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Bridgewater Township, New Jersey

Bridgewater Township is a township in Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located within the heart of the Raritan Valley region. Situated within Central New Jersey and crisscrossed by several major highways, the township is known for being both the regional commercial hub for Somerset County (home to Bridgewater Commons and different corporate headquarters) and as a suburban bedroom community of New York City within the New York Metropolitan Area. The township is located roughly 32 mi away from Manhattan and about 20 mi away from Staten Island.

Bridgewater Township was created by Royal charter on April 4, 1749, from portions of the Northern precinct. It was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, under the Township Act of 1798. During the nineteenth century, portions of the township were taken to form Warren Township (March 5, 1806), Branchburg Township (April 5, 1845), Somerville (March 25, 1863), Raritan (April 3, 1868) and Bound Brook (March 24, 1869).

As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 45,977, an increase of 1,513 (+3.4%) from the 2010 census count of 44,464,  which in turn reflected an increase of 1,524 (+3.5%) from the 42,940 counted in the 2000 census.

History
Bridgewater is a relatively large, suburban township located in the center of Somerset County. The area of the present Township of Bridgewater was originally purchased from a local Lenape Native American tribe. Bridgewater was chartered by George II of Great Britain in 1749, and incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's 104 original townships. It is named after the town of Bridgwater in the English county of Somerset.

Tradition holds that it was at the Middlebrook encampment the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a Thirteen Star Flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater. Since 1889, the first hoisting of the flag is commemorated annually each July 4 with a changing of the flag, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the delivery of a historical address.

Until the 1960s, Bridgewater was largely known as a farming community. In the 1970s its population began to grow when residents of larger cities such as Plainfield and Newark started to migrate into Bridgewater as a result of the 1967 Plainfield Riots and 1967 Newark riots. Subsequently, Bridgewater started to receive an influx of residents who worked in the strong pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and financial industries in Bridgewater and the Raritan Valley. More recently, there has also been growth as Bridgewater has become more popular with New York City commuters who use the Bridgewater Station on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line or Interstate 78 East to commute to New York City. Bridgewater is now a fairly developed suburban community, with only a few traces of its rural past still evident in the town (particularly in its northwestern section). Bridgewater is now Somerset County's second-most populous municipality, after Franklin Township.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 32.36 square miles (83.81 km2), including 31.89 square miles (82.59 km2) of land and 0.47 square miles (1.23 km2) of water (1.46%).

While much of Bridgewater has a relatively flat terrain, the northeastern portion of the township is very hilly, with the First Ridge of the Watchung Mountains (sometimes known as the First Watchung Mountain) passing through the township. Additionally, the Second Ridge (Second Mountain) passes north of the township border.

The Raritan River and its branches and tributaries form much of Bridgewater's borders with other municipalities and a number of smaller rivers and streams run through Bridgewater. The Raritan itself runs along Bridgewater's southern border (except where Somerville and Raritan were carved out as separate boroughs) and the North Branch of the Raritan River forms the township's western border with Branchburg. The North Branch and South Branch of the Raritan River meet at the extreme southwestern corner of Bridgewater at the border with both Branchburg Township and Hillsborough Township, and this point is known as the Raritan River Confluence was once intended to be a major reservoir.

Bradley Gardens (with a 2010 Census population of 14,206 ), Bridgewater Center, Finderne (5,600 ), Green Knoll (6,200 ), and Martinsville (11,980 ) are census-designated places and unincorporated communities located within Bridgewater Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Chimney Rock, Hobbstown, Middle Brook Heights, Milltown, and Sunset Lake.

Bridgewater borders 13 other municipalities. Its longest borders are with Branchburg Township, Bedminster Township, Bernards Township, Warren Township, Bound Brook, Somerville, and Raritan. It also borders Green Brook (though connected only by Route 22), Middlesex (though connected only by one local street), South Bound Brook (a very short border in the middle of the Raritan River), Franklin Township (the only street connection is Interstate 287), Manville (the only street connection is Finderne Avenue, a county highway), and Hillsborough Township (no direct street connection).

Bridgewater Township's ZIP Code is 08807, with 08836 used in the community of Martinsville, and 08805 used in the Thomae Park section (mailing address of Bound Brook). Bridgewater's area codes are 908 and 732/848. Bridgewater is in Raritan Valley (a line of cities in Central New Jersey). Bridgewater lies in the western division of the Raritan Valley along with Branchburg and Raritan.

Communities
Bridgewater contains a number of communities and sections, many of which do not have officially defined boundaries. They include:

 * Bradley Gardens: Located in southwestern Bridgewater, bordered on the east by Raritan and Branchburg to the west. This is one of Bridgewater's older residential areas but also includes some newer developments as well as a commercial area along Old York Road.
 * North Branch (eastern portion): Most of North Branch is in Branchburg, but a portion lies to the east of the North Branch of the Raritan River, in Bridgewater Township.
 * Finderne: Located in southeastern Bridgewater between Bound Brook and Somerville. This is a diverse area with older neighborhoods bordering Foothill Road, newer developments, multi-unit housing near the Raritan River/Manville border, as well as commercial and industrial areas. The Middlebrook Crossing industrial park, the Promenade shopping center, and TD Bank Ballpark, home to the Somerset Patriots, are located here.
 * Green Knoll: Located in central Bridgewater, this is a residential area with many major commercial developments and government facilities, including the Bridgewater Commons Mall at the intersection of U.S. Route 22 and U.S. Route 202-206, a large office park west of the Commons across 202–206, the municipal building and police station, and Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
 * Country Club/Meadow Road Area: This area is referred to by some as the "Country Club-Meadow Road area" or similar names, after the major north–south streets there. Some also refer to it as "the Van Holten area" after the elementary school located there. It borders Bedminster and Branchburg.
 * Milltown/Vanderveer Road Area: This area is northeast of Bradley Gardens bordering Raritan and Branchburg. It is mainly a residential community with many new homes.
 * Martinsville: Located in northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township and Bernards Township. This is an affluent, predominantly residential area, though it does have its own commercial center along Washington Valley Road, and its own post office and ZIP Code. This also is a very hilly area; it is the portion of Bridgewater through which the Watchung Mountains pass.
 * Sunset Lake: Built around a man-made lake in the extreme northern part of Bridgewater, near the interchange of Interstate 287 and Interstate 78. Some of its residents have the Basking Ridge ZIP Code 07920.

Demographics
According to National Geographic magazine, Bridgewater has an unusually high number of twins and triplets.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 44,464 people, 16,111 households, and 12,035 families in the township. The population density was 1387.9 /sqmi. There were 16,657 housing units at an average density of 519.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 76.46% (33,996) White, 2.38% (1,059) Black or African American, 0.10% (46) Native American, 17.83% (7,927) Asian, 0.00% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.46% (647) from other races, and 1.77% (787) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.76% (3,004) of the population.

Of the 16,111 households, 38.3% had children under the age of 18; 64.1% were married couples living together; 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.3% were non-families. Of all households, 21.8% were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.21.

25.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $108,680 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,095) and the median family income was $130,594 (+/− $6,507). Males had a median income of $90,875 (+/− $4,851) versus $65,501 (+/− $4,264) for females. The per capita income for the township was $46,994 (+/− $1,811). About 1.6% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
At the 2000 United States census, there were 42,940 people, 15,561 households, and 11,888 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,323.4 pd/sqmi. There were 15,879 housing units at an average density of 489.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 83.07% White, 2.17% African American, 0.08% Native American, 11.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.79% of the population. 21.3% were of Italian, 17.1% Irish, 16.7% German and 11.8% Polish ancestry.

