| Ewing Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Ewing Township highlighted in Mercer County. Inset map: Mercer County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Ewing Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Mercer |
| Incorporated | February 22, 1834 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) |
| • Mayor | Bert Steinmann |
| • Administrator | James McManimon[2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.6 sq mi (40.4 km2) |
| • Land | 15.3 sq mi (39.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| Elevation[3] | 125 ft (38 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[4] | |
| • Total | 35,790 |
| • Density | 2,294.2/sq mi (885.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 08618, 08628, 08638 |
| Area code(s) | 609 |
| FIPS code | 34-22185[5][6] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882128[7] |
| Website | http://www.ewingtwp.net |
Ewing Township is a Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 35,790.[4]
Ewing Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 22, 1834, from portions of Trenton Township, while the area was still part of Hunterdon County. It became part of the newly created Mercer County on February 22, 1838.[8]
Although Ewing Township was officially established in 1834, the history of the region ranges back thousands of years. The earliest inhabitants of the land area today known as Ewing Township were the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. These migratory people ranged throughout New Jersey along the banks of the Delaware River, and the Township's many creeks provided rich natural resources for hunting, fishing, pottery-making, and simple farming.
When the region was first settled by European colonists around 1699, it was part of Hopewell Township, and continued under that name until the City of Trenton was established in 1719. From 1719 until 1834, the area was named Trenton Township. On February 22, 1834, the name was changed from Trenton Township to Ewing Township in honor of Charles Ewing, who was posthumously honored for his work as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1824–1832.
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Ewing is located at (40.259958, -74.788842).[9]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 15.6 square miles (40 km2), of which, 15.3 square miles (40 km2) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) of it is water, mostly consisting of the Delaware River. The total area is 1.73% water.
The highest elevation in Ewing Township is 225 feet (69 m) AMSL just east of I-95 and just west of Trenton-Mercer Airport,[10] while the lowest point is just below 20 feet (6.1 m) AMSL near the Delaware River.[11]
| Upper Makesfield Twp, PA | Hopewell Twp | |||
| Lower Makesfield Twp, PA | Lawrence Township | |||
| Ewing Twp | ||||
| Yardley, PA | Trenton |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,889 |
|
|
| 1920 | 3,475 | 84.0% | |
| 1930 | 6,942 | 99.8% | |
| 1940 | 10,146 | 46.2% | |
| 1950 | 16,840 | 66.0% | |
| 1960 | 26,628 | 58.1% | |
| 1970 | 32,831 | 23.3% | |
| 1980 | 34,842 | 6.1% | |
| 1990 | 34,185 | −1.9% | |
| 2000 | 35,707 | 4.5% | |
| 2010 | 35,790 | 0.2% | |
| Population sources: 1930-1990[12] 2000[13] 2010[4][14] |
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As of the 2010 Census, there were 35,790 people, 13,171 households, and 7,980 families residing in the township. There were 13,926 housing units. The racial makeup of the township was 63.1% White, 27.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.6% of the population.[14]
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 35,707 people, 12,551 households, and 8,208 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,328.6 people per square mile (899.3/km2). There were 12,924 housing units at an average density of 842.8 per square mile (325.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 69.02% White, 24.82% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.27% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.83% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.44% of the population.[13]
There were 12,551 households out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.[13]
In the township the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 17.3% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.[13]
The median income for a household in the township was $57,274, and the median income for a family was $67,618. Males had a median income of $44,531 versus $35,844 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,268. About 3.3% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.[13]
Ewing Township was originally farmland punctuated by hamlets, including Ewingville, West Trenton, and Wilburtha. Since the beginning of the 20th Century, the township has developed as a suburb of Trenton. The sections near the city border are distinctly urban, but most of the township is suburban residential development. The main commercial district extends along North Olden Avenue Extension (County Route 622), originally constructed to connect north Trenton residences with the now-closed General Motors plant. Ewing Township is also the location of The College of New Jersey, the Community Blood Council of New Jersey, New Jersey State Police headquarters, the Jones Farm State Correction Institute, the Trenton Psychiatric Institute, the New Jersey Department of Transportation headquarters, Katzenbach School for the Deaf, and Trenton-Mercer Airport (KTTN), the location of Trenton, New Jersey's weather observations.
