Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey

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for other New Jersey townships with the same name see Franklin Township, New Jersey
Franklin, New Jersey
Map of Franklin Township in Somerset County
Map of Franklin Township in Somerset County
Coordinates: 40°29′38″N 74°31′1″W / 40.49389, -74.51694
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Somerset
Area
 - Total 46.8 sq mi (121.3 km²)
 - Land 46.8 sq mi (121.1 km²)
 - Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
Elevation 79 ft (24 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 50,903
 - Density 1,088.3/sq mi (420.2/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code 34-24900[1]
GNIS feature ID 0882170[2]
Blackwells Mills Canal House in the Somerset section of Franklin Township
Blackwells Mills Canal House in the Somerset section of Franklin Township

Franklin Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 50,903. Traditionally a farming community, it has become a fast-growing suburb with massive development in the later 20th Century and into the 21st Century. It is also quite a diverse community, even by New Jersey's rather liberal standards, with a melting pot of races, religions and cultures.

What is now Franklin Township was originally formed circa 1745 as Eastern precinct. Franklin Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form South Bound Brook (formed within township, became independent municipality as of April 11, 1907) and East Millstone (February 18, 1873, returned to Franklin Township on December 31, 1949).[3]

Contents

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 46.8 square miles (121.3 km²), of which, 46.8 square miles (121.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.15%) is water.

Franklin Township borders New Brunswick, North Brunswick Township, Piscataway Township, South Brunswick , Princeton Township, Rocky Hill, Millstone, Montgomery Township, Hillsborough Township, South Bound Brook, Manville and Bridgewater Township.

[edit] Communities of Franklin Township

The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township. While they have their own separate identities, they are all unincorporated areas.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 6,039
—
1940 6,299 4.3%
1950 9,601 * 52.4%
1960 19,858 106.8%
1970 30,389 53.0%
1980 31,358 3.2%
1990 42,780 36.4%
2000 50,903 19.0%
Est. 2006 60,273 [4] 18.4%
* gained territory from East Millstone
Population 1930 - 1990.[5]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 50,903 people, 19,355 households, and 12,987 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,088.3 people per square mile (420.2/km²). There were 19,789 housing units at an average density of 423.1/sq mi (163.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 55.11% White, 25.98% African American, 0.18% Native American, 12.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.56% from other races, and 2.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.11% of the population.

There were 19,355 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $67,923, and the median income for a family was $78,177. Males had a median income of $52,351 versus $41,101 for females. The per capita income for the township was $31,209. About 3.1% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Township of Franklin is chartered under the Faulkner Act as Council-Manager, Plan D.[6] The Township of Franklin is chartered under the Optional Municipal Charter Act as Council-Manager, Plan D. The Township Council consists of nine members - one Mayor elected from the Township at large, five elected for each of the five wards and three elected from the Township at large.

The Mayor is the Chief Legislative Officer of the Township and is elected by the voters to serve for a four-year term. The Township Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of the Township, provides for the administration of the Township's daily operations, and is hired by and serves at the pleasure of the Township Council. Council elections are held at the June Primary and November General Elections in odd numbered years.[7]

Members of the Township Council are:[8]

  • Brian Levine, Mayor (term ends December 31, 2011)
  • James Vassanella, Deputy Mayor 5th Ward (2009)
  • Kimberly Francois, At-Large (2011)
  • Daniel Glicklich, At-Large (2011)
  • Rajiv Prasad, At-Large (2011)
  • Shirley Eberle, 1st Ward (2009)
  • Teresa Danile, CPA, 2nd Ward (2009)
  • Robert Mettler, 3rd Ward (2009). Mettler replaced Ellen E. Ritchie, who was recalled by a margin of 1,165 to 291 in a special election held on September 11, 2007.[9]
  • Willis "Rickey" Sumter, 4th Ward (2009)

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Franklin Township is split between the 6th and 12th Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 17th Legislative District.[10]

New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, covering portions of Middlesex County and Monmouth County, is represented by Frank Pallone (D). 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).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 17th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Bob Smith (D, Piscataway) and in the Assembly by Upendra J. Chivukula (D, Somerset) and Joseph V. Egan (D, New Brunswick).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[12]

Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two elected each year. As of 2008, Somerset County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Peter S. Palmer (Bernardsville, term ends December 31, 2008), Freeholder Deputy Director Rick Fontana (Bridgewater Township, 2009), Jack Ciattarelli (Hillsborough Township, 2009), Patricia Walsh (Green Brook Township, 2010) and Robert Zaborowski (Franklin Township, 2008).[13]

