Mullica Hill, New Jersey

Mullica Hill is a census-designated place (CDP)<ref>State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 27, 2022.</ref> and unincorporated community within Harrison Township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.<ref>New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed November 10, 2012.</ref><ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 19, 2015.</ref> As of the 2020 United States census, the CDP's population was 4,698, an increase of 716 (+18.0%) from the 3,982 counted at the 2010 U.S. census,<ref name=Census2010>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Mullica Hill CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 10, 2012.</ref> which in turn reflected an increase of 2,324 (+140.2%) from the 1,658 enumerated at the 2000 census.<ref name=Census2000/>

History

File:Wm Mullica House.JPG

William Mullica House

File:MULLICA HILL HISTORIC DIST. GLOUCESTER COUNTY.jpg

Mullica Hill's refurbished old town hall

Spicerville<ref>Template:Cite gnis Variant name: Spicerville</ref> was the name of a community on the south bank of Raccoon Creek, named after prominent landowner Jacob Spicer. Mullica Hill originally referred to the settlement on the north bank of Raccoon Creek, named after the sons of Eric Pålsson Mullica, an early Swedish settler (with Finnish ancestry), whose sons William, Eric, Olag, and John Mullica began purchasing land here in 1704. Eventually, both communities became known as just Mullica Hill as the original name of Eric's grandfather's house in Central Finland: "Mullikkamäki" (mullikka meaning bull calf and mäki meaning hill). Some of Mullica Hill's historic buildings were built following the Civil War, notably the town hall that still stands today. The period of industrial and agricultural growth during and after the Civil War is commemorated by a reenactment every fall.<ref>Werner, Charles Jolly. Eric Mullica and his descendants: A Swedish pioneer in New Jersey, C.J. Werner, New Gretna, New Jersey: 1930.</ref>

The area was hit by a strong EF3 tornado on September 1, 2021, with winds of up to Template:Convert, produced by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, with multiple homes and farms destroyed.<ref>20210901's Storm Reports (20210901 1200 UTC - 20210902 1159 UTC), National Weather Service, September 1, 2021. Accessed January 21, 2022. "2221 1 ENE Mullica Hill Gloucester NJ 3974 7520 Significant Damage In The Mullica Hill Area Including Several Homes Damaged And Trees Down On Cedar Road. Time Estimated From Radar. (PHI)"</ref><ref>"Catastrophic Tornado Rips Apart Homes in Mullica Hill, NJ", WCAU, September 1, 2021. Accessed January 21, 2022. "A confirmed EF-3 tornado ripped several homes apart in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, as remnants of Ida slammed the entire region on Wednesday, with debris from destroyed homes traveling miles. The tornado, which had peak winds of 150 mph, destroyed at least nine homes, with some leveled to their foundations, along Josephine and Marvin lanes early Wednesday evening."</ref><ref>Quinn, Amy Z. "When the town nobody’s heard of is on the nation’s lips | Letter from your editor", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 4, 2021. Accessed January 21, 2022. "I’m writing, as always, from Mullica Hill, a Gloucester County community most folks hadn’t heard of this time last week. It’s been a strange, scary few days, as our little town about 20 miles south of Philadelphia became the dateline for national and international news stories about the EF-3 tornado that plowed through homes, flattened trees and tipped over two 80-foot corn silos."</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Mullica Hill had a total area of Template:Convert, including Template:Convert of land and Template:Convert of water (0.63%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name="GR1">US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.</ref>

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 3,982 people, 1,456 households, and 1,104 families in the CDP. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,502 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 92.87% (3,698) White, 3.84% (153) Black or African American, 0.08% (3) Native American, 1.33% (53) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.45% (18) from other races, and 1.43% (57) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.16% (126) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,456 households, 38.0% had children under the age of 18; 62.5% were married couples living together; 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.2% were non-families. Of all households, 20.9% were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.<ref name=Census2010/>

26.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 33.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.9 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

2000 census

As of the 2000 U.S. census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 1,658 people, 697 households, and 432 families living in the CDP. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 737 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.07% White, 6.88% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.84% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.05% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>DP-1 - Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 from the Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Mullica Hill CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 10, 2012.</ref>

There were 697 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.09.<ref name=Census2000/>

The population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.3 males.<ref name=Census2000/>

The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,628, and the median income for a family was $62,321. Males had a median income of $48,295 versus $35,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,503. About 6.4% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/>

Historic district

Mullica Hill Historic District is a Template:Convert national historic district along East Avenue, Woodstown Road, Church, High, Main, Mill, New and Union streets in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 25, 1991, for its significance in architecture, commerce, industry, community development, and exploration/settlement. The district includes 136 contributing buildings.<ref name="nrhpdoc">Template:Cite web With Template:NRHP url</ref>

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church was built in 1852, with a bell tower added in 1879.<ref name="nrhpdoc"/> It has been documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

Template:Further Mullica Hill hosts Harrison Township Elementary School which serves students in grades Pre-K - 3 and Pleasant Valley School (grades 4 - 6) as part of the Harrison Township School District. Public school students from Mullica Hill also attend Clearview Regional Middle School (grades 7 & 8), and Clearview Regional High School (grades 9–12) of the Clearview Regional High School District. All are located in Mullica Hill.

