Knowlton Township, New Jersey

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Knowlton 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 2,894,<ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 161 (−5.3%) from the 2010 census count of 3,055,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 78 (+2.6%) from the 2,977 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

Knowlton Township was created as a precinct by Royal charter from portions of Oxford Township on February 23, 1763,<ref name=Story/><ref>Home Page, Knowlton Township Historic Commission. Accessed May 24, 2017. "'Knoll town' so called for the prevalent hills and limestone knobs, was sectioned off from Oxford Township in 1768." Note that this 1768 date conflicts with the state source.</ref> while the area was still part of Sussex County, and was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, and then became part of the newly created Warren County on November 20, 1824. Portions of the township were taken to form Hope Township (April 8, 1839) and Blairstown Township (April 14, 1845).<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. 246. Accessed May 29, 2024.</ref>

Knowlton's name is variously attributed to Thomas Knowlton, a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War who was killed in action at the Battle of Harlem Heights,<ref name="multiple">Snell, James P. (1881) History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Centennial ed., Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press, 1981) pp. 623, 625</ref> or to the knolls that characterize the area.<ref>Home Page, Knowlton Township Historic Commission. Accessed September 2, 2015. "'Knoll town' so called for the prevalent hills and limestone knobs, was sectioned off from Oxford Township in 1768."</ref> In some older sources, the name is spelled "Knawltown".<ref>Harbaugh, H. The Fathers of the German Reformed Church in Europe and America, Volume 2. Sprenger & Westhaeffer, 1872</ref>

The township is served by postal ZIP Codes in Columbia (07832) and Delaware (07833), although a small number of Knowlton residents receive postal deliveries via the Blairstown (07825) post office. Within the township are several small hamlets, including Browning, Deckers Ferry, Mount Pleasant, Polkville, Ramseyburg, Warrington and Knowlton itself.<ref>New Jersey Local Names, State of New Jersey. Accessed January 27, 2014.</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 25.33 square miles (65.60 km²), including 24.72 square miles (64.03 km²) of land and 0.60 square miles (1.56 km²) of water (2.38%).<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 Template:Convert from Canada to Alabama.

Columbia (with a 2010 Census population of 229<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Columbia CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 6, 2013.</ref>), Delaware (150<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Delaware CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 6, 2013.</ref>) and Hainesburg (91<ref>DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Hainesburg CDP, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 6, 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 6, 2013.</ref><ref>2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 6, 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 6, 2013.</ref>

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Browning, Deckers Ferry, Mount Pleasant, Polkville, Ramseyburg and Warrington.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 2, 2015.</ref>

The township borders the Warren County municipalities of Blairstown Township, Hardwick Township, Hope Township and White 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

Template:US Census population The Township's economic data (as is all of Warren County) is calculated by the US 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><ref>State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>

2010 census

File:Columbia-Portland Pedestrian Bridge.jpg

The Portland-Columbia Pedestrian Bridge replaced the last of the covered bridges spanning the Delaware River in this photo facing towards New Jersey. The original covered bridge was destroyed by the remnants of Hurricane Diane on August 19, 1955, a storm that caused record flooding throughout the region, but particularly within the watershed of the Delaware.

The 2010 United States census counted 3,055 people, 1,097 households, and 864 families in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,212 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 96.07% (2,935) White, 0.92% (28) Black or African American, 0.29% (9) Native American, 0.92% (28) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.75% (23) from other races, and 1.05% (32) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.63% (111) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 1,097 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18; 66.5% were married couples living together; 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 21.2% were non-families. Of all households, 16.3% 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 2.75 and the average family size was 3.10.<ref name=Census2010/>

23.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 36.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 101.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 98.1 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $81,346 (with a margin of error of +/− $11,792) and the median family income was $86,708 (+/− $13,339). Males had a median income of $76,733 (+/− $8,158) versus $51,757 (+/− $3,961) for females. The per capita income for the Township was $35,440 (+/− $4,605). About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Knowlton township, Warren County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 6, 2013.</ref>

2000 census

File:RAMSAYBURG HOMESTEAD, WARREN COUNTY.jpg

Ramsayburg Homestead, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

As of the 2000 U.S. census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 2,977 people, 1,028 households, and 816 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,135 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 97.45% White, 0.40% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Knowlton township, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 31, 2016.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Knowlton township, Warren County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 6, 2013.</ref>

There were 1,028 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 15.0% 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 2.87 and the average family size was 3.21.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

File:Delaware Water Gap from I 80.jpg

Knowlton Township's rural character is evident in this view of the Delaware Water Gap from Linaberry Road.