[edit] Culture and history

It has been unclear if the Township was named for founding father Benjamin Franklin or for his illegitimate son William Franklin, a Loyalist and the last Royal Governor of New Jersey (from 1763 to 1776). In 2000, after considering the evidence set forth by William B. Brahms in his books Images of America: Franklin Township (1997)[14] and Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History [15], commissioned by the Franklin Township Public Library, 1998, Chapter 12, Municipal Government, The Case for William Franklin and The Case for Benjamin Franklin), the Township Council chose the theory that the Township was indeed named for Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin Township was very much a part of Revolutionary War history and the scene of many raiding parties along Route 27, then known as the King's Highway. In fact, two British generals, Cornwallis and DeHeister, tried to lure General George Washington and his Continental Army into battle on the plains of Middlebush and East Millstone. Washington, however, kept his troops at Chimney Rock, just north of Franklin, until the British withdrew. Several of the prosperous Middlebush farms were destroyed by the British soldiers during their retreat. Washington's farewell address was delivered to his army in Rocky Hill in 1783.

One of the most important developments for Franklin was the building of the Delaware & Raritan Canal in 1834. Twenty-two miles of this continuous water route from New York to Philadelphia run through the Township. During the Civil War, up to 200,000 tons of freight were hauled by mule and horse-drawn barges, a great economic boon for the area. The building of the railroads led to the decline of this once successful mode of transportation. Today the canal is the source of drinking water and provides recreation for area residents and visitors to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.

The Van Wickle House, located next to the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the Somerset section of the township, in between New Brunswick and South Bound Brook, was built in 1722 by Dutch settlers and is now owned and maintained by The Meadows Foundation. The lovely old home sits peacefully next to Rutgers Preparatory School, away from busy Easton Avenue behind some trees and a Revolutionary War-era graveyard.

Franklin Township enjoyed passenger and freight railroad service during the later half of the 19th century via the Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad (M&NB) which opened in 1854. The railroad was built and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), from a junction with the PRR mainline at Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey to East Millstone, New Jersey. The M&NB is now known as the Conrail Millstone Secondary Branch. The branch line is still operated by Conrail up to just west of Clyde Road in Somerset, New Jersey, serving local industry in the industrial section of Somerset[16].

In 1922, the infamous Hall-Mills Murder took place in Franklin Township, in the area adjacent to New Brunswick known as Somerset.

