Blairstown, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Blairstown is a township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 5,704,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 263 (−4.4%) from the 2010 census count of 5,967,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 220 (+3.8%) from the 5,747 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>

The area had been known as Smith's Mill and was later called Butts Bridge (variously spelled as "Butt's Bridge" and "Butts' Bridge"), named for a family that owned the eponymous crossing of the Paulins Kill.<ref>Bertholf, Kenneth Jr. Blairstown and Its Neighbors, p. 27. Arcadia Publishing, 2011. Template:ISBN. Accessed April 2, 2015.</ref>

Blairstown was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1845, from portions of Knowlton Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day.<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. 245. Accessed September 19, 2012.</ref> The township was named for John Insley Blair.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 27, 2015.</ref><ref>Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 48. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed August 27, 2015.</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 30.78 square miles (79.71 km²), including 29.89 square miles (77.41 km²) of land and 0.89 square miles (2.30 km²) of water (2.88%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 /> The township is located in the Kittatinny Valley which is a section of the Great Appalachian Valley that stretches for Template:Convert from Canada to Alabama.

Blairstown CDP (with a 2010 Census population of 515<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Blairstown CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 1, 2013.</ref>) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within the township.<ref>GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Warren County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 28, 2013.</ref><ref>2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 28, 2013.</ref><ref name=CPH232>New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, p. III-5, August 2012. Accessed May 28, 2013.</ref>

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Blair Lake, Cedar Lake, Cooks Pond, Jacksonburg, Kalaroma, Lake Susquehanna, Mount Vernon, Paulina, Vail and Walnut Valley.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed December 21, 2014.</ref>

White Township borders the Warren County municipalities of Frelinghuysen Township, Hardwick Township, Hope Township and Knowlton Township.<ref>Municipal Directory, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed July 30, 2023.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Demographics

The township's economic data and that of Warren County is calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area, which also includes Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton counties in eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania.<ref>New Jersey: 2020 Core Based Statistical Areas and Counties, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 5,967 people, 2,124 households, and 1,703 families in the township. The population density was 193.6 per square mile (74.7/km²). There were 2,272 housing units at an average density of 73.7 per square mile (28.5/km²). The racial makeup was 96.03% (5,730) White, 1.12% (67) Black or African American, 0.12% (7) Native American, 1.14% (68) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.45% (27) from other races, and 1.14% (68) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.79% (226) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 2,124 households, 32.8% had children under the age of 18; 66.8% were married couples living together; 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 19.8% were non-families. Of all households, 15.8% were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.11.<ref name=Census2010/>

23.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.8 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $82,952 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,269) and the median family income was $92,063 (+/− $14,594). Males had a median income of $73,818 (+/− $7,161) versus $54,959 (+/− $13,254) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,393 (+/− $7,342). About 4.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Blairstown township, Warren County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 19, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 5,747 people, 2,040 households, and 1,638 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,136 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 98.17% White, 0.26% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.98% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Blairstown township, Warren County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 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 Blairstown township, Warren County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 19, 2012.</ref>

There were 2,040 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.14.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the township was $64,809, and the median income for a family was $71,214. Males had a median income of $51,931 versus $33,646 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,775. About 3.0% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

Local government

Blairstown 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, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who 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 or two seats 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", p. 7. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> At a reorganization meeting held each year during the first week of January, the Committee members select one of their members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor.<ref name=Government/>

Template:As of, the Blairstown Township Committee consists of Mayor Rob Moorhead (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024, term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Walter Orcutt (R, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Charles Makatura (R, 2024), Giovanna "JoAnne" VanValkenburg (R, 2022) and Debra Waldron (R, 2023).<ref name=Government>Township Committee Members, Blairstown Township. Accessed February 28, 2022. "The Township of Blairstown is governed by the Township form of government, registered voters directly elect members of the five-member Township Committee. The Committee selects the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, from amongst themselves, annually at the reorganization meeting held annually on January first. It is at the reorganization meeting when newly elected members of the Committee are sworn-in and committee assignments are delegated and members of Board/Committee are appointed."</ref><ref>2021 Municipal Data Sheet, Blairstown Township. Accessed February 28, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2021>Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results, Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2020>Warren County 2020 General Election November 20, 2020 Official Results, Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Warren2019>General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally, Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

Federal, state, and county representation

Blairstown Township is located in the 7th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2022>2022 Redistricting Plan, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2023>Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed September 1, 2023.</ref>

