| Lopatcong Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Map of Lopatcong Township in Warren County. Inset: Location of Warren County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Lopatcong Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Warren |
| Incorporated | March 7, 1851 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (Small Municipality) |
| • Mayor | Douglas Steinhardt (R, 2011) |
| • Administrator / Clerk | Margaret B. Dilts[2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.1 sq mi (18.5 km2) |
| • Land | 7.1 sq mi (18.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation[3] | 390 ft (119 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 8,014 |
| • Density | 1,128.7/sq mi (437.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08865 |
| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-41490[4][5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882252[6] |
| Website | http://www.lopatcongtwp.com |
Lopatcong Township ( /loʊˈpætkɒŋ/) is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 8,014. The township is part of the eastern region of the Lehigh Valley.
Lopatcong Township is a suburb that was featured in a 2003 article in The New York Times which discussed problems of public school financing in suburban communities and various strategies communities have adopted to deal with the problem.[7]
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What is now Lopatcong Township was created as Phillipsburg Township on March 7, 1851, by an act approved by the New Jersey Legislature, and contained portions of Greenwich Township and Harmony Township. After Phillipsburg was incorporated as an independent municipality on March 8, 1861, the township changed its name to Lopatcong as of March 18, 1863, after a creek in the area.[8][9]
The name of the creek and township — Lopatcong — came from four words of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans — Lowan peek achtu onk, which meant "winter water place for deer".[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18 km2), of which, 7.1 square miles (18 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.84%) is water.
Lopatcong is made up of several neighborhoods, including Morris Park, Delaware Park, Rosehill Heights, Brakeley Park, Lows Hollow, Country Hills, Meadow View, Scott's Mountain, and Overlook.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,269 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,450 | 14.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,737 | 19.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,703 | 55.6% | |
| 1970 | 3,144 | 16.3% | |
| 1980 | 4,998 | 59.0% | |
| 1990 | 5,052 | 1.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,765 | 14.1% | |
| 2010 | 8,014 | 39.0% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[11] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 5,765 people, 2,143 households, and 1,523 families residing in the township. The population density was 814.6 people per square mile (314.4/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 343.2 per square mile (132.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.27% White, 1.13% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.63% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 2,143 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,918, and the median income for a family was $65,545. Males had a median income of $52,540 versus $30,967 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,333. About 4.7% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Lopatcong Township is governed by the Faulkner Act (Small Municipality) form of government. The Faulkner Act allows municipalities to adopt a Small Municipality form of government only for municipalities with a population of under 12,000. The government consists of a Mayor and a four-member Township Council, with all positions elected at large in partisan elections. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a three-year term of office. The current Mayor is The Honorable Douglas J. Steinhardt. Council members serve a term of three years, which are staggered so that one or two seats come up for election each year.[1]
As of 2011[update], the Lopatcong Township Committee consists of Mayor Douglas Steinhardt (R, term ends December 31, 2011), Council President Victor Camporine (R, 2013), William W. Baker, Sr. (D, 2012), H. Matthew Curry (R, 2013) and James Mengucci (D, 2012).[12][13]
Lopatcong 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).
Lopatcong 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).[14]
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).[15]
The Lopatcong Township School District serves public school students in grades K-8. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[16]) are Lopatcong Elementary School (preK-4, 474 students) and Lopatcong Middle School (5-8, 398 students). Before the Middle School opened in 2003, students would attend the Elementary School through eighth grade.
Public school students in grade 9 - 12 attend Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg, which serves students from the Town of Phillipsburg as part of the Phillipsburg School District. The high school also serves students from five communities as part of sending/receiving relationships: Alpha, Bloomsbury (in Hunterdon County), Greenwich Township, Lopatcong Township and Pohatcong Township.[17]
Students in grades 9-12 can also attend Warren County Technical School in Washington, which also serves students from all of Warren County.
The main county road that passes through is County Route 519 which passes through in the eastern part. Route 57 traverses towards the center and has its western end at US 22 which also passes through in the southern section of the township.
New Jersey Transit bus service is provided on the 890 and 891 routes.[18]
Lopatcong Township was the primary location for the independent film Several Ways to Die Trying. The film's writer/director as well as members of the cast and crew are residents of the township.
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