Bridgewater Township, New Jersey

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Bridgewater
Map of Bridgewater Township in Somerset County
Statistics
Population: 42,940
Government
Type: Township
Congressional District: 7th and 11th
Location
State: New Jersey
County: Somerset
Post Office and Telephone
ZIP Code: 08807
Area code: 908
Dialling code: 722
Thirteen Star Flag at the site of the former Middlebrook encampment in Bridgewater is displayed continuously
Thirteen Star Flag at the site of the former Middlebrook encampment in Bridgewater is displayed continuously

Bridgewater Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 42,940.

Bridgewater Township was originally created by Royal Charter on April 4, 1749 from portions of the Northern precinct, and was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Over the centuries, portions of the township were taken to form Warren Township (March 5, 1806), Branchburg Township (April 5, 1845), Somerville (March 25, 1863), Raritan (April 3, 1868) and Bound Brook (March 24, 1869).[1]

Contents

[edit] Locale and history

Bridgewater Township's ZIP Code is 08807, with 08836 used in the section of Martinsville, and its area codes are 908 and 732. Bridgewater is a relatively large, mostly affluent suburban township located in the center of Somerset County, adjacent to and north of Somerville, the seat of Somerset County.

The thirty-three square mile area which is now the Township of Bridgewater was originally purchased from a local Lenape Native American tribe. Chartered by George II of Great Britain in 1749, and incorporated as one of New Jersey's 104 original municipalities in 1798, Bridgewater is a modern suburban municipality with a balance of residential and commercial uses.

Tradition holds that it was at the Middlebrook encampment that the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a Thirteen Star Flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater. Since 1889, the first hoisting of the flag is commemorated annually each July 4 with a changing of the flag, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the delivery of an historical address.

In the early years, Bridgewater was known as a farming town, until around the 1970s when its population began to grow, and is now a more typical suburban town. What are now the boroughs of Somerville, Raritan and Bound Brook were once part of Bridgewater Township until they broke away years after the original chartering. Portions of Warren and Branchburg Townships also were originally part of Bridgewater Township.

Bridgewater is Somerset County's second-most populous municipality, after Franklin Township.

Bridgewater borders 13 other municipalities. Its longest borders are with Branchburg Township, Bedminster, Bernards Towsnhip, Warren Township, Bound Brook, Somerville and Raritan. It also borders Green Brook (though connected only by Route 22), Middlesex (though connected only by one local street), South Bound Brook (a very short border in the middle of the Raritan River, Franklin Township (the only street connection is Interstate 287), Manville (the only street connection is Finderne Avenue, a county highway), and Hillsborough (no direct street connection.)

[edit] Communities

Bridgewater contains a number of communities and sections, many of which do not have officially defined boundaries. They include:

  • Bradley Gardens: Located in southwestern Bridgewater, bordered on the east by Raritan and on the north by Route 202. This is one of Bridgewater's older residential areas but also includes some newer developments as well as a commercial area along Old York Road.
  • Finderne: Located in southeastern Bridgewater between Bound Brook and Somerville. This is a diverse area with older neighborhoods, newer developments, multi-unit housing as well as commercial and industrial areas. The Middlebrook Crossing industrial park, the Promenade shopping center and Commerce Bank Ballpark (home of the Somerset Patriots) are located here. Finderne also has many restaurants ranging from Italian to Chinese.
  • Martinsville: Located in Northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township. This is a predominantly residential area, though it does have its own commercial center along Washington Valley Road, and its own post office and ZIP code. This also is a very hilly area as it is the portion of Bridgewater through which the Watchung Mountains pass. It has many large, pricey homes and is known for being the township's most affluent neighborhood.
  • Green Knoll: Located in central Bridgewater, this is a residential area with many major commercial developments and government facilities, including the Bridgewater Commons Mall at the intersection of U.S. Route 22 and U.S. Route 202-206, a large office park just west of the Commons across 202-206, the municipal building and police station, and Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
  • Northwestern Bridgewater: This area has no "official name" but is referred to by some as the "Country Club-Meadow Road area" or similar names, after the major north-south streets there. Some also refer to "the Van Holten area" after the elementary school located there. It borders Bedminster on the north and Branchburg on the west. It is Bridgewater's most "rural" section.
  • Milltown Road developments: Known to some as the "Milltown-Vanderveer" area, this is an area of Bridgewater just northeast of Bradley Gardens bordering Raritan and Branchburg. It is mainly made up of townhouses, condos and single family homes, built in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. A new school opened in September 2005 to accommodate portions of this development area.
  • North Branch: Most of the historic community of North Branch is in Branchburg Township, but a portion lies to the east of the North Branch of the Raritan River, in Bridgewater Township.
  • Sunset Lake: Built around a manmade lake in the extreme northern part of Bridgewater, near the interchange of Interstate 287 and Interstate 78. Some of the residents there have the Basking Ridge ZIP code 07920.
  • Thomae Park: In the extreme eastern portion of Bridgewater, bordering Bound Brook and Middlesex. Residents there have a Bound Brook ZIP code. One of their main attractions is Thomae Park, which has a playground, basketball court, baseball field, and hiking trail.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 84.3 km² (32.5 mi²). 84.0 km² (32.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.28%) is water.

While much of Bridgewater has relatively flat terrain, the northeastern portion of the township is very hilly, with the First Ridge of the Watchung Mountains (sometimes known as the First Watchung Mountain) passing through the township. Additionally the Second Ridge (Second Mountain) passes just north of the township border.

The Raritan River and its branches and tributaries form much of Bridgewater's borders with other municipalities and a number of smaller rivers and streams run through Bridgewater. The Raritan itself runs along Bridgewater's southern border (except where Somerville and Raritan were carved out as separate boroughs) and the North Branch of the Raritan River forms the township's western border with Branchburg. The North Branch and South Branch of the Raritan River meet at the extreme southwestern corner of Bridgewater at the border with both Branchburg Township and Hillsborough Township, and this point known as the Raritan River Confluence was once intended to be a major reservoir.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1930 3,352
–
1940 4,934 47.2%
1950 8,234 66.9%
1960 15,789 91.8%
1970 30,235 91.5%
1980 29,175 -3.5%
1990 32,509 11.4%
2000 42,940 32.1%
historical data source: [2]

As of the census² of 2000, there were 42,940 people, 15,561 households, and 11,888 families residing in the township. The population density was 510.9/km² (1,323.4/mi²). There were 15,879 housing units at an average density of 188.9/km² (489.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 83.07% White, 2.17% African American, 0.08% Native American, 11.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.79% of the population.

There were 15,561 households out of which 38.0% 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 23.6% were non-families. 19.8% 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 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $88,308, and the median income for a family was $99,832. Males had a median income of $67,089 versus $49,096 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,555. About 1.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

According to National Geographic magazine, Bridgewater has an unusually high number of twins and triplets.[3]

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Bridgewater Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government. The Mayor of Bridgewater Township is Patricia Flannery. Members of the Bridgewater Township Committee are Council President Robert Albano, Michael Hsing, Allen Kurdyla, Howard Norgalis and Patrick Scaglione.[4]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Bridgewater Township is split between the Seventh and Eleventh Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.[5]

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 16th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Walter Kavanaugh (R, Somerville) and in the Assembly by Christopher Bateman (R, Somerville) and Peter J. Biondi (R, Somerville). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Somerset County's Freeholders are: Freeholder Director Rick Fontana, Freeholder Deputy Director Ken Scherer, Denise Coyle, Peter S. Palmer and Robert Zaborowski. Fontana is a Bridgewater Township resident and former councilman.

[edit] Education

Bridgewater is part of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District. All of the schools are in Bridgewater except for Kennedy, which is in Raritan Borough.

Schools in the district (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics , where applicable) are:

Primary Schools (grades pre-K through 4):

Intermediate Schools (grades 5-6):

Middle School

High School

Bridgewater is the home of the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, a four-year public high school that provides occupational and academic training to students from all of Somerset County.

The headquarters of the Somerset County Library is also located in Bridgewater. The other branches of the Somerset County Library are located in Bound Brook, Hillsborough, North Plainfield, Peapack-Gladstone, Rocky Hill, Warren Township, and Watchung.

[edit] Emergency services

Police Bridgewater is primarily protected by the Bridgewater Police Department. This large department boasts a detective unit, a traffic unit, a patrol unit, and many other divisions. The Somerset County Sheriffs Department also provides policing services to the community and is equipped with police K-9 teams and a SWAT team. The New Jersey State Police also helps in the protection of Bridgewater.

