is the area that lies in Middlesex County...

on CR 603 (Somerset County), adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...

. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

wrote his Farewell Address to the Revolutionary Army while staying here in the fall of 1783.
Six Mile Reservoir Site, part of the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry
The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is responsible for the management and operation of New Jersey's 42 parks, 11 forests and 3 recreation areas, as well as for the more than 50 historic sites and districts...

, is located in the central portion of Franklin Township. The 3037 acres (12.3 km²) park consists of land that was set aside in c. 1970 for water resource needs that still remains largely undeveloped and that offers numerous multi-use recreational trails. Access is provided via the former D&R Canal Main Office parking area off Canal Road just south of Blackwells Mills Road.
Spieden & Hoebel Farms, Little Valley Natural Area is a 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) area at 1327 and 1345 Canal Road with several miles of trails through forest and along field edges. Across Canal Road is access to the Delaware and Raritan Canal
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...

tow path and the Millstone River and flood plain.
Ten Mile Run Greenway is a 684 acres (2.8 km²) greenway over 4 miles (6.4 km) in length running between Canal Rd. south of Bunker Hill Road in Griggstown
Griggstown, New Jersey
Griggstown is an unincorporated area and a historic district within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, New Jersey. It was first settled around 1733.-Selected sites:* * Griggstown Quail Farm...

and S. Middlebush Road near Old Vliet Road in Franklin Park
Franklin Park, New Jersey
Franklin Park is an unincorporated area within portions of North Brunswick Township and South Brunswick Township in Middlesex County and Franklin Township in Somerset County, in New Jersey, United States...

. It runs along the Ten Mile Run
Ten Mile Run (New Jersey)
The Ten Mile Run is a tributary of the Millstone River. It drains an area in southern South Brunswick and southern Franklin Park. Its name is derived from the distance early surveyors estimated it was from the Raritan River on the historic Kings Highway, now Route 27.-Course:The Ten Mile Run starts...

. It features four sections including:

Bunker Hill Natural Area, accessed from the north side of Bunker Hill Road near the intersection of Rt. 27 features trails through mature forest and meadows and along Ten Mile Run stream. Trails connect to the Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and the Catalpa Farm areas.

Catalpa Farm, Old Vliet Road offers trails along field edges and a small forest that connect to the Bunker Hill Natural Area.

Environmental Education Center, 255 Bunker Hill Road (parking is available at 287 Bunker Hill Road), is a 95-area the features a deciduous forest known as Graeber Woods, a one-mile (1.6 km) self-guided nature trail and the “Glass House”, a home that has been renovated and is now used as a classroom and conference center to provide a wide range of instructional, hands-on activities in natural habitats, and a 20' climbing tower and a high ropes course adventure area. The Environmental Education Center is a cooperative effort of the Township of Franklin, the Franklin Township Board of Education, and the Green Acres Program. A trail connect to the Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and the rest of the Ten Mile Run Greenway.

Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve accessed from Canal Road in Griggstown (1091 Canal Road) has over 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of grassland and hundreds of acres of forest and features over 6 miles (9.7 km) of mapped trails. Trails connect to the other sections of the Ten Mile Run Greenway.

Tulipwood
Tulipwood (home)
Tulipwood is an historic home at 1165 Hamilton Street in the Somerset section of Franklin Township, New Jersey.-Williams family:The property has been owned by the family of Mary Maclay Pentz Williams since 1877. An 8-1/4 acre portion of the original tract, was granted to Stephen Guion Williams by...

, at 1165 Hamilton Street, is a c. 1892 designed by J. August Lienau, the son of Detlef Lienau

Detlef Lienau

Detlef Lienau was a German architect born in Holstein. He is credited with having introduced the French style to American building construction, notably the mansard roof and all its decorative flourishes...

for his brother-in-law Stephen Guion Williams whose family owned the Williams & Guion Black Star Line

Williams & Guion Black Star Line

The Black Star Line was the name used by American flagged sailing packets owned by the New York firm of Williams and Guion in the Irish immigrant trade from 1848 to 1866. The line ultimately owned 18 ships on the Liverpool-Queenstown-New York route...

