Bloomsbury, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Bloomsbury is a borough in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 792,<ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 78 (−9.0%) from the 2010 census count of 870,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decline of 16 (−1.8%) from the 886 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>

Bloomsbury was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 30, 1905, from portions of Bethlehem 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. 154. Accessed October 25, 2012.</ref>

Bloomsbury was once known as "Johnson's Iron Works", owned by Robert Johnson, on the north bank of the river. The current name is derived either from the Bloom family, influential in the early history of the town, or from the iron ore processed into masses of wrought iron that are known as "blooms".<ref name=HunterdonPage/>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.96 square miles (2.49 km²), including 0.93 square miles (2.41 km²) of land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) of water (3.23%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 /> The borough borders the municipalities of Bethlehem Township in Hunterdon County; and Franklin Township, Greenwich Township and Pohatcong Township in Warren County.<ref>Areas touching Bloomsbury, Mapit. Accessed November 15, 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> Bloomsbury is located on the south side of the Musconetcong River in the northwest corner of Hunterdon County and is the third-smallest municipality in Hunterdon County.<ref name=HunterdonPage/>

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 870 people, 337 households, and 237 families in the borough. The population density was 991.9 per square mile (383.0/km²). There were 358 housing units at an average density of 408.1 per square mile (157.6/km²). The racial makeup was 95.40% (830) White, 1.03% (9) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.84% (16) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.34% (3) from other races, and 1.38% (12) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.02% (35) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 337 households, 38.6% had children under the age of 18; 57.3% were married couples living together; 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.7% were non-families. Of all households, 24.0% were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.<ref name=Census2010/>

27.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 105.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 101.6 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $98,571 (with a margin of error of +/− $19,026) and the median family income was $106,324 (+/− $11,687). Males had a median income of $71,000 (+/− $9,149) versus $50,417 (+/− $7,595) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $42,141 (+/− $6,038). About 2.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Bloomsbury borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 886 people, 322 households, and 252 families residing in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 342 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the borough was 98.19% White, 0.34% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Bloomsbury borough, New JerseyTemplate:Dead link, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Bloomsbury borough, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

There were 322 households, out of which 45.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.11.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the borough, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 38.4% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/> The median income for a household in the borough was $64,375, and the median income for a family was $67,500. Males had a median income of $51,053 versus $33,750 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,392. About 4.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

File:BLOOMSBURG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BLOOMSBURY, NEW JERSEY.jpg

Bloomsbury Presbyterian Church

Local government

Bloomsbury is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<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 a mayor and a 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 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 Bloomsbury 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 Bloomsbury is Republican Vicky Papics, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Borough Council are Todd Dangelo (R, 2025), Megan Henry (R, 2024), Scott McClaymont (R, 2025), Jaime Newman (R, 2026; appointed to serve an unfilled term of office), Chris Smith (R, 2024) and Daniel J. Smith (R, 2026).<ref name=Council>Borough Council, Borough of Bloomsbury. Accessed October 10, 2024.</ref><ref>2022 Municipal User Friendly Budget, Borough of Bloomsbury. Accessed October 10, 2024. As of date accessed, this was the most recent available budget.</ref><ref name=HunterdonPage>Borough of Bloomsbury, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed October 10, 2024.</ref><ref name=HunterdonDirectory>2023 County and Municipal Directory, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2023>2023 Official Statement of Results General Election November 7, 2023, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, November 17, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</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>

Federal, state and county representation

Bloomsbury 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>

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 546 registered voters in Bloomsbury, of which 120 (22.0%) were registered as Democrats, 227 (41.6%) were registered as Republicans and 199 (36.4%) were registered 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 14, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 55.3% of the vote (223 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 42.7% (172 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (8 votes), among the 404 ballots cast by the borough's 561 registered voters (1 ballot was spoiled), for a turnout of 72.0%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 55.0% of the vote (254 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 42.6% (197 votes) and other candidates with 1.7% (8 votes), among the 462 ballots cast by the borough's 551 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.8%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Hunterdon County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 64.1% of the vote (302 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 33.5% (158 votes) and other candidates with 1.6% (9 votes), among the 471 ballots cast by the borough's 563 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 83.7.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Hunterdon County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 73.0% of the vote (189 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 25.1% (65 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (5 votes), among the 260 ballots cast by the borough's 551 registered voters (1 ballot was spoiled), for a turnout of 47.2%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 62.1% of the vote (210 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 22.2% (75 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 12.4% (42 votes) and other candidates with 1.8% (6 votes), among the 338 ballots cast by the borough's 549 registered voters, yielding a 61.6% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Hunterdon County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

