Fairfield Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey
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- This article is about a township in Cumberland County. The other Fairfield in New Jersey is Fairfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey.
| Fairfield, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Cumberland |
| Formed | May 12, 1697 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Township (New Jersey) |
| - Mayor | Marion Kennedy, Jr. |
| Area | |
| - Total | 43.8 sq mi (113.5 km²) |
| - Land | 42.3 sq mi (109.5 km²) |
| - Water | 1.5 sq mi (3.9 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 3 ft (1 m) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 6,783 |
| - Density | 148.6/sq mi (57.4/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08320 - Fairton |
| Area code(s) | 856 |
| FIPS code | 34-22350[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882059[4] |
| Website: http://www.fairfieldtwp-nj.com | |
Fairfield Township is a township in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Vineland-Millville- Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for statistical purposes. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 6,283.
Fairfield Township was formed on May 12, 1697, from portions of the Cohansey Township area, while still part of Salem County, and was formed as a precinct in the newly-created Cumberland County on January 19, 1748. It was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Downe Township (September 26, 1772), Millville Township (February 24, 1801) and Lawrence Township (February 17, 1885).[5]
Fairton is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Fairfield Township.
The name Fairfield refers to its original settlers, all of them émigrés from Fairfield, Connecticut. The oldest Presbyterian church in South Jersey is said to date from before 1697. There is a plaque and an old cemetery which indicates the original log building.[6]
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 43.8 square miles (113.4 km²), of which, 42.3 square miles (109.5 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (3.45%) is water.
Fairfield has three primary population centers: Sea Breeze, Fairton (originally named Bumbridge) and Gouldtown, an old African American community from the segregation period.[6]
Fairfield Township borders Lawrence Township, Millville, Deerfield Township, Upper Deerfield Township, Bridgeton, Hopewell Township, Greenwich Township, and the Delaware Bay.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,848 |
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| 1940 | 1,977 | 7.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,932 | 48.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,916 | 33.6% | |
| 1970 | 4,990 | 27.4% | |
| 1980 | 5,693 | 14.1% | |
| 1990 | 5,699 | 0.1% | |
| 2000 | 6,283 | 10.2% | |
| Est. 2006 | 6,783 | [2] | 8.0% |
| Population 1930 - 1990[7] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,283 people, 1,751 households, and 1,322 families residing in the township. The population density was 148.6 people per square mile (57.4/km²). There were 1,915 housing units at an average density of 45.3/sq mi (17.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 41.41% White, 47.43% African American, 5.08% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.87% of the population.
There were 1,751 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the township the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 146.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $37,891, and the median income for a family was $41,326. Males had a median income of $31,858 versus $23,931 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,547. About 6.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Fairfield Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or seats coming up for election each year.[8] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
Members of the Fairfield Township Committee are Mayor Marion Kennedy, Jr., Deputy Mayor Joseph Lloyd, Albert Beverly, Sr., A. Craig Thomas and Charles Thompson.[9]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Fairfield Township is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 3rd Legislative District.[10]
New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 3rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Stephen M. Sweeney (D, Thorofare) and in the Assembly by John J. Burzichelli (D, Thorofare) and Douglas H. Fisher (D, Thorofare).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[12]
Cumberland County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at large in partisan elections to serve staggered three-year terms in office, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[13] As of 2008, Cumberland County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis N. Magazzu (term ends December 31, 2009), Deputy Director Bruce T. Peterson (2008), Jane Yetman Christy (2008), Joseph Pepitone (2010), Douglas M. Rainear (2010), Joseph P. Riley (2009) and Jeffrey M. Trout (2008).[14]
[edit] Education
The Fairfield Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The district opened a new school in September 2006 consolidating all grades into one building. The new school is located at 375 Gouldtown-Woodruff Road in the Gouldtown section of the township. As of the 2005-06 school year, the district had a combined enrollment of 524 students.[15]
For grades 9-12, public school students attend Cumberland Regional High School, which serves students from Deerfield Township, Fairfield Township, Greenwich Township, Hopewell Township, Shiloh Borough, Stow Creek Township and Upper Deerfield Township.[16] The high school is located in Upper Deerfield Township and is part of the Cumberland Regional High School District.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Fairfield Township include:
- John T. Nixon (1820-1889), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1859 to 1863.[17]
[edit] References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Fairfield, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Fairfield township, Cumberland County, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 24, 2007
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 120.
- ^ a b Laurie, Maxine N.; and Mappen, Marc; Encyclopedia of New Jersey: Rutgers University Press; 2004/2005. p. 264.
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 19.
- ^ Fairfield Township Committee, Fairfield Township. Accessed June 7, 2008.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 57. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About Cumberland County Government, Cumberland County, New Jersey. Accessed May 22, 2008.
- ^ County Freeholders, Cumberland County, New Jersey. Accessed May 23, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Fairfield Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 7, 2008.
- ^ History of CRHS, Cumberland Regional High School. Accessed June 7, 2008. "The Cumberland Regional High School is carved out of the northwest section of Cumberland County, New Jersey. Seven municipalities whose boundaries are the same as the school districts in them, are served by the school. Districts include (1) Deerfield Township, (2) Fairfield Township, (3) Greenwich Township, (4) Hopewell Township, (5) Shiloh Borough, (6) Stow Creek Township, and (7) Upper Deerfield Township."
- ^ John Thompson Nixon, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 24, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Fairfield Township web site
- Cumberland County web page for Fairfield Township
- Fairfield Township School District
- Cumberland County web page for the Fairfield Township School District
- Fairfield Township School District's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Fairfield Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- Cumberland Regional High School
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