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Old Bridge Township, New Jersey

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Old Bridge Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 60,456.

Brownville (2000 census population of 2,660), Laurence Harbor (6,227), Madison Park (6,929) and Old Bridge (22,833) are census-designated places and unincorporated areas located within Old Bridge Township.

Contents

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 105.3 km² (40.7 mi²). 98.7 km² (38.1 mi²) of it is land and 6.7 km² (2.6 mi²) of it (6.32%) is water.

Of the Township's 38+ square miles, approximately one-third is developed.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 60,456 people, 21,438 households, and 15,949 families residing in the township. The population density was 612.8/km² (1,587.4/mi²). There were 21,896 housing units at an average density of 222.0/km² (574.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 79.48% White, 5.30% African American, 0.16% Native American, 10.82% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.87% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.57% of the population.

There were 21,438 households out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $64,707, and the median income for a family was $74,045. Males had a median income of $51,978 versus $35,462 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,814. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Initially, the Township was made up of farms and the population grew slowly. In 1880, the population was 1,662 and in 1950 it had reached only 7,365. Then the building boom started and farms gave way to developments. In 1960, the population was 22,772 and that was only the beginning. The 1980 census cited 51,406 people and even that was questioned because areas of the Township have post offices bearing the names of other communities in the area.

Government

Local government

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

The Mayor of Old Bridge Township is Mayor James T. Phillips. The Township Council consists of nine members, with six elected to represent wards and three elected at-large from the Township as a whole. The members of the Township Council are:

Federal, state and county representation

Old Bridge Township is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 13th Legislative District.

New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, covering portions of Middlesex County and Monmouth County, is represented by Frank Pallone (D). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Union City).

The 13th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph M. Kyrillos (R, Middletown Township) and in the Assembly by Amy Handlin (R, Middletown Township) and Samuel D. Thompson (R, Old Bridge Township). 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 Old Bridge Township Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is comprised of twelve K-5 elementary schools ( [M. