Milford, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:See also Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Milford is a borough located in western Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,232,<ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of one person (−0.1%) from the 2010 census count of 1,233,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 38 (+3.2%) from the 1,195 counted in the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

Milford was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 15, 1911, from portions of Holland Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 8, 1911. The borough's incorporation was confirmed on March 13, 1925.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 157. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref>

The borough is located on the Delaware River in the western portion of Hunterdon County, known as the Hunterdon Plateau. The borough dates to the mid-18th century when a grist mill was established beside a river in what was then Bethlehem Township. After the mill was destroyed by fire in 1769, the settlement became known as Burnt Mills in Alexandria Township. The area was renamed "Lowreytown" after Thomas Lowrey purchased land in the area in 1796. The community became commonly known as "Millford" or "Millsford" by the beginning of the 19th century, but by 1844 the name had lost a letter or two. By 1863 it was consistently spelled as "Milford".<ref>1862-1863 U.S. IRS Tax Assessment List, 1862-1863, Division 6, Collection District 3, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, accessed Dec 2017; paid subscription site.</ref> The community was incorporated in 1911 but the official incorporation was not registered until 1925.<ref>Lurie, Maxine; Mappen, Marc; and Siegel, Michael. "Milford", p. 522 in Encyclopedia of New Jersey. Rutgers University Press, 2004. Template:ISBN. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Milford was established as a borough in 1911 and officially incorporated in 1925."</ref><ref>Our Town Now and Then Template:Webarchive, Milford on the Delaware. Accessed September 7, 2015. "In 1796 Colonel Thomas Lowrey purchased the 333 acre Burnt Mills tract and renamed it Lowreytown. Two years later he sold the southern half of the tract, which became Frenchtown. The town was again renamed 'Millsford' upon the death of Colonel Lowrey, but by 1844 the name lost the 'S' and second 'L'."</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.27 square miles (3.29 km²), including 1.18 square miles (3.06 km²) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km²) of water (6.93%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Milford borders the municipalities of Alexandria Township and Holland Township in Hunterdon County; and Bridgeton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.<ref>Areas touching Milford, MapIt. Accessed November 20, 2019.</ref><ref>Map of County Municipalities, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed July 30, 2023.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 1,233 people, 520 households, and 331 families in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 552 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 97.32% (1,200) White, 0.24% (3) Black or African American, 0.16% (2) Native American, 0.97% (12) Asian, 0.08% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.24% (3) from other races, and 0.97% (12) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% (27) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 520 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18; 51.7% were married couples living together; 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 36.3% were non-families. Of all households, 28.8% were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93.<ref name=Census2010/>

20.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 97.0 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $75,948 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,902) and the median family income was $79,653 (+/− $5,673). Males had a median income of $52,679 (+/− $12,062) versus $42,778 (+/− $8,377) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,823 (+/− $2,774). About 0.9% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Milford borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

At the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 1,195 people, 469 households and 323 families residing in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 484 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the borough was 97.57% White, 0.17% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.01% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Milford borough, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Milford borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

There were 469 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% 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 3.11.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

25.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median household income was $54,519 and the median family income was $62,167. Males had a median income of $46,500 and females $31,765. The per capita income was $25,039. About 1.8% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

Local government

Milford is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the most commonly used form of government in the state.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> 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, who are elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 103.</ref> The borough form of government used by Milford 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.<ref>Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Accessed November 30, 2014.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

Template:As of, the mayor of Milford Borough is Republican Henry Schepens, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are Noralie LaFevre (R, 2025), James Gallos (R, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Ronald R. Rehl (R, 2025), Robert E. White (D, 2023) and Elisa Yager (R, 2024), with one seat vacant.<ref name=Directory>Elected Borough Officials, Milford Borough. Accessed May 5, 2023.</ref><ref>2023 Municipal Data Sheet, Milford Borough. Accessed May 5, 2023.</ref><ref name=HunterdonPage>Borough of Milford, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed May 5, 2023.</ref><ref name=HunterdonDirectory>2022 County and Municipal Directory, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2022>Hunterdon County District Canvass November 8, 2022, General Election, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2021>November 2, 2021 District Report Hunterdon County Official Results, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 12, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2020>November 3, 2020 District Report Hunterdon County Official Results, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2019>Hunterdon County District Canvass November 5, 2019, General Election, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 14, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In February 2023, Russell Heller was shot and killed at a PSE&G facility by a former employee, leaving his seat expiring in December 2023 vacant.<ref>"PSE&G supervisor killed by former employee was New Jersey councilman", WABC-TV, February 9, 2023. Accessed February 9, 2023. "The PSE&G supervisor gunned down by an employee at work was a Milford Councilman in Hunterdon County, officials announced.... Police called to the scene found 51-year-old Senior Distribution Supervisor Russell Heller dead from a gunshot wound in the parking lot outside the facility."</ref>