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,294 registered voters in Blairstown Township, of which 707 (16.5% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,882 (43.8% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 1,702 (39.6% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.<ref name=VoterRegistration>Voter Registration Summary - Warren, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref> Among the township's 2010 Census population, 72.0% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 94.6% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State -- County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 1,654 votes (63.2% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 910 votes (34.8% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 28 votes (1.1% vs. 1.7%), among the 2,616 ballots cast by the township's 4,326 registered voters, for a turnout of 60.5% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County).<ref>Presidential November 6, 2012 General Election Results - Warren County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref><ref>Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast November 6, 2012 General Election Results - Warren County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 1,986 votes (60.7% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,192 votes (36.4% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 39 votes (1.2% vs. 1.6%), among the 3,271 ballots cast by the township's 4,332 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.5% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County).<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Warren County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,141 votes (65.8% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,068 votes (32.8% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 33 votes (1.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,256 ballots cast by the township's 4,021 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.0% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county).<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Warren County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.0% of the vote (1,335 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.7% (427 votes), and other candidates with 2.3% (42 votes), among the 1,850 ballots cast by the township's 4,338 registered voters (46 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.6%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,252 votes (63.5% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 489 votes (24.8% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 180 votes (9.1% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.2% vs. 1.5%), among the 1,971 ballots cast by the township's 4,236 registered voters, yielding a 46.5% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).<ref>2009 Governor: Warren County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>

Former mayors

• 2021 – Rob Moorhead (R)
• 2018–2020 – Stephen Lance (R)
• 2014–2017 – Herman Shoemaker (R)
• 2013 – Richard Mach (R)
• 2012 – Frank Anderson (R)
• 2009–2011 – Richard Mach (R)
• 2006–2008 – Stephen Lance (R)
• 2005 – Alfred Handy (R)
• 2004 – George Joest (R)
• 2003 – William Horsey (R)
• 2002 – George Joest (R)
• 2001 – William Seal (R)
• 2000 – Jane Santini (D)
• 1999 – Joseph DiGrazia (R)
• 1998 – Anita Ardia (I)
• 1996–1997 – Franklin D Shotwell (R)
• 1995 – Charles Eble (R)
• 1990–1994 – Walter Orcutt (R)
• 1989 – Frank Kelly (D)
• 1988 – Howard Mott Sr. (D)

Former committee members

• 2021–2023 – Walter Orcutt (R)
• 2019–2021 – Steven Sikkes (R)
• 2019–2021 – Rob Moorhead (R)
• 2017–2023 – Debra Waldron (R)
• 2016–2018 – Cynthia Dalton (R)
• 2015–2022 – JoAnne VanValkenburg (R)
• 2015 – Harold Price (R)
• 2014–2015 – Susan Price (R)
• 2013–2018 – Paul Avery (R)
• 2012–2017 – Herman Shoemaker (R)
• 2007–2012 – William Seal (R)
• 2006–2011 – Sal Lascari (R)
• 2006–2020 – Stephen Lance (R)
• 2005–2015 – Frank Anderson (R)
• 2005–2013 – Richard Mach (R)
• 2004–2006 – Gary Stevens (R)
• 2003–2005 – Alfred Handy (R)
• 2003–2005 – Raymond Davis (R)
• 2002–2004 – William Horsey (R)
• 2001–2005 – George Joest (R)
• 2001–2003 – JoAnne VanValkenburg (I)
• 1998–2001 – William Seal (R)
• 1997–2002 – Jane Santini (D)
• 1997–2002 – Anita Ardia (I)
• 1995–1997 – Fred Cook (D)
• 1995–1997 – Charles Eble (R)
• 1992–1994 – Robert Rokosz (R)
• 1990–1992 – Anthony Hipple (R)
• 1989–1994 – Walter Orcutt (R)
• 1988–1993 – Robert McElroy (D)
• 1984–1986 – George Wilhelm (R)
• 1981–1987 – Carl Race (R)
• 1979–1987 – Sal Simonetti (R)
• 1978–1983 – Elwyn Barker (R)
• 1975–1979 – Howard Mott Sr. (D)
• 1968–1989 – Frank Kelly (D)