. Owned by Franklin Township, the site is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation

Meadows Foundation

The Ukrainian Cultural Center at 135 Davidson Avenue, serves as the headquarters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA is a jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the United States. It consists of three eparchies , ruled by two diocesan bishops, including about 85 active parishes and missions. The Church's current primate is Metropolitan Constantine...

and includes at the site (some open by appointment only):

St. Sophia Seminary and Library, founded in 1975,

St. Andrew Memorial Church, completed and consecrated in 1967 in memory of the 7-14 million people who died in the Ukrainian famine of 1932-33 is a unique example of Ukrainian Cossak Baroque architecture in the area,

St. Andrew Cemetery, founded in 1952,

The Ukrainian Historical and Educational Center, founded in 1972, which contains priceless treasures of Ukrainian cultural, historical, social, religious, literary and political life including Easter eggs, lacework, hand embroidery, statuary and church vessels.

The Ukrainian Cultural Center, dedicated in 1985,

St. Andrew Ukrainian School, founded in 1962 and located in the Cultural Center,

St. Andrew Bookstore and Ecclesiastical Supply, founded in 1992,

The historic Fisher Homestead, built in 1688, the home of Hendrick Fisher
Hendrick Fisher
Hendrick Fisher represented Somerset County in the New Jersey Colonial Assembly, was one of three delegates representing New Jersey at the First Colonial Congress in New York in 1765, was elected to New Jersey's Committee of Correspondence, served as a member of the Committee of Safety, was...

, New Jersey's delegate to the Continental Congress, and the site of the Fisher Family Cemetery.

The Van Liew-Suydam House
Van Liew-Suydam House
The Van Liew-Suydam House is located at 280 South Middlebush Road in Somerset, New Jersey. It was built in the 18th century by Peter Van Liew. Joseph Suydam later built the part of the house that is visible today. The newest and largest portion of the house was built in 1875...

, at 280 South Middlebush Road, was built in the 18th century by Peter Van Liew. Joseph Suydam later built the part of the house that is visible today. The newest and largest portion of the house was built in 1875. Although the most recent long term owner of the house was named French, the house has been named after its two initial owners. Owned by Franklin Township, the farm is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation
Meadows Foundation
The Meadows Foundation of Somerset County, New Jersey is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1978. It oversaw the restoration of seven historic houses in Somerset. The homes are on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.-Houses:* Van Liew-Suydam...

.
The Van Wickle House
Van Wickle House
The Van Wickle House is a historical house located at 1289 Easton Avenue in Somerset, New Jersey. It was built in 1722 by Symen Van Wickle aka Symen Van Wicklin.-Evert Van Wickle:...

, at 1289 Easton Avenue is a historic house built c. 1722 by Symen Van Wickle. Operated by the Meadows Foundation
Meadows Foundation
The Meadows Foundation of Somerset County, New Jersey is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1978. It oversaw the restoration of seven historic houses in Somerset. The homes are on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.-Houses:* Van Liew-Suydam...

which holds special annual events here.
The Wyckoff-Garretson House
Wyckoff-Garretson House
The Wyckoff-Garretson House was built in 1730 by Cornelius Wyckoff.-Cornelius Wyckoff:Cornelius Wyckoff was the son of Pieter Claesen Wyckoff. Cornelius wanted to buy farmland, so he moved to Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey in 1701. With seven other prosperous Dutch farmers, they...

, at 215 South Middlebush Road, was built in 1730 by Cornelius Wyckoff. The house was restored by the Meadows Foundation
Meadows Foundation
The Meadows Foundation of Somerset County, New Jersey is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1978. It oversaw the restoration of seven historic houses in Somerset. The homes are on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.-Houses:* Van Liew-Suydam...

under the direction of architect Mark Alan Hewitt
Mark Alan Hewitt
Mark Alan Hewitt is an architect, preservationist and architectural historian who lives and practices in Bernardsville, New Jersey.Mark Alan Hewitt was born on March 31, 1953 in Berwyn, Illinois. He attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue, Washington, graduating in 1971...

FAIA.

Transportation

Franklin has a variety of county routes, and other major roads that pass through. Some of the major county route that are in the township are CR 514

County Route 514 (New Jersey)

County Route 514 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from US 202 in East Amwell Township to Bayway Avenue in Elizabeth...

, CR 518

County Route 518 (New Jersey)

County Route 518 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Route 165 in Lambertville to Lincoln Highway in Franklin Township...

and CR 527

County Route 527 (New Jersey)

County Route 527 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Main Street in Toms River Township to Pompton Avenue in Cedar Grove. It is the second longest county highway in New Jersey after Route 519. It was first given the number 527 in 1954...

