| Byram Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Motto: "The Township of Lakes"[1] | |
| Map of Byram Township in Sussex County. Inset: Location of Sussex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Byram Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Sussex |
| Formed | February 5, 1798 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government[2] | |
| • Type | Town (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | James Oscovitch (June 2013)[3] |
| • Manager | Joe Sabatini[4] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 22.2 sq mi (57.4 km2) |
| • Land | 21.1 sq mi (54.6 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,010 ft (308 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[5] | |
| • Total | 8,350 |
| • Density | 376.1/sq mi (145.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07874 - Stanhope |
| Area code(s) | 973 |
| FIPS code | 34-09160[6][7] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882263[8] |
| Website | http://www.byramtwp.org |
Byram Township — "The Township of Lakes"[1] — is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,350.[5] Lake Mohawk is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located in parts of both Byram Township and Sparta Township.
Contents |
Byram Township was created by an act by the New Jersey General Assembly on February 5, 1798, from portions of the now-defunct Newton Township, and was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships.[9][10] Byram Township was named in honor of patriarch Jephthah Byram and his family, who are believed to have emigrated to the area after the American Revolutionary War.[9] Before being named Byram, the community had been called Lockwood. In fact, the Lockwood Tavern still holds this as evidence. In 1829, a section of Green Township was incorporated into the township.[10] Portions of the township have been taken to form Sparta Township (April 14, 1845), Brooklyn borough (March 24, 1898, now called Hopatcong) and Stanhope borough (March 24, 1904).[10]
There are many historical sites located in Byram. The Roseville Schoolhouse, built in 1853, was recently moved from its original location on Lackawanna Drive to Mansfield Drive.[11] The Leport House, built in 1802, is Byram's oldest remaining house.[12] The house is located right by the Byram General Store on Sparta-Stanhope Road. The Lockwood Cemetery, Byram's most recognizable cemetery, was built circa 1818. The cemetery consists of about 30 gravestones, with slight remnants of the foundation of a church.
In 1911, the Lackawanna Cut-Off rail line opened through Byram Township, with a station stop near the current sub-division neighborhood of Forest Lakes. The Cut-Off was part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's mainline from Hoboken, New Jersey to Buffalo, New York. The railroad was important in providing transportation for mines in Northern Jersey. It passes through Byram for a long distance. It runs mainly along Roseville, but as Roseville veers north, the tracks still head West. The line was abandoned in 1980 and the tracks were removed four years later. There is a proposal to reactivate passenger service via New Jersey Transit in the future.
Byram Township had a very large mining industry in the past. There are so many mineral mines in Byram that there is one almost walking distance from anywhere. The biggest mine, The Roseville Mine, is located on the current Roseville Road. The mine is in a quadrilateral plot of land, with the southwestern corner created by Roseville Road and Amity Road. The southeastern corner is created by an intersection between Roseville Road and the Lackawanna Cut-off. The Roseville Mine was first excavated in the early 1850s. It was well worked during its life, with production in 1880 alone documented as 67,000 tons. Most of the work was done via a large open cut. This cut as it exists today, is water filled, however its massive size was impressive, its vertical walls being probably over 80 to 90 feet high. Another popular mine is the Charlotte Uranium mine. The mine extracted uranium from the rocks of southwestern Byram. The mine closed in the 1950s, but many remnants are still visible.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 22.2 square miles (57 km2), of which, 21.1 square miles (55 km2) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) of it (5.00%) is water. It is divided into several sections. They include the neighborhoods of Forest West, East and West Brookwood, Forest Lakes, Lackawanna, Cranberry Lake, and the Lake Mohawk area.
The township is known as the "Township of Lakes" because of the community's nearly two dozen lakes and ponds.[1]
Residents of Byram are served by adjacent post offices in Stanhope, Andover Township and Sparta Township.[13]
| Andover Twp | Sparta Twp | |||
| Green Twp | Hopatcong | |||
| Byram Twp | ||||
| Allamuchy Twp | Mt. Olive Twp | Stanhope |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 245 |
|
|
| 1940 | 373 | 52.2% | |
| 1950 | 761 | 104.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,616 | 112.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,592 | 184.2% | |
| 1980 | 7,502 | 63.4% | |
| 1990 | 8,048 | 7.3% | |
| 2000 | 8,254 | 2.6% | |
| 2010 | 8,350 | 1.2% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[5][14] | |||
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 8,254 people, 2,833 households, and 2,317 families residing in the township. The population density was 391.8 people per square mile (151.3/km²). There were 3,078 housing units at an average density of 146.1 per square mile (56.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.77% White, 0.97% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.41% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.94% of the population.
There were 2,833 households out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $81,532, and the median income for a family was $89,500. Males had a median income of $59,722 versus $40,396 for females. The per capita income for the township was $30,710. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over.
The Township of Byram is chartered under the Faulkner Act Council-Manager plan. Byram Township has a Mayor and four Council Members. The Mayor and all Council Members are elected at-large in nonpartisan elections for four-year staggered terms.[2] Elected Officials enter office on January 1. Byram Township's elections are held on Election Day in odd number years (e.g., November 2011, 2013, etc.)
