| Chesterfield Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Chesterfield Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Chesterfield Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Burlington |
| Formed | November 6, 1688 |
| Royal Charter | January 10, 1713 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | Lawrence H. Durr (2011)[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 21.5 sq mi (55.7 km2) |
| • Land | 21.4 sq mi (55.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation[2] | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[3] | |
| • Total | 7,699 |
| • Density | 358.1/sq mi (138.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08505, 08515 |
| Area code(s) | 609 |
| FIPS code | 34-12670[4][5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882109[6] |
| Website | http://www.chesterfieldtwp.com |
Chesterfield Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,699.[3]
Chesterfield was originally formed on November 6, 1688. It was reformed by Royal Charter on January 10, 1713, and 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 New Hanover Township (December 2, 1723) and Bordentown borough (December 9, 1825).[7]
Chesterfield Township comprises three distinct communities: Chesterfield, Crosswicks and Sykesville. The area was first settled in 1677, when a group primarily consisting of Quakers settled in the area of Crosswicks, the oldest of the Chesterfield's three "villages".[8]
Chesterfield has permanently preserved over 7000+ acres of farmland through state and county programs and a township-wide transfer of development credits program that directs future growth to a designated “receiving area” known as Old York Village. Old York Village is a neo-traditional, new urbanism town on 560 acres incorporating a variety of housing types, neighborhood commercial facilities, a new elementary school, civic uses, and active and passive open space areas with preserved agricultural land surrounding the planned village. Construction began in the early 2000s and a significant percentage of the community is now complete. Old York Village was the winner of the American Planning Association National Outstanding Planning Award in 2004.[9][10][11]
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 21.5 square miles (56 km2), of which, 21.4 square miles (55 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.42%) is water.
What is now the unincorporated village of Chesterfield was known as Recklesstown in the 18th and early 19th centuries, named for one of its founders, Joseph Reckless. The name was changed in 1888, when the district's Congressman thought it an object of ridicule.[12]
| Hamilton Twp | ||||
| Bordentown Twp | ||||
| Chesterfield Twp | ||||
| Mansfield Township | Springfield Twp | North Hanover Twp |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,269 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,766 | 39.2% | |
| 1950 | 2,020 | 14.4% | |
| 1960 | 2,519 | 24.7% | |
| 1970 | 3,190 | 26.6% | |
| 1980 | 3,867 | 21.2% | |
| 1990 | 5,152 | 33.2% | |
| 2000 | 5,955 | 15.6% | |
| 2010 | 7,699 | 29.3% | |
| Population sources: 1930 - 1990.[13] 2000[14] 2010[3] |
|||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 5,955 people, 899 households, and 744 families residing in the township. The population density was 278.1 people per square mile (107.4/km²). There were 924 housing units at an average density of 43.1 per square mile (16.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 49.71% White, 37.36% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 8.45% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.34% of the population.[14] The census statistics above include residents of a youth detention center located at the northwest edge of Chesterfield Township, on the border with Hamilton Township.
There were 899 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.6% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.2% were non-families. 12.8% 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 2.91 and the average family size was 3.19.[14]
In the township the population was spread out with 11.8% under the age of 18, 40.7% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 12.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 345.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 423.4 males.[14]
The median income for a household in the township was $85,428, and the median income for a family was $91,267. Males had a median income of $50,305 versus $44,659 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,193. [The per capita income figure is artificially low due to the above-mentioned youth detention center population] About 0.4% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.[14]
Chesterfield Township real estate prices were rated second highest in Burlington County by Philadelphia magazine in February 2010. Average real estate prices were listed at $411,000, behind Moorestown Township which was rated highest in the county with an average real estate price of $463,000.[15]
Chesterfield Township is governed under the Township form of government with a three-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 two seats coming up for election each year.[16] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The committee traditionally selects the committeeperson serving the last year of his/her term to serve as mayor. The Township Committee serves both as the township's executive and legislative body, and derives from the state statutes which delegates powers, prescribe the offices and structure and establish various procedures under which the Township must operate.[17]
As of 2011[update], members of the Chesterfield Township Committee are Mayor Lawrence H. Durr, Deputy Mayor Michael Hlubik and Richard T. LoCascio, Committeeman[17]
Chesterfield Township is in the 4th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 30th state legislative district.[18] The township was relocated to the 12th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[3] The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.[18]
New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District is represented by Christopher Smith (R). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
30th District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Robert Singer (R, Lakewood Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Ronald S. Dancer (R, New Egypt) and Joseph R. Malone (R, Bordentown).[19] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[20] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[21]
Burlington County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose five members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. As of 2011, Burlington County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Bruce D. Garganio (Florence Township, 2012), Deputy Director Christopher J. Brown (Evesham Township, 2011), Joseph B. Donnelly (Cinnaminson Township, 2013), Mary Ann O'Brien (Medford Township, 2012) and Mary Anne Reinhart (Shamong Township, 2011).[22][23]
The Chesterfield School District serves students in public school for grades K - 6. As of the 2009-10 school year, Chesterfield Elementary School had an enrollment of 481 students.[24] A new school for grades K-6 was planned based on the results of a referendum passed in December 2007 that provided $37.7 million towards the project.[25] The new school was scheduled to open in January 2011, after having been pushed back from an original target opening date of September 2010.[26]
Public school students in grades 7 - 12 attend the schools of the Northern Burlington County Regional School District, which also serves students from Mansfield Township, North Hanover Township and Springfield Township, along with children of United States Air Force personnel based at McGuire Air Force Base.[27] The schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[28]) are Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School for grades 7 and 8 (660 students) and Northern Burlington County Regional High School for grades 9-12 (1,156 students). Both schools are in the Columbus section of Mansfield Township.
Crosswicks played a role during the American Revolutionary War. On June 23, 1778, British soldiers near the Crosswicks Creek shot the horse out from under Elias Dayton, a captain with the New Jersey militia. A cannon ball from the period remains lodged in the side of the Friends Meeting House.
Major county roads that pass through include Route 528, Route 537 and Route 545. The New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) passes through the northwestern part for a few miles, but the nearest interchange is Exit 7 in the neighboring township of Bordentown.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is widening the Turnpike between Interchange 6 in Mansfield Township and Interchange 8A in Monroe Township as part of a project anticipated to be completed by 2014.