Education

The Bloomsbury School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Bloomsbury Public School.<ref name=HunterdonSchools>2023-2024 Public School Directory, Hunterdon County Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2024.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Bloomsbury Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Bloomsbury Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 96 students and 15.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.2:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Bloomsbury Borough School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> In the 2016–17 school year, the district had the 11th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state.<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.... 11. Bloomsbury Borough - Enrollment: 108; Grades: Pre-K-8; County: Hunterdon"</ref> The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, having been approved on November 2, 1999, as one of the first ten districts statewide to participate in the program.<ref>Interdistrict Public School Choice Program: Approved Choice Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 19, 2008.</ref> Seats in the program for non-resident students are specified by the district and are allocated by lottery, with tuition paid for participating students by the New Jersey Department of Education.<ref>For Parents and Students, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 20, 2016.</ref>

Public school students from Bloomsbury in ninth through twelfth grades attend Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg in Warren County, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Phillipsburg School District. The high school also serves students from four other sending communities: Alpha, Greenwich Township, Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township.<ref>Phillipsburg High School 2016-17 Report Card Narrative Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 15, 2018. "Along with the residents of Phillipsburg, the high school consists of students from the sending districts of Lopatcong, Pohatcong, Alpha, Bloomsbury, and Greenwich Townships."</ref><ref>About PSD, Phillipsburg School District. Accessed September 5, 2024. "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 name=WarrenDistricts>2023–2024 Public School Directory, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.</ref> As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,794 students and 136.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1.<ref>School data for Phillipsburg High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</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:2020-07-09 10 02 48 View west along Interstate 78 and U.S. Route 22 (Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway) at Exit 7 (New Jersey State Route 173, West Portal, Bloomsbury) in Bloomsbury, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.jpg

Interstate 78 / U.S. Route 22 in Bloomsbury

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

Several major roads run through the borough.<ref>Hunterdon County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed March 2, 2023.</ref> Interstate 78 / U.S. Route 22<ref>Interstate 78 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated March 2016. Accessed March 2, 2023.</ref> pass through the north and connects Bloomsbury at Exit 7 with Route 173.<ref>Route 173 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated May 2018. Accessed March 2, 2023.</ref>

The major county road that passes through is County Route 579.<ref>County Route 579 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated November 2012. Accessed March 2, 2023.</ref>

Public transportation

Public transportation is limited to The LINK, a public bus service which serves Hunterdon County. Funding for operation of the Hunterdon County LINK System is provided by Hunterdon County, NJ Transit and the Federal Transit Administration.<ref>LINK Hunterdon County Transportation, Hunterdon County Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Rail / Lehigh Line

Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line (formerly the mainline of the Lehigh Valley Railroad), runs through the southwest part of Bloomsbury along the border with Bethlehem Township on its way to Phillipsburg, New Jersey.<ref>Hunterdon County Short Line Rail Study Template:Webarchive, p. 9. Hunterdon County, New Jersey Planning Board, September 1998. Accessed November 15, 2019. "The Lehigh Line is a major regional line that connects the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (PA) metropolitan hub with the Newark (NJ) metropolitan area. The Lehigh Line enters the County at the Borough of Bloomsbury and passes through the Townships of Bethlehem, Union, Franklin, Clinton, and Raritan before exiting the County at the southern tip of Readington Township."</ref>

Notable people

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

• John T. Bird (1829–1911), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1869 to 1873<ref>John Taylor Bird, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 17, 2007.</ref>
• Carla Katz (born 1959), attorney who served as president of Local 1034 of the Communications Workers of America from 1999 to 2008<ref>Kocieniewski, David. "Corzine Gave $470,000 Loan to Head of Union", The New York Times, August 4, 2005. Accessed May 3, 2023."A deed filed in the clerk's office indicates that Ms. Katz used $361,000 of the loan to buy her husband's share of their home in Bloomsbury, N.J."</ref>
• Jen Ponton (born 1984), actress, screenwriter and producer, best known for portraying Rubi in the AMC series Dietland<ref>Schoof, Dustin. "Bloomsbury native Jen Ponton to appear on NBC's 30 Rock", The Express-Times, October 18, 2010. Accessed September 4, 2019. "Actress Jen Ponton, a native of Bloomsbury and 2002 graduate of Phillipsburg High School, will appear on the hit NBC comedy. Ponton says she plays an employee of a local Carvel, which becomes the base of a secret operation hatched by Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) and Jenna (Jane Krakowski), who also get assistance from Kelsey Grammer, who plays himself."</ref>

External links

• Bloomsbury Borough website
• Hunterdon County web page for Bloomsbury