Pennington, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Pennington is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is located at the cross-roads between the Delaware Valley region to the southwest and the Raritan Valley region to the northeast. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,802,<ref name=LWD2020/> its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 217 (+8.4%) from the 2010 census count of 2,585,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn had reflected a decline of 111 (−4.1%) from the 2,696 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>

History

File:Pennington 1st Presbyterian Church, Pennington, NJ.JPG

Historic First Presbyterian Church in Pennington

According to an 1883 history, "the first name of the village was Queenstown, which was given it in honor of Queen Anne. Later it was by some, in derision of its comparative insignificance, Pennytown, and as early as 1747 it began to be called Pennington."<ref>Pennington Borough History from History of Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men by Major E. M. Woodward & John F. Hageman, 1883. Accessed September 1, 2014.</ref><ref>Rojas, Cristina. "'Celebrating our Hometown Heritage': Pennington kicks off 125th anniversary celebrations", NJ.com, April 16, 2015. Accessed September 17, 2015. "The borough's history dates to the early 1700s when it was called Queenstown in honor of Queen Anne. It was later known as Penny Town and was established as a borough in 1890 from portions of Hopewell Township."</ref><ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 17, 2015.</ref> The name "Penington" was already known in the area, as Edward Penington (1667–1701), son of the British Quaker leader Isaac Penington, was appointed by his kinsman William Penn as Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. His father-in-law was a longtime leader, including as governor, of the province of West Jersey, where Edward married.<ref>Old Philadelphia Families XLVII Penington. Accessed September 1, 2014.</ref> Henry Gannett attributes the borough's name to colonial governors from the Pennington family.<ref>Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 24. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 17, 2015.</ref>

Pennington was established as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 31, 1890, from portions of Hopewell Township, based on the results of a referendum held on January 21, 1890.<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. 194. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> It is a dry borough, where alcohol cannot be sold.<ref>New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. New Jersey ABC list of dry towns (May 1, 2013)</ref><ref>Giordano, Rita. "More towns catching liquor-license buzz; Moorestown considers ending its dry spell", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 24, 2007. Accessed February 16, 2014.</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.96 square miles (2.50 km²), including 0.96 square miles (2.49 km²) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km²) of water (0.31%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

The borough is an independent municipality completely surrounded by Hopewell Township,<ref>Areas touching Pennington, MapIt. Accessed July 11, 2016.</ref> making it part one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.<ref>DeMarco, Megan. "Voters to decide whether to merge two Princetons into one", The Star-Ledger, November 3, 2011. Accessed January 8, 2017. "There are 22 sets of 'doughnut towns' in New Jersey, those where one town wraps around the other town". Note that following voter approval of the Princeton, New Jersey, merger, 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" remain.</ref><ref>Municipalities within Mercer County, NJ, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,585 people, 1,031 households, and 712 families in the borough. The population density was 2,703.9 per square mile (1,044.0/km²). There were 1,083 housing units at an average density of 1,132.8 per square mile (437.4/km²). The racial makeup was 95.24% (2,462) White, 1.82% (47) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.78% (46) Asian, 0.08% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.08% (2) from other races, and 1.01% (26) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% (37) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,031 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18; 60.4% were married couples living together; 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.9% were non-families. Of all households, 28.4% were made up of individuals and 19.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.<ref name=Census2010/>

26.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 17.9% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 87.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 79.4 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $107,250 (with a margin of error of +/− $18,509) and the median family income was $156,923 (+/− $18,294). Males had a median income of $106,250 (+/− $20,859) versus $76,477 (+/− $25,432) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $56,962 (+/− $6,372). About 6.2% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Pennington borough, Mercer 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 2,696 people, 1,013 households, and 761 families residing in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,040 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the borough was 94.96% White, 2.63% African American, 1.00% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.19% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Pennington borough, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 19, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Pennington borough, Mercer County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 19, 2012.</ref>

There were 1,013 households, out of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.14.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the borough the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the borough was $90,366, and the median income for a family was $107,089. Males had a median income of $84,912 versus $43,068 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $45,843. About 0.7% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Arts and culture

