Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Washington Township is a Township
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 18,533. It's one of six municipalities (five of which are townships) in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington. Washington, New Jersey
, in fact is only 10 miles (16.1 km) away. To add to the confusion, Washington Borough is surrounded by another municipality that is also called Washington Township.
Washington Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on April 2, 1798, from portions of Roxbury Township
. Portions of the township were taken to form Chester Township
as of April 1, 1799. U.S. Route 46
, County Route 513
, and County Route 517
pass through town. It is only minutes away from Interstate 80
in the neighboring community of Mount Olive
and U.S. Route 206
in Chester.
Long Valley
is a census-designated place
and unincorporated area located within Washington Township. The Long Valley section — the heart of the township — was called German Valley when it was first settled in the 18th century by people from Saxony
, in Germany
.
Schooley's Mountain
is an unincorporated community in Washington Township named for the Schooley family, who owned a considerable amount of land there during the 1790s. The Schooleys Mountain section was a famous resort in the 19th century because of its natural springs.
, the township has a total area of 44.86 square miles (116.2 km²), all of it land.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 17,592 people, 5,755 households, and 4,874 families residing in the township. The population density
was 392.1 people per square mile (151.4/km²). There were 5,890 housing units at an average density of 131.3 per square mile (50.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.16% White, 0.83% African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.21% of the population.
There were 5,755 households out of which 47.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.1% were married couples
living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $97,763, and the median income for a family was $104,926. Males had a median income of $76,791 versus $41,759 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $37,489. About 1.8% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Vice Mayor.
, the members of the Washington Township Committee are Mayor
Kenneth Short (2012), Vice Mayor James Harmon (2011), David Kennedy (2013), James LiaBraaten (2013) and Bill Roehrich (2012).
The 2008 property tax rate for Washington Township is $2.318 per $100 of assessed value, with an equalization ratio of 89.75%.
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district was in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected in November 2011 taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
Until January, 2012, Washington Township is in the
. In the 2008 Presidential Election
, Republican John McCain
received 61% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
, who received around 38%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
, Republican Chris Christie received 69% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
, who received around 22%.
is a public school district that includes five schools and a central office. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are
Benedict A. Cucinella Elementary School (672 students),
Flocktown-Kossmann School (601) and
Old Farmers Road School (457) for grades K-5, along with
Long Valley Middle School for grades 6-8 (1,010).
Students in grades 9-12 attend West Morris Central High School
, which is located in the township (but is considered Chester because of its mailing address) and is part of the West Morris Regional High School District
. Students in the district come from the surrounding Morris County
school districts of Chester Borough
, Chester Township
, Mendham Borough
, Mendham Township
and from Washington Township.
.
Township (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...
in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, 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...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 18,533. It's one of six municipalities (five of which are townships) in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington. Washington, New Jersey
Washington, New Jersey
Washington is a borough in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 6,461. The borough is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley....
, in fact is only 10 miles (16.1 km) away. To add to the confusion, Washington Borough is surrounded by another municipality that is also called Washington Township.
Washington Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on April 2, 1798, from portions of Roxbury Township
Roxbury Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,883 people, 8,364 households, and 6,532 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,117.4 people per square mile . There were 8,550 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile...
. Portions of the township were taken to form Chester Township
Chester Township, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838....
as of April 1, 1799. U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...
, County Route 513
County Route 513 (New Jersey)
County Route 513 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Kingwood Avenue in Frenchtown to Lakeside Road in West Milford...
, and County Route 517
County Route 517 (New Jersey)
County Route 517 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Lamington Road in Tewksbury Township to the New York state line in Vernon Township where it continues as Orange County Route 26. It mainly traverses through small, rural communities and unincorporated...
pass through town. It is only minutes away from Interstate 80
Interstate 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...
in the neighboring community of Mount Olive
Mount Olive Township, New Jersey
-Transportation:The major roads that pass through include U.S. Route 46 through the center, U.S. Route 206 in the east and northeast part and Interstate 80 in the north .-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,193 people, 9,068 households, and 6,374 families residing in the...
and U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
in Chester.
Long Valley
Long Valley, New Jersey
Long Valley is an unincorporated area located within Washington Township, in Morris County, New Jersey. Known as German Valley since its foundation during the colonial era, the community was renamed in response to anti-German sentiment during World War I...
is a 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...
and unincorporated area located within Washington Township. The Long Valley section — the heart of the township — was called German Valley when it was first settled in the 18th century by people from Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, in 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...
