West Amwell Township, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement West Amwell Township is a township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,005,<ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 835 (−21.7%) from the 2010 census count of 3,840,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 1,457 (+61.1%) from the 2,383 counted in the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010 Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

West Amwell was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1846, when Amwell Township was split, also creating East Amwell Township at the same time. Portions of the township were taken to form Lambertville town on March 1, 1849.<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. 158. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> In 1896, the township annexed portions of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township and Raritan Township.<ref>Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 313. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed October 25, 2015.</ref> The township was named for Amwell Township, which in turn was named for Great Amwell/Little Amwell, Hertfordshire in England.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 29, 2015.</ref>

History

The earliest settlers of the area were the Delaware Native Americans, who had a path through the woods from Lambertville through Mount Airy, Ringoes and Reaville to Newark which would later become the route followed by the Old York Road.<ref name=Hunterdon>History Template:Webarchive, West Amwell Township. Accessed March 5, 2023.</ref>

In 1935, local farmers signed a declaration against the Potato Control Law, which established federal controls on the growth of the crop, stating "[t]hat we protest against and declare that we will not be bound by the 'Potato Control Law,' an unconstitutional measure recently enacted by the United States Congress. We shall produce on our own land such potatoes as we may wish to produce and will dispose of them in such manner as we may deem proper."<ref>"Potato Control" Template:Webarchive, Time, September 9, 1935. Accessed March 5, 2023.</ref>

Geography

The northern areas of West Amwell are in Amwell Valley, while the southern sections are in The Sourlands region. The Delaware River separates West Amwell from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 21.84 square miles (56.58 km²), including 21.65 square miles (56.07 km²) of land and 0.20 square miles (0.51 km²) of water (0.90%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Alexauken,Template:Citation needed Bowlryville, Bowne, Linvale (historically known as New Market), Mount Airy, Oakdale and Rocktown.<ref>Locality Search Template:Webarchive, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.</ref>

The township borders Delaware Township, East Amwell Township and Lambertville in Hunterdon County; Hopewell Township, in Mercer County; along with New Hope and Solebury Township across the Delaware River in Bucks County in Pennsylvania.<ref>Areas touching West Amwell Township Template:Webarchive, MapIt. Accessed March 12, 2020.</ref><ref>Map of County Municipalities Template:Webarchive, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed July 30, 2023.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 3,840 people, 1,102 households, and 839 families in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,157 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 82.58% (3,171) White, 13.39% (514) Black or African American, 0.05% (2) Native American, 1.46% (56) Asian, 0.05% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.12% (43) from other races, and 1.35% (52) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.84% (186) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,102 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18; 66.9% were married couples living together; 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.9% were non-families. Of all households, 19.5% were made up of individuals and 9.2% 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 2.95.<ref name=Census2010/>

16.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 155.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 165.5 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $101,094 (with a margin of error of +/− $16,403) and the median family income was $115,595 (+/− $19,328). Males had a median income of $86,875 (+/− $26,080) versus $53,438 (+/− $17,350) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $54,485 (+/− $9,741). About 4.2% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for West Amwell township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 2,383 people, 949 households, and 696 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 984 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 98.07% White, 0.63% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for West Amwell township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for West Amwell township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

There were 949 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% 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 2.93.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the township, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the township was $73,380, and the median income for a family was $79,605. Males had a median income of $49,539 versus $33,333 for females. The per capita income for the township was $33,877. About 0.6% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

Local government

West Amwell Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey Template:Webarchive, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of a three-member Township Committee, whose members are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election 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><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey" Template:Webarchive, p. 7. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor for terms of one year.<ref name=Committee/>