[edit] Points of interest

  • The Blackwells Mills Canal House, located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road (598 Canal Road, Somerset) on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, was built around 1835, at the same time as the canal. It was constructed to house the bridge tender, who would open the swing bridge when canal boats came through, then close it to allow traffic to cross over the canal. The building is leased from the State and is maintained and operated by the the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association in conjunction with the Meadows Foundation.
  • Colonial Park, part of the Somerset County Park System, is a 685.5 acre facility located in the western portion of Franklin Township near East Millstone. The park offers many recreational activities, including picnicking, hiking, biking, fishing, golf and tennis. It features a 144-acre Arboretum, a 3-acre leash-free dog area, a 1.4 mile fitness parcourse, paddleboat rentals, a unique 18-hole putting course, the 18 hole championship Spooky Brook Golf Course, 3 stocked fishing ponds, softball fields, tennis center, playground, nature trail, a 5-acre Perennial Garden, the Rufolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, an accredited All-America Rose Selections (AARS) display garden, and the Fragrance and Sensory Garden, designed to be of special interest to visitors who are visually or physically impaired.
  • The Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park runs along much of the western and northern border of Franklin Township. The canal offers many recreational activities, from hiking and biking to boating.
  • The John W. Flemer Preserve is a 7.4-acre preserve adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Kingston that features a 2-mile trail on the east bank of the Canal that offers a connection to the tow path on the west side of the Canal for a round trip hike.
  • The Franklin Inn, at 2371 Amwell Road (Route 514), East Millstone, NJ a farmhouse built c. 1752 by Cornelius Van Liew, it has also been known as Annie Van Liew's House and, after being remodeled into a tavern and inn, the Franklin House Hotel. [17] The building is currently operated as a used book store by the Meadows Foundation.
  • The Hageman Farm, at 209 South Middlebush Road, is a c. 1861 historic farm. Owned by Franklin Township, the farm is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation.
  • The William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest, a 500+ acre natural preserve that includes a 65 acre virgin old growth forest designated a National Natural Landmark, is located at 2150 Amwell Rd. (Route 514) about 3/4 of a mile east of East Millstone.
  • The Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve is a 164-acre preserve located between Bennets Lane and Skillmans Lane in the Somerset section that features 111-acre of grassland, forest and scrubland and a 2.5-acre wetland attracting migratory birds and amphibians with over 3-miles of pedestrian trails, bird boxes and interpretive signage.
  • Rockingham State Historic Site, near Kingston on CR 603 (Somerset County), adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal. George Washington wrote his Farewell Address to the Revolutionary Army while staying here in the fall of 1783.
  • Six Mile Reservoir Site, part of the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, is located in the central portion of Franklin Township. The park is largely undeveloped and consists of land that is set aside for future water resource needs, and offers numerous hiking trails. Assess is provided via the former D&R Canal Main Office parking area off Canal Road just south of Blackwells Mills Road.
  • Spieden & Hoebel Farms, Little Valley Natural Area is a 120-acre area at 1327 and 1345 Canal Road with several miles of trails through forest and along field edges. Across Canal Road is access to the Delaware and Raritan Canal tow path and the Millstone River and flood plain.
  • Ten Mile Run Greenway is a 684-acre greenway over 4 miles in length running between Canal Rd. south of Bunker Hill Road in Griggstown and S. Middlebush Road near Old Vliet Road in Franklin Park. It features four sections including:
  • Bunker Hill Natural Area, accessed from the north side of Bunker Hill Road near the intersection of Rt. 27 features trails through mature forest and meadows and along Ten Mile Run stream. Trails connect to the Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and the Catalpa Farm areas.
  • Catalpa Farm, Old Vliet Road offers trails along field edges and a small forest that connect to the Bunker Hill Natural Area.
  • Environmental Education Center, 255 Bunker Hill Road (parking is available at 287 Bunker Hill Road), is a 95-area the features a deciduous forest known as Graeber Woods, a one-mile self-guided nature trail and the “Glass House”, a home that has been renovated and is now used as a classroom and conference center to provide a wide range of instructional, hands-on activities in natural habitats, and a 20' climbing tower and a high ropes course adventure area. The Environmental Education Center is a cooperative effort of the Township of Franklin, the Franklin Township Board of Education, and the Green Acres Program. A trail connect to the Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and the rest of the Ten Mile Run Greenway.
  • Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve accessed from Canal Road in Griggstown (1091 Canal Road) has over 100-acres of grassland and hundreds of acres of forest and features over 6-miles of mapped trails. Trails connect to the other sections of the Ten Mile Run Greenway.
  • Tulipwood, at 1165 Hamilton Street, is a c. 1892 designed by J. August Lienau, the son of Detlef Lienau for his brother-in-law Stephen Guion Williams who's family owned the Williams & Guion Black Star Line. Owned by Franklin Township, the site is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation.
  • The Ukrainian Cultural Center at 135 Davidson Avenue, serves as the headquarters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and includes at the site (some open by appointment only):
  • St. Sophia Seminary and Library, founded in 1975,
  • St. Andrew Memorial Church, completed and consecrated in 1967 in memory of the 7-14 million people who died in the Ukrainian famine of 1932-33 is an unique example of Ukrainian Cossak Baroque architecture in the area,
  • St. Andrew Cemetery, founded in 1952,
  • The Ukrainian Orthodox Church Museum, founded in 1972, which contains priceless treasures of Ukrainian cultural, historical, social, religious, literary and political life including Easter eggs, lacework, hand embroidery, statuary and church vessels.
  • The Ukrainian Cultural Center, dedicated in 1985,
  • St. Andrew Ukrainian School, founded in 1962 and located in the Cultural Center,
  • St. Andrew Bookstore and Ecclesiastical Supply, founded in 1992,
  • The historic Fisher Homestead, built in 1688, the home of Heinrich Fisher, New Jersey's delegate to the Continental Congress, and the site of the Fisher Family Cemetery.
  • The Van Liew-Suydam House, at 280 South Middlebush Road, was built in the 1700s by Peter Van Liew. Joseph Suydam later built the part of the house that is visible today. The newest and largest portion of the house was built in 1875. Although the most recent long term owner of the house was named French, the house has been named after its two initial owners. Owned by Franklin Township, the farm is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation which holds an open house the second Sunday of the month.
  • The Van Wickle House, at 1289 Easton Avenue is a historic house built c. 1722 by Symen Van Wickle. Operated by the Meadows Foundation which holds special annual events and an open house the second Sunday of the month here.
  • The William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest, a 500+ acre natural preserve that includes a 65 acre virgin old growth forest designated a National Natural Landmark, is located at 2150 Amwell Rd. (Route 514) about 3/4 of a mile east of East Millstone.
  • The Wyckoff-Garretson House, at 215 South Middlebush Road, was built in 1730 by Cornelius Wyckoff. The house is currently being restored by the Meadows Foundation.

