Newton, New Jersey

Newton, officially the Town of Newton, is an incorporated municipality and the county seat of Sussex County<ref name=CountyMap>New Jersey County Map, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed July 10, 2017.</ref> in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated approximately Template:Convert northwest of New York City.<ref>Directions from New York City Center, 131 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019 to 23 Maple Ave, Newton, NJ 07860, Google Maps. Accessed July 11, 2017.</ref> As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 8,374, its highest decennial population ever,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 377 (+4.7%) from the 2010 census count of 7,997,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decrease of 247 (−3.0%) from the 8,244 counted in the 2000 census.<ref name=Census2000/><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>

One of 15 municipalities in the state organized as a town, the municipal government operates under a council-manager structure provided by the Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law. Newton was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 11, 1864, from portions of Newton Township, which was also partitioned to create Andover Township and Hampton Township, and was then dissolved. Additional land was acquired from Andover Township in 1869 and 1927, and from Fredon Township in 1920.<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. 231. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref>

History

In the eighteenth century

Newton is located near the headwaters of the east branch of the Paulins Kill, a Template:Convert tributary of the Delaware River.<ref name="USGSPaulinsKill">Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), United States Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System Feature Detail Report: Paulins Kill, entered September 8, 1979. Accessed May 11, 2015.</ref> In October 1715, Colonial surveyor Samuel Green plotted a tract of Template:Convert at the head of the Paulins Kill, then known as the Tohokenetcunck River, on behalf of William Penn. This tract, which would not be settled for approximately 30–35 years, was part of the survey and division of the last acquisition of Native American land by the West Jersey Board of Proprietors. At the time of Green's survey, northwestern New Jersey was populated with bands of the Munsee, the northern branch of the Lenape Native Americans.

The first recorded European settler within the boundaries of present-day Newton was a German Palatine immigrant named Henry Hairlocker who arrived sometime before 1751 when he appears in Morris County records as receiving a tavern license. The Newtown Precinct, a large township, was created in 1751, and Sussex County was created from Morris two years later on June 8, 1753.Template:Efn The township would be named Newtown after the colonial village of Newtown in Queens, New York from where the Pettit family originated (the six Pettit brothers, all prominent landowners and influential figures in early local government, settled in northwestern New Jersey in the 1740s)Template:Citation needed or from its status as a "new town".<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 10, 2015.</ref>

In 1762, Jonathan Hampton, of Elizabethtown, surveyed the location for a county courthouse and town green at the intersection of a military supply road he built during the French and Indian War and a major north–south artery called the King's Highway (present-day New Jersey Route 94). The construction of the courthouse was completed in 1765 and the village that developed around it became known as Sussex Court House. The county courthouse was the site of a raid by British partisan Lieutenant James Moody during the American Revolution.

In 1797, the village's post office was renamed Newtown and later, in 1825, the spelling was altered to Newton. Newton Township would cede land to create new townships on several occasions in the eighteenth and nineteenth-centuries, until a final division dissolved the township on April 11, 1864, through a legislative act of New Jersey Legislature that created the village of Newton as an incorporated town and two rural townships—Hampton and Andover.<ref name=Story/>

Historic district

The Newton Town Plot Historic District is a Template:Convert historic district encompassing the Town Plot section of Newton, along Church, High, Main, Moran, and Spring Streets; and Park Place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1992, for its significance in architecture, commerce, community planning, settlement, and politics from 1762 to 1941. The district includes 51 contributing buildings, three contributing objects, and two contributing sites. It includes the Sussex County Courthouse, which was added individually to the NRHP in 1979 and the Hill Memorial, added in 1985. The Sussex and Merchants National Bank was built in 1927 with Georgian Revival style and some Beaux Arts ornamentation. The Old Newton Burial Ground, established 1762, is a contributing site. It features a bas relief of Father Time on the cast-iron entrance gates.<ref name="nrhpdoc">Template:Cite web With Template:NRHP url</ref>

• Hill Memorial and Christ Church
  Hill Memorial and Christ Church
• Former Sussex and Merchants National Bank
  Former Sussex and Merchants National Bank
• Old Newton Burial Ground entrance gates
  Old Newton Burial Ground entrance gates