Fire Bridgewater is served by six all-volunteer fire companies. They provide fire suppression and assist in vehicle extrication and rescue attempts.

  • North Branch Fire Company (District 3)
  • Green Knoll Fire Company (District 3)
  • Country Hills Fire Company (District 3)
  • Bradley Gardens Fire Company (District 2)
  • Finderne Fire Company (District 4)
  • Martinsville Fire Company

EMS/Rescue Bridgewater is served by five BLS rescue squads and one municipal EMS brigade to assist during the days. They provide EMS coverage as well as vehicle extrication, water rescue, and other rescue services. ALS (paramedics) is dispatched from Somerset Medical Center.

  • Martinsville Rescue Squad
  • Green Knoll Rescue Squad
  • Finderne First Aid & Rescue Squad
  • Bradley Gardens First Aid & Rescue Squad
  • Bound Brook Rescue Squad
  • Unit 500 (Day EMS Brigade)

[edit] Transportation

Bridgewater is criss-crossed by several major highways, including Interstate 287, Interstate 78, U.S. 22, Route 202-206 and Route 28. Main Street, designated as a county highway, connects Bridgewater with Bound Brook and Somerville.

The Raritan Valley Line of NJ Transit also passes through Bridgewater. There are two stations in the Finderne area, the now-closed Finderne off Finderne Avenue and the Bridgewater station on the old American Cyanamid property.

Scheduled passenger service is provided by Newark Liberty International Airport, located approximately 32 miles away in Newark / Elizabeth.

[edit] Points of interest

  • Places of worship in Bridgewater include churches for a number of Christian denominations, a Jewish synagogue, and temples for the Hindu and Sikh religions.
  • Bridgewater Commons, a large regional shopping mall.
  • Commerce Bank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots.
  • Washington Camp Ground (also known as Middlebrook encampment), just north of Bound Brook, a preserved portion of the land on which the army of George Washington encamped during the winter of 1778-79. (The general himself stayed in an actual house in Somerville.)
  • Somerset County library headquarters
  • The United States Bicycling Hall of Fame, a private organization formed to preserve and promote the sport of cycling.

[edit] Sports

Club Sport League Venue Logo
Somerset Patriots Baseball Atlantic League of Professional Baseball; South Division Commerce Bank Ballpark Somerset Patriots Logo

[edit] Interesting facts

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Bridgewater Township include:

  • Swizz Beatz, rapper and producer owns a home on Strawberry Lane in Bridgewater.
  • Eric Murdock, former professional basketball player. Star point guard at Bridgewater-Raritan High School West, and later Providence College. Played 9 seasons in the NBA.[9]
  • Scott Schwartz, former child actor. Appeared in popular 1980s films The Toy and A Christmas Story, the latter as Flick, the boy who gets his tongue stuck to a telephone pole. Attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School West.
  • David Wiesner, author and illustrator of children's books and publications. His work has won several honors, including two Caldecott Medals.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 222.
  2. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  3. ^ 08730 Triplet Epidemic, National Geographic, October 2005
  4. ^ Bridgewater Township Mayor and Council Members, accessed March 26, 2007
  5. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 55, accessed August 30, 2006
  6. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), accessed May 11, 2006
  7. ^ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  8. ^ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  9. ^ "Murdock Regrets a Gesture In Emotion of the Moment", The New York Times May 3, 1998. p. SP6. "While he was growing up in Bridgewater, N.J., sports gave Eric Murdock a chance to forget that his father abandoned him..."

[edit] External links

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Municipalities of Somerset County, New Jersey
(County seat: Somerville)
Boroughs Bernardsville | Bound Brook | Far Hills | Manville | Millstone | North Plainfield | Peapack-Gladstone | Raritan | Rocky Hill | Somerville | South Bound Brook | Watchung
Townships Bedminster | Bernards | Branchburg | Bridgewater | Franklin | Green Brook | Hillsborough | Montgomery | Warren
Communities Basking Ridge | Belle Mead | Blackwells Mills | Blawenburg | East Millstone | Flagtown | Griggstown | Harlingen | Lamington | Martinsville | Middlebush | Neshanic | North Branch | Pleasant Plains | Six Mile Run | Somerset | South Branch | Zarephath
Historic houses Meadows Foundation | Old Dutch Parsonage | Wallace House


Coordinates: 40°37′24″ N 74°36′4″ W

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