Pennington Day, typically in the middle of May, is an annual event where local organizations and businesses set up booths in a street-fair style on Main Street. The event, with origins back to 1980, features local music and a parade early in the day and festivities continuing into the afternoon.<ref>A Rich History Template:Webarchive, Pennington Day. Accessed November 19, 2012.</ref>

Government

Local government

File:Pennington, NJ borough hall and library, Oct. 2024.jpg

Pennington Borough Hall and Public Library

Pennington 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, who are 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. 73.</ref> The borough form of government used by Pennington 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> The borough council has the option to designate an administrator or assign executive responsibilities to the administrator. The council may also adopt an administrative code which describes how the Council performs its duties.<ref>Form of Government Template:Webarchive, Pennington Borough. Accessed May 13, 2020. "The Borough form remains the most popular form of local government in New Jersey. This form dates back to the Borough Act of 1878 and was revised in 1897 . The borough Mayor is elected at large to a four-year term. Six Council members are elected at-large to staggered three-year terms."</ref>

Template:As of, the mayor of Pennington is Democrat James Davy, who was elected to serve an unexpired term of office ending December 31, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Catherine M. "Kit" Chandler (D, 2023), Katrina Angarone (D, 2025), Deborah L. Gnatt (D, 2024), Charles "Chico" Marciante (D, 2025), Nadine Stern (D, 2024) and John Valenza (D, 2023; appointed to serve an unexpired term).<ref name=MayorCouncil>Mayor and Council, Borough of Pennington. Accessed June 15, 2022.</ref><ref>2022 Municipal User Friendly Budget, Borough of Pennington. Accessed June 15, 2022.</ref><ref name=MercerOfficials>Mercer County Elected Officials, Mercer County, New Jersey, as of January 2022. Accessed February 24, 2023.</ref><ref name=Mercer2022>General Election November 8, 2022 Results, Mercer County, New Jersey Clerk, updated November 8, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Mercer2021>General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results, Mercer County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Mercer2020>General Election November 3, 2020 Official Results, Mercer County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Mercer2019>General Election November 2019 Official Results (Amended November 25, 2019), Mercer County, New Jersey, updated December 9, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In February 2023, the council selected John Valenza to fill the seat that had been held by Ken Gross expiring in December 2023 that became vacant when he resigned.<ref>Murphy-DePaolo, Colleen. "Pennington Council elects new member: life-long Pennington resident John Valenza", Mercer Me, February 9, 2023. Accessed April 23, 2023. "Mayor Jim Davy read a proclamation during the reorganization meeting honoring former member Ken Gross.... Valenza took his oath of office to join council as its newest member.... Valenza’s election was to fill the unexpired term left by Gross, ending December 31, 2023."</ref>

Katrina Angarone was selected in February 2022 from a list of three names submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Beverly Mills until her resignation from office the previous month.<ref>Harrison, Andrew. "Angarone appointed newest member of Pennington Council", Hopewell News, February 8, 2022. Accessed June 15, 2022. "The Pennington Council has appointed Katrina Angarone to fill former Councilwoman Beverly Mills’s vacant seat on the governing body. The council unanimously voted to appoint Angarone to the unfilled seat on the council at a meeting on Feb. 7. Angarone was one of three candidates nominated by the Pennington Democratic Committee to fill the council vacancy.... Mills resignation from the governing body went into effect on Jan. 6 and was announced at the council’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 5."</ref>

In June 2021, the borough council appointed former councilmember James Davy to fill the mayoral seat expiring in December 2023 that became vacant following the resignation of Joseph Lawver earlier that month.<ref>Harrison, Andrew. "Lawver resigns; Davy appointed Pennington’s new mayor", Hopewell News, June 9, 2021. Accessed June 15, 2022. "Former Pennington Councilman James Davy was appointed Pennington’s new mayor following the recent resignation of former Mayor Joe Lawver. Davy was appointed through a unanimous vote by the Borough Council at a council meeting on June 7.... Davy now succeeds Lawver, whose resignation was effective June 6. He fills Lawver’s unexpired term until Dec. 31, 2023."</ref> Davy served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when he was elected to serve the remainder of the term of office.<ref name=Mercer2021/>

In January 2019, Joseph Lawver was appointed to fill the mayoral seat expiring in December 2019 that was vacated by Anthony Persichilli, the borough's longest-serving mayor, when he resigned from office the previous month.<ref>Galioto, Mary. "Pennington Borough Honors Former Mayor and Swears-in Council Members", MercerMe, January 10, 2019. Accessed November 28, 2019. "New Councilwoman Liz Semple was sworn in to a three-year term, and Councilwoman Deb Gnatt was re-elected. Mayor Joe Lawver was selected by Council at the December 27, 2018 meeting to fill the unexpired mayoral term vacated upon Tony Persichilli’s retirement. That term runs to December 31, 2019.... Persichilli set a 12-year record as the longest serving mayor in Pennington Borough history."</ref> Former mayor Persichilli was first elected on November 7, 2006, to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of James Loper. Returned to office at that same election were Democratic council members Joseph Lawver and Eileen Heinzel.<ref>Pennington keeps council, changes mayor Template:Webarchive, Pennington Post, November 8, 2006.</ref> James Loper, the previous elected mayor, had resigned from office effective February 1, 2006. The Pennington Republican Committee nominated three candidates to take his place and the council selected James Benton from the three candidates to fill the vacancy.<ref>Pennington Borough Mayor Resigns Template:Webarchive, Hopewell Valley News, February 2, 2006.</ref> That same procedure was repeated in December 2006, when the borough council selected Diane Zompa to fill the unexpired term left by Persichilli.<ref>Hamner, Nicholas. "Council complete", Pennington Post, December 7, 2006, backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 30, 2007. Accessed July 11, 2016.</ref>

Federal, state and county representation

Pennington is located in the 12th 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 15th 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 2,017 registered voters in Pennington, of which 828 (41.1%) were registered as Democrats, 467 (23.2%) were registered as Republicans and 720 (35.7%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Mercer, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 21, 2012.</ref>

Presidential Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2024<ref name="2024Elections">Template:Cite web</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|19.8% 340	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|78.8% 1,353	1.4% 24
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2020<ref name="2020Elections">Template:Cite web</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|19.1% 349	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|79.5% 1,453	1.4% 25
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2016<ref name="2016Elections">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|20.3% 309	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|75.4% 1,149	4.3% 65
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2012<ref name="2012Elections">Template:Cite web</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|32.7% 488	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|66.0% 985	1.3% 19
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2008<ref name="state.nj.us">2008 Presidential General Election Results: Mercer County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 21, 2012.</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|31.4% 506	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|67.5% 1,090	1.1% 18
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2004<ref name="Presidential Election 2004">2004 Presidential Election: Mercer County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 21, 2012.</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|36.5% 581	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|62.8% 999	0.7% 11

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 66.0% of the vote (985 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 32.7% (488 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (19 votes), among the 1,653 ballots cast by the borough's 2,115 registered voters (161 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 78.2%.<ref name="2012Elections"/><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 66.9% of the vote (1,090 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 31.0% (506 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (18 votes), among the 1,630 ballots cast by the borough's 2,088 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.1%.<ref name="state.nj.us"/> In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 61.7% of the vote (999 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 35.9% (581 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (11 votes), among the 1,619 ballots cast by the borough's 2,022 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 80.1.<ref name="Presidential Election 2004"/>

Gubernatorial Elections Results

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2021<ref name="2021Elections">Template:Cite web</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|23.9% 290	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|75.4% 914	0.7% 8
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2017<ref name="2017Elections">Template:Cite web</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|28.3% 296	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|69.9% 730	1.8% 19
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|2013<ref name="2013Elections">Template:Cite web</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|49.6% 496	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|48.7% 487	1.6% 16
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2009<ref name="2009 Governor: Mercer County">2009 Governor: Mercer County, Template:Webarchive New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 21, 2012.</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|35.7% 425	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|53.8% 640	9.6% 114
style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|2005<ref>2005 Governor: Mercer County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections. Accessed December 31, 2017.</ref>	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Republican|40.2% 460	style="text-align:center; Template:Party shading/Democratic|56.8% 649	3.0% 34

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 49.6% of the vote (496 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 48.7% (487 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (16 votes), among the 1,015 ballots cast by the borough's 2,067 registered voters (16 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.1%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 53.8% of the vote (640 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 35.7% (425 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 9.3% (111 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (3 votes), among the 1,190 ballots cast by the borough's 2,057 registered voters, yielding a 57.9% turnout.<ref name="2009 Governor: Mercer County"/>

Education

File:Toll Gate Grammar School.jpg

Toll Gate Grammar School

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.<ref name=MercerSchools>2017-2018 Mercer County Charter and Public Schools Directory, Mercer County, New Jersey. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref> The comprehensive regional public school district serves students from Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington Borough.<ref>Hopewell Valley Regional School District 2016 Report Card Narrative Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 25, 2017. "Hopewell Valley serves the two boroughs of Pennington and Hopewell and the much larger Hopewell Township, and encompasses a total area of nearly 60 square miles with a population that exceeds 20,000. There are six schools that comprise the district. (Four elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.) District enrollment is currently 3,750 students."</ref><ref>About Us Template:Webarchive, Hopewell Valley Regional High School. Accessed September 25, 2017. "Hopewell Valley Regional School District, as it functions today, has been a regionalized operation since 1965 when voters of Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough approved a plan to consolidate their schools. But the first consolidation of local schools actually occurred in 1894 when the 14 separate districts, operating one-room schoolhouses throughout the valley, agreed to merge and be governed by a single school board."</ref> As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,467 students and 351.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Hopewell Valley Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref>) are Bear Tavern Elementary School<ref>Bear Tavern Elementary School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed February 8, 2022.</ref> with 397 students in grades Pre-K–5, Hopewell Elementary School<ref>Hopewell Elementary School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed February 8, 2022.</ref> with 400 students in grades Pre-K–5, Stony Brook Elementary School<ref>Stony Brook Elementary School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed February 8, 2022.</ref> with 378 students in grades K–5, Toll Gate Grammar School<ref>Toll Gate Grammar School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed February 8, 2022.</ref> with 306 students in grades K–5, Timberlane Middle School<ref>Timberlane Middle School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed February 8, 2022.</ref> with 820 students in grades 6–8 and Hopewell Valley Central High School<ref>Hopewell Valley Central High School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed February 8, 2022.</ref> with 1,097 students in grades 9–12.<ref>School Performance Reports for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> The district's board of education is comprised of nine members allocated to each of the three municipalities based on population, with Pennington assigned a single seat.<ref>About the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education Template:Webarchive, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed March 2, 2020. "The Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education is a nine-member body elected by the residents of Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough. Seats are apportioned by population. Hopewell Township has seven representatives; each borough is represented by one seat.... The Hopewell Valley Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Borough of Pennington, Hopewell Borough, and Hopewell Township."</ref>

Eighth grade students from all of Mercer County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Mercer County Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its Health Sciences Academy, STEM Academy and Academy of Culinary Arts, 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. "Mercer County has a stand-alone specialized high school for top students: a Health Sciences Academy at the district's Assunpink Center campus. The district also offers a STEM Academy at Mercer County Community College. How to apply: Students can apply online in the fall of their 8th grade year."</ref><ref>High School Programs Template:Webarchive, Mercer County Technical Schools. Accessed November 18, 2019.</ref>

The Pennington School serves students in sixth through twelfth grades, having been founded in 1838 with a single teacher and three students.<ref>History Template:Webarchive, The Pennington School. Accessed November 19, 2012. "When The Pennington School (then the Methodist Episcopal Male Seminary) opened its doors in 1838 in the small town of Pennington, New Jersey, the school was housed in one building and enrolled three students under the tutelage of one teacher."</ref>

Transportation

Roads and highways

File:2023-09-21 11 45 54 View north along New Jersey State Route 31 at West Delaware Avenue in Pennington, Mercer County, New Jersey.jpg

Route 31 is the primary state highway serving Pennington

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 Mercer County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.<ref>Mercer County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed October 31, 2013.</ref>

Route 31 passes through Pennington, providing access to Interstate 295 at exit 72.<ref>Route 31 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated May 2017. Accessed March 9, 2023.</ref> Additionally, exit 73 along I-295 connects to Scotch Road North, which provides access to all of the surrounding Hopewell Township area.<ref>Mercer County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed March 9, 2023.</ref>

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between the borough and Trenton on the 624 route.<ref>Mercer County Mobility Guide, Greater Mercer TMA, October 2015. Accessed September 1, 2018.</ref><ref>Mercer County Rider Guide Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed November 27, 2019.</ref>

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Pennington has a Hot-summer Humid continental climate (Dfa).

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Pennington would have a dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak (104) with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern Hardwood Forest (25).<ref name="Conservation Biology Institute">U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions), Data Basin, Accessed November 26, 2019.</ref>

Points of interest

• Hopewell Valley Central High School
• Hopewell Valley Vineyards
• First Presbyterian Church
• Pennington Railroad Station – Constructed in 1882 by the Reading Railroad, the Victorian-style station is located along the West Trenton Line, on which NJ Transit has plans to offer commuter service, though not at this station. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1974.<ref>Lawlor, Julia. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Pennington; Small Town With a Sense of Community", The New York Times, May 18, 2003. Accessed October 31, 2013. "Pennington's mix of Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian-style architecture appeals to old-home lovers, and the Victorian stone Pennington Railroad Station, which now holds two condominiums, is on the National Register of Historic Places."</ref><ref>Template:NRHP url, National Register of Historic Places, received November 11, 1974. Accessed October 31, 2013.</ref>
• The Pennington School
• Toll Gate Grammar school and the original Central High School. Both date to the 1920s
• Pennington Fire Company

Notable people

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

• Val Ackerman (born 1959), first president of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), serving from 1996 to 2005<ref>Hoffman, Jan. "Public lives; A League President in the Dreams Business", The New York Times, May 26, 2000. Accessed November 19, 2012. "As a girl, thinking about what she would be when she grew up, Val Ackerman just assumed she'd be an athletic director.... When she was a teenager in Pennington, N.J., playing field hockey, swimming butterfly and freestyle, competing in track and field, and emerging as a star small forward in basketball, her father was her high school's athletic director."</ref> The Central High School's old gymnasium is named after her father, G. Randall Ackerman
• Svetlana Alliluyeva (1926–2011), daughter of Joseph Stalin who became an international sensation when she defected to the United States in 1967Template:Citation needed
• Kwame Anthony Appiah (born 1954), philosopher<ref>Biography Template:Webarchive, Kwame Anthony Appiah. Accessed November 19, 2012. "Kwame Anthony Appiah has homes in New York city and near Pennington, in New Jersey, which he shares with his partner, Henry Finder, Editorial Director of the New Yorker magazine."</ref>
• Frank Baldwin (1880–1959), Rear admiral in the United States Navy<ref>Frank Baldwin, Naval History and Heritage Command. Accessed June 27, 2019. "Born in Pennington, New Jersey, on November 19, 1880, Frank Baldwin attended Pennington Preparatory School and the Stewart School in Trenton, prior to his appointment in 1906 as Assistant Paymaster, with rank of Ensign in the Supply Corps of the US Navy."</ref>
• Nicole Baxter (born 1994), professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the National Women's Soccer League club Sky Blue FC<ref>Nicole Baxter, William & Mary Tribe women's soccer. Accessed July 5, 2020. "Hometown: Pennington, N.J.; High School: Pennington"</ref>
• Peter Benchley (1940–2006), author of the novel and film Jaws<ref>Hawtree, Christopher. "Peter Benchley: He was fascinated by the sea, but his bestselling novel tapped into a primeval fear of the deep", The Guardian, February 14, 2006. Accessed August 18, 2008. "In 1971, he was asked by Tom Congdon, an editor at the publishers Doubleday, if he had anything in mind for a book, and he pitched this as a 'long story'; he produced a hundred pages, and, with a $1000 advance, he reworked it steadily, holing up to do so, during the winter, in a room above the Pennington Furnace Supply Co in Pennington, New Jersey, and, by summer, in an old turkey coop at Stonington, Connecticut."</ref>
• Wendy Benchley (born 1941), marine and environmental conservation advocate and former councilwoman from New Jersey who was the wife of author Peter Benchley<ref>Stratton, Jean. "Princeton personality", Town Topics, April 16, 2008. Accessed November 6, 2019. "'We were looking for a place to live, and we didn’t have any money. Peter wanted to be near New York, and finally, we were able to get a house in Pennington in 1970.'... 'Peter had this idea for a novel,' explains Ms. Benchley, 'and he wrote Jaws in the Blackwell Furnace Repair Shop in Pennington.'"</ref>
• Grant Billmeier (born 1984), former center for the Seton Hall University Pirates men's basketball team<ref>Gomes, Jay. NJ pair sign with Seton Hall, NJHoops.com, November 14, 2002. Accessed September 16, 2007.</ref>
• Bob Bradley (born 1958), current head coach of Los Angeles FC, former head coach of the United States national football team and Egypt national football team<ref name=Bradley>Bell, Jack. "Soccer; Father-and-Son Quality Time Comes to the MetroStars", The New York Times, April 14, 2004. Accessed November 19, 2012. "Michael lives with his family in Pennington, N.J., but goes to workouts with Eddie Gaven, another promising young midfielder, behind the wheel."</ref>
• Michael Bradley (born 1987), son of former US Men's National Soccer Team coach Bob Bradley and professional soccer player who currently plays for Toronto F.C. in Major League Soccer<ref name=Bradley/>
• Anne Canby, transportation official who served in the cabinet of Governor Brendan Byrne as the New Jersey Commissioner of Transportation from 1981 to 1982 and in the cabinet of Governor Thomas R. Carper as the Delaware Secretary of Transportation from 1993 to 2001<ref>DePalma, Anthony. "Transportation: It's Decision Time", The New York Times, November 22, 1981. Accessed March 29, 2016. "A resident of Pennington, she sometimes bicycles to her office in Trenton, a distance of four and a half miles."</ref>
• Simon Carcagno (born 1976), American professional rower
• George Councell (born 1949), 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, serving in the position from 2003 to 2013<ref>Clerkin, Bridget. "Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey Bishop George Councell to retire", The Times, March 26, 2013. Accessed October 31, 2013. "The diocese also runs a school in Burlington, Doane Academy, where attendance has been consistently growing, said Councell, a Pennington resident."</ref>
• James Davy, former New Jersey Commissioner of Human Services<ref name=Davy/>
• Lucille Davy, former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education<ref name=Davy>Lucille Day, Office of the Governor of New Jersey, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 2, 2008. Accessed February 15, 2011. "Commissioner Davy is married to James M. Davy. They live in Pennington with their two sons, James and Andrew."</ref>
• Tony DeNicola (1927–2006), jazz drummer<ref>Staff. "Tony DeNicola: Obituary", The Times, September 4, 2006. Accessed September 17, 2015. "Tony DeNicola, 79, died Saturday in the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Born in Pennington, he had resided in Lawrenceville for 40 years."</ref>
• Olga Gorelli (1920–2006), composer and pianist<ref>Strauss, Elaine. "A Concert to Honor Volunteers for the Homeless" Template:Webarchive, U.S. 1 Newspaper, January 26, 2005. Accessed February 15, 2011. "Olga Gorelli is a Pennington-based composer and leader in New Jersey's musical life; her compositions experiment with both words and music."</ref>
• Jim Himes (born 1966), U.S. Representative from Connecticut's 4th congressional district<ref>"Himes Reaches Out to War-Weary Republicans" Template:Webarchive, Jim Himes for Congress. Accessed February 15, 2011. "He was raised by 'a working single mom' in the small town of Pennington, N.J., and attended 'a decent public school.' When he brought home an A minus, his mother would ask, 'What went wrong?'"</ref>
• Cassidy Hutchinson (born 1996),<ref name="Hutchinson">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during the firstTrump administration who testified at a hearing of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. In town, she was a member of the Youth Advisory Committee and was awarded the Mayor's Award for Outstanding Civic Contribution.<ref name="Hutchinson"/>
• Samuel Messick (1931–1998), psychologist who worked for the Educational Testing Service<ref>Burkhart, Ford. "Samuel Messick, 67, Leader In Educational Testing Field", The New York Times, October 19, 1998. Accessed November 24, 2018. "Dr. Samuel J. Messick, a leader in educational testing who argued for restraint in the use of student test scores, died on Oct. 6 at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia. He was 67 and lived in Pennington, N.J."</ref>
• Kenneth G. Miller (born 1956), geologist at Rutgers University who has written and lectured on global warming and sea level change<ref>Kenneth G. Miller Template:Webarchive, Rutgers University Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Accessed November 27, 2013. "A resident of Pennington, NJ, Ken grew up in Medford, NJ in the heart of the pine barrens and still owns a house in Waretown, NJ, the home of the sounds of the NJ pines, where he watches the inexorable rise in sea level from his deck 16 ft above Barnegat Bay."</ref>
• Elizabeth Maher Muoio, member of the New Jersey General Assembly who served as a councilwoman from 1997 to 2001<ref>Davis, Mike. "Elizabeth Maher Muoio sworn in as new assemblywoman in 15th District", The Times, February 5, 2015. Accessed September 17, 2015. "Muoio, a Pennington resident, was sworn into office on Thursday by Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) two weeks after Mercer and Hunterdon County Democrats convened and appointed her to the seat.... Muoio served on the Pennington Borough Council in the late 1990s before winning election to the Mercer County freeholder board."</ref>
• Cal Newport, nonfiction author and full-time professor of computer science at Georgetown University<ref>Newport, Cal. "What if Remote Work Didn’t Mean Working from Home?", The New Yorker, May 21, 2021. Accessed February 2, 2025. "I’ve long been familiar with the connection between Jaws and Pennington because I grew up down the street from the house that the Benchleys had bought."</ref>
• Sue Niederer, political activist<ref>via Associated Press. "As New York prepares for Bush, protests gather pace", Taipei Times, August 30, 2004. Accessed February 16, 2011. "Sue Niederer of Pennington, New Jersey, who lost her son Seth Dvorin in Iraq earlier this year, grieves at a memorial yesterday, in Central Park in New York."</ref>
• Judith Persichilli (born 1949), nurse and health care executive who has served as the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health<ref>Burling, Stacey. "Catholic Health East names a new leader", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 16, 2009. Accessed July 18, 2019. "Home: Pennington, N.J."</ref>
• William E. Schluter (1927–2018), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly and State Senate<ref>"Corzine appoints new members to the state ethics commission" Office of the Governor, February 23, 2006, backed up the Internet Archive as of January 5, 2007. Accessed August 7, 2018.</ref><ref>Shea, Kevin. "Bill Schluter, former state senator who ran for governor, dies at 90", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 6, 2018. Accessed August 7, 2018. "William 'Bill' Schluter, a longtime New Jersey legislator and public servant who ran for governor in 2001, died at his Pennington home Monday morning at the age of 90."</ref>
• John Tanguay (born 1998), rower who won a silver medal at the 2019 World Rowing Championships<ref>John Tanguay, Columbia Lions. Accessed August 11, 2020. "Hometown: Pennington, N.J.; High School: Hopewell Valley"</ref>
• Karl Weidel (1923–1997), member of the New Jersey General Assembly<ref>Sullivan, Joseph F. "Assembly Races: Lots of Footwork; Assembly Hopefuls Running a Rugged Foot Race", The New York Times, October 21, 1979. Accessed February 15, 2011. "The district has one Democrat in the Assembly, Barbara W. McConnell of Flemington, and one Republican, Karl Weidel of Pennington."</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website