Jump to content

Phillipsburg, New Jersey

From Niidae Wiki

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Phillipsburg is a town located along the Delaware River that is the most populous municipality in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan statistical area.<ref>New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2023.</ref> As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 15,249,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 299 (+2.0%) from the 2010 census count of 14,950,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decline of 216 (−1.4%) from the 15,166 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>

The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line, formerly the mainline of the Lehigh Valley Railroad with a mix of mainline trackage combined long leased to the Central Railroad of New Jersey by its builder Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, runs through Phillipsburg and then across the Delaware River into Easton, Pennsylvania. The Belvidere Delaware Railroad was leased in 1871 and later acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad, connecting the lower Poconos to Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

Phillipsburg is located Template:Convert northeast of Allentown, Template:Convert north of Philadelphia, and Template:Convert west of New York City.

History

[edit]

The town grew from a sleepy agricultural village (in 1824), and was transformed into a transportation hub and shipping center as the Delaware River terminus of the Morris Canal (1829–1924), with operations commencing in 1831, the first of several transportation infrastructure projects that gave the community a direct connection Template:Convert to New York City. The Central Railroad of New Jersey soon followed with a connection. The community's growth soon reached the canal terminals of both the Delaware Canal and the Lehigh Canal by its cross-river cable ferry system to Easton, Pennsylvania. In 1853, the Lehigh Valley Railroad connected across the river with the Central Railroad of New Jersey and a passenger short line railroad, the Belvidere Delaware Railroad, and Morris Canal, all within Phillipsburg, which was followed by rapid growth.

On March 8, 1861, Phillipsburg was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of Phillipsburg Township, which is now Lopatcong Township.<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. 248. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> The town was named for William Phillips, an early settler of the area.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 30, 2015.</ref>

Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 3.31 square miles (8.58 km2), including 3.19 square miles (8.26 km2) of land and 0.12 square miles (0.31 km2) of water (3.66%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the town include Andover Furnace, Delaware Park, Lopatcong Heights, Shirmers and Warren Heights.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.</ref>

Pohatcong Mountain is a ridge, approximately Template:Convert long, in the Appalachian Mountains that extends from Phillipsburg northeast approximately to Washington.

Phillipsburg borders the municipalities of Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township in Warren County; and both Easton, Pennsylvania, and Williams Township across the Delaware River in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.<ref>Areas touching Phillipsburg, MapIt. Accessed March 2, 2020.</ref><ref>Municipal Directory, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed July 30, 2023.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Climate

[edit]

Template:Weather box

Demographics

[edit]

Template:US Census population

The town's economic data (as is all of Warren County) is calculated by the United States Census Bureau as part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area.<ref>New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 22, 2022.</ref>

2010 census

[edit]

The 2010 United States census counted 14,950 people, 5,925 households, and 3,786 families in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 6,607 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 83.44% (12,475) White, 7.49% (1,120) Black or African American, 0.17% (26) Native American, 1.53% (228) Asian, 0.05% (8) Pacific Islander, 3.92% (586) from other races, and 3.39% (507) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 11.82% (1,767) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 5,925 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 39.0% were married couples living together; 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 36.1% were non-families. Of all households, 29.9% were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.12.<ref name=Census2010/>

25.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.0 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $42,825 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,386) and the median family income was $51,334 (+/− $3,243). Males had a median income of $44,311 (+/− $2,090) versus $37,673 (+/− $6,847) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,291 (+/− $1,061). About 16.5% of families and 18.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Phillipsburg town, Warren County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 29, 2012.</ref>

Economy

[edit]

Industrial history

[edit]