Geography

Geological features

Newton is located in the Kittatinny Valley, a segment of the Great Appalachian Valley. The Great Appalachian Valley is a gigantic trough—a Template:Convert chain of valley lowlands that stretches about from Quebec to Alabama and is the easternmost edge of Ridge and Valley Appalachians physiographic province. This physiographic province, one of five in New Jersey, occupies approximately two-thirds of the county's area (the county's western and central sections) dominated by Kittatinny Mountain and the Kittatinny Valley. This province's contour is characterized by long, even ridges with long, continuous valleys in between that generally run parallel from southwest to northeast. The features of the Ridge and Valley province were created approximately 300–400 million years ago during the Ordovician period and Appalachian orogeny—a period of tremendous pressure and rock thrusting that caused the creation of the Appalachian Mountains.<ref>Hatcher, Robert D. Jr. "Tracking lower-to-mid-to-upper crustal deformation processes through time and space through three Paleozoic orogenies in the Southern Appalachians using dated metamorphic assemblages and faults" Template:Webarchive in Abstracts with Programs (Geological Society of America), Vol. 40, No. 6, 513. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref><ref>Bartholomew, M.J., and Whitaker, A.E., 2010, The Alleghanian deformational sequence at the foreland junction of the Central and Southern Appalachians in Tollo, R.P., Bartholomew, M.J., Hibbard, J.P., and Karabinos, P.M., eds., From Rodinia to Pangea: The Lithotectonic Record of the Appalachian Region, GSA Memoir 206, p. 431-454.</ref> This region is largely formed by sedimentary rock.<ref name="LuceySCGeo">Lucey, Carol S. Geology of Sussex County in Brief. (Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Geological Survey, November 1969), 21pp. Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref><ref name="NJGSInfoCirc">Dalton, Richard. New Jersey Geological Survey Information Circular: Physiographic Provinces of New Jersey (Trenton, NJ: Department of Environmental Protection, State of New Jersey, 2003, 2006). Accessed August 28, 2012.</ref>

Newton's land area drains into the watersheds of the Paulins Kill and Pequest River—two rivers that are tributaries of the Delaware River. These watersheds are separated by slate ridges that are part of the Martinsburg Formation. These slate ridges were quarried for slate for roofs and other industrial purposes beginning with a quarry opened by Elijah Blackwell in 1859 that operated under a series of different owners and commercial entities until 1930.<ref>Kevin W. Wright, "Newton Industries", Newton NJ: Pearl of the Kittatinny (newtonnj.net). Accessed May 12, 2015.</ref>

Political geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of Template:Convert, including Template:Convert of land and Template:Convert of water (0.65%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

The Town of Newton is bordered to the north and east by Hampton Township, to the west by Fredon Township, and to the south by Andover Township.<ref>Master Plan August 2008, Town of Newton. Accessed August 2, 2016. "Newton is located in the approximate geographic center of Sussex County and shares borders with Hampton Township to the north and east, Fredon Township to the west and Andover Township to the south."</ref><ref>Sussex County Map, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Climate and weather

Because of its location in the higher elevations of northwestern New Jersey's Appalachian mountains, Newton, as well as the rest of Sussex County, has a cooler humid continental climate or microthermal climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) which indicates patterns of significant precipitation in all seasons and at least four months where the average temperature rises above Template:Convert<ref>The determination of Dfb (warm summer subtype) region is from Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A. (University of Melbourne). Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification from Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (2007), 11:1633–1644, doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. Accessed August 3, 2011.</ref><ref name="ThornthwaiteNAmericaClimates">Thornthwaite, Charles Warren. Atlas of Climatic Types in the United States 1900-1939: U.S. Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication 421. (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1941); and Thornthwaite. "The Climates of North America: According to a New Classification" in Geographical Review (October 1931), 21(4):633-655.</ref><ref>Climate Summary for Newton, New Jersey, Weatherbase.com.</ref> This differs from the rest of the state which is generally a humid mesothermal climate, in which temperatures range between Template:Convert during the year's coldest month.<ref name="ThornthwaiteNAmericaClimates" /><ref>See also: Hare, F.K. "Climatic classification" in Stamp, L.D., and Wooldridge, S.W. (editors). The London Essays in Geography (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1951), 111-134.</ref> Sussex County is part of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6.<ref>"What is my arborday.org Hardiness Zone?", Arbor Day Foundation. Accessed March 31, 2013.</ref><ref>2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USA), United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University. (2012). Accessed August 3, 2013.</ref>