Friends School Mullica Hill is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational day school, serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, and providing private music lessons. The current school was originally established in 1969, but is part of a local Quaker tradition in the area extending back over 300 years.<ref>History, Friends School Mullica Hill. Accessed November 11, 2012.</ref>

Guardian Angels Regional School is a K–8 school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.<ref>Schools, South Jersey Catholic Schools. Accessed February 21, 2023.</ref> Its PreK-3 campus is in Gibbstown while its 4-8 campus is in Paulsboro.<ref>Contact Information, Guardian Angels Regional School. Accessed February 22, 2023.</ref>

Transportation

New Jersey Transit bus service between Mullica Hill and Philadelphia is available on the 410 route.<ref>Gloucester County Bus / Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed November 11, 2012.</ref>

New Jersey Route 45, New Jersey Route 77 and U.S. Route 322 are the main highways serving Mullica Hill. While Route 45 and Route 77 still pass through downtown, in January 2012 a new alignment of US 322 opened which bypasses the downtown area.<ref>"Long-Sought Route 322 Bypass Gets Grand Opening In Gloucester County, NJ", KYW-TV, January 11, 2012. Accessed December 1, 2012.</ref>

Notable people

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

• Jay Accorsi (born 1963), college football coach at Rowan University.<ref>Jay Accorsi, Rowan University. Accessed November 10, 2012. "Accorsi resides in Mullica Hill, NJ with his wife Nancy and daughters, Gabrielle and Rachel and son, Jack."</ref>
• John Brancy (born 1988), operatic baritone.<ref>Shyrock, Bob. "A Rare Talent", South Jersey Life, August 21, 2007. Accessed October 21, 2018. "Defying considerable odds, John Brancy has posted some rather impressive numbers. For example, in one competition in Miami, the classical baritone from Clearview Regional High School was one of six $10,000 winners.... So it's little wonder the Mullica Hill resident heads to the elite Juilliard School in Manhattan on scholarship in a few weeks to pursue a musical career he hopes will culminate on the worldwide opera stage."</ref>
• Jeff Datz (born 1959), professional baseball scout and a former Major League Baseball player and coach.<ref>Carchidi, Sam. "Family again witnesses history; 33 years after the Vet's opener, the Datzes were at the christening of Citizens Bank Park.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 4, 2004. Accessed September 5, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Jeff Datz was a lifelong Phillies fan when he grew up in Mullica Hill in Gloucester County."</ref>
• Wilbur Evans (1905–1987), actor and singer who performed on the radio, in opera, on Broadway, in films, and in early live television.<ref>Staff. "Wilbur Evans Is Dead; A Singer on Broadway", The New York Times, June 3, 1987. Accessed March 29, 2016. "Wilbur Evans, a singer and actor who starred opposite Mary Martin in the London production of South Pacific, died Sunday at his home in Mullica Hill, N.J."</ref>
• Samuel Gibbs French (1818–1910), Confederate Major General during the Civil War.<ref>Historical Sites, Gloucester County, New Jersey. "The General French House 136 South Broad Street, Woodbury Built ca. 1766, this house gained fame during the Civil War because it was owned by a General in the Confederate Army. General Samuel Gibbs French, though born in Mullica Hill, chose to fight on the side of the Confederacy."</ref>
• George W. F. Gaunt (1865–1918), President of the New Jersey State Senate<ref name=":32">Template:Cite news</ref>
• Big Daddy Graham (1953–2021), comedian, writer, actor, recording artist and sports radio personality on 94 WIP-FM.<ref>Tornoe, Rob. "Longtime WIP host Big Daddy Graham dies at 68", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 9, 2021. Accessed September 10, 2021. "He eventually settled in Mullica Hill, N.J., where he and his wife, Debbie, raised two daughters — Keely and Ava."</ref>
• John W. Hazelton (1814–1878), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 1871 to 1875.<ref>John Wright Hazelton, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 16, 2007.</ref>
• Dan Klecko, (born 1981) former NFL defensive tackle and fullback.<ref>Bowen, Les. "Eagles - Klecko hopes to make Eagles as a fullback", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 18, 2008. Accessed January 21, 2022. "Dan Klecko and his wife Lori, a Port Richmond native whom he met at Temple, recently bought a house in Mullica Hill, N.J."</ref>
• Gregg Murphy, sports journalist who has been a broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies.<ref>Phillies Broadcasters, Philadelphia Phillies. Accessed August 8, 2019. "Gregg lives in Mullica Hill, N.J., and has three children: one daughter, Quinn, and two sons, Matthew and Colin."</ref>
• Nathan T. Stratton (1813–1887), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1855.<ref>Nathan Taylor Stratton. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 25, 2007.</ref>
• Al Szolack (born 1950), retired basketball player best known for his time spent on the Washington Generals, the traveling exhibition team best known for their spectacular losing streak in exhibition games against the Harlem Globetrotters.<ref>Williams, Victoria. "Under Control", Gloucester County Times, January 15, 2009. Accessed March 29, 2016. "Big Al, wife Carol, and their daughters, Karolena, 18, and Olivia, 11, reside in Mullica Hill."</ref>
• Michelle Tumolo (born 1991), women's lacrosse coach and former player who is the Head Coach of the Army Black Knights women's lacrosse team.<ref>Michelle Tumolo, Syracuse Orange. Accessed September 5, 2021. "High School: Clearview Regional; Hometown: Mullica Hill, N.J."</ref>