There were 15,561 households, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% 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 3.14.

25.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median household income was $88,308 and the median family income was $99,832. Males had a median income of $67,089 versus $49,096 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,555. About 1.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The township has long been a hub for pharmaceutical companies including Valeant, Allergan, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, many small, and mid-size ones. Sanofi's US headquarters are in Bridgewater. Bridgewater is also home to many Fortune 500 companies across various industries from software to financial services.

Bridgewater Commons is a large regional shopping mall anchored by Bloomingdale's and Macy's, with a gross leasable area of 994000 sqft. There are also several smaller but substantial shopping areas such as Bridgewater Promenade, Chimney Rock shopping center, and Somerset shopping center.

Parks and recreation
Washington Camp Ground (also known as Middlebrook encampment), north of Bound Brook, is a preserved portion of the land on which the army of George Washington encamped during the winter of 1778–1779, though the general himself stayed in a house in Somerville.

The area also offers many parks and other recreational facilities, including Washington Valley Park.

Sports
TD Bank Ballpark is home to the Somerset Patriots. The 6,100-seat stadium was constructed in 1999. As an independent team, the Patriots were a founding member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 1998. The Patriots became the Double-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the New York Yankees in 2021.

Local government
Bridgewater Township is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law), under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government plan 2, as implemented on January 1, 1984, based on actions of the Township Committee. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the five-member Township Council. All members of the governing body are chosen at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years. The mayoral seat comes up for vote every four years and council members are elected to serve four-terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election together with the mayor and three seats up for vote two years later. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the committee selects a council president and vice president from among its members.

, the mayor of Bridgewater Township is Republican Matthew C. Moench, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Bridgewater Township Council are Council President Timothy Ring (R, 2027), Council Vice President Howard V. Norgalis (R, 2025), Michael Kirsh (R, 2027), Allen F. Kurdyla (R, 2025) and Filipe Pedroso (R, 2025).

Since January 2020, the Township Administrator is Michael Pappas, a former member of Congress.

Federal, state and county representation
Bridgewater Township is split between the 7th and 12th Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state Legislative District.

Prior to the 2010 Census, Bridgewater Township had been part of the 7th Congressional District and the NJ's 11th congressional district, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 28,049 registered voters in Bridgewater Township, of which 6,468 (23.1% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 7,618 (27.2% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 13,947 (49.7% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 16 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 63.1% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 84.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 52.1% of the vote (10,664 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 46.7% (9,561 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (227 votes), among the 20,592 ballots cast by the township's 29,510 registered voters (140 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.8%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 11,346 votes (51.3% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 10,357 votes (46.8% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 267 votes (1.2% vs. 1.1%), among the 22,110 ballots cast by the township's 27,378 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.8% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 11,641 votes (55.5% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 9,104 votes (43.4% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 170 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 20,985 ballots cast by the township's 25,218 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.2% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 72.7% of the vote (9,213 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 25.7% (3,261 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (193 votes), among the 12,834 ballots cast by the township's 29,774 registered voters (167 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 9,542 votes (61.7% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 4,491 votes (29.0% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 1,238 votes (8.0% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 89 votes (0.6% vs. 0.7%), among the 15,462 ballots cast by the township's 27,822 registered voters, yielding a 55.6% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
Bridgewater is part of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Bridgewater and Raritan Borough. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 8,254 students and 754.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. One of the largest suburban districts statewide, the district is the largest in Somerset County. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Adamsville Primary School (532 students; in grades PreK–4), Bradley Gardens Primary School (263; PreK–4), Crim Primary School (342; K–4), Hamilton Primary School (477; K–4), John F. Kennedy Primary School (427; K–4), Milltown Primary School (402; PreK–4), Van Holten Primary School (334; K–4), Eisenhower Intermediate School (704; 5–6), Hillside Intermediate School (574; 5–6), Bridgewater–Raritan Middle School (1,384; 7–8) and Bridgewater–Raritan High School (2,747; 9–12). All schools in the district are in Bridgewater except for Kennedy, which is in Raritan. The overwhelming majority of students in the district are from Bridgewater, with approximately 1,000 students from Raritan. Seats on the district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on population, with eight seats allocated to Bridgewater Township.

During the 1999–2000 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive from the federal government.

Bridgewater is the home of the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, a four-year magnet school that provides occupational and academic training to students from Somerset County.

Little Friends of Jesus Nursery School (preschool, non-parochial) operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

The headquarters of the Somerset County Library System is located in Bridgewater.

In 2013, Stephen Kovacs joined the staff of Medeo Fencing Club in Bridgewater as a coach. He was accused in 2021 by detectives from the Bridgewater Township Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit of sexually assaulting two teenage fencing students in Bridgewater multiple times in 2020 and 2021; he died in Somerset County Jail in January 2022.

Emergency services
The township's Communications Center handles all emergency calls with 11 full-time dispatchers and five part-time dispatchers as of 2013. The Bridgewater emergency dispatch is being transitioned to Somerset County at an unknown time frame, joining nine other county municipalities that have emergency calls handled centrally and dispatched to each individual police department. The move is expected to save the township $4.5 million over 10 years, saving $4.50 on the average tax bill.

Police
Bridgewater has 75 officers who are a part of the Bridgewater Township Police Department, which includes a patrol division, a detective bureau, a traffic unit, a communications bureau, a youth services bureau, and other divisions.

Fire
Bridgewater has six all-volunteer fire companies, which provide fire suppression and assist in vehicle extrication and rescue attempts:
 * Country Hills Fire Company (District 3)
 * Green Knoll Fire Company (District 3)
 * North Branch Fire Company (District 3)
 * Bradley Gardens Fire Company (District 2)
 * Finderne Fire Company (District 4)
 * Martinsville Fire Company (District 1)

EMS/Rescue
Bridgewater is served by five volunteer BLS rescue squads, which provide EMS coverage as well as vehicle extrication, water rescue, and other rescue services. ALS (paramedics) are dispatched from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital – Somerset. During daytime hours, RWJ – Somerset also provides Basic Life Support coverage for a portion of the township.
 * Martinsville Rescue Squad
 * Green Knoll Rescue Squad
 * Finderne First Aid & Rescue Squad
 * Bradley Gardens First Aid & Rescue Squad
 * Bound Brook First Aid Squad

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 239.75 mi of roadways, of which 189.03 mi were maintained by the municipality, 23.49 mi by Somerset County and 27.23 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Bridgewater is crisscrossed by several major highways. Interstate 287 is the main limited-access road that passes through the township, while Interstate 78 traverses the northern part briefly without any exits. Both U.S. Route 22 and Route 28 take an east-westerly alignment, while Route 202-206 run north–south.

Major county roads that pass through include CR 525, CR 527, CR 533 and CR 567.

Public transportation
The Raritan Valley Line of NJ Transit provides service at the Bridgewater station, located on the old American Cyanamid property. NJ Transit ended service at the Finderne station, off Finderne Avenue, in October 2006.

NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 114 route to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, to Newark on the 65 line (Limited).

Bridgewater Township is serviced by three local airports, Solberg-Hunterdon Airport to the west in Readington, Somerset Airport to the north in Bedminster Township, and Central Jersey Regional Airport to the south in Manville. These airports are open to the public and offer charter flight services as well as flight training and other aviation-related services. They operate in all weather conditions and have instrument approaches available for use by pilots in bad weather.