In the township the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the township was $63,409, and the median income for a family was $72,130. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $35,326 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,631. About 1.5% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

Local government

File:The former Hainesburg Inn.jpg

The former Hainesburg Inn (now Animal Mansion, a veterinary hospital) on Route 94 is considered by many to be the signature piece of architecture in Knowlton

Knowlton 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. 103.</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 as Deputy Mayor.<ref name=Committee/>

Template:As of, the Knowlton Township Committee is comprised of Mayor M. Adele Starrs (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2022), Deputy Mayor Debra L. Shipps (R, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Kathy Cuntala (R, 2024), James Mazza (R, 2023), and Frank Van Horn (R, 2022).<ref name=Committee>Township Committee, Township of Knowlton. Accessed March 2, 2022. "Knowlton is organized under the township form of government with a five-member Township Committee.... Voters directly choose Committee members in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as mayor and another as deputy mayor for that year."</ref><ref name=Budget>2022 Municipal Data Sheet, Township of Knowlton. Accessed June 21, 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

Knowlton 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>

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Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,008 registered voters in Knowlton Township, of which 418 (20.8% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 694 (34.6% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 895 (44.6% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There as 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 6, 2013.</ref> Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.7% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 85.7% 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 6, 2013.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 833 votes (63.1% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 441 votes (33.4% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 19 votes (1.4% vs. 1.7%), among the 1,320 ballots cast by the township's 2,027 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.1% (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 6, 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 6, 2013.</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 918 votes (63.0% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 491 votes (33.7% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 25 votes (1.7% vs. 1.6%), among the 1,457 ballots cast by the township's 2,045 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.2% (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 6, 2013.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 948 votes (65.8% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 469 votes (32.5% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 17 votes (1.2% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,441 ballots cast by the township's 1,899 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.9% (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 6, 2013.</ref>

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.6% of the vote (671 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 22.8% (205 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (23 votes), among the 915 ballots cast by the township's 2,040 registered voters (16 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.9%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 595 votes (63.8% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 203 votes (21.8% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 102 votes (10.9% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 13 votes (1.4% vs. 1.5%), among the 932 ballots cast by the township's 1,987 registered voters, yielding a 46.9% 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 6, 2013.</ref>

Education

File:Fairview Schoolhouse, Knowlton Township, NJ - looking north.jpg

Fairview Schoolhouse, built in 1835 with an octagon shape

Children in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade for public school attend Knowlton Township Elementary School as part of the Knowlton Township School District.<ref name=WarrenDistricts>Warren County 2022-2023 Public School Directory, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed December 27, 2022.</ref> As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 155 students and 23.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.7:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Knowlton Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref> In the 2016–17 school year, Knowlton had the 41st smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 192 students.<ref>Guion, Payton. "These 43 N.J. school districts have fewer than 200 students", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 2017. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Based on data from the state Department of Education from the last school year and the Census Bureau, NJ Advance Media made a list of the smallest of the small school districts in the state, excluding charter schools and specialty institutions.... 41. Knowlton Township; Enrollment: 192; Grades: Pre-K-8; County: Warren; Town population: 3,055"</ref>

Students in public school for seventh through twelfth grades 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 name=WarrenDistricts/><ref>North Warren Regional High School 2014 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 2, 2020. "The North Warren Regional School District is home to approximately 950 students from the communities of Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, and Knowlton."</ref><ref>Home Page, North Warren Regional School District. Accessed June 2, 2020. "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> As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 752 students and 69.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.<ref>School data for North Warren Regional School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref> The seats on the district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with two seats assigned to Knowlton Township.<ref>Board of Education, North Warren Regional High School. Accessed June 2, 2020. "The Board of Education is an elected council who, in compliance with State, and Federal laws, establish the policies, and regulations, by which the school is governed. The Board of Education is comprised of nine residents, each elected for a three-year term."</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, with Knowlton students among those given admission preference)<ref>F.A.Q., Ridge and Valley Charter School. Accessed January 8, 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>