During winter and early spring, New Jersey in some years is subject to "nor'easters"—significant storm systems that have proven capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. Hurricanes and tropical storms, tornadoes, and earthquakes are relatively rare. The Kittatinny Valley to the north of Newton, part of the Great Appalachian Valley, experiences a snowbelt phenomenon and has been categorized as a microclimate region known as the "Sussex County Snow Belt." This region receives approximately Template:Convert of snow per year and generally more snowfall that the rest of Northern New Jersey and the Northern Climate Zone.<ref>The Climate of New Jersey, Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist. Accessed September 10, 2015.</ref> This phenomenon is attributed to the orographic lift of the Kittatinny Ridge which impacts local weather patterns by increasing humidity and precipitation.<ref>Carney, Leo. H. "Weather; Microclimates, Big Variations.", The New York Times, January 30, 2005. Accessed August 1, 2018. "In places like Hidden Valley and throughout the snow belt of northwestern Sussex County, a condition known as orographic lifting can increase humidity and precipitation."</ref>

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Newton have ranged from a low of Template:Convert in January to a high of Template:Convert in July. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in February to Template:Convert in June.<ref name="weather">Monthly Averages for Newton, New Jersey, The Weather Channel. Accessed October 13, 2013.</ref>

According to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service soil survey, the area receives sunshine approximately 62% of the time in summer and 48% in winter. Prevailing winds are typically from the southwest for most of year; but in late winter and early spring come from the northwest. The lowest recorded temperature was −26 °F on January 21, 1994. The highest recorded temperature was Template:Convert on September 3, 1953. The heaviest one-day snowfall was Template:Convert recorded on January 8, 1996 (combined with the next day, total snowfall was 40 inches). The heaviest one-day rainfall—Template:Convert— was recorded on August 19, 1955.<ref>U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service, Soil Survey of Sussex County, New Jersey (Washington, DC: 2009).</ref>

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 7,997 people, 3,170 households, and 1,842 families in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,479 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 85.04% (6,801) White, 4.88% (390) Black or African American, 0.49% (39) Native American, 2.98% (238) Asian, 0.05% (4) Pacific Islander, 4.34% (347) from other races, and 2.23% (178) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.34% (987) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 3,170 households, 27.2% had children under the age of 18; 40.1% were married couples living together; 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 41.9% were non-families. Of all households, 36.1% were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.06.<ref name=Census2010/>

21.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.6 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $48,702 (with a margin of error of ± $7,922) and the median family income was $72,266 (± $10,712). Males had a median income of $57,369 (± $5,859) versus $29,676 (± $3,910) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,296 (± $2,141). About 10.9% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Newton town, Sussex County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 28, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 8,244 people, 3,258 households, and 1,941 families residing in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,425 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 91.97% White, 2.80% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.97% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.80% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Newton town, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Newton town, Sussex County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref>

There were 3,258 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.12.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the town was $44,667, and the median income for a family was $56,484. Males had a median income of $41,089 versus $30,016 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,577. About 6.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 11% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Arts and culture

Museums, galleries, and libraries

Newton is home to the Sussex County Historical SocietyTemplate:'s Hill Memorial Museum, the oldest continuously operating museum building in the state. The society, founded in 1904, offers a research and genealogical collection, and displays focused on the region's history, from Mastodon bones and Native American artifacts and from the Revolutionary War to World War II.

• Newton Fire Museum on Spring Street
• Sussex County Arts & Heritage Council operates a gallery on Spring Street.
• Dennis Library, founded as a private library association in the mid-19th century, now part of the Sussex County Library System.

Performing arts

The Newton Theatre is a former Reilly and Hall movie theater originally constructed in 1924 that has been converted into a 605-seat performing arts center.<ref>About Us, The Newton Theatre. Accessed November 11, 2018. "The historic Newton Theatre, founded in 1924, is a beautifully restored 605 seat performing arts center in the heart of Sussex County, presenting diverse programming, including world-renowned music acts, comedians, family productions, holiday shows and much more, in an intimate setting."</ref>

Drama Geek Studios is a non-profit community theatre group, based in Newton, NJ by the Newton Theatre. They offer classes, workshops, and performances to people of all ages in Sussex County.

Religion

Newton's community offers a range of Christian houses of worship and one Jewish synagogue. These include:

• Christ Church, founded in 1769, an Episcopal parish within the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
• First Presbyterian Church of Newton, founded in 1786, and affiliated with the PCUSA.
• The First United Methodist Church
• Covenant Reformed Church
• First Baptist Church of Newton, established in nearby Augusta in the 1750s, moved to Newton in 1810.
• St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.
• Temple B'Nai Shalom, a Jewish synagogue and headquarters of Drama Geek Studios.
• Christ Community Church of the Christian Missionary Alliance (located in the old train station plaza)

• Christ Church
  Christ Church
• First Presbyterian Church
  First Presbyterian Church

Sports

Skylands Park in nearby Frankford Township, is the home of the Sussex County Miners, who play in the Frontier League.