Scheduled commercial passenger service is provided by Morristown Airport, located approximately 15 mi away (about 25 minutes drive) in Morristown, and Newark Liberty International Airport, located approximately 25 mi away (about 38 minutes drive) in Newark.

Healthcare
Located in neighboring Somerville, the township is served by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. Originally founded as Somerset Hospital in 1901, the medical center has grown into a regional university hospital for Greater Somerset. Since June 1, 2014, the 355-bed facility has been affiliated with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, the largest healthcare network in the state.

Points of interest
The Van Horne House was built c. 1750 and served as the headquarters for General Benjamin Lincoln in the spring of 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, in particular the Battle of Bound Brook. Later, it served as the headquarters for General William Alexander, Lord Stirling during the second Middlebrook encampment (1778–1779). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 for its locally significant Colonial Revival architecture from 1937 to 1944.

The Van Veghten House was built c. 1725 and served as the headquarters for Quartermaster General Nathanael Greene during the second Middlebrook encampment. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and noted as representing "one of the few remaining Raritan River mansions".

Places of worship in Bridgewater include churches for a number of Christian denominations; Temple Sholom, a Conservative Jewish synagogue formed in 1966; Sri Venkateswara Temple, a Hindu temple inaugurated in 1998; and the Garden State Sikh Association Gurudwara, a Sikh temple.

Popular culture

 * Bridgewater is the setting for a concept album by the band The World/Inferno Friendship Society. Titled The True Story of the Bridgewater Astral League, the album talks about a gang of young people who like to get together and create all sorts of mischief.
 * It was one of the filming locations for the Columbia Pictures 1994 comedy film North, which used the Bridgewater Commons Mall as the setting for a discussion between characters.

Superfund cleanup site
In August 2011, Hurricane Irene submerged the former American Cyanamid Superfund site, causing chemicals to leak into the nearby Raritan River. It could cost Pfizer up to $205 million and take a decade to clean up nearly all of the contaminated American Cyanamid site in Bridgewater—of which 560 acres are in the township and 10 acres are in Bound Brook—according to a company study awaiting federal approval.

Mosque settlement
In early 2011, the application was made to turn the Redwood Inn, a former inn/reception center, into the township's first mosque. The township council passed an ordinance that required houses of worship, country clubs, and other such businesses only be built on locations with access to major roads, which would directly impact the application by the mosque. The planning board immediately dismissed the application, averting state statute that would become effective on May 5 that would have made rejection much more difficult. The applicant, Al Falah Center, then filed a lawsuit against the township.

In December 2014, the case was settled out of court, with the township agreeing to purchase a 15 acres lot between Routes 202–206 and Route 287 for $2.75 million and give it to the organization to build a mosque, as well as provide $5 million paid by its insurer for reimbursement for legal fees and alleged damages. In return, the case was dropped and the township was given ownership of the original Mountaintop Road property, with the zoning ordinance law left intact.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bridgewater Township include:

 * Hank Beenders (1916–2003), early professional basketball player
 * Matthew Boxer, politician who served from 2008 to 2013 as New Jersey State Comptroller
 * Rob Bunker (born 1988), race car driver in the ARCA Menards Series in 2007
 * Tunis Campbell (1812–1891), delegate to the Georgia State Constitutional Convention and Georgia state senator during the Reconstruction era
 * Catherine Caro (born 1995), field hockey player on the United States women's national field hockey team
 * Herman Carr (1924–2008), physicist who was an inventor and early pioneer of magnetic resonance imaging
 * Barbara Cohen (1932–1992), author of children's literature who wrote more than thirty books in a range of genres, from picture books (The Carp in the Bathtub, 1972) to retellings of Biblical stories (e.g., The Binding of Isaac, 1978; David, 1995) to classical literature (Four Canterbury Tales, 1987) to young adult dystopias (Unicorns in the Rain, 1980)
 * Frank DiPascali (born 1956), CFO of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, LLC and key lieutenant of Bernard Madoff
 * Paul Heck (born 1967), music producer and artist liaison for the Red Hot Organization and an independent sound manager
 * Elena Kampouris (born 1997), film and television actress, best known for her appearances in the films My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and Men, Women & Children, and the TV series American Odyssey
 * Andrea Kane, author of romance novels
 * Matt Kassel (born 1989), soccer player for the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer
 * Andy Kessler (born 1958), businessman, investor, and author
 * Paul Laird (born 1958), musicologist at the University of Kansas who has published several books, on Leonard Bernstein, American musicals, and other classical music topics
 * Geraldine Laybourne (born 1947), former TV executive and entrepreneur in media and technology who led the team that created Nickelodeon in the 1980s and co-founded Oxygen Media
 * Derek Luke (born 1993), professional soccer who plays for FC Cincinnati in the United Soccer League
 * Saul Marantz (1911–1997), musician, inventor and engineer who founded audio manufacturer Marantz in 1948
 * Richard P. McCormick (1916–2006), historian and professor emeritus at Rutgers University, who served as president of the New Jersey Historical Society
 * Eric Murdock (born 1968), former professional basketball player who played nine seasons in the NBA
 * Casey Murphy (born 1996), professional soccer player who plays goalkeeper for North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League
 * William O'Brien (born 1959), racing driver who has competed in the TCR International Series
 * Mark Oldman (born 1969), entrepreneur, wine expert and author
 * Varun Sandesh (born 1989), actor in Telugu cinema
 * Anne Sayre (1923–1998), writer best known for her biography of Rosalind Franklin, one of the discoverers of the structure of DNA
 * Scott Schwartz (born 1968), former child actor who appeared in 1980s films The Toy and A Christmas Story, the latter as Flick, the boy who gets his tongue stuck to a telephone pole
 * Jack Terricloth (1970–2021), pseudonym of Pete Ventantonio, frontman of the band The World/Inferno Friendship Society
 * Jeffrey Vanderbeek (born 1957), former owner of the New Jersey Devils
 * David Wiesner (born 1956), author and illustrator of children's books and publications, whose work has won several honors, including three Caldecott Medals
 * Tom Wilson (born 1967), politician who served as chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee from 2004 to 2009

title: Bridgewater Township, New Jersey


text:
Far Hills, New Jersey

Far Hills is a borough in the Somerset Hills of northern Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 924, an increase of 5 (+0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 919, which in turn reflected an increase of 60 (+7.0%) from the 859 counted in the 2000 census. The borough is located within the Raritan Valley region.

Far Hills was incorporated as a borough based on an Act of the New Jersey Legislature passed on April 7, 1921, from portions of Bernards Township, subject to the results of a referendum held on May 12, 1921. Far Hills is a dry town where alcohol is not permitted to be sold by law.

In the Forbes magazine listing of the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the United States, Far Hills was ranked 52 in 2010 (with median sale price of $2,067,451) and 87th in 2012 (with a median of $1,729,135). In 2018, New Jersey Business Magazine listed Far Hills at 12th in its listing of "The Most Expensive ZIP Codes in New Jersey", with a median sale price 2017 of $885,000.

The 07931 ZIP Code extends beyond the borders of Far Hills into sections of other nearby Somerset Hills communities in Somerset and Morris counties including the boroughs of Bernardsville and Peapack-Gladstone; along with the townships of Bedminster, Bernards, Chester, and Mendham.