Education

Template:Further The Blairstown Township School District serves public school students in kindergarten through sixth grade at the Blairstown Elementary School.<ref>School Performance Reports for the Blairstown Elementary Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 18, 2023.</ref><ref name=WarrenDistricts>Warren County 2022-2023 Public School Directory, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed September 18, 2023.</ref> Students from Hardwick Township, a non-operating school district attend Blairstown Elementary School.<ref>Letter from Commissioner Lucille Davy to the Hardwick Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, June 30, 2009. Accessed December 6, 2014.</ref><ref>Novak, Stephen J. "Hardwick Township School District among 13 'nonoperating' districts eliminated Wednesday" Template:Webarchive, The Express-Times, July 2, 2009. Accessed March 15, 2011. "The Hardwick district had a board of education and a part-time board secretary. But without a school of its own, it paid tuition to send its students to Blairstown Township. They'll continue to go there next school year, when the neighboring district takes control through a state order."</ref> As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 435 students and 42.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Blairstown Elementary Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>

Students in seventh through twelfth grades for public school attend the North Warren Regional High School in Blairstown, a public secondary high school, serving students from the townships of Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick and Knowlton.<ref>North Warren Regional High School 2013 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 19, 2016. "The North Warren Regional School District is home to just under 1000 students from the communities of Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, and Knowlton. The district stretches almost 97 square miles from the Sussex County border to the Delaware River and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area."</ref><ref>Home Page, North Warren Regional School District. Accessed June 1, 2013. "North Warren Regional is a public secondary school district, serving students in grades 7-12 in the townships of Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, and Knowlton. The district covers 96.8 square miles bordering the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in scenic Warren County."</ref><ref>Esposito, Martha. "Discover Burlington County 2013: Regional School Districts", Burlington County Times, March 14, 2012. Accessed August 1, 2022. "Northern Burlington County Regional - Serves: Chesterfield, Mansfield, North Hanover, Springfield, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst"</ref> As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 658 students and 56.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1.<ref>School data for North Warren Regional School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>

Ridge and Valley Charter School, a K–8 charter school founded in 2004 that is focused on Earth literacy and sustainable living, is located in neighboring Frelinghuysen Township. The school also serves (and grants admission priority to) students from Frelinghuysen, Hardwick and Knowlton Townships, who attend the school without cost to the parents.<ref>F.A.Q., Ridge and Valley Charter School. Accessed November 3, 2016. "Enrollment is open, on a space available basis, to all K-8 students residing in N.J. with priority given to students residing in the districts of Blairstown, Hardwick, Knowlton, Frelinghuysen, and North Warren Regional School."</ref> Students from the township and from all of Warren County are also eligible to attend Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9–12),<ref>About Us Template:Webarchive, Warren County Technical School. Accessed September 12, 2013.</ref> with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for PreK–12).<ref>About Template:Webarchive, Warren County Special Services School District. Accessed September 12, 2013.</ref><ref name=WarrenDistricts/>

Students from across the world attend Blair Academy, a private boarding school for students in grades 9–12 established in 1848 by philanthropist John Insley Blair.<ref>Founding of the Academy, Blair Academy. Accessed August 8, 2022.</ref>

Transportation

Roads and highways

File:2021-06-16 10 21 30 View west along the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 from the overpass for Union Brick Road in Blairstown Township, Warren County, New Jersey.jpg

Interstate 80 in Blairstown

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 Warren County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.<ref>Warren County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed November 13, 2013.</ref>

Interstate 80 (the Bergen-Passaic Expressway) passes through the southern part of the township for Template:Convert without any interchanges, and is accessible via Route 94 and CR 521 in neighboring Knowlton and Hope townships, respectively.<ref>Interstate 80 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated April 2014. Accessed August 8, 2022.</ref> Route 94 passes for Template:Convert runs east–west through the center of the township while County Route 521 passes through in the eastern section.<ref>Route 94 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated April 2016. Accessed August 8, 2022.</ref>

Airport

Blairstown Airport (1N7) is located southwest of the central business district.<ref>Blairstown Airport, AirNav.com. Accessed February 21, 2018.</ref> The airport serves small planes and gliders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Railroads

File:Blairstown Station.jpg

The former New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad station site in Blairstown in October 2011

The Lackawanna Cut-Off, a high-speed, double-track railway line that stretches for Template:Convert, was constructed by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad between 1908 and 1911, opening for service on December 24, 1911. It ran west from Port Morris, New Jersey to Slateford, Pennsylvania and passed through Blairstown. The DL&W RR merged with the Erie Railroad on October 17, 1960, to form the Erie Lackawanna Railroad. Due to declining revenues, passenger service over the Lackawanna Cut-Off was discontinued on January 6, 1970, and freight service ceased in 1979, just three years after the E-L was absorbed into the Consolidated Railroad Corporation (Conrail). The tracks remained relatively-dormant until 1984, when the property was sold to a developer and the rails were removed.

