Hopewell, New Jersey

Colonial era

The first Colonial influence in Hopewell was the purchase of a 30,000-acre (120 km²) tract of land by Daniel Coxe a Royal British governor of West Jersey, in the latter half of the 17th century. All land in Hopewell can be traced back to this purchase. In 1691 Coxe, transferred his land to a company called The West Jersey Society of England, who intended to sell the land. The society appointed an agent, Thomas Revell, to preside over the land and sell it to prospective buyers. Revell then attracted settlers from New England, Long Island, and New Jersey with questionable incentives, saying that the land was fertile, and tame. However, the families that arrived in Hopewell only found vast stretches of wilderness. The first settler in Hopewell Valley was Thomas Tindall who on November 10, 1699 bought a 300-acre (1.2 km²) tract of land from The West Jersey Society of England through Revell, for "ten pounds per hundred acres". Other early settlers in Hopewell are said to be the Stouts, who immigrated from Holmdel to Hopewell in 1706. Perhaps the first conflict between colonists in Hopewell was the dispute between Revell and the early inhabitants of Hopewell, who realized that their deeds were worthless due to Revell's false claims. Fifty settlers then organized a class action lawsuit against Revell and the West Jersey Society. The long and arduous trial took place in Burlington, and eventually ruled against the settlers, who were forced to repurchase their land or relocate. Many settlers weren't able to repay and moved north into North Jersey and New York.

On April 23, 1715, the settlers who stayed in Hopewell, most notably the Stout family, organized the Old School Baptist Church, and what is now known as Hopewell was then referred to as "Baptist Meetinghouse". One of the most valued members of the meeting house was Declaration of Independence signer John Hart who in 1740 purchased 193 acres (0.78 km²) of land in the north of current day Hopewell, and in 1747 as a sign of Hart's devotion to the Church, donated a plot of his land to the Baptists. The very next year the Baptists made good use of this land and in 1748 erected their Old School Baptist Church meeting house on West Broad Street. The meeting house brought in Baptists from miles around to Hopewell and encouraged Hopewell's early growth.

Numerous lumber mills were established in and around Hopewell at this time to process the lumber that was generated from the clearing of forests for farms.

In 1756, Isaac Eaton the first pastor of the Old School Baptist Church established the Hopewell Academy. One of his students, James Manning, would go on to establish Brown University in 1765.

Frog war

The first railroad to reach Hopewell was the Mercer and Somerset Railway, which was backed by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was created largely to protect the monopoly the Pennsylvania Railroad had on New Jersey, by cutting off the first separately owned railroad in New Jersey, the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad, by being built in the way of it. It was completed in 1874. The Delaware and Bound Brook reached Hopewell in 1876, but the railroad had to cross the Mercer and Somerset's track just to the northwest of Hopewell. A dispute occurred at the crossing, known as a frog, and escalated into each company parking locomotives over the crossing to prevent the other company from moving trains over it. Eventually militia had to be called in to keep the peace, and the Delaware and Bound Brook prevailed. Soon after the Frog War the Mercer and Somerset was liquidated having failed at its purpose. Some of the abandoned right of way for the Mercer and Somerset in Hopewell became Model Avenue. The Delaware and Bound Brook was leased by the Philadelphia and Reading in 1879 for 999 years, and has become the CSX Trenton Line and is still in use today. The Frog is also what gives Hopewell Elementary school it mascot, "Freddy the Frog" in honor of the Hopewell frog war.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.703 square miles (1.820 km²), all of which was land.

The borough is an independent municipality surrounded entirely by Hopewell Township, making it part one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 1,922 people, 778 households, and 532.2 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,735.2 per square mile (1,056.1/km²). The borough contained 817 housing units at an average density of 1,162.7 per square mile (448.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.06% (1,827) White, 1.51% (29) Black or African American, 0.10% (2) Native American, 0.68% (13) Asian, 0.05% (1) Pacific Islander, 1.51% (29) from other races, and 1.09% (21) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.69% (71) of the population.

Out of a total of 778 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 25.4% 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 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the borough, 24.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 36.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females the census counted 91.8 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 87.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $105,417 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,866) and the median family income was $125,066 (+/- $15,420). Males had a median income of $91,375 (+/- $14,302) versus $55,357 (+/- $11,473) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $50,910 (+/- $5,465). About 0.0% of families and 0.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.0% of those under age 18 and 0.0% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 2,035 people, 813 households, and 561 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,963.7 people per square mile (1,138.7/km²). There were 836 housing units at an average density of 1,217.5 per square mile (467.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.43% White, 1.08% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 1.23% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of the population.

There were 813 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the borough the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $77,270, and the median income for a family was $91,205. Males had a median income of $52,656 versus $47,315 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,413. None of the families and 2.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 5.2% of those over 64.

