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Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey

Encyclopedia : M : MO : MON : Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey

Monroe Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 27,999.

Clearbrook Park, Concordia, Rossmoor and Whittingham are census-designated places and unincorporated areas located within Monroe Township.

Contents

History

Monroe Township was founded in 1838 and named in honor of the President of the United States James Monroe. For many decades, it was largely a farming community; when parts of the township blossomed into the more densely-packed neighborhoods of Helmetta, Jamesburg, and Spotswood in the late 19th century, they seceded. Railroads came into Monroe from just about the very beginning, starting with the Camden and Amboy Rail Road in the 1830s and 1840s, and other railroads soon wormed their way into Monroe as well. Two (or three) of those railroads crossed each other near the water mill of James Buckelew, and the area where this occurred became the town of Jamesburg. After a tobacco mill for the Helme tobacco company was built next to Camden and Amboy tracks (possibly then Pennsylvania Railroad tracks), the company town of Helmetta came into being.

In 1905, Bernarr Macfadden, the then-famous proponent of physical culture, came to the part of Monroe near Helmetta and Spotswood, and attempted to set up a camp called "Physical Culture City", where he could teach his beliefs in relative peace. However, in 1907, Macfadden was arrested on pornography charges, and the camp dissolved. The area of this camp became the Outcalt neighborhood.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey State Home for Boys, later the Training School for Boys, was established near Jamesburg. At first, the purpose may have been to care for orphans; however, by the mid-20th century, its purpose was to incarcerate juvenile delinquents, and this gained it the status of a "juvenile jail" that few people wanted to live near, especially as it had no fence until the 1990s. Now the State Home has a fence running around it.

The township's largely agrarian landscape began to turn more suburban between 1960 and 1968, when the New Jersey Turnpike opened up Exit 8A in the western part of Monroe, in conjunction with the effort to develop the Leisure World age-restricted community of Rossmoor. Since then, at least five more communities for senior citizens have joined Rossmoor: Concordia, Clearbrook, Greenbriar at Whittingham, The Ponds, and Encore, and more are under development.

At the same time, and over the next few decades, suburbs for people of all ages spread into the northern parts of Monroe Township, prompting the expansion of several schools and the construction of a couple of new ones. Since 1980, in addition to the age restricted communities, Monroe has added a few shopping centers, a synagogue or two, a recreation center, a library, and a large number of senior citizens.

On Wednesday March 22, 2006, ten residents of Monroe Township, from The Ponds (retirement community), were killed in a tour bus accident in the Andes mountains in northern Chile.[Silent embraces, kisses mark memorial], Home News Tribune, March 24, 2006 The tour had been arranged by the Jewish organization, B'nai B'rith. The accident shook the citizens of The Ponds in shock. Many citizens from The Ponds mourned the loss of their neighbors. As Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine put it, "Today, all of New Jersey is stunned and saddened by the tragic accident in Chile that took the lives of lifelong friends — vibrant and beloved residents of a community in Monroe Township who chose to share the adventure of their twilight years together" (NY Times). Out of the 12 people killed, one couple was from Stamford, Connecticut. At synagouges, citizens poured into the house of worship, with tears. The bodies that were found were flown back to Monroe Township for funerals on Sunday March 26, 2006.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 108.9 km² (42.0 mi²). 108.6 km² (41.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.24%) is water.

Monroe Township borders South Brunswick Twp, Cranbury Township, Helmetta, Spotswood, Old Bridge Twp, Manalapan Township, Millstone Township, East Brunswick Township, East Windsor Township, and completely surrounds Jamesburg.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 27,999 people, 12,536 households, and 8,236 families residing in the township. The population density was 257.8/km² (667.6/mi²). There were 13,259 housing units at an average density of 122.1/km² (316.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 93.31% White, 2.93% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.34% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population.

There were 12,536 households out of which 15.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 28.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.70.

In the township the population was spread out with 16.0% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 16.3% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 43.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 59 years. For every 100 females there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $53,306, and the median income for a family was $68,479. Males had a median income of $56,431 versus $35,857 for females. The per capita income for the township was $31,772. About 1.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Monroe Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.

The Mayor of Monroe Township is Richard Pucci. Members of the Borough Council are Joanne M. Connolly (Council President), Gerald W. Tamburro (Council Vice President), Irwin Nalitt, Henry L. Miller, Henry L. Miller and John L. Riggs.

Federal, state and county representation

Monroe Township is in the Twelfth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 14th Legislative District.

New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District, covering all of Hunterdon County and portions of Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, and Somerset County, is represented by Rush D. Holt Jr. (D). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Union City).

The 14th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Peter Inverso (R, Hamilton Square) and in the Assembly by Bill Baroni (R, Hamilton) and Linda R. Greenstein (D, Monroe). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Middlesex County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Middlesex County's Freeholders are: Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel, Freeholder Deputy Director Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina, Camille Fernicola, H. James Polos, John Pulomena, Christopher D. Rafano and Blanquita B. Valenti.

Education

The Monroe Township School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are [Barclay Brook Elementary School] (K-2), [Mill Lake Elementary School] (K-3), [Brookside Elementary School] (3-6), [Woodland Elementary School] (4-6), [Applegarth Middle School] (7&8) and Monroe Township High School [link] for grades 9-12.

For the 1998-99 school year, Barclay Brook Elementary School received the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.[Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF)], accessed May 11, 2006

Students from Jamesburg attend Monroe Township High School as part of a sending / receiving relationship with the Jamesburg Public Schools.

Transportation

Congestion on the New Jersey Turnpike approaching the merge
Enlarge
Congestion on the New Jersey Turnpike approaching the merge

Route 33 (New Jersey) runs through the southern part of Monroe, which then travels through Millstone Township and East Windsor Township. Monroe has various bus stops that allow passengers to take a bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, adjacent to the Lincoln Tunnel. Monroe's most busiest road during the peak hours are Forsgate Drive and Route 32 (New Jersey), which connects to Exit 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike. Monroe Township is known for the Turnpike's dangerous merge, where the dual-dual configuration ends (5 lanes each direction; 2-3-3-2) and becomes a single roadway, consisting of three lanes in each direction (3-3); the merge is particularly difficult to travel through on Friday afternoons, summertime and on holidays. When the turnpike is congested (in Monroe), many motorists exit in Monroe at 8A and use 32 West to Route 130 south. Since 8A has become so busy, the turnpike interchange has been upgraded. The ramp (from the Turnpike) that merges onto 32 west, has been destroyed; a new two-lane ramp is now open that connects to County Route 535 (with a traffic signal) in South Brunswick.

References

External links

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