History
Far Hills encompasses nearly 5 sqmi in Somerset County, encircled by the Somerset Hills communities of Bedminster, Bernardsville, Bernards Township, and Peapack-Gladstone. It shares a community pool, athletic programs, civic organizations, and a school system with Bernardsville. It shares a public library, a fire department and a first aid squad with neighboring Bedminster Township.

The borough maintains its character through 10 acre minimum zoning laws whereby large private properties and homes surround a small village which was the creation of a wealthy New York businessman in the late 1800s. The beginning of rail service to nearby Bernardsville in 1870, opened the area to city people seeking a respite from the heat and hurry of urban life.

Evander H. Schley, a land developer and real estate broker from New York, purchased thousands of acres in Bedminster and Bernards townships in the 1880s. One day in 1887, Schley's brother, Grant, and his wife, Elizabeth, arrived by horse-drawn carriage to see Evander's farms. Elizabeth is said to have remarked on the beautiful vista of the "far hills," thus giving the name to the place before a village was built.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 4.90 square miles (12.69 km2), including 4.85 square miles (12.55 km2) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.14 km2) of water (1.12%).

The borough borders the Somerset County municipalities of Bedminster Township to the west, Bernards Township to the east, Bernardsville to the northeast and Peapack-Gladstone to the northwest.

Climate
The climate in the area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cold winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Far Hills has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 919 people, 376 households, and 259 families in the borough. The population density was 191.6 per square mile (74.0/km2). There were 418 housing units at an average density of 87.1 per square mile (33.6/km2). The racial makeup was 95.32% (876) White, 0.65% (6) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.85% (17) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.54% (5) from other races, and 1.63% (15) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.58% (88) of the population.

Of the 376 households, 29.5% had children under the age of 18; 58.2% were married couples living together; 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.1% were non-families. Of all households, 28.5% were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.

24.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.6 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $125,833 (with a margin of error of +/− $29,841) and the median family income was $202,083 (+/− $85,006). Males had a median income of $177,083 (+/− $60,611) versus $76,250 (+/− $38,263) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $93,495 (+/− $19,515). About 3.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 859 people, 368 households, and 253 families. The population density was 176.8 PD/sqmi. There were 386 housing units at an average density of 79.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 96.04% White, 0.81% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.10% Asian, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.61% of the population.

There were 368 households, out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.76.

The population was spread out, with 18.4% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household was $112,817, and the median income for a family was $149,095. Males had a median income of $90,000 versus $46,607 for females. The per capita income was $81,535. About 0.8% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.

Sports
The United States Golf Association has a Far Hills mailing address but is actually located in Bernards Township. The United States Golf Association Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History is located on the premises.

From 2000 through 2005 the Breeders' Cup Grand National Steeplechase returned to the Far Hills Races after a hiatus of six years. Known for the highest prize money of a steeplechase in America, the purse for the Breeders' Cup winner has been as large as $250,000 and has attracted up to 100,000 spectators. Several races are scheduled by Far Hills Race Meeting Association in late October of each year. Considered one of the premier social events of the year in the tri-state area, it is attended by as many as 75,000 people annually.

Parks and recreation

 * The Leonard J. Buck Garden, 33 acre, is a public botanical garden operated by the Somerset County Park Commission, and located at 11 Layton Road. It is open daily; a small fee is requested.
 * Moggy Hollow Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark adjacent to the Buck Garden.
 * Natirar is an estate spanning 491 acre in Far Hills, Peapack-Gladstone and Bedminster that was sold in 2003 by Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, to the Somerset County Park Commission.

Local government
Far Hills is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Far Hills is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Far Hills is Republican Kevin Welsh, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2026. Members of the Far Hills Borough Council are Council President David P. Karner (R, 2025), Joseph E. Carty (R, 2026), Mary Chimenti (R, 2024), Peter J. Cocoziello Jr. (R, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Richard L. Rinzler (R, 2025) and Charles P. Schwester (R, 2026) and Kevin Welsh (R, 2024).

Peter Cocoziello was appointed in January 2023 to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Kevin Walsh until he stepped down to take office as mayor. Cocoziello served on an interim basis until the November 2023 general election, when voters chose him to serve the balance of the term of office.

In November 2019, the borough council selected Ted McLean to fill the weeks remaining in the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by David R. Surks until he resigned from office earlier that month. Surks was re-elected in the November 2019 general election In January 2020, McLean was appointed to fill Surks' term expiring in December 2022 and will serve on an interim basis until the November 2020 general election.

Emergency services
Emergency services in the borough are offered by the Far Hills-Bedminster Fire Department, Far Hills Police Department, and Far Hills-Bedminster First Aid Squad. Far Hills-Bedminster Fire Department roots back to the establishment of Union Hook & Ladder Company #1 in December 1900; The current name was adopted in 1998 to avoid confusion with other departments with similar names.

Federal, state and county representation
Far Hills is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 748 registered voters in Far Hills, of which 97 (13.0% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 382 (51.1% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 268 (35.8% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 81.4% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 107.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 70.6% of the vote (348 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 27.8% (137 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (5 votes), among the 493 ballots cast by the borough's 793 registered voters (3 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 62.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 355 votes (63.1% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 196 votes (34.8% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 5 votes (0.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 563 ballots cast by the borough's 726 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.5% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 342 votes (67.7% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 160 votes (31.7% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 2 votes (0.4% vs. 0.9%), among the 505 ballots cast by the borough's 636 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.4% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 84.9% of the vote (275 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 13.0% (42 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (7 votes), among the 324 ballots cast by the borough's 799 registered voters, for a turnout of 40.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 282 votes (69.6% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 65 votes (16.0% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 52 votes (12.8% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 5 votes (1.2% vs. 0.7%), among the 405 ballots cast by the borough's 743 registered voters, yielding a 54.5% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
Students in public school attend the schools of the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a regional school district covering pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade serving students from Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Peapack-Gladstone, along with students from Bedminster Township who attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,797 students and 155.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Marion T. Bedwell Elementary School with 471 students in grades Pre-K–4, Bernardsville Middle School with 474 students in grades 5–8 and Bernards High School with 819 students in grades 9–12. The district's board of education is comprised of nine elected members (plus one appointed member representing Bedminster) who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. The nine elected seats on the board are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with one seat allocated to Far Hills.

Far Hills Country Day School is a private, nonsectarian coeducational day school located in Far Hills, serving students in nursery through eighth grade since 1929 on a 55 acre campus.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 15.28 mi of roadways, of which 9.70 mi were maintained by the municipality, 2.59 mi by Somerset County and 2.99 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The most prominent highway serving Far Hills is Interstate 287. U.S. Route 202 also passes through the borough.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides service at the Far Hills train station on the Gladstone Branch of the Morristown Line; the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located at U.S. Route 202, near the intersection of Far Hills Road, one half mile east of U.S. Route 206, offering service via Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station or to Hoboken Terminal.