. Route 27 runs along the border between New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

, and the townships of both South and North

North Brunswick Township, New Jersey

-Demographics:At the 2010 census, there were 40,742 people, 13,635 households and 9,367 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,018.3 per square mile . There were 13,932 housing units at an average density of 1,158.8 per square mile...

Brunswick. Interstate 287

Interstate 287

Interstate 287 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving the northern half of New Jersey and the counties of Rockland and Westchester in New York...

runs through the northern part with two interchanges.

The New Jersey Turnpike

New Jersey Turnpike

The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...

(I-95

Interstate 95 in New Jersey

Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...

) is outside in both neighboring South and New Brunswick, but the closest interchange is two towns away.

Franklin Township was to house the northern end of the Somerset Freeway

Interstate 95 in New Jersey

Interstate 95 is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the full extent of the East Coast of the United States, from Florida to Maine...

at I-287 back in 1964 until it was later proposed to end in Piscataway. An additional spur, Interstate 695, was also proposed as part of the project. This road was to complete Interstate 95 at the proposed southern end in Hopewell

Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

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...

at I-95 and I-295

Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey)

Interstate 295 in New Jersey and Delaware is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The route begins at a junction with Interstate 95 south of Wilmington, Delaware, and runs to another junction with I-95 north of Trenton, New Jersey...

. However the entire project was ultimately cancelled in 1982.

Education

The Franklin Township Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics

National Center for Education Statistics

The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...

) are six K-4 elementary schools —
Conerly Road School (427 students),
Elizabeth Avenue School (515),
Franklin Park School (953),
Hillcrest School (358),
MacAfee Road School (426),
Pine Grove Manor School (384) —
Sampson G. Smith School for grades 5-6 (1,085),
Franklin Middle School for grades 7-8 (1,113) and
Franklin High School

Franklin High School (New Jersey)

Franklin High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located at 500 Elizabeth Avenue, in the Somerset section of Franklin Township, New Jersey, United States...

for grades 9-12 (1,922).

Rutgers Preparatory School

Rutgers Preparatory School

Rutgers Preparatory School is a private, coeducational, university preparatory day school located in Somerset, New Jersey serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade...

, a prestigious private day school, is located in Franklin Township and occupies a nearly 400 acre campus between Easton Avenue and the Raritan River

Raritan River

The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...

Emergency services

Fire Companies
Franklin Township is served by 10 all-volunteer Fire Departments in 4 Fire Districts.

Community Fire Co. / Station 25 (Dist 3)
Elizabeth Ave. Fire Co. / Station 26 (Dist 1)
East Franklin Fire Dept. / Station 27 (Dist 3)
Middlebush Fire Dept. / Station 44 (Dist 1)
Millstone Valley Fire Co. / Station 28 (Dist 1)
Franklin Park Fire Dept. / Station 31 (Dist 2)
Griggstown Fire Co. / Station 35 (Dist 2)
Kingston Fire Co. / Station 39 (Dist 4)
Little Rocky Hill Fire Co. / Station 41 (Dist 2)
Somerset Fire & Rescue Co. #1 / Station 56 (Dist 1)

First Aid Squads
Franklin Township is served by 5 First Aid and Rescue Squads

East Millstone First Aid Squad / Station 52
Franklin Somerset First Aid Squad / Station 71
Rocky Hill First Aid & Rescue Squad / Station 53
Kendall Park First Aid & Rescue Squad
Kingston First Aid & Rescue Squad / Station 72

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Franklin Township include:

Avery Brooks
Avery Brooks
Avery Franklin Brooks is an American actor, television director, jazz musician, opera singer and college professor. Brooks is perhaps best known for his television roles as Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and as Hawk on Spenser: For Hire and its spinoff A Man Called Hawk, and in the...

(born 1948), actor who portrayed Captain Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...

, Hawk on Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire is a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail....

and A Man Called Hawk
A Man Called Hawk
A Man Called Hawk is a prime time television series that ran on the ABC television network between January 1989 and May 1989. The series was a spin-off of the crime drama series Spenser: For Hire, and features the character Hawk, who first appeared in the 1976 novel Promised Land, the fourth in...

, as well as film and theatre.
Nicole Brown (born 1990), Division III track and field athlete of The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey, abbreviated TCNJ, is a public, coeducational university located in Ewing Township, New Jersey, a suburb of Trenton....