Local government

Hopewell is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, 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 consists of 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 Hopewell, the most common system used in the state, 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. All legislative powers of the Borough of Hopewell are exercised by the Borough Council in the form of a resolution, ordinance or proclamation.

As of 2016, the Mayor of Hopewell is Democrat Paul Anzano, whose term expires December 31, 2019. Members of the Borough Council are Council President C. Schuyler Morehouse (R, 2017), Chris M. Fossell (D, 2016), Roxanne Klett (R, 2018), Debra Lehman (D, 2018), Robert Lewis (R, 2017) and David Mackie (D, 2016).

Federal, state and county representation

Hopewell Borough is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 15th state legislative district.

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 15th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Shirley Turner (D, Lawrence Township, Mercer County) and in the General Assembly by Reed Gusciora (D, Trenton) and Elizabeth Maher Muoio (D, Pennington). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Mercer County is governed by a County Executive who oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders that acts in a legislative capacity, setting policy. All officials are chosen at-large in partisan elections, with the executive serving a four-year term of office while the freeholders serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for election each year. As of 2014, the County Executive is Brian M. Hughes (D, term ends December 31, 2015; Princeton). Mercer County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chair Andrew Koontz (D, 2016; Princeton), Freeholder Vice Chair Samuel T. Frisby, Sr. (2015; Trenton), Ann M. Cannon (2015; East Windsor Township), Anthony P. Carabelli (2016; Trenton), John A. Cimino (2014, Hamilton Township), Pasquale "Pat" Colavita, Jr. (2015; Lawrence Township) and Lucylle R. S. Walter (2014; Ewing Township) Mercer County's constitutional officers are County Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello (D, 2015), Sheriff John A. Kemler (D, 2014) and Surrogate Diane Gerofsky (D, 2016).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,473 registered voters in Hopewell Borough, of which 664 (45.1%) were registered as Democrats, 264 (17.9%) were registered as Republicans and 544 (36.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 71.4% of the vote (815 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 27.4% (313 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (13 votes), among the 1,256 ballots cast by the borough's 1,530 registered voters (115 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 82.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 71.7% of the vote (841 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 26.0% (305 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (15 votes), among the 1,173 ballots cast by the borough's 1,493 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.6%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 65.0% of the vote (789 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 32.6% (395 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (9 votes), among the 1,213 ballots cast by the borough's 1,437 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 84.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 53.3% of the vote (416 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 44.0% (344 votes), and other candidates with 2.7% (21 votes), among the 792 ballots cast by the borough's 1,518 registered voters (11 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 52.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 56.7% of the vote (511 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 32.3% (291 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 10.0% (90 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (5 votes), among the 902 ballots cast by the borough's 1,466 registered voters, yielding a 61.5% turnout.

Education

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, a comprehensive regional public school district serving students from Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington Borough. Elementary school students from Hopewell Borough attend Hopewell Elementary School.

Schools in the district (with 2010-11 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) include four elementary schools — Bear Tavern Elementary School (grades PreK-5; 469 students), Hopewell Elementary School (PreK-5; 470), Stony Brook Elementary School (K-5; 448) and Toll Gate Grammar School (K-5; 307) — Timberlane Middle School with 970 students in grades 6-8 and Hopewell Valley Central High School with 1,203 students in grades 9 - 12.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 9.35 miles (15.05 km) of roadways, of which 7.56 miles (12.17 km) were maintained by the municipality and 1.79 miles (2.88 km) by Mercer County.

Hopewell has four major roads that travel through it. Route 518 Enters Hopewell from due west having come from Lambertville and then turns slightly northward, joining West Broad Street. Route 518 then runs through Hopewell and exits Hopewell in the East and heads towards Rocky Hill. Pennington Hopewell Road enters Hopewell from roughly the southwest, and immediately becomes West Broad street when it enters Hopewell. It connects Hopewell with Pennington to the south. Princeton Avenue, Route 569 starts at Broad Street and continues south and becomes Hopewell Princeton Road, and connects Hopewell with Princeton. Greenwood Avenue runs north out of Hopewell and connects Hopewell with Amwell

Rail

NJ Transit is planning to restore passenger commuter rail service to Hopewell. New Jersey Transit plans to use the existing one track right of way that CSX owns through Hopewell, the former four-track Reading Company Trenton Line. The proposed plan includes double tracking most of the CSX line to increase capacity and construction of a new rail station on Somerset Street. The use of the historic Hopewell Station is not under consideration in this current proposal. The line would connect Hopewell with New York City, as well as Philadelphia via a SEPTA connection in West Trenton and restore service to Hopewell, which ended in 1982.

Notable people

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