Lakeland Bus Lines provides Route 78 rush-hour service from Bedminster to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Far Hills include:

 * Nicholas F. Brady (born 1930), former United States Secretary of the Treasury who represented New Jersey in the United States Senate
 * James Chesson (born 1980), race car driver
 * P. J. Chesson (born 1978), IndyCar driver who raced in the 2006 Indianapolis 500
 * Charles W. Engelhard Jr. (1917–1971), businessman who controlled an international mining and metals conglomerate and was a major owner of thoroughbred race horses
 * Malcolm Forbes (1919–1990), former editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine
 * Steve Forbes (born 1947), editor-in-chief of Forbes
 * Joseph S. Frelinghuysen Jr. (1912–2005), author of Passages to Freedom, about his escape from a prison camp in Italy during World War II
 * J. Geils (1946–2017), blues-rock lead guitarist, singer, and founder of The J. Geils Band
 * Jack H. Jacobs (born 1945), retired colonel in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Vietnam War
 * John S. Penn (1926–2013), politician who represented the 16th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assemblyfrom 1984 to 1994
 * Joe J. Plumeri (born 1944), Chairman & CEO of Willis Group and owner of the Trenton Thunder
 * Michael F. Price (born 1951), value investor and fund manager
 * Aileen Quinn (born 1971), actress, singer and dancer best known for her role as Annie Bennett Warbucks in the 1982 film Annie
 * Andrew Schlafly (born 1961), founder of Conservapedia, son of Phyllis Schlafly
 * James Wallwork (born 1930), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature
 * Christine Todd Whitman (born 1946), former Governor of New Jersey
 * Kate Whitman Annis (born c. 1978), general manager of the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women's Hockey League

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Far Hills, New Jersey


text:
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey

Franklin Township is a township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 68,364, an increase of 6,064 (+9.7%) from the 2010 census count of 62,300,  which in turn reflected an increase of 11,397 (+22.4%) from the 50,903 counted in the 2000 census. The township was the state's 19th most-populous municipality in 2020, after being ranked 22nd in 2010.

Traditionally a farming community, it has become a fast-growing suburb with massive development in the later 20th and 21st centuries as a diverse blend of races, religions, and cultures. In 2008, Franklin Township ranked #5 on Money magazine's list of America's Top 100 Best Places to Live.

What is now Franklin Township was originally formed circa 1745 as Eastern precinct. Franklin Township was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. Portions of the township were taken to form South Bound Brook (formed within Township, became independent municipality as of April 11, 1907) and East Millstone (February 18, 1873, returned to Franklin Township on December 31, 1949).

History
It has been unclear if the township was named for founding father Benjamin Franklin or for his illegitimate son William Franklin, a Loyalist and the last Royal Governor of New Jersey (from 1763 to 1776). In 2000, after considering the evidence set forth by William B. Brahms in his books Images of America: Franklin Township (1997) and Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History, and 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 history and the scene of many raiding parties along Route 27, then known as the King's Highway. Two British generals, Cornwallis and DeHeister, tried to lure General George Washington and his Continental Army into battle on the plains of Middlebush and East Millstone. 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 at Weston, the Continental Army and local militia engaged and successfully drove off a British foraging party of about 600 troops, sent out of New Brunswick by General Cornwallis. On November 2, 1783, Washington composed his farewell address to the army while staying at Rockingham near Rocky Hill.

The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the 1830s, stretching 22 mi to connect New York City and Philadelphia, led to significant growth in the township, with as much as 200,000 tons of goods shipped on barges using the canal by the 1860s. The rise of shipping commercial goods using railroads led to a substantial decline in canal traffic. The area has been restored as the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park

The Van Wickle House, located next to the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the Somerset section of the township, in between New Brunswick and South Bound Brook, was built in 1722 by Dutch settlers and is now owned by Franklin Township and leased by the Meadows Foundation. Set back behind Easton Avenue, the home adjoins the Rutgers Preparatory School and a Revolutionary War-era graveyard.

Passenger and freight railroad service was available in Franklin Township during the later half of the 19th century via the Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad (M&NB) which opened in 1854. The railroad was built and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), from a junction with the PRR mainline at Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick to East Millstone. The M&NB is now known as the Conrail Millstone Secondary Branch. The branch line was still operated by Conrail up to just west of Clyde Road in Somerset for a time, serving local industry in the industrial section of Somerset. As of 2011, Hermann Warehouse Corp re-located out of the Clyde Road facility and there has not been rail service into that building since then. A bumper was placed east of the Somerset Road/Route 27 crossing, with Clyde Road, Veronica Avenue and Route 27 crossings currently out of service. Jersey Avenue/Route 91 remains the sole active crossing on the line.

In 1922, the infamous Hall-Mills Murder took place in Franklin Township, in the area adjacent to New Brunswick known as Somerset.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 46.88 square miles (121.43 km2), including 46.17 square miles (119.58 km2) of land and 0.71 square miles (1.85 km2) of water (1.52%).

The community is approximately 75% rural.

The township borders the municipalities of Bridgewater Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, Rocky Hill and South Bound Brook in Somerset County; Princeton in Mercer County; New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Piscataway and South Brunswick in Middlesex County.

Communities
The following are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within Franklin Township:
 * Blackwells Mills (2010 CDP population of 803)
 * Clyde (2010 CDP population of 213)
 * East Franklin (2010 CDP population of 8,669)
 * East Millstone (2010 CDP population of 579)
 * East Rocky Hill (2010 CDP population of 469)
 * Franklin Center (2010 CDP population of 4,460)
 * Franklin Park (2010 CDP population of 13,295)
 * Griggstown (2010 CDP population of 819)
 * Kingston – officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The Kingston Village Advisory Committee, jointly appointed by the Councils of Franklin and South Brunswick townships, advises Franklin on matters of concern to Kingston's residents. (2010 CDP population of 271 for portion of Kingston in Franklin Township)
 * Middlebush (2010 CDP population of 2,326)
 * Pleasant Plains (2010 CDP population of 922)
 * Six Mile Run (2010 CDP population of 3,184)
 * Somerset (2010 CDP population of 22,083)
 * Ten Mile Run (2010 CDP population of 1,959)
 * Voorhees CDP (2010 CDP population of 976)
 * Weston (2010 CDP population of 1,235)
 * Zarephath, religious community in western part of the township, centered around the Pillar of Fire Church (2010 CDP population of 37)

Other unincorporated communities, localities, and place names located partially or completely within the township include Hamilton Park and Rockingham.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Franklin Township would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 62,300 people, 23,301 households, and 15,938 families in the township. The population density was 1350.0 /sqmi. There were 24,426 housing units at an average density of 529.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 44.76% (27,887) White, 26.55% (16,539) Black or African American, 0.29% (183) Native American, 19.98% (12,450) Asian, 0.01% (9) Pacific Islander, 5.11% (3,183) from other races, and 3.29% (2,049) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.92% (8,050) of the population.

Of the 23,301 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 53.3% were married couples living together; 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.6% were non-families. Of all households, 25.7% were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.19.

22.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $89,992 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,918) and the median family income was $103,060 (+/− $3,429). Males had a median income of $66,178 (+/− $2,448) versus $54,733 (+/− $2,427) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,036 (+/− $1,203). About 3.2% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 50,903 people, 19,355 households, and 12,987 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,088.3 PD/sqmi. There were 19,789 housing units at an average density of 423.1 /sqmi. 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, 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 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. Males had a median income of $52,351 versus $41,101 for females. The per capita income 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.