.
Will Carnevale (Born 1992), also known as Chaz Phenom or Fresh. 1st Place winner of the Partnership For a Drug Free New Jersey's "NJ Shouts Down Drugs" 2009 music competition. Hip-hop artist.
Clifford P. Case
Clifford P. Case
Clifford Philip Case was an American lawyer and Republican Party politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives and the State of New Jersey in the United States Senate .-Biography:Clifford P. Case was born in Franklin Park in Somerset County, New Jersey...

(1904–1982), politician who served in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

.
Upendra J. Chivukula
Upendra J. Chivukula
Upendra Joge Chivukula is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where he represents the 17th Legislative District....

(born 1950), represents the 17th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

, and has served on the Franklin Township Council since 1997, serving as its Mayor in 2000 and its Deputy Mayor in 1998.

Charles Leavitt Edgar (1860–1932), mechanical engineer working in the area of central power stations noted for several firsts, president of Boston Edison (1900) and National Electric Light Association
National Electric Light Association
The National Electric Light Association was a national United States trade association including the operators of central power generation stations and interested individuals. Founded in 1885 by G. S. Bowen Terry and Charles A. Brown, it represented the interests of various private companies...
Hendrick Fisher
Hendrick Fisher
Hendrick Fisher represented Somerset County in the New Jersey Colonial Assembly, was one of three delegates representing New Jersey at the First Colonial Congress in New York in 1765, was elected to New Jersey's Committee of Correspondence, served as a member of the Committee of Safety, was...

(1697–1778), represented Somerset County in the New Jersey Colonial Assembly, was one of three delegates representing New Jersey at the First Colonial Congress ("The Stamp Act Congress
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting on October 19, 1765 in New York City of representatives from some of the British colonies of North America. They discussed and acted upon the Stamp Act recently passed by the governing Parliament of Great Britain overseas, which did not include any...

") in New York in 1765, was elected to New Jersey's Committee of Correspondence
Committee of correspondence
The Committees of Correspondence were shadow governments organized by the Patriot leaders of the Thirteen Colonies on the eve of American Revolution. They coordinated responses to Britain and shared their plans; by 1773 they had emerged as shadow governments, superseding the colonial legislature...

, served as a member of the Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...

, was President of the Colonial Assembly, was the first President of the Provincial Congress of New Jersey
Provincial Congress of New Jersey
The Provincial Congress of New Jersey was a transitional governing body of the Province of New Jersey in the early part of the American Revolution. It first met in 1775 with representatives from all New Jersey's then-thirteen counties, to supersede the Royal Governor...

in 1775, was labeled an arch traitor and "Enemy of the Crown", and a founder and first President of the board of trustees of Queen's College (Now Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

). His homestead and grave are currently located on the grounds of the Ukrainian Cultural Center on Easton Avenue west of Davidson Avenue in the Somerset section.
Jean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville
Jean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville
Jean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville was a French aristocrat, diplomat, and politician.-Early years; Royalist agent:...

(1776–1857), French aristocrat, diplomat, and politician who resided in Franklin Township between 1811 and 1814 on a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) farm on Easton Avenue in the area of the current Neuville Drive.,
Roy Hinson
Roy Hinson
Roy Hinson is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1st round of the 1983 NBA Draft. Hinson attended Franklin H.S. in Franklin Township, New Jersey. He then spent his college career at Rutgers University in nearby New Brunswick, NJ...

(born 1961), Franklin Township High School and Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

stand-out who was a 1st round pick in the 1983 NBA Draft
1983 NBA Draft
The 1983 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 1983 in New York City. A total of 226 players were selected over 10 rounds by the league's 23 teams. At least three players from the 1983 draft now serve as coaches...

and played eight seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...

, Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...

and New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

.
John Honeyman
John Honeyman
John Honeyman was an American spy for George Washington, primarily responsible for gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton.- Early life and career :...

(1729–1822), purported spy for George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

who was primarily responsible for gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...

.
Matthew Leydt
Matthew Leydt
Matthew Leydt was the first graduate of Queen's College in New Brunswick, New Jersey.Matthew was the son of Syntje Slegt and the Rev...

(1755–1853), the first graduate of Queen's College (now Rutgers College of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

) in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
John Wyckoff Mettler (1878–1952), former President and founder of Interwoven Stocking Company, at the time the largest male hosiery company in the world.
Middlebush Giant
Middlebush Giant
Arthur James Caley or Routh Goshen was most commonly known as Colonel Routh Goshen, but this was a stage name that was created by Phineas Taylor Barnum...

(1837–1889), most commonly known as Colonel Routh Goshen, a stage name created by P. T. Barnum
P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus....

