High Bridge, New Jersey

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Map of High Bridge in Hunterdon County
Map of High Bridge in Hunterdon County

High Bridge is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 3,776.

High Bridge was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 29, 1871, from portions of both Clinton Township and Lebanon Township and Bethlehem Township. On February 19, 1898, the borough of High Bridge was incorporated from portions of the township, with the remainder returned to Clinton and Lebanon Townships.[1]

High Bridge Borough is located on the South Branch of the Raritan River in the north central part of Hunterdon County. Water from the South Branch was a valuable power source for one of the first ironworks in the United States, established by William Allen and Joseph Turner of Philadelphia. Allen was the mayor of Philadelphia, a Chief Justice and a prominent landowner in New Jersey. The Central Railroad of New Jersey built a high bridge across the river from which structure the locality ultimately took its name.[2]

Contents

[edit] Geography

High Bridge is located at 40°40′7″N, 74°53′33″W (40.668594, -74.892415)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 6.3 km² (2.4 mi²). 6.2 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.82%) is water.

High Bridge borders Clinton Township and Lebanon Township.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1930 1,860
–
1940 1,781 -4.2%
1950 1,854 4.1%
1960 2,148 15.9%
1970 2,606 21.3%
1980 3,435 31.8%
1990 3,886 13.1%
2000 3,776 -2.8%
Est. 2005 3,770 [3] -0.2%
Population 1930 - 1990.[4]

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 3,776 people, 1,428 households, and 1,051 families residing in the borough. The population density was 604.9/km² (1,566.0/mi²). There were 1,478 housing units at an average density of 236.8/km² (613.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.24% White, 0.79% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.12% of the population.

There were 1,428 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the borough the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $68,719, and the median income for a family was $75,357. Males had a median income of $56,607 versus $35,450 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,276. About 1.9% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

High Bridge is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey government by a Mayor, independently elected for a four-year term, and a six member Common Council, with each Council Member elected to three-year, staggered terms. Each year, two Council seats are on the ballot.[5]

The Mayor of High Bridge Borough is Mark Desire. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Tom Flynn (2009), Tuck Batch, Colleen Hann, Lynn Hughes, Richard Montaperto and Jon Valenta (2009).[6]

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, Mark Desire was elected as Mayor to succeed Alfred W. Schweikert, and took office on January 1, 2007. Thomas Flynn and Jon Valenta won three-year seats on the Borough Council.[7]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

High Bridge Borough is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd Legislative District.[8]

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 is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob 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).

Hunterdon County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2007, Hunterdon County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director George D. Muller, Freeholder Deputy Director Erik C. Peterson, Matthew Holt, George B. Melick and Ronald Sworen.

[edit] Education

The High Bridge School District serves students in grades K to 8. High Bridge Elementary School covers grades Pre-K - 5 and High Bridge Middle School is for grades 6 - 8.

Students in grades 9 through 12 attend Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner as part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. Voorhees High School serves students from Califon Borough (67 students), Glen Gardner Borough (75 students), Hampton Borough (87 students), High Bridge Borough (217 students), Lebanon Township (404 students) and Tewksbury Township (235 students).

[edit] Transportation

The High Bridge station is the western terminus on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line. It is located at the southern end of the station. The parking lot for the station is located one block to the west. The station only uses the southern track for inbound and outbound trains. There is a station building that is no longer used and there are two small shelters. This station has limited weekday service and no weekend service. The station has been the western terminus of the line since 1983, although there have been proposals to once again have service to Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

[edit] Recreation

High Bridge serves as the southern terminus of a rail trail that was created out of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch. The trail is maintained by Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation and is called the Columbia Trail. The trail runs northeastward from the center of the borough (at the junction of Main Street and Church Street) towards Califon, through a scenic area outside the borough limits, known as the Ken Lockwood Gorge.

Union Forge Park is High Bridge's main public park, located across the Raritan River from Taylor Wharton. Another park is the Borough Commons, conveniently situated at the start of the Columbia Trail.

[edit] The Solitude House Museum

Solitude House, built circa 1725, later became the centerpiece of the iron plantation that became Union Forge Ironworks. Later called Taylor Iron and Steel Company, it eventually became known as Taylor-Wharton. John Penn, the last royal governor of Pennsylvania was a political prisoner at Solitude House during the American Revolutionary War. Five generations of the Taylor family managed the business and continued to live in the house, until 1938. The museum houses the Taylor-Wharton Collection as well as changeable exhibits to depict the life and times of the residents and ironworkers who lived in High Bridge.[9]

[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. 155.
  2. ^ Hunterdon County webpage for High Bridge Borough, accessed March 20, 2007
  3. ^ Census data for High Bridge borough, United States Census Bureau, accessed March 1, 2007
  4. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
  5. ^ High Bridge Borough Government: Overview, accessed March 12, 2007
  6. ^ 2007 Mayor and Council, accessed March 12, 2007
  7. ^ High Bridge Borough Election Results, accessed December 3, 2006
  8. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 58, accessed August 30, 2006
  9. ^ Solitude House Museum, accessed August 31, 2006

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Municipalities of Hunterdon County, New Jersey
(County seat: Flemington)
Boroughs Bloomsbury | Califon | Flemington | Frenchtown | Glen Gardner | Hampton | High Bridge | Lebanon | Milford | Stockton
City Lambertville
Town Clinton
Townships Alexandria | Bethlehem | Clinton | Delaware | East Amwell | Franklin | Holland | Kingwood | Lebanon | Raritan | Readington | Tewksbury | Union | West Amwell
CDPs and
communities		 Annandale | Raven Rock | Ringoes | White House Station
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