Gloucester Township, New Jersey

History

The present Township of Gloucester was one of the original townships that comprised old Gloucester County. It became the county's first political subdivision in 1685. The boundaries of Gloucester County extended from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean until 1683, when it was divided into two townships; Egg Harbor Township and Gloucester Township, which took its name from the cathedral city of Gloucester on the banks of the River Severn in England. Gloucester Township further subdivided into four smaller townships, and on June 1, 1695, became one of the first New Jersey municipalities to incorporate. In 1844, the township became part of the newly formed County of Camden

The Gabreil Daveis Tavern House, located at 4th Avenue in Glendora, is a pre-American Revolutionary War tavern that was built in 1756 and for many years served as an inn for boatmen who transported their products to Philadelphia via nearby Big Timber Creek. It was recently restored and now serves as Gloucester Township's historical centerpiece. This building has also been referred to as The Hillman Hospital House because it was designated a hospital by George Washington during the Revolution. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to visitors on Sunday afternoons from April through December, excepting holidays.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 23.260 square miles (60.245 km²), including 22.983 square miles (59.526 km²) of land and 0.277 square miles (0.718 km²) of water (1.19%).

Blackwood (with a 2010 Census population of 4,545) and Glendora (4,750 in 2010) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within the township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Blenheim, Chews Landing, Davisville, Erial, Glen Oaks, Grenloch, Hilltop, Lakeland, Lambs Terrace, Little Gloucester, Nashs Mill Point Pleasant and Turkey Foot.

The township borders Hi-Nella, Lindenwold, Magnolia, Pine Hill, Runnemede, Somerdale, Stratford, and Winslow Township. Gloucester Township also borders Gloucester County.

Big Timber Creek flows East to West through the township to the Delaware River.

2010 Census

The 2010 United States Census counted 64,634 people, 23,566 households, and 16,873 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,812.2 per square mile (1,085.8/km²). The township contained 24,711 housing units at an average density of 1,075.2 per square mile (415.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 75.80% (48,993) White, 16.19% (10,464) Black or African American, 0.20% (129) Native American, 3.67% (2,374) Asian, 0.03% (20) Pacific Islander, 1.83% (1,183) from other races, and 2.28% (1,471) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.65% (3,650) of the population.

Out of a total of 23,566 households, 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the township, 24.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females the census counted 94.0 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 90.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $72,811 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,131) and the median family income was $82,491 (+/- $2,354). Males had a median income of $55,185 (+/- $1,931) versus $41,697 (+/- $1,505) for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,231 (+/- $984). About 3.5% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census of 2000, there were 64,350 people, 23,150 households, and 16,876 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,771.2 people per square mile (1,070.0/km²). There were 24,257 housing units at an average density of 1,044.6 per square mile (403.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 83.11% White, 11.55% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.05% of the population.

There were 23,150 households out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.4% 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 2.75 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the township the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $54,280, and the median income for a family was $62,992. Males had a median income of $42,451 versus $31,427 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,604. About 4.4% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Gloucester Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Mayor-Council system of New Jersey municipal government plan B, as implemented as of July 1, 1982, based on direct petition. The township is governed by a mayor and a seven-member township council, all of whom are elected on an at-large basis in partisan elections to serve four-year terms of office. Either three or four council seats come up for election in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election, with the mayoral seat up for vote the same year that three council seats are up for vote. The Township has a full-time Mayor and a seven-member council.

As of 2016, the Mayor of Gloucester Township is Democrat David R. Mayer, whose term of office ends December 31, 2017. Members of the Township Council are Council President Orlando Mercado (D, 2019), Council Vice President Tracey L. Trotto (D, 2019), Dan Hutchison (D, 2017), Michael D. Mignone (D, 2019), Franklin Schmidt (D, 2017), Andrea l. Stubbs (D, 2019) and Michelle L. Winters (D, 2017).

Federal, state and county representation

Gloucester Township is located in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 4th state legislative district.