, he was billed as the tallest man in the world at 7 feet (2.1 m), 11 inches and 620 pounds.
Paul Muldoon
Paul Muldoon
Paul Muldoon is an Irish poet. He has published over thirty collections and won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the T. S. Eliot Prize. He held the post of Oxford Professor of Poetry from 1999 - 2004. At Princeton University he is both the Howard G. B. Clark ’21 Professor in the Humanities and...

(born 1951), writer, academic and educator, as well as Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...

-winning poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

originally from County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.
Peter Davis Oakey (1861–1920) politician who served in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

1915-17
Michael J. Pappas
Michael J. Pappas
Michael James "Mike" Pappas is a former Republican Congressman from New Jersey.-Biography:Pappas was born in 1960 in New Brunswick, New Jersey...

(born 1960), former U.S. Congressman known for securing the release of the battleship USS New Jersey
USS New Jersey (BB-62)
USS New Jersey , is an , and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey earned more battle stars for combat actions than the other three completed Iowa-class battleships, and is the only U.S...

to the state of New Jersey as a museum, and his infamous singing of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Kenneth Starr
Kenneth Starr
Kenneth Winston "Ken" Starr is an American lawyer and educational administrator who has also been a federal judge. He is best known for his investigation of figures during the Clinton administration....

" on the House floor, former Mayor of Franklin Township.
Randal Pinkett
Randal Pinkett
Randal D. Pinkett is a business consultant who in 2005 was the winner of season four of the reality television show, The Apprentice...

(born 1971), winner of The Apprentice 4, entrepreneur, speaker, author, scholar and community servant. Co-Founder, President and CEO of BCT Partners, a Rutgers University Rhodes Scholar with four advanced degrees from University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

and M.I.T..
Joe Porter
Joe Porter (American football)
Joseph Emanuel Porter is an American football cornerback who is currently on the Practice squad of the Oakland Raiders. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2007...

(born 1985), football player for Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

, the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

, and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

.
Ferdinand Schureman Schenck
Ferdinand Schureman Schenck
Ferdinand Schureman Schenck was an American politician who represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1833-1837....

(1790–1860), politician who represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

from 1833-1837.
Charlie Weis
Charlie Weis
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Weis is an American football coach. He currently serves as offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. For five years, from December 2004 through 2009, he was the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame...

(born 1956), head coach of the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

Fighting Irish football team, former Offensive coordinator for New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

during Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX, Football coach for Franklin High School during 1989 state championship season.
Helen Westley
Helen Westley
Helen Westley was an American character actress.-Career:Born as Henrietta Remsen Meserole Manney, Helen Westley was a member of the original board of the Theatre Guild, and appeared in many of their productions, among them Peer Gynt, and some of their productions of plays by George Bernard...

(1875–1942), movie actress popular in the 1930s and 1940s, starring in such films as The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence (film)
The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of the same name. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder....

, Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...

, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her two stern aunts in the village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's joy for life inspires her aunts, but she faces many trials in her young life, gaining...

.
Bishop Alma Bridwell White
Alma Bridwell White
Alma Bridwell White was the founder, and a bishop of the Pillar of Fire Church. In 1918, she became the first woman bishop in the United States...

(1862–1946), founder of the Pillar of Fire Church
Pillar of Fire Church
The Pillar of Fire International is a Christian organization founded in Denver, Colorado in 1901 by Alma White, with headquarters in Zarephath, New Jersey. The Pillar of Fire was originally incorporated as the Pentecostal Union, but changed its name to distance itself from Pentecostalism in 1915...

and Zarephath
Zarephath, New Jersey
Zarephath is an unincorporated area of Franklin Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It was the communal home to the Pillar of Fire Church, and was the worldwide headquarters of Pillar of Fire International and housed the church's college, Somerset Christian College, and radio...

community, first consecrated woman Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

in the United States.
Bruce Williams (born 1932), radio talk show host; currently the longest running talk show in history. Member of Radio Hall of Fame
Radio Hall of Fame
The National Radio Hall of Fame is a project of the Museum of Broadcast Communications.Although no physical building currently exists to house it, the National Radio Hall of Fame is a project of Bruce DuMont, CEO of the currently homeless Museum of Broadcast Communications, and is purported to be a...

, former Mayor of Franklin Township from 1967-1975.

External links

Franklin Township website
Franklin Township Public Schools
Data for the Franklin Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
Franklin Historic Photo Archive
Franklin Township Public Library
Chamber of Commerce
Van Wickle House

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