Ewing was home to the Inland Fisher Guide Plant, a plant that opened in 1938 for the Ternstedt division of GM's Fisher Body unit. During World War II, the plant was used to build torpedo bombers for the United States Navy. The plant was converted back to manufacture car parts after the war and became the first location of an industrial robot used to replace human workers.[15] After its closure in 1998. The plant was demolished and has been targeted for cleanup and commercial redevelopment, with a $10.4 million grant received in 2011 to cover the costs of remediation of the site.[16]
Ewing was also home of the Naval Air Warfare Center on Parkway Avenue, which developed major aeronautical defense weapons for the United States Navy.
Ewing Township is governed under a Mayor-Council form of New Jersey municipal government, under the Faulkner Act.[1] The Governing Body of the township consists of five Council members and a Mayor, all of whom are elected by the residents of the community. The Mayor is elected to a four-year term. Members of the Council are elected at-large to four-year terms of office, with two seats come up for election every other year.[17]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of Ewing Township is Bert Steinmann (D, term ends December 31, 2014).[2] Members of the Ewing Township Council are Council President Les Summiel (D, 2012), Council Vice President Kathy Wollert (D, 2014), Kevin Baxter (D, 2012), Hilary Hyser (D, 2014) and Joe Murphy (D, 2012).[18] Baxter was selected in January 2011 to fill the vacancy left by Bert Steinmann, who became mayor on January 1, and will serve until a November 2011 election to fill the remaining year on Steinmann's term. [19]
Ewing Township is in the 12th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 15th state legislative district.[20] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[4]
New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District is represented by Rush D. Holt, Jr. (D, Hopewell Township).[21] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
15th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Shirley Turner (D, Lawrenceville) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Reed Gusciora (D, Trenton) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Ewing Township).[22] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[23] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[24]
Under Mercer County's form of government, the County Executive performs executive functions and oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders acts in a legislative capacity, setting policy. As of 2011, the County Executive is Brian M. Hughes.[25] Members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders are elected at-large to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. A Freeholder Chair and Vice-Chair are selected on an annual basis from among its members.[26] County Freeholders are Freeholder Chair Pasqual "Pat" Colavita, Jr. (term ends December 31, 2012; Lawrenceville)[27], Freeholder Vice Chair Lucylle R. S. Walter (2011; Ewing Township)[28], Samuel T. Frisby (2011; Trenton)[29], Ann M. Cannon (2012; East Windsor Township)[30], Anthony P. Carabelli (2013; Trenton)[31], John Cimino (2011; Hamilton Township)[32] and Andrew Koontz (2013; Princeton Borough)[33][34]
The New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission has its headquarters in the township.[35][36][37]
The Ewing Township Board of Education oversees the Ewing Public Schools. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[38]) are three K-5 elementary schools — Antheil (731 students) Lore (521) Parkway (462) — Fisher (880) for grades 6-8 and Ewing High School (1,151) for grades 9-12.
The Ewing School Board provided bus transportation to religious private shools and was challenged in court in 1946. In Everson v. Board of Education, the US Supreme Court for the first time ruled that state and local government were subject to the establishment clause but that it had not been violated in this instance.