[edit] Education

The Franklin Township Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district consist of six K-4 elementary schools ( Conerly Road School, Elizabeth Avenue School, Franklin Park School, Hillcrest School, MacAfee Road School, Pine Grove Manor School), Sampson G. Smith School (grades 5-6), Franklin Middle School (grades 7-8) and Franklin High School (grades 9-12).

[edit] Emergency Services

Franklin Township is served by 11 all-volunteer Fire Departments in 4 Fire Districts.

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Franklin Township include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 223.
  4. ^ Census data for Franklin township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 12, 2007.
  5. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  6. ^ 1998 Charter Study Commission Report, p. 1. Accessed August 6, 2007. "Franklin Township, since 1958, operates under the Council-Manager Plan D..."
  7. ^ Township Council, Franklin Township. Accessed July 27, 2006.
  8. ^ Mayor & Township Council, accessed January 31, 2008.
  9. ^ Stegon, David. "Franklin recall ousts Ritchie from council", Home News Tribune, September 12, 2007. Accessed September 16, 2007. "Deputy Mayor Ellen Ritchie was ousted from the Township Council in a special recall election Tuesday. Republican Bob Mettler edged Democrat Mike Orsini by 11 votes to replace Ritchie on the council.... Mettler received 625 votes to Orsini's 614. Ritchie, running as an independent, got 213 votes. Overall, residents of the Third Ward voted 1,165 to 291 to recall Ritchie."
  10. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 57. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  11. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  12. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  13. ^ The Role of County Government: "What Is A Freeholder?", Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed March 30, 2008.
  14. ^ William B. Brahms, Images of America: Franklin Township, Arcadia Publishing; ISBN 0-7524-0938-7
  15. ^ William B. Brahms, Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History, FTPL; ISBN 0-9668586-0-3
  16. ^ A pictorial account concerning the current condition and history of the Millstone Branch
  17. ^ William B. Brahms, Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History, FTPL; ISBN 0-9668586-0-3 p.55
  18. ^ Clifford Philip Case, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 29, 2006.
  19. ^ Assembly Member Upendra J. Chivukula, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 12, 2007.
  20. ^ William B. Brahms, Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History, FTPL; ISBN 0-9668586-0-3 page 531
  21. ^ Databasebasketball web site, accessed December 12, 2006
  22. ^ History of Franklin Township, NY-NJ-CT Botany Online. Accessed September 22, 2007. "1777:... In Griggstown John Honeyman (with a home that still stands at the foot of Bunker Hill Road and Canal Road) posed as a cattle-trader sympathetic to the British in order to spy on them. Honeyman’s information helped Washington plan the surprise attack on Trenton."
  23. ^ Col Routh Goshon at Find A Grave, accessed November 29, 2006
  24. ^ "Making history in Griggstown", Princeton Packet, November 27, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2007. "Two presentations by John Allen, president of the Griggstown Historical Society, were made. Mark Alan Hewitt, project architect, received an autographed copy of “Moy Sand & Gravel” by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, a Griggstown resident."
  25. ^ Michael James Pappas, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 29, 2006
  26. ^ Dr. Randal Pinkett web site, accessed December 12, 2006
  27. ^ University of Notre Dame Official Athletic Site, accessed December 28, 2006
  28. ^ Helen Westley on Internet Movie Database (IMDb), accessed December 28, 2006
  29. ^ Alma White Bibliography, accessed December 28, 2006.
  30. ^ Eftimiades, Maria. "Radio Personality Without Limits", The New York Times, July 2, 1989. Accessed February 20, 2008.
  31. ^ Bruce Williams Biography at Radio Village, accessed December 28, 2006.

[edit] External links

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