Mine Hill Township, New Jersey

Mine Hill Township is a township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a residential community located just west of the center of Morris County, and northwest of the county seat Morristown.

Mine Hill was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1923, from portions of Randolph, based on the results of a referendum held on May 8, 1923.<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><ref>Historical Timeline of Morris County Boundaries, Morris County Library. Accessed December 24, 2016. "1923, March 2. Mine Hill is established from Randolph Township."</ref>

The township's name comes from the history of mines in the area.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 7, 2015.</ref> Mining in Mine Hill dates back to the early 18th century and the township had some of the richest sources of iron ore in the country. The family of Mahlon Dickerson, who was New Jersey's 7th Governor, owned the Dickerson Mine, which was the largest ore mine in the area, supplying much of the iron ore used during the American Revolutionary War. The last mine in the township closed in the late 1960s.<ref>Welcome to the Township of Mine Hill Template:Webarchive, Mine Hill Township. Accessed July 25, 2008.</ref>

As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 4,015,<ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 364 (+10.0%) from the 2010 census count of 3,651,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decline of 28 (−0.8%) from the 3,679 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>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.76 km²), including 2.94 square miles (7.61 km²) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.15 km²) of water (1.93%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 /> The township is at an elevation of 863 feet (263 m) above sea level for the administrative center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The township borders the Morris County municipalities of Dover, Randolph, Roxbury and Wharton.<ref>Areas touching Mine Hill, MapIt. Accessed February 27, 2020.</ref><ref>Morris County Municipalities Map, Morris County, New Jersey Department of Planning and Preservation. Accessed February 27, 2020.</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 3,651 people, 1,329 households, and 977 families in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,380 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 80.69% (2,946) White, 4.60% (168) Black or African American, 0.41% (15) Native American, 4.96% (181) Asian, 0.03% (1) Pacific Islander, 5.78% (211) from other races, and 3.53% (129) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.01% (840) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,329 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18; 57.7% were married couples living together; 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.5% were non-families. Of all households, 20.3% were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.16.<ref name=Census2010/>

22.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.3 males.<ref name=Census2010/> The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $91,667 (with a margin of error of +/− $17,591) and the median family income was $103,532 (+/− $8,317). Males had a median income of $61,875 (+/− $13,249) versus $42,201 (+/− $13,280) for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,706 (+/− $3,887). About 2.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Mine Hill township, Morris County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

At the 2000 United States census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 3,679 people, 1,365 households and 1,041 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,388 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 90.41% White, 3.42% African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.50% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.79% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.67% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Mine Hill township, Morris County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 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 Mine Hill township, Morris County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref>

There were 1,365 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.08.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median household income was $64,643 and the median family income was $67,467. Males had a median income of $47,813 versus $37,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,119. About 4.7% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

Local government

Mine Hill Township is governed within the Faulkner Act system of New Jersey municipal government, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under Mayor-Council (Plan E), enacted as of January 1, 1980, based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission.<ref>"The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey State League of Municipalities, July 2007. Accessed October 21, 2013.</ref> The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 565) statewide that use this form of government.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The Mine Hill Township Council is comprised of five elected members, each chosen at-large by the voters of Mine Hill in partisan elections for a four-year term on a staggered basis as part of the November general election, with either two or three seats coming up for election in odd-numbered years, and the mayoral seat up at the same time that two council seats are up for vote. At the Council's organizational meeting each January, one member is elected to serve as Mayor for a twelve-month term and another is chosen to serve as Deputy Mayor.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 116.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 10. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