The right-of-way is now the property of the State of New Jersey, and plans are underway for the restoration of rail service in the future. As part of restoring train service by New Jersey Transit via the Lackawanna Cut-Off, $61 million had been secured to restore railbed and tracks of the former railroad, with passenger service anticipated to be restored in 2026 or 2027.<ref name=opening-date>Template:Cite news</ref> Blairstown's poured concrete passenger and freight stations still stand, although privately owned. The restored service plans include a stop at the Blairstown station as part of extension of Amtrak service to the Poconos and Scranton, Pennsylvania.<ref>William C. Vantuono, 'Railway Age,' July 21, 2021, "Amtrak, Scranton to New York City?" https://www.railwayage.com/news/amtrak-scranton-to-new-york-city/</ref>

Blairstown was also served by a second railroad, the Blairstown Railway. The short line, a personal project of the local industrial magnate John Insley Blair, was constructed in 1876 from Blairstown to Delaware Township, where it connected with the Old Main Line of the Lackawanna RR. The Blairstown Railway was absorbed by the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad in 1882 as it built west to the coal fields of Pennsylvania. The NYS&W also operated passenger service between Blairstown and New York (via Jersey City, NJ) until 1935. A third railroad, the Lehigh and New England Railroad, operated through Blairstown via trackage rights over the NYS&W between Swartswood Junction and Hainesburg Junction until October 31, 1961, when the L&NE was abandoned. With the loss of L&NE trackage rights revenues and little local business to sustain the line, the NYS&W also abandoned its line through Blairstown shortly thereafter, and the tracks were removed in 1962. The right-of-way today has been preserved by the State of New Jersey as the Template:Convert long Paulinskill Valley Trail.

Landmarks

• Blairstown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.<ref name="nrhpdoc">Template:Cite web With Template:NRHP url</ref>
• Historic Blairstown Theater (also known as Roy's Hall) was built in 1913 as a silent movie house. The building was restored and painted blue in 2005 and is the centerpiece of Blairstown's vintage Main Street, surrounded by charming shops, galleries and restaurants. The HBT features a regular schedule of live music and theatrical performances, classic film and community events.<ref>About Us Template:Webarchive, The Historic Blairstown Theater. Accessed June 1, 2013.</ref>
• The Blairstown Museum is a private, non-profit corporation organized under New Jersey law managed by a Board of Directors and housed in a 19th-century building, known as the last remaining structure of "Roy's Row". The Museum is the only general history and cultural museum for the Township of Blairstown. It cares for over 2,000 items that illustrate the history of the township and its inhabitants, including former resident and namesake John Insley Blair.<ref>Blairstown Museum, VisitNJ.org. Accessed February 22, 2017.</ref>

Gallery

• The Old Academy Building of the Blair Academy
  The Old Academy Building of the Blair Academy
• Queen Anne/Stick style house in the Blairstown Historic District
  Queen Anne/Stick style house in the Blairstown Historic District
• Painted bright blue, historic Roy's Hall is a highlight of Blairstown's Main Street.
  Painted bright blue, historic Roy's Hall is a highlight of Blairstown's Main Street.
• Blairstown Museum
  Blairstown Museum

Popular culture

• Scenes from the horror film Friday the 13th were filmed on Blairstown's Main Street, and at the Blairstown Diner on Route 94; the Boy Scout camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in adjacent Hardwick Township was the site for Camp Crystal Lake.<ref>Friday the 13th Filming Locations, accessed November 14, 2006.</ref>
• The body of Dawn Olanick, formerly known as 'Princess Doe' was discovered at the Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Blairstown on July 15, 1982. She became the first unidentified body entered into the FBI's NCIC computer system.<ref>Gallucci, Jaclyn. "Identifying Princess Doe: 30 Years After She Was Slain, New Technology May ID Her and The Killer", Long Island Press, August 2, 2012. Accessed August 26, 2013. "This headless mannequin dressed in red standing erect among the headstones is an eerie sight from the busy state road that borders the Cedar Ridge Cemetery in this small township of nearly 6,000. Here, in Blairstown, everyone seems to know each other—police, business owners, neighbors—everyone except for the teenage girl found barefoot, partially clothed and beaten beyond recognition the morning of July 15, 1982."</ref>
• Scenes from the horror film Plasterhead were filmed at the Blairstown Diner on Route 94 as part of an homage by the filmmakers to Friday the 13th.<ref>Winters, Debra. "Filmmakers Higgins and Salerno produce horror movie", Wayne Today, October 19, 2006. Accessed August 8, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The Blairstown Diner, famous for a 30-second scene in the 1980 cult classic Friday the 13th was also used in Plasterhead. Being big fans of Friday the 13th, Higgins and Salerno wanted to include a sort of connection to the legendary movie. Peter Apostolou Jr., co-owner of the Blairstown Diner, was more than happy to accommodate the young filmmakers."</ref>