Parks and recreation
Parks in the township include:
 * The William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest is a 500 acre natural preserve administered by Rutgers University that includes a 65 acre virgin old-growth forest designated a National Natural Landmark, and is located at 2150 Amwell Road (Route 514) about 3/4 mi east of East Millstone.
 * Colonial Park, part of the Somerset County Park System, is a 685.5 acre facility located in the western portion of Franklin Township near East Millstone with entrances off Mettlers Lane and Elizabeth Avenue. The park offers many recreational activities, including picnicking, hiking, biking, fishing, paddle boating, golf, and tennis. It features a 144 acre Arboretum, "a living tree museum" that provides a wide range of examples of trees and shrubs that grow well in the Central Jersey environment. The park also offers a 3 acre leash-free dog area, a 1.4 mi fitness parcourse, paddleboat rentals, an 18-hole putting course, the 18 hole championship Spooky Brook Golf Course, 3 stocked fishing ponds, softball fields, a tennis center, playground, nature trail, a 5 acre 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 runs for 22 mi 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 mi to Bull's Island near Frenchtown. 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 (see above) and the Van Wickle House (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 acre preserve adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Kingston that features a 2 mi 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 Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve is a 164 acre preserve located between Bennets Lane and Skillmans Lane in the Somerset section that features 111 acre of grassland, forest, and scrubland and a 2.5 acre wetland attracting migratory birds and amphibians with over 3 mi of pedestrian trails, bird boxes and interpretive signage.
 * Six Mile Run Reservoir Site, part of the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, is located in the central portion of Franklin Township. The 3,037 acre 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.
 * Ten Mile Run Greenway is a 684 acre greenway over 4 mi in length running between Canal Road south of Bunker Hill Road in Griggstown and S. Middlebush Road near Old Vliet Road in Franklin Park. It runs along the Ten Mile Run. It features four sections including:
 * Bunker Hill Natural Area, accessed from the north side of Bunker Hill Road near the intersection of Route 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, on 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 acres area that features a deciduous forest known as Graeber Woods, a one-mile (1.6 km) self-guided nature trail, 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 of grassland and hundreds of acres of forest and features over 6 mi of mapped trails. Trails connect to the other sections of the Ten Mile Run Greenway.

Local government
The Township of Franklin is chartered under the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, within the Council-Manager, Plan D. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The Township Council is comprised of nine members, including one from each of the five wards, three elected from the township at-large, and the mayor. The mayor is the Chief Legislative Officer of the township and is directly elected from the township at-large to serve a four-year term. The Township Manager is the chief executive officer overseeing the township's daily operations and is hired by and serves at the pleasure of the Township Council. Councilmembers are chosen for a four-year term in partisan elections held at the June Primary and November General Elections in odd-numbered years, with the five ward seats coming up for election together and the mayoral and at-large seats up for election two years later.

, the Mayor of Franklin Township is Democrat Phillip Kramer, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Township Council are Deputy Mayor Crystal Pruitt (D; At-Large, 2023), Sivaraman Anbarasan (D; At-Large, 2023), Kimberly Francois (D; At-Large, 2023), Charles Onyejiaka (D; 3rd Ward, 2025), Ed Potosnak (D; 1st Ward, 2025), Shepa Uddin (D; 2nd Ward, 2025), James Vassanella (D; 5th Ward, 2025) and Carl R.A. Wright (D; 4th Ward, 2025).

In the November 2015 general election, Phillip Kramer became the first Democrat directly elected as Mayor in the township's history, resulting in the Mayor and entire council being from the Democratic Party. This marked a transition that started in 1995, when the council was controlled 8 to 1 by the Republican Party. In January 2016, the Township Council selected Charles Onyejiaka from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the Third Ward seat expiring in December 2017 that was vacated by Philip Kramer when he took office as mayor; Onyejiaka will serve on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters will select a candidate to fill the one-year balance of the term of office.

In January 2015, the Township Council chose Chris Kelly from among three candidates offered by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat of Brian D. Levine, who had resigned from his council seat to take office on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

In 1998, the township approved a referendum by a better than 2–1 margin to raise property taxes by 3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, with the money to be used to preserve open space.

Federal, state and county representation
Franklin Township is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 17th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Franklin Township had been split between the NJ's 6th congressional district and the 12th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 36,240 registered voters in Franklin Township, of which 13,993 (38.6% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,962 (13.7% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 17,262 (47.6% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 23 voters registered to the Libertarian Party or other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 58.2% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 74.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 71.2% of the vote (19,611 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 27.7% (7,640 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (288 votes), among the 27,718 ballots cast by the township's 39,291 registered voters (179 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 19,442 votes (70.0% vs. 52.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 7,951 votes (28.6% vs. 46.1%) and other candidates with 246 votes (0.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 27,776 ballots cast by the township's 35,508 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 14,737 votes (64.2% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 7,913 votes (34.5% vs. 51.5%) and other candidates with 211 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 22,962 ballots cast by the township's 28,743 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.9% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 51.7% of the vote (8,178 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 46.9% (7,420 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (209 votes), among the 16,108 ballots cast by the township's 40,155 registered voters (301 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 9,369 ballots cast (53.0% vs. 34.1% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 6,842 votes (38.7% vs. 55.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 1,180 votes (6.7% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 137 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 17,679 ballots cast by the township's 36,033 registered voters, yielding a 49.1% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
The Franklin Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 7,150 students and 703.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Claremont Elementary School (665 students; in grades Pre-K–5), Conerly Road School (400; Pre-K–5), Elizabeth Avenue School (493; Pre-K–5), Franklin Park School (664; Pre-K–5), Hillcrest School (436; Pre-K–5), MacAfee Road School (381; Pre-K–5), Pine Grove Manor School (331; Pre-K–5), Franklin Middle School at Hamilton Street Campus (706; 6–8), Franklin Middle School at Sampson G. Smith Campus (797; 6–8) and Franklin High School (2,146; 9–12).

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School is a comprehensive public charter middle school / high school serving students in grades 6–12 that aims to prepare all graduates for admission to a four-year university. In 2016, the school was one of ten schools in New Jersey, and the only charter school, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 820 students and 73.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1.

Rutgers Preparatory School, a private day school founded in 1766, is located in Franklin Township and occupies a 35-acre campus between Easton Avenue and the Raritan River. The state's oldest independent school, RPS moved to Franklin Township in 1957.

Saint Matthias School is a parochial elementary school founded in 1962 that serves students in preschool through eighth grade and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

Cedar Hill Preparatory School, a Pre-K–8 school founded in 2003 as Oakcrest Academy, was one of eight private schools recognized in 2017 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program as an Exemplary High Performing School by the United States Department of Education.

Historic district
The Kingston Mill Historic District is a 49 acre historic district encompassing the community of Kingston, New Jersey (which is bounded by Franklin Township in Somerset County, Princeton in Mercer County, and South Brunswick in Middlesex County). In 1683, Henry Greenland built the first tavern here for travelers between New York City and Philadelphia. The current Kingston Mill, also known as the Kingston Gristmill, was built in 1888, the third one at this site. In 1755, Jacob Skilman built a gristmill and sawmill here on the Millstone River, located along the historic King's Highway. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1986 for its significance in engineering, exploration/settlement, industry, and transportation. The district includes 16 contributing buildings and 2 contributing structures.