Parks and recreation

• Memory Park, established with Template:Convert of land donated by Newman E. Drake in 1928.<ref>Wright, Kevin W. Memory Park, Newton, NJ. Accessed May 30, 2015. "Newman E. Drake acquired 10.84 acres along Moore's Brook from William T. Hixson on September 5, 1928. On November 5, 1928, Newman and Elizabeth Drake donated this tract for use as 'a playground and general recreation field under direction of the Town of Newton.'"</ref>
• Pine Street Park, a small park located at the end of a residential street that hosts youth soccer games and has a playground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Newton Square, a green area in the center of town that can be booked out for rallies and events and is owned by Sussex County.<ref>Newton Square, Town of Newton. Accessed May 24, 2024.</ref>

Government

Local government

File:Newton NJ Municipal Building Trinity Street.jpg

Newton's municipal building, located on Trinity Street, houses the town's offices, municipal court, and police department.

Newton operates under the Council-Manager form of municipal government (Plan B), in accordance with the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, as one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) in the state to use this form.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> This form of government was implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of July 1, 1978.<ref>"The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law", New Jersey State League of Municipalities, July 2007. Accessed October 25, 2013.</ref> The town's governing board is comprised of a five-member Town Council, whose members are chosen at-large in non-partisan elections to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in November of even-numbered years in alternating fashion.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 110.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 12. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The council selects a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members to serve one-year terms of office, at a reorganization meeting held annually in January.<ref name=Manager/>

After voters passed a referendum in 2018, the town's municipal elections were shifted from May to November.<ref>Biryukov, Nikita. "Another town poised to join others moving local elections to November; Nonpartisan spring races dwindle as towns seek to boost turnout, cut election costs", New Jersey Monitor, August 11, 2021. Accessed August 2, 2022. "When a 2011 law went into effect allowing certain New Jersey towns to move their May local elections to November, 86 municipalities held their nonpartisan races in the spring. That number has fallen to just 41, and the outlook for May races has improved little in recent years. Jersey City voters moved their elections to November after a 2016 vote, Newton voters followed suit in 2018, and Ridgewood voters did the same last year."</ref>

Template:As of, members of the Town Council are Mayor John-Paul E. Couce (term on council and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Helen R. Le Frois (term on council ends 2026; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Matthew S. Dickson (2026), Sandra Lee Diglio (2026) and Michelle J. Teets (2024).<ref name=TownHall>Town Council, Town of Newton. Accessed May 24, 2024.</ref><ref>2024 Municipal Data Sheet, Town of Newton. Accessed May 24, 2024.</ref><ref name=Sussex2022>Sussex County, New Jersey General Election November 8, 2022, Official Results Summary Report, Sussex County, New Jersey, dated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Sussex2020>Election Summary November 3, 2020 General Election Official Amended Results, Sussex County, New Jersey, updated December 10, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

File:Sussex County Administration Building Newton NJ One Spring Street.jpg

The administrative offices for the County of Sussex are located in the center of Newton at One Spring Street.

Since 1762, Newton has been the county seat of Sussex County. It is the location of the county's administrative offices, court facilities, and county jail. The town is located in the 5th 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 24th 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>

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,476 registered voters in Newton, of which 881 (19.7% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,537 (34.3% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2,052 (45.8% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.<ref name=VoterRegistration>Voter Registration Summary - Sussex, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref> Among the town's 2010 Census population, 56.0% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 71.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State – County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 1,546 votes (50.9% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,395 votes (45.9% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 87 votes (2.9% vs. 2.1%), among the 3,038 ballots cast by the town's 4,645 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.4% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County).<ref>General Election November 6, 2012: District Report - Group Detail Template:Webarchive, Sussex County, New Jersey Clerk, run date November 30, 2012. Accessed February 26, 2013.</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 1,747 votes (54.8% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,359 votes (42.6% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 62 votes (1.9% vs. 1.5%), among the 3,189 ballots cast by the town's 4,418 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.2% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County).<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Sussex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,903 votes (59.6% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,220 votes (38.2% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 54 votes (1.7% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,191 ballots cast by the town's 4,359 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Sussex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.3% of the vote (1,210 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.5% (531 votes), and other candidates with 3.2% (58 votes), among the 1,808 ballots cast by the town's 4,705 registered voters (9 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.4%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,161 votes (57.0% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 620 votes (30.4% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 203 votes (10.0% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 34 votes (1.7% vs. 1.3%), among the 2,037 ballots cast by the town's 4,323 registered voters, yielding a 47.1% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).<ref>2009 Governor: Sussex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref>