Notable people

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

• Cathy Bao Bean (born 1942), lives in neighboring Frelinghuysen Township, author of The Chopsticks-Fork Principle: A Memoir and Manual<ref>Staff. "News beat", Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, September 11, 2004. Accessed June 5, 2011. "Bean of Blairstown N.J. is a writer-educator and author of The Chopsticks-Fork Principle: A Memoir and Manual."</ref>
• Bennett Bean (born 1941), studio potter, lives in neighboring Frelinghuysen Township<ref>Bischoff, Dan. "Jersey ceramics, from six different angles" Template:Webarchive, The Star-Ledger, April 9, 2008. Accessed May 5, 2008. "The headliner, as he is almost wherever he shows, is Bennett Bean, here displaying seven pit-fired and gilded ceramic compositions that exude the cool, Modernist, syncopated painted patterning for which he is so well known. Bean, of Blairstown, is no doubt the best-known artist in 'Uncommon Clay,' but his aesthetic does not dominate the show."</ref>
• Robert A. Belet (1914–1942), United States Marine Corps master technical sergeant who was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in the Guadalcanal Campaign<ref>Robert A. Belet , Military Times Hall of Valor. Accessed November 13, 2013.</ref>
• DeWitt Clinton Blair (1833–1915), son of John Insley BlairTemplate:Citation needed
• John Insley Blair (1802–1899), entrepreneur, railroad magnate, and Blairstown's most famous citizen. Gravel Hill was renamed Blairstown after Blair in 1839<ref>Blairstown, Past and Present, Township of Blairstown, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 25, 2008. Accessed March 23, 2017. "The name of the village was officially changed to Blairstown by a vote of the citizens at a public meeting held Jan. 24, 1939. John I. Blair was only 36 years of age at the time."</ref>
• Anthony D'Amato (born 1987), songwriter and singer<ref>La Gorce, Tammy. "Aspiring Singer Finds Mentors Behind Ivy League Walls", The New York Times, January 21, 2011. Accessed October 21, 2014. "Starting in 2009, Mr. D'Amato, then a Princeton junior, met with Professor Muldoon every few weeks to pore over drafts of Mr. D'Amato's songs, which he started writing as a high school student at Blair Academy in Blairstown. "</ref>
• John A. Haggerty (1841–1910), Wisconsin legislator and businessman who was born in Blairstown<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 1901,' Biographical Sketch of J. A. Haggerty, pg. 744</ref>
• David T. Little (born 1978), composer<ref>Reich, Ronni. "David T. Little", The Star-Ledger, July 9, 2009. Accessed October 21, 2014. "At age 8, Little was fascinated by history. When the Colonial Musketeers drumrolled through New Jersey, he was entranced by their uniforms, replicas of those worn by the Continental Marines of the Revolutionary War. His parents had just separated, and he and his mother, Joanne, left rural Blairstown for 'parade marathons' around the state to raise their spirits, so that Little wound up seeing the Hackettstown-based fife-and-drum corps at least three times in one weekend."</ref>
• Nancy Overton (1926–2009), singer best known for her work with The Chordettes<ref>Levin, Jay. "Chordette's Nancy Overton Dead at 83", copy of article from The Record, April 7, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2013. "The family moved to Englewood from New York City in 1966 at the urging of a friend, Dizzy Gillespie.... Mrs. Overton moved to Blairstown in 1982, 10 years after her husband died."</ref>
• Lou Reed (1942–2013), musician, singer, songwriter and record producer, lived in neighboring Hardwick Township<ref>via Associated Press. "Lou Reed, iconic punk poet, dies at 71", The Express-Times, October 27, 2013. Accessed January 1, 2018. "Reed lived in Blairstown Township in Warren County from the early 1980s until sometime in the 1990s, although not much is known about his time there because he liked his privacy, according to The Express-Times archives."</ref>
• Isaac Wildrick (1803–1892), represented Template:Ushr in the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1853<ref>Isaac Wildrick, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 1, 2007.</ref>

External links

• Blairstown Township website