Phillipsburg historically benefited from being a major transportation hub, then manufacturing with the investments by Ingersoll Rand in 1903 by opening the first Ingersoll-Sergeant factory in Phillipsburg. Within a year it employed 1,000 people, reaching a peak of 5,000.<ref name=Timeline/> The town is situated at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers. Phillipsburg served as the western terminus of the Morris Canal for approximately 100 years from the 1830s to 1920s, which connected the city by water to the industrial and consumer centers of the New York City area, with connections westward via the Lehigh Canal and Delaware Canal across the Delaware. Long gone is the era of canal shipping and many of the important freight railways that served the area have gone bankrupt or bypass the city on long-distance routes.<ref>Phillipsburg / Easton Transportation Hub Early 20th Century, Morris Canal Greenway. Accessed December 7, 2015. "The real impetus for the industrial development of Warren County was the construction of the railroads... As all of these railroads passed through Phillipsburg, the town became a gateway to the west."</ref>

Phillipsburg was served by five major railroads:

Economic revival

[edit]

A majority of the manufacturing jobs left Warren County's largest city once Ingersoll Rand closed operations in 2000.<ref name=Timeline>Novak, Steve. "TIMELINE: The rise and fall of Ingersoll Rand in Phillipsburg, and a glimpse at what the future may hold", The Express-Times, October 29, 2018, updated September 24, 2019. Accessed November 23, 2021. "For a century, Ingersoll Rand was Phillipsburg. From 1903 to 2000, the company was the town's biggest employer and the biggest taxpayer. It wasn't unusual for multiple generations of a family to work there. They made rock drills that helped develop the interstate highway system. They made pumps, steam condensers, and rock compressors... But the company slowly declined from its mid-century peak of about 5,000 employees."</ref>

Portions of the town are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The city was selected in 1994 as one of a group of 10 zones added to participate in the program.<ref>Urban Enterprise Zone Tax Questions and Answers, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, May 2009. Accessed October 28, 2019. "In 1994, the legislation was amended, and ten more zones were added to this successful economic development program. Six of the ten new zones were predetermined: Paterson, Passaic, Perth Amboy, Phillipsburg, Lakewood, and Asbury Park/Long Branch (joint zone). The four remaining zones were selected on a competitive basis. They are Carteret, Pleasantville, Union City, and Mount Holly."</ref> In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the Template:Frac% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.<ref>Urban Enterprise Zone Program, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed October 27, 2019. "Businesses participating in the UEZ Program can charge half the standard sales tax rate on certain purchases; currently 3.3125% effective 1/1/2018"</ref> Established in November 1994, the town's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in October 2025.<ref>Urban Enterprise Zones Effective and Expiration Dates, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed January 8, 2018.</ref>

Businesses have begun to move on to South Main Street, including the opening of the Apothecarium Dispensary – Phillipsburg in November 2019 selling marijuana, the Town Council voted in June 2021 to adopt an ordinance preventing the opening of any other cannabis retailers.<ref>Brasswein, Kurt. "Phillipsburg just says no, for now, to recreational marijuana businesses", The Express-Times, June 17, 2021, updated July 23, 2021. Accessed November 27, 2022. "Town council cast a 4-0 preliminary vote Tuesday night to opt out of permitting recreational marijuana businesses. According to the town attorney Rich Wenner, the Apothecarium dispensary that opened last November on South Main Street is grandfathered in and unaffected by the decision."</ref>

Railway

[edit]

A tourist railroad known as the Belvidere & Delaware River Railroad operates on the former Belvidere-Delaware Railroad Pennsylvania Railroad Branch serving excursions from Lehigh Junction Station south to Carpentersville. Norfolk Southern serves the industrial manufacturing purposes in Phillipsburg using former LVRR tracks and the L&HR bridge to connect with the Bel-Del PRR tracks.

