| Knowlton Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| An old barn in Knowlton Township | |
| Map of Knowlton Township in Warren County. Inset: Location of Warren County in New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Knowlton Township, New Jersey. | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Warren |
| Royal Charter | February 23, 1763 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township (New Jersey) |
| • Mayor | Frank Van Horn (2012) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 25.3 sq mi (65.6 km2) |
| • Land | 24.8 sq mi (64.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km2) |
| Elevation[1] | 548 ft (167 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 3,055 |
| • Density | 123.2/sq mi (47.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 07832 - Columbia 07833 - Delaware 07825 - Blairstown |
| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-37320[2][3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882241[4] |
| Website | http://www.knowlton-nj.com |
Knowlton Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 3,055.
Knowlton Township was created by Royal Charter on February 23, 1763, from portions of Oxford Township, while the area was still part of Sussex County. Knowlton Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, and then became part of the newly-created Warren County on November 20, 1824. Portions of the township were taken to form Hope Township (April 8, 1839) and Blairstown Township (April 14, 1845).[5]
Knowlton is named after Thomas Knowlton, a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolution who was killed in action at the Battle of Harlem Heights.[6] The town is organized into three postal ZIP Codes under Columbia (07832) and Delaware (07833), although a small number of Knowlton residents receive postal deliveries via the Blairstown (07825) post office. The town comprises several small hamlets such as Polkville, Hainesburg, Mount Pleasant, Warrington, Centerville and Knowlton itself.
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 25.3 square miles (66 km2), of which, 24.8 square miles (64 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it (2.09%) is water. The township is located in the Kittatinny Valley which is a section of the 700 mile long Great Appalachian Valley that stretches from Canada to Alabama.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,977 people, 1,028 households, and 816 families residing in the township. The population density was 120.1 people per square mile (46.4/km²). There were 1,135 housing units at an average density of 45.8 per square mile (17.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.45% White, 0.40% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.
There were 1,028 households out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $63,409, and the median income for a family was $72,130. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $35,326 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,631. About 1.5% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over. The Township's economic data (as is all of Warren County) is calculated by the US Census Bureau as part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,049 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,084 | 3.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,260 | 16.2% | |
| 1960 | 1,442 | 14.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,738 | 20.5% | |
| 1980 | 2,074 | 19.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,543 | 22.6% | |
| 2000 | 2,977 | 17.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,055 | 2.6% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[7] | |||
The Knowlton Township Committee consists of Mayor Frank Van Horn (D, term ends December 31, 2009), Deputy Mayor Ronald Farber (R, 2008), Theresa Capriccio (R, 2013), René Mathez (D, 2013) and Scott Odorizzi (R, 2011).[8][9]
Knowlton Township is in the 5th Congressional district. New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
Knowlton Township is in the 23rd Legislative District (New Jersey) of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Michael J. Doherty (R, Oxford Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by John DiMaio (R, Hackettstown) and Erik Peterson (R, Franklin Township).[10]
Warren County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders whose three members are elected at-large on a staggered basis with one seat coming up for election each year. As of 2011, Warren County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Everett A. Chamberlain (Belvidere, term ends December 31, 2012), Freeholder Deputy Director Richard D. Gardner (Asbury, 2011) and Freeholder Jason Sarnoski (Lopatcong Township, 2013).[11]
Children in grades K through 6 for public school attend the Knowlton Township School District, which served 291 students as of the 2008-09 school year.[12]
Public school students in grades 7 through 12 attend the North Warren Regional High School (1,044 students) in Blairstown, a public high school, serving students from the townships of Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, and Knowlton Township.[13]
Tunnel Field is the primary recreational site in the township with several baseball and softball diamonds and soccer fields. Tunnel also has a play area (including swings and play area), a basketball court and concession stand. The field is located by Route 94 and is divided by the Lackawanna Cut-Off and is connected through an old tunnel (hence the name).
Much of Knowlton's development from about 1850 on can be traced to the presence of the five railroad lines that criss-crossed the township: the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Old Road and, later, the Lackawanna Cut-Off; the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway; the Lehigh & New England Railroad; and the Blairstown Railway. Ironically, all of these rail lines have since been abandoned. In their heyday, however, two rail lines and three railroads served the town of Delaware: the New York, Susquehanna and Western (formerly Blairstown) Railway; and the Old Road of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (which also had granted trackage rights to the Pennsylvania Railroad--technically a sixth railroad). The town of Columbia was also served by the NYS&W (Hainesburg also had a station), with the Lehigh and New England Railroad also passing through town.
In more recent years, the development within Knowlton has been tied to the presence of U.S. Route 46 and, since the early 1970s, Interstate 80. Indeed, many Knowlton residents use Route 80 to commute to their jobs either further east in New Jersey or further west in Pennsylvania. Route 94 crosses through the township. Two bridges cross the Delaware River, connecting the township to Pennsylvania; the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge connects Route 94 to Pennsylvania Route 611 in Portland, Pennsylvania, as does the Portland-Columbia Pedestrian Bridge.
Notable current and former residents of Knowlton Township include:
| Hardwick Twp | ||||
| Portland, PA and Upper Mt. Bethel Twp, PA |
Blairstown Twp | |||
| Knowlton Twp | ||||
| White Twp | Hope Township |
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