Law enforcement and public safety

Template:See also Established in 1910, Newton has a municipal police department, currently under the leadership of its 12th Chief of Police, Steven VanNieuwland,<ref>Command Staff, Newton Police Department. Accessed December 10, 2023.</ref> who was appointed in June 2021.<ref>Scruton, Bruce A. "Steven VanNieuwland sworn in as Newton's police chief", New Jersey Herald, June 2, 2021. Accessed December 10, 2023. "Steven VanNieuwland, a police officer for 21 years, was sworn in as the town's newest police chief on Wednesday."</ref>

Newton is also home to the Sussex County Sheriff's Office.<ref>Home Page, Sussex County Sheriff's Office. Accessed July 13, 2016.</ref>

A barracks for the New Jersey State Police is located in Augusta, New Jersey, several miles north of Newton.

Education

Elementary and secondary schools

The Newton Public School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district's enrollment includes high school students from Andover Borough and Andover and Green townships, who attend the high school as part of sending/receiving relationships.<ref>Newton Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Newton Public School District. Accessed April 29, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Newton School District. Composition: The Newton School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Newton and a sending/receiving relationship with Andover Regional and Green Township."</ref><ref>Newton High School 2013 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 19, 2015. "Newton High School serves students from Andover Township, Andover Borough, and Green Township as well as historic Newton."</ref> As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,586 students and 137.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Newton Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Newton Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>) are Merriam Avenue School<ref>Merriam Avenue School, Newton Public School District. Accessed October 16, 2023.</ref> with 451 students in grades PreK-4, Halsted Middle School<ref>Halsted Middle School, Newton Public School District. Accessed October 16, 2023.</ref> with 331 students in grades 5-8 and Newton High School<ref>Newton High School, Newton Public School District. Accessed October 16, 2023.</ref> with 710 students in grades 9–12.<ref>School Performance Reports for the Newton Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Newton Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

Founded in 1956, the Saint Joseph's Regional School was a private school affiliated with parish of Newton's Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church and overseen by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.<ref name="SJRSprofile">About Us: 2015–2016 School Profile, St Joseph's Regional School, Newton, New Jersey, backed up by the Internet Archive as of Match 4, 2016. Accessed September 17, 2018.</ref> St Joseph's provided classes from pre-kindergarten (ages 3–5) to seventh-grade for a total enrollment of 140 students.<ref name="SJRSprofile" /> The school closed in June 2016 and was one of four schools that merged into Reverend George Brown School in Sparta.<ref>Scruton, Bruce A. "Catholic schools to merge at Pope John campus", New Jersey Herald, January 28, 2016. Accessed September 17, 2018. "Four Catholic elementary schools, three in Sussex County and the fourth in Netcong, are merging, and by the end of the next school year, students will be housed on a campus at Pope John XXIII Regional High School that will include a new Pope John Middle School, parents were told at a meeting Wednesday.... With the opening of Pope John XXIII Middle School, three current elementary schools – Immaculate Conception Regional School in Franklin, St. Joseph Regional School in Newton and St. Michael School in Netcong – will close."</ref>

Higher education

File:Sussex County Community College Newton NJ Main Building 2013.jpg

Formerly the campus of Don Bosco College, a Roman Catholic seminary, the county government purchased the school's Newton property in 1989 for the use of Sussex County Community College, founded in 1981.

Template:See also Sussex County Community College (commonly referred to as SCCC) is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located on a Template:Convert campus in Newton. The SCCC campus was formerly the site of Don Bosco College, a Roman Catholic seminary operated by the Salesian Order from 1928 until it was closed in the early 1980s and its campus sold to the Sussex County government in June 1989 for $4.2 million.<ref>Sussex County Clerk's Office (Newton, New Jersey), Register of Deeds. Deed between the Salesian Society, Inc., a corporation of the State of New York being the parent company of Don Bosco College and the Salesian Society of New Jersey, Inc., and The County of Sussex, a political division of the State of New Jersey (May 10, 1989, filed June 22, 1989) in Deed Book 1662, page 022 et seq. (Instrument No. 89-39284).</ref><ref>Wright, Kevin. Newton NJ: Pearl of the Kittatinny – "The Horton Mansion Former Don Bosco Campus, now Sussex County Community College". Note: Wright states it was 1984, which is either a typographical error or an intentional copyright trap. Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref>