.
Schooley's Mountain
Schooley's Mountain, New Jersey
Schooley's Mountain is an unincorporated community in Washington Township, in Morris County, New Jersey, named for the Schooley family who owned a considerable amount of land there in the 1790s, is on Schooley's Mountain, a mountain with an elevation of about directly north of Long Valley. It...
is an unincorporated community in Washington Township named for the Schooley family, who owned a considerable amount of land there during the 1790s. The Schooleys Mountain section was a famous resort in the 19th century because of its natural springs.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 44.86 square miles (116.2 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, Washington Township had a population of 18,533. The median age was 43.0. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 93.1% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.7% some other race and 1.5% reporting two or more races. 4.6% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.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 17,592 people, 5,755 households, and 4,874 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 392.1 people per square mile (151.4/km²). There were 5,890 housing units at an average density of 131.3 per square mile (50.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.16% White, 0.83% African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.87% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.35% 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.21% of the population.
There were 5,755 households out of which 47.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.1% 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, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $97,763, and the median income for a family was $104,926. Males had a median income of $76,791 versus $41,759 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 $37,489. About 1.8% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Washington 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 five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Vice Mayor.
, the members of the Washington Township Committee are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Kenneth Short (2012), Vice Mayor James Harmon (2011), David Kennedy (2013), James LiaBraaten (2013) and Bill Roehrich (2012).
The 2008 property tax rate for Washington Township is $2.318 per $100 of assessed value, with an equalization ratio of 89.75%.
Federal, state and county representation
Washington Township is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district. The borough was relocated to the 25th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district was in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected in November 2011 taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
Until January, 2012, Washington Township is in the
Politics
On the national and state levels, Washington Township leans very strongly toward the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In the 2008 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
received 61% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who received around 38%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...
, Republican Chris Christie received 69% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, who received around 22%.
Education
The Washington Township SchoolsWashington Township Schools
The Washington Township Schools are a community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Washington Township, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States...
is a public school district that includes five schools and a central office. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 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
Benedict A. Cucinella Elementary School (672 students),
Flocktown-Kossmann School (601) and
Old Farmers Road School (457) for grades K-5, along with
Long Valley Middle School for grades 6-8 (1,010).
Students in grades 9-12 attend West Morris Central High School
West Morris Central High School
West Morris Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in grades 9 through 12 from Washington Township, New Jersey, United States, where the school is located, operating as part of the West Morris Regional High School District. The school has a Chester...
, which is located in the township (but is considered Chester because of its mailing address) and is part of the West Morris Regional High School District
West Morris Regional High School District
The West Morris Regional High School District is a regional public high school district in New Jersey that serves students from the surrounding Morris County communities of Chester Borough , Chester Township , Mendham Borough , Mendham Township and from Washington Township...
. Students in the district come from the surrounding Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
school districts of Chester Borough
Chester, New Jersey
Chester is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,649.Chester Township was established as a separate political entity on April 1, 1799, including the area of both the Township and the downtown Village area which came...
, Chester Township
Chester Township, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838....
, Mendham Borough
Mendham, New Jersey
Mendham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,097.While New Jersey was an English colony, Mendham Township was formed on March 29, 1749 as a new governmental entity, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township,...
, Mendham Township
Mendham Township, New Jersey
Mendham Township is an affluent township in Morris County, in the central portion of northern New Jersey, United States, located more than due west of New York City. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 5,400...
and from Washington Township.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Washington Township include:- Larry Cutrone (entertainer) Inducted NJ AM Radio History Museum (music/comedy show) Screenplay writer The Pat Galo Story - Ovation guitar endorsee.
- Larry Gonsky (musician) - Former keyboardist for the band Looking GlassLooking Glass (band)Looking Glass was an American pop music group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. They are best remembered for their million selling 1972 song, "Brandy ".-Career:...
during the 1970s. - Celeste HolmCeleste HolmCeleste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
(born 1917), actress.
Local media
Radio station WRNJ has studios, offices and its transmitter in Washington Township, broadcasting at 1510 AM. The station is licensed to nearby HackettstownHackettstown, New Jersey
Hackettstown is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 9,724. The town is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley....
.
External links
- Washington Township website
- Washington Township Schools
- Data for the Washington Township Schools, 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...
- West Morris Regional High School District