Emergency services
Franklin Township is served by 10 all-volunteer Fire Departments in four fire districts.
 * Fire companies
 * Community Fire Company / Station 25 (District 3)
 * Elizabeth Ave. Fire Company / Station 26 (District 1)
 * East Franklin Fire Department / Station 27 (District 3)
 * Middlebush Fire Department / Station 44 (District 1)
 * Millstone Valley Fire Company / Station 28 (District 1)
 * Franklin Park Fire Department / Station 31 (District 2)
 * Griggstown Fire Company / Station 35 (District 2)
 * Kingston Fire Company / Station 39 (District 4)
 * Little Rocky Hill Fire Company / Station 41 (District 2)
 * Somerset Fire & Rescue Company #1 / Station 56 (District 1)

Franklin Township is served by four volunteer First Aid and Rescue Squads and one hospital-based EMS provider
 * First aid squads
 * East Millstone First Aid Squad / Station 52
 * Franklin Somerset First Aid Squad / Station 71 (Permanently closed)
 * Rocky Hill First Aid & Rescue Squad / Station 53
 * Kendall Park First Aid & Rescue Squad
 * Kingston First Aid & Rescue Squad / Station 72
 * Robert Wood Johnson EMS (Paid EMS through Municipal Contract)

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 260.12 mi of roadways, of which 216.72 mi were maintained by the municipality, 34.67 mi by Somerset County and 8.73 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Interstate 287 is the most significant highway within the township. It runs through the northern part of the township with two interchanges. Route 27 runs along the border between New Brunswick, and the townships of South Brunswick and North Brunswick. Some of the major county routes that are in the township are CR 514, CR 518 and CR 527.

The New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) passes outside the township in both neighboring South Brunswick and New Brunswick, but the closest interchanges are two towns away in Edison (Exit 10), East Brunswick Township (Exit 9) and Monroe Township (Exit 8A).

Franklin Township was to house the northern end of the Somerset Freeway 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 Township at I-95 and I-295. However the entire project was ultimately cancelled in 1982.

Public transportation
Somerset County offers DASH routes 851 and 852, providing service to Franklin Township from Bound Brook, New Brunswick and North Brunswick. Additionally, the CAT 1R provides service to Raritan Valley Community College, passing through Bound Brook, Somerville, and Raritan.

Commuter bus service to Midtown Manhattan is offered by commuter transportation company OurBus, during peak hours, with service at Kendall Park to and from New York City.

Utilities
Gas and electricity are provided by PSE&G. Water comes from the Delaware and Raritan Canal from water bought from American Water and neighboring North Brunswick and New Brunswick in Middlesex County. In 2011, the township considered privatizing the system and awarding the contract to United Water. Sewerage service is provided by the Township of Franklin Sewerage Authority.

Points of interest

 * The Blackwells Mills Canal House, located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road (598 Canal Road, Somerset) on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, was built c. 1830s, 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.
 * The Franklin Inn, at 2371 Amwell Road (Route 514), East Millstone, 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, 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.
 * Rockingham State Historic Site, near Kingston on CR 603 (Somerset County), adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal. George Washington wrote his Farewell Address to the Revolutionary Army while staying here in the fall of 1783.
 * Spieden & Hoebel Farms, Little Valley Natural Area is a 120 acre 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 tow path and the Millstone River and flood plain.
 * Tulipwood, at 1165 Hamilton Street, is a c. 1892 designed by J. August Lienau, the son of Detlef Lienau for his brother-in-law Stephen Guion Williams whose family owned the Williams & Guion Black Star Line. The home is owned by Franklin Township.
 * The Ukrainian Cultural Center at 135 Davidson Avenue, serves as the headquarters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and includes the following 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 Cossack Baroque architecture in the area
 * St. Andrew Cemetery, founded in 1952
 * The Ukrainian Historical and Educational Center, founded in 1972, which contains 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, New Jersey's delegate to the Continental Congress, and the site of the Fisher Family Cemetery.
 * The Van Liew-Suydam House, 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.
 * The Van Wickle House, at 1289 Easton Avenue is a historic house built c. 1722 by Symen Van Wickle. Operated by the Meadows Foundation which holds special annual events here.
 * The Wyckoff-Garretson House, at 215 South Middlebush Road, was built in 1730 by Cornelius Wyckoff. The house was restored by the Meadows Foundation under the direction of architect Mark Alan Hewitt.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Franklin Township include:

 * Carlton Agudosi (born 1994), wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL
 * Anthony Bartholomay (1919–1975), mathematician who introduced molecular set theory
 * Avery Brooks (born 1948), actor who portrayed Captain Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Hawk on Spenser: For Hire and A Man Called Hawk, as well as film and theatre
 * Clifford P. Case (1904–1982), politician who served in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate
 * Upendra J. Chivukula (born 1950), New Jersey Board of Public Utilities commissioner who represented the 17th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly, and had served on the Franklin Township Council since 1997, serving as its Mayor in 2000 and its Deputy Mayor in 1998
 * Joseph Danielsen, member of the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 17th Legislative District since October 2014, after being appointed to fill the vacant seat of Upendra J. Chivukula
 * 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
 * Margit Feldman (1929–2020), public speaker, educator, activist and Holocaust survivor
 * Hendrick Fisher (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") in New York in 1765, was elected to New Jersey's Committee of Correspondence, served as a member of the Committee of Safety, was President of the Colonial Assembly, was the first President of the Provincial Congress of New Jersey 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). 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
 * Krystyna Freda (born 1993), footballer who plays as a forward for Cypriot First Division club Apollon Ladies FC
 * Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787–1862), politician who served as New Jersey Attorney General, United States Senator, and Mayor of Newark, New Jersey before running as a candidate for Vice President with Henry Clay on the Whig ticket in the election of 1844
 * Colonel Routh Goshen (1837–1889), billed as the tallest man in the world at 7 ft and 620 lbs, he was known as the Middlebush Giant, a stage name created by P. T. Barnum
 * Mary Griffith (1772–1846), writer, horticulturist and scientist
 * Benjamin Griggs (1690–1768), one of the earliest European settlers of the area that would later be known as Griggstown, a community that takes its name from the grist mill that Griggs established on the Millstone River
 * Jean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville (1776–1857), French aristocrat, diplomat, and politician who resided in Franklin Township between 1811 and 1814 on a 100 acre farm on Easton Avenue in the area of the current Neuville Drive
 * Roy Hinson (born 1961), Rutgers University stand-out who was a 1st round pick in the 1983 NBA draft and played eight seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets
 * John Honeyman (1729–1822), purported spy for George Washington who was primarily responsible for gathering the intelligence crucial to Washington's victory in the Battle of Trenton
 * Daryle Lamont Jenkins (born 1968), political activist, best known for founding One People's Project
 * Leeroy Wilfred Kabs-Kanu (born 1954), Sierra Leonean-American reverend, journalist and newspaper publisher who served as Minister Plenipotentiary at the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations
 * Matthew Leydt (1755–1853), the first graduate of Queen's College (now Rutgers College of Rutgers University)
 * Christopher Massimine, former CEO of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene
 * Judy Melick (born 1954), former competition swimmer who participated as part of the U.S. team at the 1972 Summer Olympics
 * Diamond Miller (born 2001), college basketball player for the Maryland Terrapins women's basketball team
 * Maleah Joi Moon (born 2003), Tony Award-winning actress best known for originating the role of Ali in the Alicia Keys semi-autographical Broadway musical, Hell's Kitchen
 * Paul Muldoon (born 1951), writer, academic and educator, as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning poet originally from County Armagh, Northern Ireland
 * Jeanette Mundt (born 1982), painter, best known for her works in the 2019 Whitney Biennial
 * Peter Davis Oakey (1861–1920), politician who served in the United States House of Representatives 1915–1917
 * Michael James Pappas (born 1960), former U.S. Congressman known for securing the release of the battleship USS New Jersey to the state of New Jersey as a museum, and his infamous singing of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Kenneth Starr" on the House floor, former Mayor of Franklin Township.
 * Randal Pinkett (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 and M.I.T.
 * Jeff Porter (born 1985), track and field athlete who competed for the United States in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2016 Summer Olympics
 * Joe Porter (born 1985), cornerback who played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders
 * Ferdinand Schureman Schenck (1790–1860), politician who represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1833 to 1837
 * Breein Tyree (born 1998), point guard / shooting guard for the Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team
 * Charlie Weis (born 1956), former head coach of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, former offensive coordinator for New England Patriots during Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX, football coach for Franklin High School during its 1989 state championship season
 * Helen Westley (1875–1942), movie actress popular in the 1930s and 1940s, starring in such films as The Age of Innocence, Anne of Green Gables, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
 * Alma Bridwell White (1862–1946), founder of the Pillar of Fire Church and Zarephath community, first woman consecrated a bishop in the United States
 * Arlene White Lawrence (1916–1990), Bishop and the third President and General Superintendent of the Pillar of Fire Church
 * Bruce Williams (born 1932), radio talk show host; currently the longest running talk show in history. Member of Radio Hall of Fame, former Mayor of Franklin Township from 1967 to 1975
 * Earl Williams (1948–2013), MLB catcher for eight seasons who earned the National League's Rookie of the Year Award at that position in 1971