New Jersey's First Congressional District is represented by Donald Norcross (D, Camden). 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 4th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Fred H. Madden (D, Washington Township, Gloucester County) and in the General Assembly by Paul Moriarty (D, Washington Township, Gloucester County) and Gabriela Mosquera (D, Gloucester Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Camden County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members chosen at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2015, Camden County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Collingswood, term as freeholder ends December 31, 2017; term as director ends 2015), Freeholder Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (Pennsauken Township, term as freeholder ends 2016; term as deputy director ends 2015), Michelle Gentek (Gloucester Township, 2015), Ian K. Leonard (Camden, 2015), Jeffrey L. Nash (Cherry Hill, 2015), Carmen Rodriguez (Merchantville, 2016) and Jonathan L. Young, Sr. (Berlin Township, November 2015; serving the unexpired term of Scot McCray ending in 2017)

Camden County's constitutional officers, all elected directly by voters, are County clerk Joseph Ripa, Sheriff Charles H. Billingham, and Surrogate Patricia Egan Jones. The Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo was appointed by the Governor of New Jersey with the advice and consent of the New Jersey Senate (the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 41,873 registered voters in Gloucester Township, of which 16,603 (39.7%) were registered as Democrats, 6,039 (14.4%) were registered as Republicans and 19,205 (45.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 26 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 63.9% of the vote (18,178 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 35.1% (9,999 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (271 votes), among the 28,615 ballots cast by the township's 45,074 registered voters (167 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 63.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.3% of the vote (18,601 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 35.1% (10,645 votes), with 30,341 ballots cast among the township's 40,565 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 57.6% of the vote (16,318 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 40.7% (11,529 votes), with 28,323 ballots cast among the township's 38,229 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.1.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.4% of the vote (9,042 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.3% (5,982 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (198 votes), among the 15,693 ballots cast by the township's 45,408 registered voters (471 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 34.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 47.9% of the vote (8,390 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 44.2% (7,748 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.8% (839 votes), with 17,519 ballots cast among the township's 41,329 registered voters, yielding a 42.4% turnout.

Education

The Gloucester Township Public Schools system, serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade at eight elementary schools (grades K-5) and three middle schools (grades 6-8). As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its 11 schools had an enrollment of 9,925 students and 514.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 19.3:1.

Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Blackwood Elementary School (593 students; in grades K-5) , Chews Elementary School (698; K-5), Erial Elementary School (635; K-5), Glendora Elementary School (285; K-5), Gloucester Township Elementary School (251; K-5), James W. Lilley Jr. Elementary School (452; K-5), Loring-Flemming Elementary School (698; K-5), Union Valley Elementary School (508; K-5), Glen Landing Middle School (799; 6-8), Charles W. Lewis Middle School (681; 6-8) and Ann A. Mullen Middle School (888; 6-8).

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend one of the three high schools that are part of the Black Horse Pike Regional School District. The schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Highland Regional High School (1,236 students; located in Blackwood), Timber Creek Regional High School (1,320; Erial) or Triton Regional High School (1,230; Runnemede). Students from Gloucester Township attend one of the three schools based on their residence address; students from Bellmawr and Runnemede, the other two communities in the district, all attend Triton High School.

Gloucester Township Technical High School is a countywide vocational school that offers day and evening classes.

The Kingdom Charter School of Leadership is a charter school that serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade residing in Gloucester Township, who are accepted by lottery on a space-available basis.

Our Lady of Hope Regional School is a K-8 Roman Catholic elementary school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Our Lady of Hope Regional School was renamed following the 2008 merger of St. Jude's Regional School with St. Agnes School.

Camden County College is located in Blackwood, on a 320 acres (130 ha) campus that had been acquired in 1967. The school's first students started attending in 1968 and the campus has undergone an $83 million expansion and renovation project that started in 2005. Over 44 programs of study ranging from allied health to engineering technology and science, laser and optics, public safety, business administration, liberal arts, human services and secretarial studies are available. Other programs include a GED center, self-enrichment and senior adult courses. Evening and weekend classes, including computer programming are offered. Local residents may use the college's learning resource center to receive dental hygiene clinic services.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 239.44 miles (385.34 km) of roadways, of which 186.25 miles (299.74 km) were maintained by the municipality, 41.69 miles (67.09 km) by Camden County, 9.10 miles (14.65 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.40 miles (3.86 km) by the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

CR 534 travels through the center while CR 544 runs along the northern border. Route 41 clips the northwestern tip very briefly while Route 42 (the North-South Freeway) and Route 168 both pass through the township in the western part. The Atlantic City Expressway passes through in the southwestern area.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service between the township and Philadelphia is provided on the 400 route, with local service available on the 403 and 459 routes.

Notable people

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