Since 2007, NJ Transit has been conducting a study to determine if re-establishing a commuter rail extension of the Raritan Valley Line to Phillipsburg is economically feasible.<ref>Staff. "Extending Raritan Valley railroad service to Phillipsburg will be discussed", Warren Reporter, April 26, 2011. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref>

Phillipsburg also is home to the Phillipsburg Railroad Historians museum. They display railroad memorabilia inside the museum, an "N" scale diorama, two Lehigh and Hudson River cabooses, one of which is currently being restored, and a Jersey Central caboose. There is an L&HR snow flanger, Tidewater tank car, a CNJ box car owned by the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society, a 1922 Chestnut Ridge Mack railbus owned by the Lehigh Valley NRHS, a Public Service trolley owned by the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society, a 44-ton GE locomotive and a 25-ton GE locomotive.<ref>About us, Phillipsburg Railroad Historians. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref> They operate a miniature railroad, the Centerville & Southwestern, that formerly ran in Roseland, New Jersey.<ref>Jackson, Kirk Beldon. Template:Usurped, The Morning Call, July 26, 1992. Accessed June 14, 2012.</ref>

Government

[edit]

Local government

[edit]

Phillipsburg is governed under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law. The town is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.<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 five-member Town Council. Councilmembers are elected at-large in partisan elections to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either three seats or two seats and the mayoral seat up for election in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election.<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><ref>Form of Government, Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed July 22, 2014.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 10. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

Template:As of, the Mayor of Phillipsburg is Republican Todd M. Tersigni, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.<ref name=Mayor>Mayor, Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed May 16, 2022.</ref><ref>"Republican Todd Tersigni wins Phillipsburg mayoral race", WFMZ-TV, November 6, 2019. Accessed November 23, 2021. "Democratic Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis has conceded the mayoral race to Republican Todd Tersigni. Ellis become the first Democrat to take the mayor's office in over a decade, but fighting between parties over the years had led to former Democrat, now Republican Tersigni to run."</ref> Members of the Town Council are Council President Harry L. Wyant (R, 2023), Council Vice President Lee M. Clark (D, 2025), Keith A. Kennedy (D, 2025), Peter Marino (R, 2025) and Randy S. Piazza Jr. (R, 2023).<ref>Town Council, Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed May 16, 2022.</ref><ref>2022 Municipal Data Sheet, Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed May 16, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2021>Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results, Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2019>General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally, Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In 2018, the town had an average property tax bill of $4,387, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $6,982 in Warren County and $8,767 statewide.<ref>2018 Property Tax Information, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated January 16, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019.</ref><ref>Marcus, Samantha. "These are the towns with the lowest property taxes in each of N.J.'s 21 counties", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 30, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019. "New Jersey's average property tax bill may have hit $8,767 last year — a new record — but taxpayers in some parts of the state pay just a fraction of that.... The average property tax bill in Phillipsburg was $4,387 in 2018, the lowest in Warren County."</ref>

Selected mayors of Phillipsburg

[edit]

Template:Incomplete list

Mayor Term begins Term ends Notes
Charles Sitgreaves<ref name=Sitgreaves/> 1861 1862 First mayor. Major commandant in the New Jersey State militia. Member of the state general assembly 1831 to 1833. Served in the state senate 1851 to 1854. Served as city councilman from 1834 to 1835.
? 1863 1887 ?
Irwin W. Schultz 1884 1885 Lafayette College alumnus. Local lawyer. Served a single year-long term as mayor and refused to stand for re-election.
? 1886 1886 ?
John H. Griffith 1887 1894 Former city physician. Remained active in fraternal and charitable organizations after being mayor.
Vernon D. Best<ref name="Best">Template:Cite web</ref> 1953 1954 ?
William M. Norton<ref name="Norton">Template:Cite web</ref> 1954 1958 Local self-made millionaire of the Norton Oil Co. Testified to Congress about the creation of new toll highways as a source of local revenue in 1956.
Arthur Paini<ref name="Paini">Template:Cite web</ref> 1958 1960 Democratic Party. Served on the city commission from 1950 to 1958. Unsuccessfully challenged Decker in the 1992 election.
James A. Bianchi<ref name="Bianchi">Template:Cite web</ref> 1979 1980 Served as a city councilman from 1966 to 1972.
? 1981 1991 ?
Gloria Decker<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 1992 1996 Former leader of the Warren County. Elected mayor as a Democrat, switched party affiliations to Republican in 1994 and lost her re-election bid in 1995.
Thomas W. Corcoran<ref name="Corcoran">Template:Cite web</ref> 1996 2000 Democrat. Defeated incumbent Decker. Long-time chairman of the Phillipsburg Democratic Party. Navy veteran from World War II and the Korean War.
Harry Wyant Jr.<ref name="Wyant">Template:Cite web</ref> 2000 2016 Republican. Served on the town council before serving as mayor for 16 years. Despite this lengthy career, he only voted on the town council once, to appoint his replacement. He and his replacement were defeated in 2016.
Stephen Ellis<ref name="Ellis">Template:Cite web</ref> 2016 2020 Democrat. Defeated Wyant in the 2016 election. He graduated from Phillipsburg High School. Undergraduate degree at Slippery Rock University and master's degree from Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He lost his bid for re-election in 2020 to Todd Tersigni.
Todd M. Tersigni<ref name="Tersigni">Template:Cite web</ref> 2020 Incumbent Republican. Graduate of Phillipsburg High School and Seton Hall University. Served two terms on the town council from 2012 to 2020.