Template:As of, members of the West Amwell Township Committee are Mayor Gary Hoyer (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Stephen Bergenfeld (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), James Cally (R, 2025), John C. Dale (R, 2023) and Megan Hudson (D, 2025).<ref name=Committee>Township Committee Template:Webarchive, Township of West Amwell. Accessed May 5, 2023. "Members of the township committee are elected during the June primary and November general election cycle, and elected for staggered three-year terms. Following each November election, a committee reorganization meeting is held In early January. During this meeting, newly elected/re-elected members take the oath of office, followed by the reorganized committee selecting a Mayor and Deputy Mayor."</ref><ref>2023 Municipal Data Sheet Template:Webarchive, Township of West Amwell. Accessed May 5, 2023.</ref><ref name=HunterdonPage>Township of West Amwell Template:Webarchive, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed May 5, 2023.</ref><ref name=HunterdonDirectory>2022 County and Municipal Directory Template:Webarchive, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2022>Hunterdon County District Canvass November 8, 2022, General Election Template:Webarchive, 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 Template:Webarchive, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 12, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2020>November 3, 2020 District Report Hunterdon County Official Results Template:Webarchive, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

After voters passed a non-binding referendum in November 2014 supporting the expansion of the Township Committee from three to five members, the Township Committee addressed the process of following through with the expansion, which would involve gathering petitions of 147 voters after which the committee could approve the expansion or a referendum could be put on the ballot.<ref>Tredrea, John. "West Amwell: Petition is next step to expanded Township Committee", The Beacon, February 4, 2015. Accessed February 9, 2015.</ref> In February 2016, the Township Committee voted to approve the expansion by ordinance.<ref>Council Meeting Minutes for February 17, 2016 Template:Webarchive, West Amwell Township. Accessed November 25, 2019. "Public Hearing: Ordinance 03, 2016 - An Ordinance to Reflect an Increase of the West Amwell Township Committee from Three to Five Members... Dale moved for adoption of the Ordinance and Bergenfeld seconded. The motion carried unanimously."</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

West Amwell Township is located in the 7th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 15th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government Template:Webarchive, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011-2020 Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

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Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,071 registered voters in West Amwell Township, of which 498 (24.0%) were registered as Democrats, 830 (40.1%) were registered as Republicans and 741 (35.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Hunterdon Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 52.3% of the vote (827 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 46.4% (733 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (20 votes), among the 1,587 ballots cast by the township's 2,178 registered voters (7 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 72.9%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 50.8% of the vote (878 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.1% (814 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (24 votes), among the 1,730 ballots cast by the township's 2,101 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.3%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Hunterdon County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 55.6% of the vote (899 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 43.2% (698 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (22 votes), among the 1,616 ballots cast by the township's 1,940 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 83.3.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Hunterdon County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.9% of the vote (675 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 26.2% (249 votes), and other candidates with 2.9% (28 votes), among the 979 ballots cast by the township's 2,149 registered voters (27 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.6%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.7% of the vote (764 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 34.3% (462 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.6% (89 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (6 votes), among the 1,348 ballots cast by the township's 2,074 registered voters, yielding a 65.0% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Hunterdon County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 15, 2012.</ref>