SCCC was authorized as a "college commission" in 1981 and began operations the following year. It became fully accredited in 1993 by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.<ref>"Our History", Sussex County Community College (Newton, NJ). Accessed July 10, 2012.</ref><ref name="SCCCAccreditation">Institution Directory: Sussex County Community College, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Accessed July 18, 2012.</ref> SCCC offers 40 associate degree and 16 post-secondary professional and health science certificate programs available both at traditional classes at its campus, through hybrid and online classes, and through distance learning.<ref name="SCCCAccreditation" /><ref name="SCCCDegreesPrograms">"Degrees, Programs and Certificates", Sussex County Community College (Newton, NJ). Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref><ref>"Distance Learning", Sussex County Community College (Newton, NJ). Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> Many students who attend SCCC transfer to pursue the completion of their undergraduate college education at a four-year college or university.<ref name="SCCCDegreesPrograms" /><ref>"The Degree Advantage: Complete your Associate Degree at SCCC and give yourself the edge when you transfer", Sussex County Community College (Newton, NJ). Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> The college also offers programs for advanced high school students, community education courses, and programs in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.<ref>Community Education and Workforce Development, Sussex County Community College (Newton, NJ). Accessed August 2, 2013.</ref> The school had an enrollment of 3,012 students of which half attended full-time and half attended part-time.<ref>Fast Facts, Sussex County Community College. Accessed May 30, 2015.</ref>

Infrastructure

File:2018-07-26 15 59 38 View south along U.S. Route 206, New Jersey State Route 94 and Sussex County Route 519 (Water Street) at Mill Street in Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey.jpg

View south along U.S. Route 206, Route 94 and County Route 519 in Newton

Roads and highways

Template:As of, the town had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Sussex County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.<ref>Sussex County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

Newton is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 206 (known within Newton as Woodside Avenue, Main Street, and Water Street), New Jersey Route 94 (known within Newton as High Street and Water Street), and County Route 519 (known within Newton as West End Avenue and Mill Street) and County Route 616 (known within Newton as Spring Street and Sparta Avenue).<ref>Route 94 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed October 25, 2013.</ref> Interstate 80 is accessible approximately Template:Convert to the south.

Public transportation

The nearest NJ Transit rail station is Netcong, approximately Template:Convert to the south.

Lakeland Bus Lines provides limited service between Newton and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.<ref>Route 80 - Eastbound to New York; Monday - Friday, Lakeland Bus Lines. Accessed August 1, 2018.</ref>

Local bus service is provided by the Skylands Connect bus, which connects to Sparta, Hamburg, and Sussex.<ref>Skylands Connect, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed September 18, 2014.</ref>

Aviation

Newton Airport was a public-use airport located Template:Convert south of the central business district. The airport closed in 2013.<ref>Newton Airport, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref>

Health care

Newton Memorial Hospital opened in the early 1930s during the Great Depression. The medical center was established using funds from a willed gift of $35,000 from Thomas Murray (to be specifically used to establish a hospital in Newton) and a $100,000 bequest from Clarence Linn. The hospital "is a short-term, fully accredited, 146-bed acute care, not-for-profit hospital serving more than 250,000 people in Warren and Sussex counties in New Jersey, Pike County in Pennsylvania and southern Orange County in New York."<ref>About Us. Atlantic Health System. Accessed September 10, 2015.</ref> Newton Memorial Hospital was bought by Atlantic Health System and changed its name to Newton Medical Center in 2011.<ref>"Atlantic Health System Announces New Names for its Three Hospitals 'Medical Centers' Reflect Wide Breadth of Advanced Services, High Quality of Care Across Multiple Campuses", Atlantic Health System, press release dated May 9, 2011. Accessed July 31, 2018. "Newton Memorial Hospital in Newton, N.J., will now be known as Newton Medical Center"</ref>

Media

Newspapers

Newton is home to the editorial offices of New Jersey Herald, the state's oldest newspaper, founded in 1829.<ref>About the New Jersey Herald, New Jersey Herald, July 31, 2018. Accessed July 31, 2018. "The New Jersey Herald has been a key source for news and advertising for Sussex County and the surrounding area since 1829 when Col. Grant Fitch, a Newton merchant, established the Herald as a weekly newspaper in a building at the corner of Main and Spring streets."</ref>

Radio and television

The town of Newton has three radio stations within its borders: WNNJ, on 103.7 FM, with a format of Rock,<ref>WNNJ-FM 103.7 MHz Newton, New Jersey, Radio-Locator.com. Accessed August 1, 2018.</ref> WRSK-LP on 95.7 FM from Sussex County Community College with a format of oldies/big band/country/polka and WTOC (AM), which serves Newton in Spanish at 1360 AM.<ref>WTOC-AM 1360 kHz - Newton, NJ, Radio-Locator.com. Accessed August 1, 2018.</ref>

