Roxbury Township, New Jersey

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Roxbury Township, New Jersey
Roxbury Township highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Roxbury Township highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Coordinates: 40°52′41″N 74°39′6″W / 40.87806, -74.65167
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Morris
Established December 24, 1740
Incorporated February 21, 1798
Government
 - Type Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)
 - Mayor Tim Smith
 - Manager Christopher Raths[1]
Area
 - Total 21.9 sq mi (56.7 km²)
 - Land 21.4 sq mi (55.4 km²)
 - Water 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km²)
Elevation [2] 784 ft (239 m)
Population (2006)[3]
 - Total 23,803
 - Density 1,117.4/sq mi (431.4/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07852 - Ledgewood
Area code(s) 973
FIPS code 34-64980[4]
GNIS feature ID 0882203[5]
Website: http://roxburynj.us

Roxbury Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 23,883. Roxbury Township is located 50 miles west of New York City.

Roxbury Township was formed on December 24, 1740, from portions of Morris Township, and was formally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Mendham Township (March 29, 1749), Washington Township (April 2, 1798), Chester Township (April 1, 1799), Jefferson Township (February 11, 1804), Mount Olive Township (March 22, 1871), Mount Arlington (November 3, 1890) and Netcong (October 23, 1894).[6]

Succasunna-Kenvil (2000 Census population of 12,569) is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within the township. The Township of Roxbury includes other unincorporated communities and neighborhoods including Berkshire Valley, Flanders, Landing, Ledgewood and Port Morris.

Ledgewood Mall and Roxbury Mall are regional shopping malls located within the Township.

Contents

[edit] Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 21.9 square miles (56.7 km²), of which, 21.4 square miles (55.3 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (2.42%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 3,879
1940 4,455 14.8%
1950 5,707 28.1%
1960 9,983 74.9%
1970 15,754 57.8%
1980 18,878 19.8%
1990 20,429 8.2%
2000 23,883 16.9%
Est. 2006 23,803 [3] -0.3%
Population 1930 - 1990.[7]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 23,883 people, 8,364 households, and 6,532 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,117.4 people per square mile (431.5/km²). There were 8,550 housing units at an average density of 400.0/sq mi (154.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 92.57% White, 1.91% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 3.58% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 4.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 8,364 households out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the township the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $72,982, and the median income for a family was $83,409. Males had a median income of $59,488 versus $36,353 for females. The per capita income for the township was $30,174. About 2.1% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Roxbury Township operates under the Council-Manager form of Government under the Faulkner Act. The Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations associated with all municipal activities. The Manager directs, administers and coordinates the activities of the municipality in full support of policies, goals and objectives established by the governing body.

The members of Roxbury's Township Council for 2008 are:[8]

  • Council at Large - Tim Smith (Mayor)
  • Council at Large - Kathy DeFillippo (Deputy mayor)
  • Council at Large - Jim Rilee
  • Ward 1 - Richard Zoschak
  • Ward 2 - Gary Behrens
  • Ward 3 - Fred Hall
  • Ward 4 - Martin Schmidt

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Roxbury Township is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th Legislative District.[9]

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).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 25th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Anthony Bucco (R, Boonton) and in the Assembly by Michael Patrick Carroll (R, Morris Plains) and Richard A. Merkt (R, Brookside).[10] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[11]

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats up for election each year.[12] As of 2008, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Margaret Nordstrom, Deputy Freeholder Director Gene F. Feyl, Douglas R. Cabana, William J. Chegwidden, John J. Murphy, James W. Murray and Jack J. Schrier.[13]

[edit] Education

The Roxbury School District serves public school students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[14]) are four elementary schools — Franklin Elementary School (K-3, 374 students), Kennedy Elementary School (K-4, 359 students), Jefferson Elementary School (K-5, 459 students) and Nixon Elementary School (K-3, 377 students) — Lincoln / Roosevelt School (5-6, 652 students), Eisenhower Middle School (7 and 8, 728 students), and Roxbury High School (9-12, 1,529 students).

The high school consists of students from Roxbury, as well as those from Mount Arlington who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship.

Parochial education is served at St. Therese School (Pre K-8)

[edit] Transportation

Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46, U.S. Route 206, Route 10 and Route 183 all pass through the township.

The Lake Hopatcong New Jersey Transit station is served by the Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Line, with service to Hoboken Terminal or to Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan via Midtown Direct.

Morristown & Erie Railway's Chester Branch and High Bridge Branch freight lines run through the township on weekdays.

Port Morris was the starting point for the Lackawanna Cutoff, an engineering marvel constructed by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad between 1908-1911. New Jersey Transit is considering plans to restore passenger service on the route between the Poconos and Hoboken Terminal.

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Roxbury Township include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Township Manager’s Office, Township of Roxbury. Accessed January 29, 2008.
  2. ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Roxbury, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Census data for Roxbury township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 20, 2007.
  4. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 197.
  7. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  8. ^ Township of Roxbury Mayor & Council, Roxbury Township. Accessed January 29, 2008.
  9. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 63. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  10. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  11. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  12. ^ What is a Freeholder?, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed February 6, 2008.
  13. ^ Meet the Freeholders, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed February 6, 2008.
  14. ^ Data for the Roxbury School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 6, 2008.
  15. ^ About Doug, Doug Miller Soccer. Accessed March 6, 2008.
  16. ^ Jetur Rose Riggs, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 2, 2007.

[edit] External links