Federal, state and county representation

[edit]

Phillipsburg 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=Districts2023>Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed September 1, 2023.</ref>

Template:NJ Congress 07 Template:NJ Senate

Template:NJ Legislative 23

Template:NJ Warren County Commissioners

Politics

[edit]

As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,681 registered voters in Phillipsburg, of which 2,496 (32.5% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,510 (19.7% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 3,665 (47.7% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.<ref name=VoterRegistration>Voter Registration Summary – Warren, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref> Among the town's 2010 Census population, 51.4% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 69.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% 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 June 13, 2013.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,487 votes (56.6% vs. 40.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,751 votes (39.8% vs. 56.0%) and other candidates with 88 votes (2.0% vs. 1.7%), among the 4,394 ballots cast by the town's 7,730 registered voters, for a turnout of 56.8% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County).<ref>Presidential November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Warren County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref><ref>Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Warren County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,673 votes (54.8% vs. 41.4% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,983 votes (40.6% vs. 55.2%) and other candidates with 116 votes (2.4% vs. 1.6%), among the 4,879 ballots cast by the town's 7,636 registered voters, for a turnout of 63.9% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County).<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Warren County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 2,412 votes (49.8% vs. 37.2% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 2,324 votes (48.0% vs. 61.0%) and other candidates with 66 votes (1.4% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,842 ballots cast by the town's 7,176 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.5% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county).<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Warren County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref>

Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow |}

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 63.8% of the vote (1,667 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 33.6% (879 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (68 votes), among the 2,694 ballots cast by the town's 7,909 registered voters (80 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 34.1%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,321 votes (44.1% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,159 votes (38.7% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 365 votes (12.2% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 77 votes (2.6% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,994 ballots cast by the town's 7,437 registered voters, yielding a 40.3% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).<ref>2009 Governor: Warren County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref>

Education

[edit]

Template:Further The Phillipsburg School District serves public school students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade<ref>Phillipsburg Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed May 6, 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 Phillipsburg School District. Composition: The Phillipsburg School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Town of Phillipsburg."</ref> The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke<ref>What We Do: History, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022. "In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in the Abbott v. Burke case that the State must provide 100 percent funding for all school renovation and construction projects in special-needs school districts. According to the Court, aging, unsafe and overcrowded buildings prevented children from receiving the "thorough and efficient" education required under the New Jersey Constitution.... Full funding for approved projects was authorized for the 31 special-needs districts, known as 'Abbott Districts'."</ref> which are now referred to as "SDA districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.<ref>What We Do, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.</ref><ref>SDA Districts, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.</ref>