The Ewing Public Education Foundation, established in 1995, is an independent, not-for-profit citizen’s organization whose mission is to mobilize community support, concern, commitment and resources to help improve the quality of education in Ewing Township. EPEF provides grants to Ewing Township Schools for innovative educational programs through fund-raising activities, and corporate and institutional sponsorship. The Foundation also seeks to match corporate and organizational donors with teachers to fund additional projects of mutual interest. These programs enhance the educational experience without the use of additional taxpayer dollars.[39]
Incarnation-St. James Catholic School (formerly Incarnation School), constructed in 1955, is a Pre-K to 8th grade parish school administered by The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and overseen by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. The school added a parish center in 2003, which includes a gym, locker rooms, offices, meeting rooms, boiler room, and a kitchenette to be used to the benefit of its students, faculty, and staff. In 2006, the Incarnation School and parish combined with the St. James School and parish.[40]
The Villa Victoria Academy is a private Catholic school in Ewing Township, christened as a private academy in 1933, and operated by the Religious Teachers Filippini. This single-gender school offers an education to young females from grades Pre-K to 12th grade.[41]
The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College) is located on a 289 acre campus within the township.[42]
Thomas J. Rubino Academy (formerly Mercer County Alternative High School) is one of Mercer County's only alternative schools, offering an alternative educational program for students who have struggled in the traditional school environment, featuring smaller classes, mentoring and counseling.[43]
Ewing Township is traversed by multiple main roadways, as well as by a passenger rail line and is the location of an airport.
Route 29 (Daniel Bray Highway and River Road) extends north-south along the western edge of the township, along the Delaware River. The southern section, Daniel Bray Highway, is a 55 mph (90 km/h), divided four-lane facility with at-grade intersections and traffic lights, and was constructed in the 1950s. The northern section, River Road, is a 45 mph (70 km/h), undivided two-lane facility whose construction as a state highway dates from the 1930s. NJ 29 connects southwards to Trenton, and northwards to Lambertville and Frenchtown.
Route 31 (Pennington Road) extends north-south towards the eastern side of the township. It is a 35-45 mph (60–70 km/h), undivided four-lane facility whose construction as a state highway also dates to the 1930s. It once also carried a trolley line, but it has long since been removed. It was once proposed to be bypassed by a freeway, but this plan has since been cancelled. NJ 31 also connects south to Trenton, and connects north to Pennington, Flemington, and Clinton.
U.S. Route 206 (Princeton Avenue) skirts the southeastern section of the township. It is a 25 mph (40 km/h), undivided four-lane[44] facility. Although part of US 206, it was not constructed and is not maintained by the state. US 206 also connects south to Trenton, and connects north to Princeton and Somerville.
Interstate 95 (the Scudder Falls Freeway and Bridge) crosses the northwestern section of the township. It is a 55-65 mph (90–100 km/h), 4-6 lane divided freeway facility. It was constructed as a 4-lane facility in the 1960s, and widened to 6 lanes in the 1990s, with the exception of the Scudder Falls Bridge over the Delaware River. It connects south with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and connects north to U.S. 1, where this branch of Interstate 95 ends. It becomes Interstate 295. From there, travelers use U.S. 1 or Interstate 195 and the New Jersey Turnpike to reach the next major destination northwards, New York City. The Ewing portion of Interstate 95 will eventually be redesignated as "Interstate 195 Extension" when a direct interchange between Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Turnpike is completed, re-routing Interstate 95 onto the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 6 (in Mansfield Township).
Ewing Township also boasts a commuter rail facility, West Trenton Station, at the terminus of SEPTA's West Trenton Line. This facility mainly serves commuter traffic to and from Philadelphia.
Ewing Township is also the site of the Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN).[37] This facility currently offers two flights per day on Streamline Air to Hanscom Field, located west of Boston.[45]
Ewing Township is also traversed by the Delaware and Raritan Canal near the Delaware River. Originally important to commerce and trade, the advent of railroads caused the canal's commercial demise. The strip of land along the canal is currently part of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.
Ewing Presbyterian Church is an historic building dated 1867 and set within the American Revolution era Ewing Church Cemetery. It is the fourth church to be built in the cemetery grounds. The current church building has been under threat of demolition after several engineering studies found the roof trusses are buckling and beyond the point of cost effective repair. Numerous preservation groups say that the structural problems are much easier to resolve than the studies claim. Various organizations have endeavored to raise funds to secure the stability of the original church structure.
Notable current and former residents of Ewing Township include:
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