The Township Council passes ordinances and resolutions. It maintains the Administrative Code. The Council appoints the Township Manager. It appoints the Municipal Clerk, the Tax Assessor and Members of all boards, commissions and authorities. It votes on the municipal budget after it has been prepared by the township manager.[15]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of Byram Township is James Oscovitch (term ends December 31, 2013). Other members of the Byram Township Council are Scott Olson (2011), Marie Raffay (2013), Daniel Rafferty (2011) and Brian Thompson (2011).[16]
Byram Township is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.[17] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[5]
New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
24th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Steve Oroho (R, Franklin) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Gary R. Chiusano (R, Augusta) and Alison Littell McHose (R, Franklin).[18] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[19] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[20]
Sussex County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders whose five members are elected at-large on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. As of 2011, Sussex County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Richard A. Zeoli (R, term ends December 31, 2012; Byram Township)[21], Deputy Director Susan M. Zellman (R, 2012; Stanhope)[22], Phillip R. Crabb (R, 2011; Franklin)[23], Parker Space (R, 2013; Wantage Township)[24] and Richard Vohden (R, 2013; Green Township).[25][26]
As of March 23, 2011, out of a 2010 Census population of 8,350 in Byram, there were 5,805 registered voters (69.5% of the population, vs. 65.8% in all of Sussex County). Of registered voters, 1,128 (19.4% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,957 (33.7% vs. 39.3% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 2,714 (46.8% vs. 44.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were six voters registered to other parties (two Constitution Partiers, one Green and three Libertarians).[27]
In recent years, on the national level, Byram is a stronghold for the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 63% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received 36%.[28] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 60% of the vote here, defeating Democrat Barack Obama, who received 38%.[29] This gives Byram Township a Cook PVI of R+14.
The Byram Township School District contains two public schools for grades K - 8, run by the Byram Township Board of Education. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[30]) are Byram Lakes Elementary School serves grades K - 4 (547 students) and Byram Township Intermediate School serves grades 5 - 8 (535 students).
For public school students in grades 9 - 12, the township shares Lenape Valley Regional High School, which also serves Netcong in Morris County and the Sussex County community of Stanhope.[31]
The Consolidated School,a former public school building that had been used to serve K-2, has been leased to a private special needs school named Celebrate the Children.[32]
There are a few private schools close by. Reverend Brown in Sparta serves grades K-8. Hilltop Country Day School, which also serves K-8, also has students from Byram. Byram has students in various private high schools, but all but one school are located outside of Sussex County. Pope John XXIII Regional High School, in Sparta Township, is the location of the only private high school in Sussex County, which has around 10 students from Byram.
Byram Township is known as the "Gateway to New Jersey Trails".[33]
Sussex Branch Trail extends 21.2 miles from Netcong to Branchville, following the route of the old Sussex Branch Railroad. This line was in service under various ownerships from 1848 - 1966. Today trail users can explore the route once used by steam locomotives and long freight trains.[34]
Parks in Byram Township include:[35] C.O Johnson Park has parks for younger and older children. It includes a football field, baseball field, and a track for walking. People can ride bikes here and watch games. There is also a tennis court. It has restrooms and a refreshment~snack area. It has a picnic area - carry-in, carry-out - near the skateboard park and bocce ball court. The picnic area has five tables with attached benches and two handicapped accessible tables. The picnic tables were built and installed by local Girl Scout gold recipient Addison Rice. The park was named for C.O. Johnson,a mayor for about 25 years in Byram Township who helped the community greatly along with his wife.
Riverside Park is located at the intersection of River Road and Waterloo Road in Byram Township. Opening ceremonies were held late summer of 2001, making it Byram's newest park. The park has the Musconetcong River running right behind it and features beautiful walking paths, fishing and canoeing. The park features a brand new, state of the art playground, picnic tables, a gazebo and basketball courts.
Tomahawk Park is a small park located on Tomahawk Trail in Byram Township. It is located right across from Tomahawk Lake.
Parts of Allamuchy Mountain State Park are located in the township. Access to the State Park can be gained via State Trails.
Neil Gylling Memorial Park has two softball fields. A soccer field is also set up between the softball fields during the fall season. There are also two tennis courts. This is the traditional location for Byram Day which is celebrated the 2nd Saturday in September of every year.
Brookside Park is a small park that contains a basketball court in East Brookwood.
Waterloo Village exhibits many different time periods from a 400 year old Lenape (Delaware) Native American village to a bustling port along the once prosperous Morris Canal. The early 19th-century village contains a working mill with gristmills and sawmills, a general store, a blacksmith shop and restored houses. Classical and popular music programs are available to the public during the summer months. Waterloo Village was shut down to preserve the artifacts inside, though plans have been made to restore the buildings on the site.[36]
The township is bisected by U.S. Route 206. A small portion of Interstate 80 passes through the southern tip of Byram Township but without any interchanges.
Notable current and former residents of Byram Township include:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||