WMBC-TV is licensed to Newton, but its studios are in West Caldwell, New Jersey and its transmitter is near Lake Hopatcong.<ref>About Us, WMBC-TV. Accessed July 31, 2018. "WMBC-TV is an independent, full-power, commercial TV station licensed to Newton, NJ and serving a NY metropolital area of 18 million people."</ref>

Notable people

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

• Danny Baugher (born 1984), punter who played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders<ref>Danny Baugher, Fox Sports. Accessed February 5, 2011.</ref>
• Susanna Bokoyni (1879–1984), circus performer and oldest living little person on record<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• Will Bradley (1912–1989), trombonist<ref>Yanow, Scott. Swing, p. 22. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2000. Template:ISBN. Accessed November 13, 2015.</ref>
• Johnny Budd (1899–1963), football player in the early NFL for the Frankford Yellow Jackets and the Pottsville Maroons<ref>Johnny Budd, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed February 5, 2011.</ref>
• Alex Cable, optical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur, who is the founder of optical equipment manufacturer Thorlabs<ref>Stevens, Kathy. "Thorlabs breaks ground in Newton", New Jersey Herald, October 4, 2010. Accessed January 27, 2021. "For Cable, now a resident of Newton, Friday’s groundbreaking also included a look back at his roots at Bell Labs."</ref>
• Henry J. B. Cummings (1831–1909), member of the United States Congress who represented Iowa's 7th congressional district<ref>Henry Johnson Brodhead Cummings, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed February 5, 2011.</ref>
• Newman E. Drake (1860–1930), founder of Drake's bakery<ref>Staff. "Newman E. Drake Dies After Operation; Founder of Bakery Concern Bearing Family Name—Spent Youth on Farm.", The New York Times, March 20, 1930. Accessed February 5, 2011. "Funeral services will be held at 3:15 PM on Saturday at his late home, 27 Inwood Avenue, Newton, N.J."</ref>
• Jeff Fogelson (1947–2018), athletic director at Seton Hall University from 1998 to 2006<ref>Perry, Michael. "Fogelson AD candidate at 'Nova", The Cincinnati Enquirer, July 9, 1993. Accessed June 28, 2018. "A native of Newton, N.J., he graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., and worked nine years at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., before coming to Xavier."</ref>
• Janeane Garofalo (born 1964), actress and comedian<ref>Longsdorf, Amy. "Spotlight On Janeane Garofalo Romantic Comedy Star Still Doesn't Feel Like 'The Pretty Girl'"Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore, The Morning Call, October 4, 1997. Accessed February 5, 2011. "Born in Newton, NJ, Garofalo's taste in comedy has always run to neurotic funnymen such as Woody Allen and Albert Brooks."</ref>
• John W. Griggs (1849–1927), 27th Governor of New Jersey who later served as United States Attorney General<ref>Gov. John William Griggs, National Governors Association. Accessed November 11, 2018. "John W. Griggs, the thirty-sixth governor of New Jersey, was born in Newton, New Jersey on July 10, 1849."</ref>
• Robert Hamilton (1809–1878), represented Template:Ushr in the United States House of Representatives from 1873 to 1877<ref>Robert Hamilton, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 3, 2007.</ref>
• James Howard (died 1879), soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1865 for his actions in the American Civil War<ref>James Howard, Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America. Accessed January 2, 2022. "Born: Newton, Sussex County, NJ, United States"</ref>
• Ardolph L. Kline (1858–1930), represented Brooklyn in the United States House of Representatives from Brooklyn in 1921–1923 and served in 1913 as acting Mayor of New York City<ref>Staff. "Ex-Mayor Kline Dies At Age Of 72; City's Chief Executive a Few Months Upon Death of Mayor Gaynor in 1913. Once Head Of Aldermen A Brigadier General in the National Guard—Was With U.S. Shipping Board at His Death. Joined National Guard in 1876. Praised by Gaynor.", The New York Times, October 14, 1930. Accessed October 25, 2013.</ref>
• Leonard LaRue (1914–2001), captain of the SS Meredith Victory who was involved in the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship in human history<ref>Goldstein, Richard. "Leonard LaRue, Rescuer in the Korean War, Dies at 87", The New York Times, October 20, 2001. Accessed June 28, 2012. "Brother Marinus Leonard LaRue, who as a merchant marine captain in the Korean War evacuated 14,000 refugees from a besieged North Korean port, died on Sunday at St. Paul's Abbey in Newton, N.J.... In 1954, he left the sea to join the Benedictines at St. Paul's Abbey, where he lived until his death."</ref>