Template:As of, the Mayor of Mine Hill Township is Republican Sam Morris, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Mine Hill Township Council are Council President Frederick F. Willis Jr. (R, 2023), Bret Coranato (R, 2023), Debbie A. Giordano (R, 2025), Kristine A. Kanzenbach (R, 2025) and Jerilyn 'Jeri' Marino (R, 2025).<ref name=MayorCouncil>Mayor & Council, Mine Hill Township. Accessed April 26, 2023. "Mine Hill Township operates under the 'Mayor-Council Plan' of the Optional Municipal Charter Law, also known as the Faulkner Act of 1950."</ref><ref>2022 Municipal Data Sheet, Mine Hill Township. Accessed July 13, 2022.</ref><ref name=MorrisManual>Morris County Manual 2024, Morris County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed May 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=MorrisOfficials>Morris County Municipal Elected Officials For The Year 2024, Morris County, New Jersey Clerk, updated March 20, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Morris2022>General Election November 8, 2022, Official Results, Morris County, New Jersey, updated November 28, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Morris2021>General Election Winners For November 2, 2021, Morris County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Morris2019>General Election November 5, 2019, Official Results, Morris County, New Jersey, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 31, 2020.</ref>

Dover serves as the lead agency operating a joint municipal court that also serves the neighboring municipalities of Mine Hill Township, Mount Arlington, Victory Gardens and Wharton.<ref>Mayor and Board of Aldermen, Town of Dover Minutes of the Reorganization Meeting for January 1, 2015, Town of Dover. Accessed July 29, 2015.</ref> Established in 2009, the joint municipal court was forecast to offer annual savings in excess of $250,000 over the 10-year life of the agreement.<ref>Forrest, Cindy. "Victory Gardens Council judges proposal for joint municipal court", The Record, May 18, 2012. Accessed July 29, 2015. "With Dover as the lead agency, four other area towns - Rockaway Borough, Wharton, Mine Hill, and Mt. Arlington - entered into a landmark municipal court shared-services agreement in 2009 anticipating an estimated $2.65 million savings over the 10-year life of the contract."</ref>

Federal, state, and county representation

Mine Hill Township 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 25th 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> Prior to the 2010 Census, Mine Hill Township had been part of the Template:Ushr, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.<ref name=LWV2011>2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government Template:Webarchive, p. 61, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.</ref>

Politics

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As of March 2011, Mine Hill had a total of 2,197 registered voters, of which 513 (23.4%) were registered as Democrats, 669 (30.5%) were registered as Republicans, and 1,014 (46.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. One voter was registered to another party.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Morris, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 49.2% of the vote (802 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 49.0% (799 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (29 votes), among the 1,638 ballots cast by the township's 2,337 registered voters (8 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.1%.<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 (894 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.5% (835 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (20 votes), among the 1,759 ballots cast by the township's 2,283 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.0%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Morris County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 54.3% of the vote (910 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 44.8% (751 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (11 votes), among the 1,675 ballots cast by the township's 2,270 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 73.8.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Morris County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref>

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.2% of the vote (702 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.8% (337 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (21 votes), among the 1,080 ballots cast by the township's 2,331 registered voters (20 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.3%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.5% of the vote (660 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 30.9% (361 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 9.2% (108 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (16 votes), among the 1,168 ballots cast by the township's 2,217 registered voters, yielding a 52.7% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Morris County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref>

Education

The Mine Hill School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at Canfield Avenue School.<ref>Mine Hill Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Mine Hill School District, adopted May 27, 2008. Accessed January 20, 2025. "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 six in the Mine Hill Township School District. Composition: The Mine Hill Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Mine Hill Township."</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Mine Hill School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Mine Hill School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 371 students and 33.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Mine Hill Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.</ref>

During the 1991–92 school year, Canfield Avenue School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.<ref>Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed January 20, 2025.</ref>

For seventh through twelfth grades, public school students attend the schools of the Dover School District in Dover as part of a sending/receiving relationship.<ref>Dover High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 5, 2020. "Dover High School, located 40 miles from New York City, services approximately 900 high school students from the Town of Dover, the Borough of Victory Gardens, and the Township of Mine Hill."</ref> The district also serves students from Victory Gardens, which has been fully consolidated into the Dover School District since 2010.<ref>Martin, Liz. "Voters have their say on the budgets", Neighbor News, April 28, 2010. Accessed July 11, 2016. "The school board goes from 11 members to 10 after this election as the temporary Board seat assigned to the Victory Gardens representative Danielle Press expired permanently on April 20. Now that Victory Gardens has merged with the Dover school district, there will no longer be a dedicated Victory Gardens seat on the Board. Any resident from either Dover or Victory Gardens will be eligible to run for any available Board seat."</ref><ref>"13 Non-Operating School Districts Eliminated", New Jersey Department of Education press release dated July 1, 2009. Accessed January 20, 2025.</ref> The high school was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award in 2013.<ref>2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools; All Public and Private, United States Department of Education. Accessed January 20, 2025.</ref> Schools in the Dover School District attended by Mine Hill students (with 2023–24 enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Dover School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.</ref>) are Dover Middle School<ref>Dover Middle School, Dover School District. Accessed January 20, 2025.</ref> with 511 students in grade 7–8 and Dover High School<ref>Dover High School, Dover School District. Accessed January 20, 2025.</ref> with 983 students in grades 9–12.<ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Dover School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

