Country United States County Somerset Incorporated February 21, 1798 Elevation 24 m Population 50,903 (2000) | State New Jersey Formed as Eastern precinct c. 1745 Named for Benjamin Franklin Area 121.3 km² | |
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Weather -5°C, Wind W at 11 km/h, 60% Humidity Neighborhoods Somerset, Franklin Park, Zarephath, Middlebush, East Millstone, Little Rocky Hill, Griggstown | ||
Franklin Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 62,300, reflecting an increase of 11,397 (+22.4%) from the 50,903 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 8,123 (+19.0%) from the 42,780 counted in the 1990 Census.
Contents
- Map of Franklin Township NJ USA
- History
- Geography
- Communities
- Census 2010
- Census 2000
- Parks and recreation
- Local government
- Federal state and county representation
- Politics
- Points of interest
- Education
- Roads and highways
- Public transportation
- Utilities
- Emergency services
- Notable people
- References
Map of Franklin Township, NJ, USA
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. In 1783, Washington composed his farewell address to his army while staying at Rockingham near Kingston, New Jersey.
The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the 1830s, stretching 22 miles (35 km) 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.
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 is still operated by Conrail up to just west of Clyde Road in Somerset, serving local industry in the industrial section of Somerset.
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 46.846 square miles (121.330 km2), including 46.147 square miles (119.520 km2) of land and 0.699 square miles (1.810 km2) of water (1.49%).
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 Township, Piscataway Township and South Brunswick Township in Middlesex County.
Communities
The following are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within Franklin Township:
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Hamilton Park and Rockingham.
Census 2010
The 2010 United States Census counted 62,300 people, 23,301 households, and 15,938 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,350.0 per square mile (521.2/km2). The township contained 24,426 housing units at an average density of 529.3 per square mile (204.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township 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. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 12.92% (8,050) of the population.
Out of a total of 23,301 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 25.7% of all households 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.
In the township, 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 census counted 92.0 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 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.
Census 2000
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 people per square mile (420.2/km²). There were 19,789 housing units at an average density of 423.1 per square mile (163.4/km²). 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:
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 Council consists of nine members, including a Mayor elected from the township at-large, one elected for each of the five wards and three elected from the township at-large.
The Mayor is the Chief Legislative Officer of the township and is elected by the voters to serve for 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 in partisan elections held at the June Primary and November General Elections in odd-numbered years, for a four-year term, with the five ward seats coming up for election together and the mayoral and at-large seats up for election two years later.
As of 2016, the Mayor of Franklin Township is Democrat Phillip Kramer, whose term of office ends December 31, 2019. Members of the Township Council are Deputy Mayor Theodore Chase Jr. (D; 1st Ward, 2017), Kimberly Francois (D; At-Large, 2019), Charles Onyejiaka (D; 3rd Ward, 2017 - appointed to fill an unexpired term), Rajiv Prasad (D; At-Large, 2019), Shanel Robinson (D; At-Large, 2019), Rozalyn Sherman (D; 2nd Ward, 2017), James Vassanella (D; 5th Ward, 2017) and Carl R.A. Wright (D; 4th Ward, 2017).
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 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.
New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District is represented by Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Ewing Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).
For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 17th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Bob Smith (D, Piscataway) and in the General Assembly by Joseph Danielsen (D, Franklin Township) and Joseph V. Egan (D, New Brunswick) The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).
Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2016, Somerset County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Patricia L. Walsh (R, Green Brook Township, term ends December 31, 2016), Freeholder Deputy Director Peter S. Palmer (R, Bernardsville, 2017), Patrick Scaglione (R, Bridgewater Township, 2018), Mark Caliguire (R, Skillman in Montgomery Township, 2018), and Brian D. Levine (R, Franklin Township, 2017), Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Brett A. Radi (R, Somerville, 2017), Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano (R, Raritan, 2016) and Surrogate Frank Bruno (R, Branchburg, 2018).
Politics
As of March 23, 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 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).
Points of interest
Education
The Franklin Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district's nine schools had an enrollment of 7,754 students and 669.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Conerly Road School (424 students; in grades PreK-4), Elizabeth Avenue School (659; PreK-4), Franklin Park School (901; PreK-4), Hillcrest School (394; PreK-4), MacAfee Road School (433; PreK-4), Pine Grove Manor School (392; PreK-4), Sampson G. Smith Intermediate School (1,084; 5-6), Franklin Middle School for (1,083; 7-8) and Franklin High School (2,149; 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.
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.
Roads and highways
As of May 2010, the township had a total of 260.12 miles (418.62 km) of roadways, of which 216.72 miles (348.78 km) were maintained by the municipality, 34.67 miles (55.80 km) by Somerset County and 8.73 miles (14.05 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Franklin has a variety of county routes, and other major roads that pass through. Some of the major county route that are in the township are CR 514, CR 518 and CR 527. Route 27 runs along the border between New Brunswick, and the townships of South Brunswick and North Brunswick. Interstate 287 runs through the northern part with two interchanges.
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 Township (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, 852 and 853, providing service to Franklin Township from Bound Brook, New Brunswick and North Brunswick Township.
Commuter bus service to Midtown Manhattan is offered by commuter transportation company OurBus, during peak hours.
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 Township 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.
Emergency services
Franklin Township is served by 10 all-volunteer Fire Departments in four fire districts.
Franklin Township is served by five First Aid and Rescue Squads
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Franklin Township include: