Franklin Township, Warren County, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Franklin Township 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 2,968,<ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 208 (−6.5%) from the 2010 census count of 3,176,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 408 (+14.7%) from the 2,768 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>

Franklin was incorporated as a township by the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1839, from portions of Greenwich Township, Mansfield Township, and Oxford Township.<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 October 25, 2012.</ref> The township is named for Benjamin Franklin.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 31, 2015.</ref><ref>About Franklin Township, Franklin Township - Warren. Accessed August 31, 2015. "The Township of Franklin was settled during the period preceding the Revolutionary War. Its name was in honor of Benjamin Franklin."</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 23.51 square miles (60.89 km²), including 23.42 square miles (60.66 km²) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km²) of water (0.38%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Asbury (with a 2010 Census population of 273<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Asbury CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>), Broadway (244<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Broadway CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>) and New Village (421<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for New Village CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) 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 Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref><ref>2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 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 June 2, 2013.</ref>

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Willow Grove.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 28, 2015.</ref>

Franklin Township borders the municipalities of Greenwich Township, Harmony Township and Washington Township in Warren County; and Bethlehem Township and Bloomsbury in Hunterdon County.<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

Template:US Census population The township's economic data (as is all of Warren County) is calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area.<ref>Karp, Gregory. "Lehigh Valley, Warren County reunited as a metro area ** Economies, social patterns similar, federal office says.", The Morning Call, June 22, 2003. Accessed February 15, 2022. "This time, new rules for defining MSAs determined that because the Phillipsburg area was the biggest cluster of people in Warren County, the whole county should be lumped with the nearby Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro area."</ref>

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 3,176 people, 1,122 households, and 885 families in the township. The population density was 132.1 per square mile (51.0/km²). There were 1,219 housing units at an average density of 50.7 per square mile (19.6/km²). The racial makeup was 94.43% (2,999) White, 1.48% (47) Black or African American, 0.13% (4) Native American, 2.33% (74) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.19% (6) from other races, and 1.45% (46) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% (122) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,122 households, 35.1% had children under the age of 18; 70.4% were married couples living together; 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 21.1% were non-families. Of all households, 16.9% were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.21.<ref name=Census2010/>

24.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 35.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 101.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 100.6 males.<ref name=Census2010/> The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $85,893 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,764) and the median family income was $98,333 (+/− $7,142). Males had a median income of $69,784 (+/− $9,633) versus $59,750 (+/− $16,881) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,178 (+/− $4,746). About 7.2% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Franklin township, Warren County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 U.S. census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 2,768 people, 972 households, and 750 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,019 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 97.04% White, 0.83% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Franklin township, New Jersey Template:Dead link, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Franklin township, Warren County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>

There were 972 households, out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.28.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the township, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the township was $69,115, and the median income for a family was $72,763. Males had a median income of $47,569 versus $31,906 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,224. About 2.4% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Economy

The Edison Portland Cement Company, a venture of Thomas Edison, was founded in 1899 in the New Village section of the township. the company went on to supply the concrete for the construction of Yankee Stadium in 1922. The company went bankrupt in the 1920s.<ref>Pries, Allison. "Jersey’s own Thomas Edison is known for a lot of inventions, but did you know he built concrete houses?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 6, 2022. Accessed October 9, 2024. "He found he could sell the debris from the rock crushing to cement manufacturers and by 1899 decided to go into the cement business himself, establishing the Edison Portland Cement Company in New Village, part of Franklin Township in Warren County, according to the Thomas A. Edison Papers Project, a research center at Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences....Cement became a more popular building material in the early 1900s and Edison’s was used to build the first concrete highway in New Jersey in 1912 in Franklin Township and the original Yankee Stadium in 1922."</ref>

Government

Local government

Franklin Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, 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. 8.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 7. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor.

Template:As of, members of the Franklin Township Committee are Mayor Michael Toretta (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor David Guth (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Bonnie Butler (R, 2023), Mike Ferri (R, 2022), Richard Herzer (R, 2022).<ref name=Directory>Municipal Directory - Township Committee, Franklin Township. Accessed February 28, 2022.</ref><ref>2020 Municipal User Friendly Budget, Franklin 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>

In 2018, the township had an average property tax bill of $9,022, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.<ref>Marcus, Samantha. "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Franklin Township was $9,022 in 2018, the highest in Warren County."</ref>

Federal, state, and county representation

Franklin 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 23rd 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, Franklin 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. 57, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.</ref>

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,112 registered voters in Franklin Township, of which 396 (18.8% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 890 (42.1% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 825 (39.1% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.<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, 66.5% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 88.6% 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 Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 2, 2013.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 921 votes (63.1% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 493 votes (33.8% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 27 votes (1.8% vs. 1.7%), among the 1,460 ballots cast by the township's 2,095 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.7% (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 960 votes (59.9% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 588 votes (36.7% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 39 votes (2.4% vs. 1.6%), among the 1,602 ballots cast by the township's 2,090 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.7% (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 967 votes (63.1% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 529 votes (34.5% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 26 votes (1.7% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,533 ballots cast by the township's 1,900 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.7% (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 79.6% of the vote (730 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 18.2% (167 votes), and other candidates with 2.2% (20 votes), among the 932 ballots cast by the township's 2,148 registered voters (15 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.4%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 794 votes (68.8% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 200 votes (17.3% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 117 votes (10.1% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 25 votes (2.2% vs. 1.5%), among the 1,154 ballots cast by the township's 2,059 registered voters, yielding a 56.0% 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>