Library services

The Mine Hill Township Library services are provided through the Morris County Library with Mobile library services provided at Town Hall.<ref>Library, Mine Hill Township. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref> Residents may also use either the County College of Morris Library in Randolph or the Morris County Library in Morris Plains. Residents of Mine Hill cannot use any other local library in Morris County, because the township does not belong to the Morris County Library System.

Transportation

File:2018-07-30 10 00 45 View west along U.S. Route 46 just west of Scrub Oak Road in Mine Hill Township, Morris County, New Jersey.jpg

U.S. Route 46 westbound in Mine Hill Township

Roads and highways

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

U.S. Route 46 is the main highway serving Mine Hill Township. Interstate 80 and New Jersey Route 10 are accessible in adjacent municipalities.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides Midtown Direct service at the Dover train station<ref>Dover station, NJ Transit. Accessed April 26, 2023.</ref> on the Montclair-Boonton Line and the Morristown Line to Newark Broad Street station, Secaucus Junction, New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal.<ref>Montclair-Boonton Line, NJ Transit. Accessed October 21, 2013.</ref><ref>Morristown Line, NJ Transit. Accessed October 21, 2013.</ref>

NJ Transit offered local bus service on the MCM5 route,<ref>Morris County Bus / Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed December 19, 2012.</ref> which was eliminated in 2010 when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts.<ref>Private Carrier Bus Service Reductions, NJ Transit. Accessed July 30, 2015.</ref>

Notable people

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

• Kathleen Clark, playwright<ref>Aranda, Melinda Dean; and Karels, Carol. "Leonia Lives: Kathleen Clark's world is on the stage" Template:Webarchive, Leonia Life, July 17, 2015. Accessed March 22, 2017. "Q: Where are you from? A: I was born and raised in Mine Hill, N.J., a rural community in Morris County, my dad's hometown."</ref>
• BettyLou DeCroce (born 1952), politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2012, where she has represented the 26th Legislative District, who served on the Mine Hill Township Council from 1981 to 1983<ref>Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R), New Jersey Legislature. Accessed March 2, 2015.</ref>
• Tim DiBisceglie (born 1994), professional soccer player who played for the Philadelphia Atoms in 2017–2019<ref>Staff. "Mine Hill's Tim DiBisceglie commits to soccer at Scranton", Neighbor News, January 24, 2013. Accessed March 18, 2017. "After two and a half years of recruiting by colleges such as Rutgers, Seton Hall, Holy Cross, Iona and West Virginia, Mine Hill's Tim DiBisceglie has committed to the University of Scranton to continue his education and soccer career this fall."Template:Dead link</ref>
• Roseann Quinn (1944–1973), schoolteacher whose murder inspired Judith Rossner's 1975 novel Looking for Mr. Goodbar, as well as its 1977 film adaptation<ref>Kaufman, Michael T. "Teacher, 28, Slain In Her Apartment On West 72d Street; Teacher, 28, Is Slain in Her Apartment Other Violence Recalled", The New York Times, January 5, 1973. Accessed July 13, 2022. "She had grown up in Mine Hill, N. J., where both her parents are employed by Bell Laboratories."</ref>

External links

• Mine Hill Township website
• Mine Hill School District
• Template:NJReportCard
• School Data for the Mine Hill School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• Abandoned Mines of New Jersey