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 3,877 students and 329.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Phillipsburg School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Phillipsburg School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref>) are Early Childhood Learning Center<ref>Early Childhood Learning Center, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.</ref> with 354 students in grades Pre-K–K, Phillipsburg Primary School<ref>Phillipsburg Primary School, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.</ref> with 391 students in grades 1–2, Phillipsburg Elementary School<ref>Phillipsburg Elementary School, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.</ref> with 609 students in grades 3–5, Phillipsburg Middle School<ref>Phillipsburg Middle School, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.</ref> with 704 students in grades 6–8, and Phillipsburg High School<ref>Phillipsburg High School, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed May 6, 2020.</ref> with 1,730 students in grades 9–12.<ref name=WarrenDistricts>Warren County 2022-2023 Public School Directory, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed December 27, 2022.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Phillipsburg School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Phillipsburg School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

The Phillipsburg High School Stateliners have a longstanding athletic rivalry with neighboring Easton, Pennsylvania's Easton Area High School, which celebrated its 100th anniversary game on Thanksgiving Day 2006.<ref>Patrick, Dick. "High school rivals are like family", USA Today, September 21, 2005. Accessed August 17, 2012. "Phillipsburg (N.J.)-Easton (Pa.): The game, played on Thanksgiving morning at Lafayette College in Easton, will celebrate 100 years in 2006."</ref> In 2009, the 1993 teams from the Easton P-Burg Game met again for the Gatorade REPLAY Game to resolve the game, which ended in a 7–7 tie, with more than 13,000 fans watching as Phillipsburg won by a score of 27–12.<ref>Conover, Allan. "Phillipsburg beats Easton in Gatorade Replay football", Warren Reporter, April 29, 2009. Accessed August 17, 2012. "For almost three toasty hours earlier in the day, however, Wargo had been among the most prominent Phillipsburg football players in Lafayette College's Fisher Stadium and was a key performer in the Stateliners' 27–12 triumph over Easton as 13,350 sun-baked spectators looked on. Wargo, a tackle, was selected as the game's 'Outstanding Defensive Player,' an honor he never gave a thought to while helping the 'Exliners' win the rematch of the 1993 Thanksgiving Day battle which ended in a 7–7 stalemate."</ref>

The district's high school serves students from the Town of Phillipsburg and five sending communities at the secondary level: Alpha, Bloomsbury (in Hunterdon County), Greenwich Township, Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township, as part of sending/receiving relationships with the respective school districts.<ref name=About>About PSD, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed May 6, 2020. "The district serves students from the Town of Phillipsburg and five sending communities at the secondary level: Alpha, Bloomsbury, Greenwich, Lopatcong and Pohatcong Townships."</ref><ref>Phillipsburg High School 2016 Report Card Narrative Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 13, 2017. "At the secondary level, the district serves not only students from the town of Phillipsburg which makes up 41% of the high school population, but also students from the surrounding boroughs of Alpha and Bloomsbury, as well as the townships of Greenwich, Lopatcong, and Pohatcong."</ref><ref name=WarrenDistricts/>

Students from the town and all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township (for grades K–8)<ref>F.A.Q., Ridge and Valley Charter School. Accessed November 14, 2016. "Enrollment is open, on a space-available basis, to all K-8 students residing in N.J. with priority given to students residing in the districts of Blairstown, Hardwick, Knowlton, Frelinghuysen, and North Warren Regional School."</ref> or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9–12),<ref>About Us Template:Webarchive, Warren County Technical School. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref> with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for PreK–12).<ref name=WarrenDistricts/><ref>About Template:Webarchive, Warren County Special Services School District. Accessed September 16, 2013.</ref>

Private schools include Saints Philip & James School, which was established in 1875 and serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.<ref>Saints Philip & James School, Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref><ref>Home page, Saints Philip & James School. Accessed February 3, 2014.</ref>

Transportation

[edit]
File:Union Station, Phillipsburg, NJ - trackside.jpg
Union Station in Phillipsburg in September 2017
File:Easton-pburg-toll-bridge.jpg
The Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge, connecting Phillipsburg with Easton, Pennsylvania, in October 2009
File:2020-08-15 12 50 11 View west along U.S. Route 22 at the exit for South Main Street (Phillipsburg) in Phillipsburg, Warren County, New Jersey.jpg
U.S. Route 22 westbound in Phillipsburg in August 2020

History

[edit]

Situated at the confluence of the Delaware River and the Lehigh River, Phillipsburg has historically been a major transportation hub. From the 1830s to 1920s, was the western terminus of the Morris Canal, which connected it by water eastward to the Port of New York and New Jersey and westward via the Lehigh Canal across the Delaware River. Five major railroads converged in Phillipsburg, the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), the DL&W's Morris and Essex Railroad, the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (L&HR), Lehigh Valley Railroad (LVRR), and the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) Belvidere Delaware Railroad.<ref>Buscemi Sr., Leonard. Phillipsburg, Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Template:ISBN. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref><ref>Phillipsburg / Easton Transportation Hub Early 20th Century, Morris Canal Greenway. Accessed January 2, 2016.</ref> The CNJ first ran in 1852.<ref>Cummins, George Wyckoff. Did You Know?, Phillipsburg Area Historical Society. Accessed August 8, 2016. " The first important growth began with the building of the New Jersey Central railroad, which was completed on July 1st, 1852. On July 2nd the first passenger train of eight cars arrived amid great rejoicing."</ref><ref>Brill, Peter. "Jersey Central: Coal, commuters, and a Comet" Template:Webarchive, Classic Trains Magazine, Winter 2010. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref><ref>Phillipsburg, Lehigh Line East Railfan Guide. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref><ref>PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY DISCONTINUANCE/LAST RUNS OF PASSENGER SERVICE Railroad – Ferry – Steamboat – Trolley – Rapid Transit by Line Segment, Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society, June 30, 2003. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref> Phillipsburg Union Station served CNJ and DL&W.

The CNJ tracks and bridge in Phillipsburg which was part of the CNJ mainline became part of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad mainline, the Lehigh Line now owned by Norfolk Southern Railway, while the PRR line in Phillipsburg is now the Belvidere and Delaware River Railway.<ref>Jersey Central Lines: Easton, The Jersey Central Lines Today. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref>

Roads and highways

[edit]

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 Warren County, Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Template:Convert by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.<ref>Warren County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

Major highways that pass through Phillipsburg include U.S. Route 22<ref>U.S. Route 22 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated March 2017. Accessed November 27, 2022.</ref> and Route 122.<ref>Route 122 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated May 2018. Accessed November 27, 2022.</ref> Interstate 78 passes through for less than a Template:Convert without any exits. The closest interchange is in neighboring Pohatcong.<ref>Interstate 78 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated March 2016. Accessed July 14, 2022.</ref>

The town is connected to Pennsylvania across the Delaware River by three bridges: the Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge – (toll bridge carrying U.S. Route 22), the Northampton Street Bridge (the "Free Bridge") and the Interstate 78 Toll Bridge (carrying Interstate 78), all of which are operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.<ref>Our Bridges Template:Webarchive, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Accessed July 17, 2013.</ref>

Public transportation

[edit]

NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 890 and 891 routes.<ref>Template:Usurped, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed July 18, 2011.</ref> It is also served by a bus line down Route 57 to Washington Township.<ref>Warren County Shuttles A / B System, Tri-County Care Management Organization. Accessed August 30, 2015.</ref><ref>Warren County Transportation Demand Response Template:Webarchive, Warren County Department of Human Services. Accessed August 30, 2015.</ref>

Air transportation

[edit]

By air, Phillipsburg is closest to Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, which is roughly Template:Convert west of Phillipsburg. The larger Newark Liberty International Airport, one of three international airports serving the New York City metropolitan area, is roughly Template:Convert to the east-northeast.

Notable people

[edit]

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

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

References

[edit]

Template:Reflist

[edit]

Template:Commons category Template:Wikivoyage Template:EB1911 poster

Template:Warren County, New Jersey Template:Northeast Megalopolis Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.niidae.com/index.php?title=Phillipsburg,_New_Jersey&oldid=95163"