Cranbury Township, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cranbury Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 3,227.
Cranbury CDP is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Cranbury Township. The population was 2,008 at the 2000 census. Despite the similarity in the name of the Township and the CDP, the two are not one and the same, as is the case for most paired Township / CDP combinations (i.e., a CDP with the same as the Township).
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[edit] History
Cranbury Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1872, from portions of both Monroe Township and South Brunswick Township. Portions of the township were taken on April 1, 1919, to form Plainsboro Township.[1]
Though George Washington may not have spent a night in Cranbury, his headquarters were located here while planning for the Battle of Monmouth, a major turning point during the American Revolutionary War.[2]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 34.8 km² (13.4 mi²). 34.7 km² (13.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.30%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,278 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,342 | 5.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,797 | 33.9% | |
| 1960 | 2,001 | 11.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,253 | 12.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,927 | -14.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,500 | 29.7% | |
| 2000 | 3,227 | 29.1% | |
| Est. 2005 | 3,947 | [3] | 22.3% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[4] | |||
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 3,227 people, 1,091 households, and 877 families residing in the township. The population density was 92.9/km² (240.6/mi²). There were 1,121 housing units at an average density of 32.3/km² (83.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 88.78% White, 2.26% African American, 7.41% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.70% of the population.
There were 1,091 households out of which 46.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.6% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 16.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $111,680, and the median income for a family was $128,410. Males had a median income of $94,683 versus $44,167 for females. The per capita income for the township was $50,698. About 0.7% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Township Committee is the governing body established by State law for the Township form of government. The membership of the Cranbury Township Committee was expanded from three to five in January 1990. The terms of the members are for three years staggered so that at least one member is up for election every year. The membership annually chooses one of the members as Mayor. The Mayor presides at the meetings and votes as a member of the Committee. All formal legislative and executive powers are exercised by the Committee as a whole.
The Township Committee has allocated coordination of administrative and departmental functions among its members. Every Township board and department has at least one member of Committee as a liaison.
The Township form of government does not specify a chief administrative officer. Cranbury Township Committee established the position of Township Administrator by ordinance. Members of the Cranbury Township Committee are Mayor David Stout, whose term of office ends December 31, 2007, Thomas F. Panconi Jr. (2009), Richard Stannard (2007), Pari Stave (2009) and Wayne K. Wittman (2008).[5]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Cranbury Township is in the Twelfth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 14th Legislative District.[6]
New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District, covering all of Hunterdon County and portions of Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, and Somerset County, is represented by Rush D. Holt Jr. (D). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 14th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Peter Inverso (R, Hamilton Square) and in the Assembly by Bill Baroni (R, Hamilton) and Linda R. Greenstein (D, Monroe). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Middlesex County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Middlesex County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel (Milltown), Freeholder Deputy Director Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina (Fords), Camille Fernicola (Piscataway), H. James Polos (Highland Park), John Pulomena (South Plainfield), Christopher D. Rafano (South River) and Blanquita B. Valenti (New Brunswick).
[edit] Education
Children in grades Kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Cranbury School, which as of 2006 has an enrollment of 592 students. For grades 9 to 12, Cranbury students attend Princeton High School, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Princeton Regional Schools which also gives Cranbury one non-voting seat on the Princeton Regional Schools Board of Education.
[edit] Transportation
Cranbury hosts US 130 and a four-mile section of Interstate 95/New Jersey Turnpike. While Cranbury doesn't have a Turnpike interchange (handled by 8 in East Windsor or 8A in Monroe Twp), it does handle a service area, the Molly Pitcher Service Area at mile marker 71.87 on the southbound side.
The NJTPA is planning to widen the Turnpike (with the "dual-dual" setup) between Exit 6 (in Mansfield Township) and Exit 8A (in Monroe Township). This widening would probably require the condemnation of part of the Molly Pitcher Service Area. New entrance & exit ramps would be constructed as well to access the service area.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Cranbury include:
- Tod A., stage name of singer, songwriter and bass guitarist Tod Ashley
- Todd Beamer, passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93, who uttered the words, heard by a phone operator, to fellow passengers with whom he was planning an assault on the terrorists in the cockpit -- "Let's roll".[7]
- Sam Kotowski, current member of the under-16 United States mens' national soccer team.
[edit] References
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 169-170.
- ^ Historic, Sparsely Settled -- and Loving It, The New York Times, March 16, 1997
- ^ Census data for Cranbury township, United States Census Bureau, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Cranbury Township Committee, accessed March 18, 2007
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 56, accessed August 30, 2006
- ^ 13-minute call bonds her forever with hero, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 22, 2001. "Beamer, 32, of Cranbury, N.J., was the only passenger who dialed zero for the Airfone operator."
[edit] External links
- Cranbury Township Official Website
- Cranbury Township School
- Cranbury School's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for Cranbury School
- Princeton High School
- Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society
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(County seat: New Brunswick) |
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| Boroughs | Carteret | Dunellen | Helmetta | Highland Park | Jamesburg | Metuchen | Middlesex | Milltown | Sayreville | South Plainfield | South River | Spotswood |  |
| Cities | New Brunswick | Perth Amboy | South Amboy | |
| Townships | Cranbury | East Brunswick | Edison | Monroe | North Brunswick | Old Bridge | Piscataway | Plainsboro | South Brunswick | Woodbridge | |
| CDPs and communities | Clearbrook Park | Avenel | Brownville | Colonia | Concordia | Dayton | Deans | Fords | Heathcote | Hopelawn | Iselin | Keasbey | Kendall Park | Kingston | Laurence Harbor | Madison Park | Menlo Park Terrace | Monmouth Junction | Plainsboro Center | Port Reading | Princeton Meadows | Raritan Landing | Rossmoor | Sewaren | Society Hill | Whittingham | |
| Historic houses | Buccleuch Mansion | Cornelius Low House | Henry Guest House | James Buckelew Mansion | Joyce Kilmer House | Metlar/Bodine House | Rockingham | |
