- This article is about the community in New Jersey. For the article about the city in
Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, see: Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Allentown is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census,
the borough population was 1,882. The 2005 census estimated population was 1,858.[1]
Allentown was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey
Legislature on January 29, 1889, from portions of
Upper Freehold Township, based on the results of a referendum held
that day.[2]
Allentown's shopping district is comprised of antique and specialty shops, as well as restaurants. Many historic homes and
historic buildings are located in the borough.
The borough received the prestigious 'Village Center' designation in 2002.[3]
Geography
Allentown is located at 40°10′34″N, 74°35′6″W (40.176049,
-74.584910)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total
area of 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²). 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it
is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (3.23%) is water.
Allentown borders Upper Freehold Township and Washington Township. Neighboring communities include Millstone Township and Hamilton Township in Mercer
County.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,882 people, 708 households, and 526 families residing in
the borough. The population density was 1,191.2/km² (3,097.1/mi²). There were 718
housing units at an average density of 454.5/km² (1,181.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 90.65% White, 6.43% African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.58% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.91% of the population.
There were 708 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were
non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the borough the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 25.8%
from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $71,193, and the median income for a family was $79,843. Males had a
median income of $55,441 versus $38,667 for females. The per capita income for the
borough was $29,455. About 1.0% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Federal, state and county representation
Allentown is in the Fourth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 30th Legislative District.[5]
New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District, covering portions
of Burlington County, Mercer
County, Monmouth County and Ocean County, is represented by Christopher
Smith (R). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and
Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 30th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State
Senate by Robert Singer (R, Lakewood Township) and in the
Assembly by Ronald S. Dancer
(R, Jackson
Township) and Joseph R. Malone (R, Bordentown). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Monmouth County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Monmouth County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director William
C. Barham, Freeholder Deputy Director Robert D. Clifton, Lillian G. Burry, Anna C. Little and Theodore J. Narozanick.
Education
Students in public school for grades K through 12 attend the schools of the Upper Freehold Regional School District, together with students from
Upper Freehold Township. Millstone Township sends students to the High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Schools in the district are Upper Freehold Regional Elementary-Middle School
with 1,072 students in pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade and Allentown High
School which has an enrollment of 942 students in grades 9 - 12.
Transportation
By car, Allentown is about one hour southwest of Manhattan via the New Jersey Turnpike and about 50 minutes northeast of Philadelphia. Both Princeton and
Trenton are easily accessible from Allentown.
Notable residents
- William Longstreet, (1759-1814), born in Allentown, inventor who designed the "breast-roller" of cotton gins, a portable sawmill, and builder of a small steamboat that worked on the Savannah River. [6]
- Tom McCarthy (1986), radio announcer for the New York Mets.[7]
- George Middleton (1800-1888), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1863 to 1865.[8]
- John B. Montgomery, (1794-1872), born in Allentown, United States Navy officer during the American Civil War,
and later commanded the Pacific Squadron.[6]
- William A. Newell, (1817-1901) an American physician and politician.[9]
- George R. Robbins (1814-1875), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1855 to 1859.[10]
References
- ^ 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. 177.
- ^ State planners designate Allentown a Village Center: Borough will get priority treatment,
extra state help, Allentown Examiner by Ruth Calia Stives, May 23, 2002.
- ^ Jersey
Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women
Voters, p. 54. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ a b (1963) Who Was Who
in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.
- ^ Tom McCarthy,
WFAN. Accessed August 26, 2007. "A
1986 graduate of Brick Memorial High School and a 1990 graduate of TCNJ, Tom and his wife Meg have four children: Patrick (10),
Tommy (8), Maggie (5) and Kerri (3), and live in Allentown, NJ."
- ^ George Middleton, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed
August 18, 2007.
- ^ William Augustus Newell Congressional biography, accessed April 11, 2007.
- ^ George Robbins Robbins, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed
August 25, 2007.
External links
Coordinates:
40.176049° N 74.58491°
W
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