Lopatcong Township, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lopatcong, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Warren |
| Incorporated | March 7, 1851 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Township |
| - Mayor | Douglas Steinhardt (R, 2008) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 7.1 sq mi (18.5 km²) |
| - Land | 7.1 sq mi (18.3 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 390 ft (119 m) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 8,439 |
| - Density | 814.6/sq mi (314.5/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08865 |
| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-41490[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882252[4] |
| Website: http://www.lopatcongtwp.com | |
Lopatcong Township (pronounced /loʊˈpætkɒŋ/) is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 5,765. The township is part of the eastern region of the Lehigh Valley.
Lopatcong Township is a suburb that was featured in a 2003 article in The New York Times which discussed problems of public school financing in suburban communities and various strategies communities have adopted to deal with the problem.[5]
Contents |
[edit] History
What is now Lopatcong Township was created as Phillipsburg Township on March 7, 1851, by an act approved by the New Jersey Legislature, and contained portions of Greenwich Township and Harmony Township. After Phillipsburg was incorporated as an independent municipality on March 8, 1861, the township changed its name to Lopatcong as of March 18, 1863, after a creek in the area.[6][7]
The name of the creek and township — Lopatcong — came from four words of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans — Lowan peek achtu onk, which meant "winter water place for deer".[8]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18.5 km²), of which, 7.1 square miles (18.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.84%) is water.
Lopatcong is made up of several neighborhoods, including Morris Park, Delaware Park, Rosehill Heights, Brakeley Park, Lows Hollow, Country Hills and Overlook.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,269 |
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| 1940 | 1,450 | 14.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,737 | 19.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,703 | 55.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,144 | 16.3% | |
| 1980 | 4,998 | 59% | |
| 1990 | 5,052 | 1.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,765 | 14.1% | |
| Est. 2006 | 8,439 | [2] | 46.4% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[9] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,765 people, 2,143 households, and 1,523 families residing in the township. The population density was 814.6 people per square mile (314.4/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 343.2/sq mi (132.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.27% White, 1.13% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 2,143 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,918, and the median income for a family was $65,545. Males had a median income of $52,540 versus $30,967 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,333. About 4.7% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Lopatcong Township Committee consists of Mayor Douglas Steinhardt (R, term ends December 31, 2008), Council President Victor Camporine (R, 2007), William W. Baker, Sr. (D, 2009), H. Matthew Curry (R, 2007) and James Mengucci (R, 2009).[10][11]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Lopatcong Township is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd Legislative District.[12]
New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District, covering the northern portions of Bergen County, Passaic County and Sussex County and all of Warren County, is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 23rd District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton Township) and in the Assembly by Michael J. Doherty (R, Oxford Township) and Marcia A. Karrow (R, Raritan Township).[13] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[14]
Warren County is governed by a three-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2008, Warren County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director John DiMaio (term ends December 31, 2009), Freeholder Deputy Director Richard D. Gardner (2008) and Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain (2010).[15]
[edit] Education
The Lopatcong Township School District serves public school students in grades K-8. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[16]) are Lopatcong Elementary School (K-4, 206 students) and Lopatcong Middle School (5-8, 399 students). Before the Middle School opened in 2003, students would attend the Elementary School through eighth grade.
Public school students in grade 9 - 12 attend Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg, which serves students from the Town of Phillipsburg as part of the Phillipsburg School District. The high school also serves students from five communities as part of sending/receiving relationships: Alpha, Bloomsbury (in Hunterdon County), Greenwich Township, Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township.[17]
Students in grades 9-12 can also attend Warren County Technical School in Washington, which also serves students from all of Warren County.
[edit] Transportation
New Jersey Transit bus service is provided on the 890 and 891 routes.[18]
[edit] Film community
Lopatcong Township was the primary location for the independent film Several Ways to Die Trying. The film's writer/director as well as members of the cast and crew are residents of the township.
[edit] References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Lopatcong, Geographic Names Information System, accessed November 29, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Lopatcong township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 12, 2007.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Great Haven for Families, but Don't Bring Children", The New York Times August 13, 2003.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 247.
- ^ Snell, James P. (1881) History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Centennial ed., Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press, 1981) p.682
- ^ History of Lopatcong, accessed April 10, 2006.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Lopatcong Township Governing Body, Lopatcong Township. Accessed April 22, 2007.
- ^ Township of Lopatcong profile, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed April 22, 2007.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 60. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed March 8, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Lopatcong Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 8, 2008.
- ^ About the District, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed March 8, 2008. "The district serves students from the Town of Phillipsburg and five sending communities at the secondary level: Alpha, Bloomsbury, Greenwich, Lopatcong and Pohatcong Townships."
- ^ Warren County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 3, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Lopatcong Township website
- Warren County page for Lopatcong Township
- Lopatcong Township School District
- Lopatcong Township School District's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Lopatcong Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- Phillipsburg High School
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