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Green Brook Township, New Jersey

Green Brook Township is a township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is centrally located within the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 7,281, an increase of 78 (+1.1%) from the 2010 census count of 7,203,  which in turn reflected an increase of 1,549 (+27.4%) from the 5,654 counted in the 2000 census.

What is now Green Brook was originally created as North Plainfield Township on April 2, 1872, from portions of Warren Township. Portions of the township were taken to form North Plainfield borough (June 9, 1885) and Watchung (March 23, 1926). Green Brook was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on November 8, 1932, replacing North Plainfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day.

Green Brook describes itself as "Small Enough to Know You, Large Enough to Get Things Done". Most of Green Brook shares ZIP Code 08812 with Dunellen.

History
In 1872, a tract of land was subdivided off from Warren Township. Thirteen years later, in 1885, the Borough of North Plainfield was created from a section of the subdivided land. The land at that time was designated as North Plainfield. In 1926, the Borough of Watchung was carved out of North Plainfield Township. The municipality's name was changed to Green Brook Township in 1932.

Green Brook Township takes its name from the waterway that passes through the township called the Green Brook that rises in the Watchung Mountains several miles away, feeding from many smaller brooks and ponds along the way, as it flows in a southwesterly direction for a distance of 15 mi. It then continues southwestward and flows into the Raritan River at Bound Brook, which provides access to the New York City area and the Atlantic Ocean. The brook was named for the color of its water.

Also contained within the township is Washington Rock State Park, which commemorates the spot where George Washington and Marquis de Lafayette watched the movement of the British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War, mainly the months of May and June 1777. The park was established on March 17, 1913, and is about 34 acre in size.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 4.42 square miles (11.43 km2), including 4.41 square miles (11.42 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2) of water (0.18%).

The township is in the Raritan Valley, a line of places in central New Jersey. Green Brook lies in the northern division of Raritan Valley along with the borough of North Plainfield.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Seeley Mills and Washington Rock.

The township borders the municipalities of Bridgewater Township, North Plainfield, Warren Township and Watchung in Somerset County; Middlesex borough and Dunellen in Middlesex County; and Plainfield in Union County.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 7,203 people, 2,375 households, and 1,945 families in the township. The population density was 1,610.5 per square mile (621.8/km2). There were 2,448 housing units at an average density of 547.3 per square mile (211.3/km2). The racial makeup was 73.54% (5,297) White, 3.37% (243) Black or African American, 0.04% (3) Native American, 20.21% (1,456) Asian, 0.04% (3) Pacific Islander, 1.12% (81) from other races, and 1.67% (120) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.86% (494) of the population.

Of the 2,375 households, 42.1% had children under the age of 18; 69.6% were married couples living together; 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 18.1% were non-families. Of all households, 14.6% were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.30.

26.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $115,268 (with a margin of error of +/− $15,162) and the median family income was $123,796 (+/− $10,668). Males had a median income of $74,231 (+/− $16,708) versus $75,703 (+/− $8,965) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $49,068 (+/− $5,197). About 0.9% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 5,654 people, 1,893 households, and 1,508 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,234.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,916 housing units at an average density of 418.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 88.43% White, 1.68% African American, 0.07% Native American, 7.99% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.09% of the population.

There were 1,893 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the township the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $80,644, and the median income for a family was $87,744. Males had a median income of $52,147 versus $46,434 for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,290. About 1.7% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Green Brook Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At a reorganization meeting, held each year within the first week of January, the Committee elects a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor for that year from among its members.

, members of the Green Brook Township Committee are Mayor James Van Arsdale (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor James Benscoter (R, term on committee ends and as deputy mayor ends 2023), Brian Conway (R, 2023), Gerard "Jerry" Searfoss (R, 2025) and Nancy Stoll (R, 2024).

Federal, state and county representation
Green Brook Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,545 registered voters in Green Brook Township, of which 920 (20.2% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,219 (26.8% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 2,401 (52.8% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 63.1% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 85.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 53.5% of the vote (1,653 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.1% (1,394 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (43 votes), among the 3,110 ballots cast by the township's 4,774 registered voters (20 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 65.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 1,814 votes (53.1% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,532 votes (44.9% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 34 votes (1.0% vs. 1.1%), among the 3,415 ballots cast by the township's 4,470 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.4% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,896 votes (58.8% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,290 votes (40.0% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,225 ballots cast by the township's 3,910 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.5% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 71.3% of the vote (1,341 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 26.8% (504 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (37 votes), among the 1,899 ballots cast by the township's 4,810 registered voters (17 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,548 votes (63.9% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 648 votes (26.7% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 182 votes (7.5% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 21 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,424 ballots cast by the township's 4,527 registered voters, yielding a 53.5% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education
The Green Brook School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 770 students and 81.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Irene E. Feldkirchner Elementary School with 374 students in grades Pre-K–4 and Green Brook Middle School with 393 students in grades 5–8.

Green Brook's public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren Township. Students from Green Brook and from the neighboring communities of Watchung, Warren Township (in Somerset County), and Long Hill Township (in Morris County) attend the school. As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,948 students and 160.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 36.19 mi of roadways, of which 25.49 mi were maintained by the municipality, 7.47 mi by Somerset County and 3.23 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

U.S. Route 22 is the most prominent highway directly serving Green Brook. County Route 527 and County Route 529 also pass through.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 822 route.

Community organizations
There are several committees and organizations within the township of Green Brook. Green Brook has a Baptist church on Greenbrook Road. There is the Green Brook Seniors, which is held at the Senior Center. This is a place for all township seniors to meet and participate in different events. Green Brook also has a Lions Club, which volunteers for different causes. The Green Brook Recreation Committee is a volunteer organization that provides programs and event for all residents.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Green Brook Township include:

 * Daphne Corboz (born 1993), professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Manchester City Women
 * Mael Corboz (born 1994), professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for SC Verl
 * Rachel Corboz (born 1996), professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Stade de Reims
 * Paul Crook (born 1966), lead guitarist for Meat Loaf, Anthrax and Sebastian Bach
 * Mickey Gall (born 1992), professional mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
 * Gloria Gaynor (born 1949), Grammy award-winning singer best known for her song "I Will Survive"
 * Sarai Gonzalez (born 2005), child actress
 * Josh Pauls (born 1992), gold medal winner in sled hockey at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver
 * Ed Stasium, record producer and audio engineer

title: Green Brook Township, New Jersey