Recreation

Tunnel Field is the primary recreational site in the township with several baseball and softball diamonds and soccer fields. Tunnel also has a play area (including swings and play area), a basketball court, tennis court, paved walking track, and concession stand. The field is located by Route 94 and is divided by the Lackawanna Cut-Off and is connected through an old tunnel (hence the name).

Transportation

Roads and highways

File:2021-06-16 09 23 39 View west along Interstate 80 from the overpass for Decatur Street in Knowlton Township, Warren County, New Jersey.jpg

View west along Interstate 80 in Knowlton 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 and Template:Convert by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.<ref>Warren County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

Interstate 80 (Bergen-Passaic Expressway) is the main east–west limited access road, passing through the township for Template:Convert with a junction at Routes 94 and 46.<ref>Interstate 80 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, April 2014. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref> Route 94 passes through the northern portion of the township for Template:Convert.<ref>New Jersey Route 94 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, April 2014. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref> U.S. Route 46 runs for Template:Convert through the township's southern portion.<ref>U.S. Route 46 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, July 2014. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref> The Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge (part of Route 94), which is owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, crosses the Delaware River and connects with Pennsylvania Route 611 in Portland, Pennsylvania.<ref>Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge Template:Webarchive, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref><ref>Enlarged View of Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46 and New Jersey Route 94 in Knowlton Township, New Jersey Department of Transportation, June 2009. Accessed August 8, 2016.</ref>

File:Warrington Stone Bridge over the Paulins Kill, Warrington, NJ.jpg

The Warrington Stone Bridge crosses the bucolic Paulins Kill.

File:Paulins Kill Viaduct, Hainesburg, NJ - October 2023.jpg

In the woods near Hainesburg is the Paulinskill Viaduct along the Lackawanna Cut-Off, the former main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The viaduct, 115 feet (35 m) tall and 1,100 feet (335 m) long, was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world when it was completed in 1910.

Rail history

Much of Knowlton's development after 1850 can be traced to the presence of the five railroad lines that criss-crossed the township: the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Old Road and, later, the Lackawanna Cut-Off, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, the Lehigh and New England Railroad, and the Blairstown Railway. All of these rail lines were later abandoned. In their heyday, however, two rail lines and three railroads served the town of Delaware: the New York, Susquehanna and Western (formerly Blairstown) Railway; and the Old Road of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (which also had granted trackage rights to the Pennsylvania Railroad, technically a sixth railroad). The community of Columbia was also served by the NYS&W (Hainesburg also had a station), with the Lehigh and New England Railroad also passing through town.

In more recent years, development within Knowlton has been tied to the presence of U.S. Route 46 and, since the early 1970s, Interstate 80. Many Knowlton residents use Route 80 to commute to their jobs either further east in New Jersey or further west in Pennsylvania. Route 94 crosses through the township. Two bridges cross the Delaware River, connecting the township to Pennsylvania; the Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge, opened in 1953, connects Route 94 to Pennsylvania Route 611 in Portland, Pennsylvania.<ref>Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge Template:Webarchive, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Accessed June 6, 2013. "Opened to traffic on December 1, 1953, the main river bridge consists of a ten-span steel girder system with total length of 1,309 feet and a 32-foot curb-to-curb width."</ref> The two places are also connected by the Portland–Columbia Pedestrian Bridge, which dates back to a structure constructed in 1869 and was dedicated for pedestrian use when the vehicular toll bridge was completed in 1953.<ref>Portland-Columbia Toll Supported Pedestrian Bridge Template:Webarchive, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Accessed June 6, 2013. "The original structure, constructed in 1869 as a vehicular bridge, was a four-span timber bridge reinforced with wooden arches."</ref>