Hope Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 1,891 people, 697 households, and 538 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 102.2 people per square mile (39.5/km²). There were 747 housing units at an average density of 40.4 per square mile (15.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.25% White, 0.42% African American, 0.42% Asian, 0.05% 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 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 697 households out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.3% 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, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $61,319, and the median income for a family was $68,750. Males had a median income of $48,750 versus $34,038 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 $27,902. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over. The Township's economic data (as is all of Warren County) is calculated by the US Census Bureau as part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
.
History
Hope Township is one of the earliest planned communities in the United States, having been established by German Moravians in 1769. They knew what they wanted to achieve, which is shown on several early planning maps, which detail streets, homes, wells, businesses, farms, a school, tavern and church.Prior to the arrival of the Moravians, there was no distinct town, but several families farmed on Jenny Jump Mountain, to the south of Hope, in surrounding area and on John Samuel Green, Jr.’s farm in the center of what is now the Village. Throughout the 1760s, Moravians from Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
traveled through this area on their way to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
to establish new communities. They lodged overnight with the Green Family who became very impressed with their religion and way of life.
The Moravians were a religious group whose formal name was the “Unitas Fratrum” or Unity of the Brethren. They were followers of Jan Hus
Jan Hus
Jan Hus , often referred to in English as John Hus or John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher, reformer, and master at Charles University in Prague...
, the reformer from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
who protested against the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in 1415 and was finally burned at the stake for his rebellion. These followers continued to practice his views in Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in what is now the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, hence the common name “The Moravians”. In the late 17th century this group began to be persecuted and sought shelter away from Bohemia. Count Nicolas Ludwig von Zinzendorf offered them refuge on his lands east of Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and provided a base for them to regroup and pursue their religion. That settlement which remains as the center of the worldwide Moravian religion is called Herrnhut
Herrnhut
Herrnhut is a municipality in the district of Görlitz, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.It has access to Bundesstraße 178 between Löbau and Zittau...
or “The Lord's Watch" inhabitants were not only "under the Lord's watchful care" but were also to be "on watch for the Lord". With the support of Count von Zinzendorf, the Church established over 200 missionary settlements.
After a formal survey of the Village completed on November 26, 1774, the community was officially accepted by The Moravian Church and the name was changed by drawing lots on February 8, 1775 from Greenland to Hope.
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
Nazareth is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 6,023 at the 2000 census.Nazareth is located seven miles northwest of Easton, four miles north of Bethlehem and twelve miles northeast of Allentown...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The basic reason for closing the community was that it was never self-supporting and had declined from its height of population of 147 to under 100 people by the early 19th century. The Church in Germany could no longer subsidize such a small village. Moravians worldwide were selling possessions and even some other entire communities to pay off debts incurred years earlier by Count von Zinzendorf, who heavily mortgaged his lands to give them opportunity back in Germany. Disease and a competitive gristmill also contributed to Moravian Hope's decline.
Local government
Hope Township is governed under the TownshipTownship (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
form of government with a three-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.
The Hope Township Committee consists of Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Timothy C. McDonough (Independent; term ends December 31, 2012), Deputy Mayor George Beatty (Republican; 2011) and M. John Koonz (Republican; 2010).
Constitutional Officers are: Clerk Mary Pat Quinn, Chief Financial Officer
Chief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...
Kathleen Reinalda, Tax Collector
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....
Stephen Lance, and Tax Assessor Richard Motyka.
Federal, state and county representation
Hope Township is in the 5th Congressional district.Hope Township is in the
Education
Hope Township School District
The Hope Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in prekindergarten through eighth grade from Hope Township, in Warren County, New Jersey, United States....
served 213 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, as of the 2008-09 school year.
Students in grades nine through twelve from Harmony Township
Harmony Township, New Jersey
-Transportation:The only major road that traverses Harmony is CR 519 which leads to U.S. Route 22 to the south and U.S. Route 46 to the north.The closest limited access road is Interstate 78 which is in neighboring Greenwich and Franklin.- Local government :...
, Hope Township and White Township
White Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,245 people, 1,668 households, and 1,179 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.1 people per square mile . There were 1,770 housing units at an average density of 64.7 per square mile...
attend Belvidere High School in Belvidere
Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere is a Town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,681. It is the county seat of Warren County....
as part of sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
s with the Belvidere School District
Belvidere School District
The Belvidere School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Belvidere in Warren County, New Jersey, United States....
.
Transportation
Interstate 80Interstate 80 in New Jersey
Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the New York City Metropolitan Area westward to San Francisco, California...
(the Bergen-Passaic Expressway) passes through the township, with access via Exit 12 to Hope-Blairstown Road (County Route 521
County Route 521 (New Jersey)
County Route 521 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 43.71 miles from High Street in Hope Township to the New York state line in Montague Township....
). CR 519
County Route 519 (New Jersey)
County Route 519 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Daniel Bray Highway in Delaware Township to the New York state line in Wantage Township...
also passes through Hope, and can be accessed by CR 521.
Points of interest
- Land of Make Believe is an amusement parkAmusement parkthumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
centered around "Safe and wholesome recreation", with entertaining rides and attractions that are enjoyed by people of all ages but not so extreme that it scares off younger children.
- Hope, New Jersey, was the location for two scenes in the horror movie Friday the 13th, with the Moravian Cemetery (see photograph to the right) and Hartung's General Store appearing in the film.
External links
- Official Hope Township Informational Website
- Hope Township Fire Department
- Warren County page for Hope Township
- Hope Township School
- Data for Hope Township School, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe 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...
- {http://www.hopeanddreams.com/ Hope and Dreams Film Festival
- Hope Streetball Court
- Warren County Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Warren County Economic Development Corporation