Lopatcong Township, New Jersey
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Lopatcong Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 5,765. The township is part of the eastern region of the Lehigh Valley.
Lopatcong Township is a suburb that was featured in a 2003 article in The New York Times which discussed problems of public school financing in suburban communities and various strategies communities have adopted to deal with the problem[1].
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[edit] History
Lopatcong Township was created on March 7, 1851, by an act approved by the New Jersey Legislature, and contained portions of Greenwich Township and Harmony Township. The township was first named Phillipsburg Township, after the existing village. When Phillipsburg was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1861, the township changed its name to Lopatcong, after a creek in the area[2].
The name of the creek and township — Lopatcong — came from four words of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans — Lowan peek achtu onk, which meant "winter water place for deer"[3].
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 18.5 km² (7.1 mi²). 18.3 km² (7.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.84%) is water.
Lopatcong is made up of several neighborhoods, including Morris Park, Delaware Park, Rosehill Heights, Brakeley Park, Lows Hollow, Country Hills and Overlook.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 5,765 people, 2,143 households, and 1,523 families residing in the township. The population density was 314.4/km² (814.6/mi²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 132.5/km² (343.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.27% White, 1.13% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 2,143 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,918, and the median income for a family was $65,545. Males had a median income of $52,540 versus $30,967 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,333. About 4.7% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Lopatcong Township Committee consists of Mayor Douglas Steinhardt (term ends December 2005), Council President Victor Camporine (2007), William W. Baker, Sr. (2006), H. Matthew Curry (2007) and James Mengucci (2006)[4].
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Lopatcong Township is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd Legislative District[5].
New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District, covering the northern portions of Bergen County, Passaic County and Sussex County and all of Warren County, is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 23rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Leonard Lance (R, Flemington) and in the Assembly by Michael J. Doherty (R, Oxford) and Marcia A. Karrow (R, Raritan Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Warren County is governed by a three-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Warren County's Freeholders are: Freeholder Director Richard D. Gardner (term ends 2006), Freeholder Deputy Director John DiMaio (2008) and Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain (2007).
[edit] Education
The Lopatcong Township School District serves students in grades K-8 at Lopatcong Elementary School (K-4) and Lopatcong Middle School (5-8). Before the Middle School opened in 2003, students would attend the Elementary School through eighth grade.
Students in grade 9 - 12 attend Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg, which serves students from the Town of Phillipsburg as part of the Phillipsburg School District. The high school also serves students from five communities as part of sending/receiving relationships: Alpha, Bloomsbury (in Hunterdon County), Greenwich Township, Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township.
[edit] Film community
Lopatcong Township was the primary location for the independent film Several Ways to Die Trying. The film's writer/director as well as members of the cast and crew are residents of the township.
[edit] References
- ^ "Great Haven for Families, but Don't Bring Children", The New York Times August 13, 2003
- ^ 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) p.682
- ^ History of Lopatcong, accessed April 10, 2006
- ^ Lopatcong Township Governing Body, accessed August 1, 2006
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 60, accessed August 30, 2006
[edit] External links
- Lopatcong Township website
- Warren County page for Lopatcong Township
- Lopatcong Township School District
- Lopatcong Township School District's 2004-2005 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Lopatcong Township School District
- Phillipsburg High School
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Warren County, New Jersey (County Seat: Belvidere) |
|---|---|
| Townships | Allamuchy Township | Blairstown Township | Franklin Township | Frelinghuysen Township | Greenwich Township | Hardwick Township | Harmony Township | Hope Township | Independence Township | Knowlton Township | Liberty Township | Lopatcong Township | Mansfield Township | Oxford Township | Pohatcong Township | Washington Township | White Township |
| Towns | Belvidere | Hackettstown | Phillipsburg |
| Boroughs | Alpha | Washington |
| Communities | Allamuchy-Panther Valley | Beattystown | Brass Castle | Great Meadows-Vienna |
| Rivers | Bear Creek | Beaver Brook | Cory's Brook | Dead River | Delaware River | Lopatcong Creek | Musconetcong River | Paulins Kill | Pequest River | Pohatcong Creek | Pophandusing Creek | Yard's Creek |