Education

The Franklin Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.<ref name=WarrenDistricts>Warren County 2023-2024 Public School Directory, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Franklin Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 6, 2024.</ref> As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 197 students and 25.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.9:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Franklin Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

Public school students in seventh through twelfth grades attend the schools of the Warren Hills Regional School District, which also serves students from the municipalities of Mansfield Township, Washington Borough, Washington Township and Oxford Township (for 9-12 only, attending on a tuition basis).<ref>Warren Hills Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Warren Hills Regional School District. Accessed March 6, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades 7 through 12 in the Warren Hills Regional School District. Composition: The Warren Hills Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Franklin Township, Mansfield Township, Washington Borough, Washington Township in the County of Warren."</ref><ref>Warren Hills Regional School District 2014 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 19, 2015. "At Warren Hills Regional, we provide our students with a strong academic foundation. From the receiving districts of Franklin Township, Mansfield Township, Oxford (high school tuition students), Washington Borough and Washington Township, students progress along the academic continuum led by a faculty committed to planning and implementing a variety of instructional strategies and activities that facilitate the preparation of our students for the challenge of mastering the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and the Common Core State Standards."</ref><ref>Our History, Warren Hills Regional School District. Accessed January 5, 2017. "The Warren Hills Regional School District services students from Franklin Township, Mansfield Township, Washington Borough and Washington Township. Oxford Township currently sends its high school students to the Warren Hills Regional High School on a tuition basis."</ref> Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Warren Hills Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>) are Warren Hills Regional Middle School<ref>Home Page, Warren Hills Regional Middle School. Accessed March 6, 2024.</ref> with 468 students in grades 7 and 8 (located in Washington Borough) and Warren Hills Regional High School<ref>Home Page, Warren Hills Regional High School. Accessed March 6, 2024.</ref> with 1,068 students in grades 9 - 12 (located in Washington Township).<ref name=WarrenDistricts/><ref>School Performance Reports for the Warren Hills Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 6, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Warren Hills Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> The high school district is overseen by a nine-member board of education; seats are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with one seat assigned to Franklin Township.<ref>Warren Hills Regional Board of Education District Policy 0141 - Board Member Number and Term, Warren Hills Regional School District. Accessed March 6, 2024. "The Board of Education shall consist of nine [9] members as follows: Franklin Township - 1 member; Mansfield Township - 3 members; Washington Borough - 2 members; Washington Township - 3 members. The term of a Board member shall be three [3] years."</ref>

Students from the township and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township (for grades K–8)<ref>F.A.Q., Ridge and Valley Charter School. Accessed January 5, 2017. "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> or 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 name=WarrenDistricts/><ref>About Template:Webarchive, Warren County Special Services School District. Accessed September 12, 2013.</ref>

Transportation

File:2018-06-29 12 55 50 View west along Interstate 78 and U.S. Route 22 (Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway) between Exit 7 and Exit 4 in Franklin Township, Warren County, New Jersey.jpg

A westward view of Interstate 78/US Route 22 in Franklin Township

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 July 18, 2014.</ref>

Major roadways in Franklin Township include Interstate 78/U.S. Route 22, which pass through the southern part very briefly with Exit 6 right on the border. Route 57 runs through the northern part of the township.

Notable people

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

• Dom Fucci (born 1928), former professional football player for the Detroit Lions<ref>Dom Fucci, NFL.com. Accessed April 28, 2015.</ref>
• Billy Osmun (born 1943), retired dirt modified racing driver<ref>Billy Osmun, Template:Webarchive, Eastern Motorsport Press Association. Accessed February 20, 2024. "One of the all-time top drivers on New Jersey’s tough old Flemington-East Windsor Speedway circuit where he won 32 and 27 main events, respectfully, Billy Osmun (December 3, 1943) was a dirt-track specialist who put a lot of effort into his racing.... A native of Asbury, New Jersey, Osmun was a high school football and baseball star who got the racing bug when he attended local events as a kid."</ref>
• Pete Perini (1928–2008), former professional football player who played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns<ref>Pete Perini, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed November 7, 2015.</ref>
• Buzzie Reutimann (born 1941), former NASCAR driver<ref name=SL2009>Vrentas, Jenny. "Farm Aid; From his childhood days, NASCAR's Reutimann has deep Jersey roots", The Star-Ledger, June 7, 2009. Accessed January 7, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Here in tiny Asbury is the 400-acre farm NASCAR driver David Reutimann describes with the kind of delight taken from a childhood keepsake: The white farmhouse that's as old as America.... Thirty years ago, though, he was a skinny, blond-haired boy spending his summers on the farm in Asbury -- which has been owned by the Sigler family for more than a century -- white his father, Buzzie Reutimann, was making legend on the Northeast dirt car circuit."</ref>
• David Reutimann (born 1970), professional stock car racing crew chief and former driver<ref name=SL2009/>

External links

• Franklin Township website
• History of Franklin Township