In November 2018, Henry Schepens was elected to serve the balance of the term as mayor expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Ronald R. Rehl.<ref name=Hunterdon2018>District Canvass November 6, 2018 Official Results, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 14, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2019.</ref>

In January 2016, the Common Council selected Carole Heller to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that became vacant after Ronald Rehl stepped down to be sworn in as mayor.<ref>Milford Borough Common Council Regular Meeting Minutes January 19, 2016 Template:Webarchive, Borough of Milford. Accessed July 10, 2016. Accessed July 10, 2016. "Fill Council Vacancy – Letter from Donald Pursell: Noralie LaFevre made a motion to appoint Carole Heller to fill Councilman Rehl's Council vacancy seat. Seconded by Henry Schepens. Roll Call Vote: Ayes: N. LaFevre, H. Schepens, G. Sniffin, R. White, E. Yager Nays: None; Abstain: None; Absent: None; Motion approved."</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

Milford is located in the 7th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011-2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

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Politics

In March 2011, there were 823 registered voters in Milford Township, of whom 206 (25.0%) were registered as Democrats, 304 (36.9%) as Republicans and 313 (38.0%) as unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Hunterdon, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 49.7% of the vote (314 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.0% (297 votes), and other candidates with 3.3% (21 votes), among the 635 ballots cast by the borough's 855 registered voters (3 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 74.3%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 51.4% of the vote (340 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 46.4% (307 votes) and other candidates with 2.1% (14 votes), among the 661 ballots cast by the township's 840 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.7%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Hunterdon County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 57.9% of the vote (364 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 40.7% (256 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (9 votes), among the 629 ballots cast by the township's 787 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 79.9.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Hunterdon County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.8% of the vote (274 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.2% (118 votes), and other candidates with 3.0% (12 votes), among the 407 ballots cast by the borough's 851 registered voters (3 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.8%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.4% of the vote (281 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 28.1% (135 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 10.6% (51 votes) and other candidates with 1.9% (9 votes), among the 481 ballots cast by the township's 827 registered voters, yielding a 58.2% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Hunterdon County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

Education

The Milford Borough School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Milford Public School.<ref name=HunterdonSchools>2019-2020 Public School Directory Template:Webarchive, Hunterdon County Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2020.</ref> As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 88 students and 11.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.7:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Milford Borough School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.</ref> In the 2016–2017 school year, Milford was the 5th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 81 students.<ref>Guion, Payton. "These 43 N.J. school districts have fewer than 200 students", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 2017. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Based on data from the state Department of Education from the last school year and the Census Bureau, NJ Advance Media made a list of the smallest of the small school districts in the state, excluding charter schools and specialty institutions.... 5. Milford Borough; Enrollment: 81; Grades: Pre-K-8; County: Hunterdon; Town population: 1,233"</ref>

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Delaware Valley Regional High School, together with students from Alexandria Township, Frenchtown, Holland Township and Kingwood Township.<ref>Delaware Valley Regional School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 6, 2016. "The Delaware Valley Regional High School District can be found in the heart of pastoral and beautiful Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The District serves students in grades nine through twelve who reside in the five municipalities that comprise our region: Alexandria Township, Frenchtown Borough, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, and Milford Borough."</ref><ref>About Us, Delaware Valley Regional High School District. Accessed June 6, 2016. "The Delaware Valley Regional High School District can be found in the heart of pastoral and beautiful Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The District serves students in grades nine through twelve who reside in the five municipalities that comprise our region: Alexandria Township, Frenchtown Borough, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, and Milford Borough."</ref><ref>Chief School Administrators/Sending Districts Template:Webarchive, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Superintendent of Schools. Accessed June 6, 2016.</ref> As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 721 students and 68.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.5:1.<ref>School data for Delaware Valley Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.</ref> The nine seats on the high school district's board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with one seat assigned to Milford.<ref>Board of Education Members, Delaware Valley Regional High School. Accessed January 27, 2020.</ref><ref>Delaware Valley Regional High School District-Holland Twp Template:Webarchive, Vote411.org. Accessed May 4, 2020. "Delaware Valley Regional High School is serves students from five local school districts: Alexandria Township, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, Borough of Milford, and Borough of Frenchtown. The Delaware Valley Regional School District Board of Education consists of nine members elected by the constituents of the participating municipalities: three representatives from Holland Township, two representatives each from Alexandria Township and Kingwood Township, and one representative each from the Borough of Milford and the Borough of Frenchtown."</ref>

Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.<ref>Heyboer, Kelly. "How to get your kid a seat in one of N.J.'s hardest-to-get-into high schools", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 2017. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Hunterdon County's vo-tech district has three academies for high-achieving students, all operating in partnerships with local high schools.... The academies are open to all students in the county. Students in the 8th grade are required to submit an application, schedule an interview and take a placement exam."</ref>

Transportation

Roads and highways

File:2018-06-13 13 57 08 View north along Hunterdon County Route 519 (Frenchtown Road) at Mount Pleasant Road in Milford, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.jpg

County Route 519 in Milford

In May 2010, the borough had Template:Cvt of roadways, of which Template:Cvt were maintained by the municipality and Template:Cvt by Hunterdon County.<ref>Hunterdon County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

County Route 519 (CR 519) is the only major roadway passing through Milford.<ref>County Route 519 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated November 2012. Accessed March 4, 2023.</ref><ref>Hunterdon County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed March 4, 2023.</ref>

The Upper Black Eddy – Milford Bridge, owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, carries Bridge Street across the Delaware River, connecting CR 519 in Milford with Pennsylvania Route 32 in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania. The existing bridge was constructed in 1933 on the site of a covered bridge built in 1842 and another partially destroyed in a 1903 flood. The bridge is a Warren truss that extends Template:Cvt across the river.<ref>Upper Black Eddy-Milford Toll Supported Bridge, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Accessed March 4, 2023. "The Upper Black Eddy-Milford Toll Supported Bridge connects Route 32 in Upper Black Eddy, Bridgeton Township, Pennsylvania with County Route 519 via Bridge Street in Milford Borough, New Jersey.... The bridge is 700-feet long. The concrete-filled steel deck provides a clear roadway width of 20 feet between tri-beam guide rails."</ref>

Public transportation

The Hunterdon County LINK provide bus service on Routes 17 / 18, which operate between Milford and Clinton.<ref>Flemington Shuffle Routes, Ride the LINK. Accessed November 20, 2019.</ref>

Notable people

Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Milford include:

Louis Adamic (1899–1951), Slovene-American author and translator<ref>Staff. "2 Clews Cast Doubt On Adamic Suicide", The Washington Post, September 6, 1951. Accessed November 15, 2012. "Two 'pieces of physical evidence' have been found at the scene of Louis Adamic's death which 'do not reconcile well with the suicide theory' advanced yesterday when the 52-year-old author was found shot in his lonely farmhouse at nearby Milford, H.T. Heisel, Hunterdon County prosecutor, said today."</ref>
Carlton Cooley (1898–1981), violist and composer<ref>"A Chronological Listing of the Principal Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra with Biographical Remarks", The Stokowski Legacy. Accessed January 3, 2015. "Carlton Cooley was born in Milford, New Jersey (west of New York City) on April 15, 1898."</ref>
Elias Deemer (1838–1918) member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1901 to 1907<ref>"Deemer, Elias, (1838 - 1918)", Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed January 3, 2015. "moved to Milford, N.J., in 1862 and engaged in business"</ref>
Richard Egielski (born 1952), illustrator who was awarded the 1987 Caldecott Medal for his work in the book Hey, Al, written by Arthur Yorinks<ref>Adelson, Fred B. "ART; Children's Page Turners to Linger Over", The New York Times, January 9, 2000. Accessed November 15, 2012. "Both Richard Egielski of Milford and John Schoenherr of Delaware Township (near Stockton) are represented by illustrations from books aimed at ages 4 to 8, the youngest group."</ref>
Wanda Gág (1893–1946), artist and author of children's books (Millions of Cats)<ref>Federal Writers' Project. "New Jersey, a Guide to Its Present and Past", p. 186. US History Publishers, 2007. Template:ISBN. Accessed January 10, 2011.</ref>
Thomas Lowrey (1737–1809), settled in Milford in the 1790s and built the first hotel and grist mill on Bridge Street. He named the town Lowreytown, but it was renamed Millsford following his death in 1809<ref>

Thomas Lowrey Template:Webarchive, Milford Borough Historical Society. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

George C. Ludlow (1830–1900), 25th Governor of New Jersey<ref>New Jersey Governor George Craig Ludlow, National Governors Association. Accessed January 3, 2015. "George C. Ludlow, the thirty-first governor of New Jersey, was born in Milford, New Jersey on April 6, 1830."</ref>
Abigail Roberts (1791–1841), pioneer in religion and women's rights who was one of the first American women to serve as a minister and established the United Church in Milford<ref>Abigail Roberts, Milford Borough Historical Society, archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Accessed September 18, 2015.</ref>

References

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External links

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