Education

The South Hunterdon Regional School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell Township.<ref>South Hunterdon Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification Template:Webarchive, South Hunterdon Regional School District. Accessed August 27, 2024. "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 South Hunterdon Regional School District. Composition: The South Hunterdon Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the City of Lambertville, Stockton Borough, and West Amwell Township."</ref> Each of the three municipalities had their own school through sixth grade, until the Stockton school was closed after the end of the 2017–18 school year;<ref>Rizzo, Olivia. "Small schools in this rural part of N.J. are under threat" Template:Webarchive, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 28, 2018, updated January 30, 2019. Accessed November 20, 2019. "And next month Stockton Borough Elementary School, part of the South Hunterdon Regional School District, will be closing its doors for good at the end of this school year after nearly 200 years. It has a single, combined fifth and sixth grade class this year, and enrollment has fallen to about 50 students in recent years."</ref> public school students in seventh through twelfth grades attend a shared high school in Lambertville.<ref>South Hunterdon Regional School District 2015 Report Card Narrative Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 29, 2020. "Bordering the Delaware River and located in the culturally rich and rural region of Southern Hunterdon County, South Hunterdon Regional School District serves the communities of Lambertville, Stockton, and West Amwell."</ref> As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 827 students and 108.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.7:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for South Hunterdon Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the South Hunterdon Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>) are South Hunterdon Regional Elementary School<ref>South Hunterdon Regional Elementary School, South Hunterdon Regional School District. Accessed August 27, 2024.</ref> for grades PreK–4 (was Lambertville Public School, which had 221 students in grades PreK–6), South Hunterdon Regional Middle School<ref>South Hunterdon Regional Middle School, South Hunterdon Regional School District. Accessed August 27, 2024.</ref> for grades 5–8 (was West Amwell School, with 170 students in grades K–6) and South Hunterdon Regional High School<ref>South Hunterdon Regional High School, South Hunterdon Regional School District. Accessed August 27, 2024.</ref> for grades 9–12 (which had 417 students in grades 7–12).<ref name=HunterdonSchools>2023-2024 Public School Directory, Hunterdon County Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2024.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the South Hunterdon Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the South Hunterdon Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> The township is assigned three of the nine seats on the regional district's board of education.<ref>Chernoski, Steve. "Three Candidates Running for Two Open Seats on South Hunterdon Board of Education", TAPinto Flemington / Raritan, August 9, 2021. Accessed August 27, 2024. "The South Hunterdon Regional School District (SHRSD) has nine board of education seats, with three of the five seats representing Lambertville City up for election this year. On the board, Stockton Borough has one representative, West Amwell Township has three and Lambertville City has five."</ref>

In a special election held in September 2013, voters from Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell Township passed referendums to dissolve the South Hunterdon Regional High School District and to combine the three existing school districts from each municipality (Lambertville City School District, Stockton Borough School District and West Amwell Township School District), with majorities in each community passing both ballot items. A single combined regional Pre-K–12 district was created, with property taxes levied under a formula in which 57% is based on property values and 43% on the number of students. The executive county superintendent appointed an interim board of education for the new regional district, which was responsible for implementing the merger.<ref>Tredrea, John. "Lambertville: Schools turn how to make merger work; After historic vote, decisions on buildings, contracts need to be made" Template:Webarchive, The Beacon, October 2, 2013. Accessed October 15, 2013. "Now that the two referendum questions on merging the Stockton, West Amwell, Lambertville and South Hunterdon Regional High School districts into one pre-k to grade 12 district have been overwhelmingly approved, the process of implementing the regionalization can begin."</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" Template:Webarchive, 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>

Historic district

The Pleasant Valley Historic District is a Template:Convert historic district located along Pleasant Valley Road, Valley Road, Woodens Lane and Hunter Road in the community of Pleasant Valley in Hopewell Township in Mercer County that extends into West Amwell Township. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 1991, for its significance in agriculture, architecture, and exploration/settlement. It includes 52 contributing buildings, 7 contributing structures, and 22 contributing sites.

Central to the district is the Howell Living History Farm, which is a Template:Convert living open-air museum located in the Hopewell Township side of the district, just north of Titusville.<ref name="nrhpdoc"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1977, for its significance in agriculture and architecture.<ref name="nrhpdoc">Template:Cite web With Template:NRHP url</ref> The farm was included in the Pleasant Valley Historic District on June 14, 1991.<ref name="nrhpdoc2">Template:Cite web With Template:NRHP url</ref> The farm was first created by Joseph Phillips, a blacksmith, who purchased Template:Convert from William Bryant in 1732. By 1800, Henry Phillips, Joseph's son, had enlarged the farm by Template:Convert. The current buildings on the property date to the 19th century, primarily before the American Civil War.<ref name="nrhpdoc"/> The final private owner of the farm was the Howell family, who donated the land to Mercer County in 1974 for use as a museum. The museum shows farm life from the year 1900.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>