Branchburg Township, New Jersey

Branchburg Township has a history dating back to before the American Revolutionary War, and was incorporated in 1845 from portions of Bridgewater Township.^[2]

Branchburg ranks seventh in size among Somerset County's twenty-one municipalities, and covers a total area of 20.3 square miles, being eleven miles long and approximately 2 miles across at its widest point. The hamlets of North Branch and Neshanic Station are included within Branchburg Township, which brings the ambiance of small villages and charm to the area.

History

The land now known as Branchburg Township was originally inhabited by the Raritans, a tribe of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. By 1686 most of the land was purchased from the Lenape by the Lords Proprietors of East Jersey, who sold the land in small parcels to numerous settlers, mostly of Dutch or English extraction.^[3] With the 1688 redrawing of the boundary between East and West Jersey, the Branchburg region was split between Essex County to the north and the newly-formed Somerset County to the south. With Somerset's acquisition of territory from Essex and Middlesex Counties in 1741, Branchburg lay entirely within the County where it is presently located.^[4]

Bridewater Township was chartered in 1749. In 1845 the residents of the part of Bridgewater west of the Raritan River petitioned the New Jersey State Legislature for incorporation as a separate township, which was granted by an act dated April 5 of that year.^[5]

The first town meeting was held April 14, 1845, in White Oak Tavern, a stagecoach stop and local meeting place along the old York Road.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 52.5 km² (20.3 mi²), all land.

The Township is bordered on the west by Hunterdon County; on the north by Bedminster Township and on the south by Bridgewater Township and Hillsborough Township. The main watercourses are the Lamington River on the north, the North Branch of the Raritan River on the east and the South Branch of the Raritan River on the east and south. These rivers along with small streams and brooks are excellent for fishermen who enjoy trout stocked streams and rivers.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1930			—
1940			13.6%
1950			59.1%
1960			91.1%
1970			53.5%
1980			36.6%
1990			38.8%
2000			33.8%
Est. 2006		^[6]	3.3%
Population 1930 - 1990.^[7]

As of the census² of 2000, there were 14,566 people, 5,272 households, and 4,064 families residing in the township. The population density was 277.6/km² (719.1/mi²). There were 5,405 housing units at an average density of 103.0/km² (266.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.44% White, 1.95% African American, 0.10% Native American, 6.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.

There were 5,272 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the township the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $96,864, and the median income for a family was $110,268. Males had a median income of $70,726 versus $47,786 for females. The per capita income for the township was $41,241. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Members of the Township Committee are Mayor Thomas Young (term ends December 31, 2007), Deputy Mayor John Sanford (2009), Robert Bouwman (2008), James Leonard (2007) and Kate Sarles (2009).^[8]

Federal, state and county representation

Branchburg Township is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.^[9]

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 16th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Walter Kavanaugh (R, Somerville) and in the Assembly by Christopher Bateman (R, Somerville) and Peter J. Biondi (R, Somerville). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Somerset County's Freeholders are: Freeholder Director Rick Fontana, Freeholder Deputy Director Ken Scherer, Denise Coyle, Peter S. Palmer and Robert Zaborowski.

Transportation

Branchburg Township is centrally located with access to major roadways and highways. U.S. Route 202 and U.S. Route 22 travel through the township with easy passage to Interstate 78, Interstate 287 and Route 206, enabling residents to travel to New York City and Philadelphia within one hour.

Bus service between New York City and Allentown, Pennsylvania on the Transport of New Jersey bus line is available on a daily service. New Jersey Transit offers bus service to Newark on the 65 line, with local service on the [[884 65 bus route.^[10]

Service between Clinton, New Jersey and New York City, at the North Branch station (located at Milltown Road in adjacent Bridgewater Township) offers limited daily service and no weekend trains. New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line has weekly service from North Branch Station to Newark and to Phillipsburg, New Jersey. At Newark Penn Station, connections can be made to Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan.

There is also bus service between New Hope, Pennsylvania and New York City, with a stop at the Municipal Park-and-Ride facility on Route 202 North on a daily basis.

Newark Liberty International Airport is located approximately 35 miles northeast of Branchburg. Also within driving distance are Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE, formerly Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton International Airport) near Allentown, Pennsylvania, John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport in New York, as well as the Trenton-Mercer Airport near Trenton and Princeton in Mercer County.

Education

Branchburg Township is the home of the main campus of Raritan Valley Community College

The Branchburg Township School District consists of Whiton Elementary School for grades K-2, both Old York School and Stony Brook School for grades 3-5 and Branchburg Central Middle School for grades 6-8.

The public secondary school serving Branchburg for grades 9-12 is Somerville High School, which students attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Somerville Public Schools.

Midland School is a non-profit special education school serving the individual social, emotional, academic and career needs of children with developmental disabilities. The school serves 245 students, ranging in age from 5 to 21 years old, from central and northern New Jersey.^[2]

References

^ Government Information. Township of Branchburg. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. In New Jersey there is a traditional township form of government consisting of an elected township committee which then chooses a mayor to preside over their meetings. Executive duties are shared among the committee members or delegated to an administrator.
^ ^a ^b "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 222.
^ Branchburg Township Overview. Township of Branchburg. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
^ County Formation Maps. Genealogy, Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
^ Historic Information. Township of Branchburg. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
^ Census data for Branchburg township, United States Census Bureau, accessed July 30, 2007.
^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
^ Branchburg Township Committee 2007, Branchburg Township. Accessed January 28, 2007.
^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
^ Somerset County Bus/Rail Connection(s), New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 30, 2007.

External links

Municipalities and communities of Somerset County, New Jersey
County seat: Somerville
Boroughs	Bernardsville \| Bound Brook \| Far Hills \| Manville \| Millstone \| North Plainfield \| Peapack-Gladstone \| Raritan \| Rocky Hill \| Somerville \| South Bound Brook \| Watchung
Townships	Bedminster \| Bernards \| Branchburg \| Bridgewater \| Franklin \| Green Brook \| Hillsborough \| Montgomery \| Warren
CDPs	Somerset
Unincorporated communities	Basking Ridge \| Belle Mead \| Blackwells Mills \| Blawenburg \| East Millstone \| Flagtown \| Griggstown \| Harlingen \| Lamington \| Martinsville \| Middlebush \| Neshanic \| North Branch \| Pleasant Plains \| Six Mile Run \| South Branch \| Zarephath

Coordinates: 40°33′17″N, 74°43′14″W

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