• Bruce Lawrence (born 1941), Professor of Religion at Duke University<ref>Curriculum Vitae of Bruce Bennett Lawrence, Duke University. Accessed July 14, 2020. "Born: August 14, 1941 in Newton, N.J."</ref>
• Mary Tuthill Lindheim (1912–2004), sculptor<ref>Staff. "Book details Sausalito artist's life", Twin Cities Times, November 24, 2010. Accessed October 25, 2013. "Born in Newton, N.J., and raised in Tucson, Ariz., Tuthill arrived in California in 1928."</ref>
• Robert H. McCarter (1859–1948), New Jersey Attorney General from 1903 to 1909<ref>Robert H. McCarter: Attorney General 1903-1908, New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety. Accessed February 5, 2011.</ref><ref>Staff. "R. H. M'Carter Dies; Lawyer Since 1882; Attorney General of Jersey, '03-08, Leading Corporation Counsel. Dies in Rumson Had Hall-Mills Defense Former President of State Bar Aided Elections Inquiry in Hudson County in 1938", The New York Times, May 31, 1941. Accessed August 1, 2018. "Born in Newton, N. J., Mr. McCarter was the son of Thomas N. McCarter and Mary Louise Haggerty McCarter."</ref>
• Alison Littell McHose (born 1965), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2003 to 2015, where she represented the 24th Legislative District<ref>Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey: 2004 Edition, p. 277. Lawyers Diary and Manual, LLC, 2004. Template:ISBN. Accessed December 20, 2021. "Assemblywoman McHose was born May 24, 1965, in Newton."</ref>
• Henry W. Merriam (1828–1900), shoe manufacturer<ref>Henry W. Merriam (1828-1900), Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed September 10, 2015. "Merriam's Home, built in 1883, is an example of 'exuberant Victorian architecture. Upon his death in 1900, the home was bequeathed to the Presbyterian Church for the housing of retired ministers.'"</ref>
• Andrew Napolitano (born 1950), former New Jersey Superior Court judge, syndicated columnist, and a senior judicial analyst for Fox News. He owns a maple syrup farm in Newton<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Rodman M. Price (1816–1894), represented Template:Ushr in the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1853, and served as the 17th Governor of New Jersey, from 1854 to 1857<ref>Rodman McCamley Price, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 24, 2007.</ref>
• Andrew J. Rogers (1828–1900), represented Template:Ushr in the United States House of Representatives from 1863 to 1867<ref>Andrew Jackson Rogers, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 2, 2007.</ref>
• Chaz Stevens (born 1964), political activist and entrepreneur<ref name=Timeline>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Red Strader (1902–1956), football player and coach<ref>Staff. "Strader Is Named Coach Of Bulldogs", The New York Times, January 6, 1950. Accessed June 28, 2012. "He was born at Newton, N. J., on Dec. 21, 1904."</ref>
• Matt Valenti (born 1984), two-time national champion wrestler for the University of Pennsylvania who won the 133 pound weight class at the NCAA tournament in both 2006 and 2007<ref>Staff. "Matt Valenti Added to Columbia Wrestling Coaching Staff", Columbia University, August 17, 2007. Accessed February 5, 2011. "A three-time All-Ivy League first team selection, the native of Newton, N.J. earned the Fletcher Award for most team points in a career at EIWA's."</ref>
• Jenny Owen Youngs (born 1981), singer-songwriter<ref>Derogatis, Katie (February 13, 2007). "Girl with guitar soundtracks 'Weeds'", Washington Square News (New York University).</ref>

Points of interest

• Newton Cemetery<ref>Newton Cemetery: About Us, Newton Cemetery Company. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref>
• Newton Town Green
• Old Newton Burial Ground is a historic cemetery that was the primary burial ground in the town for a century after its establishment in 1762.<ref>Revolutionary War Sites in Clifton, New Jersey, Revolutionary War New Jersey. Accessed May 30, 2015. "The oldest part of this cemetery dates back to 1762."</ref>
• Spring Street
• Sussex County Courthouse – The original courthouse was constructed in 1765 and destroyed by fire in 1847. The structure was rebuilt in 1848.<ref>Historic Sussex County Courthouse, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 30, 2015.</ref>
• Sussex County Community College
  • Horton Mansion on the SCCC campus<ref>The Horton Mansion, Newton, NJ. Accessed February 24, 2013.</ref>

References

Reading list

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Official website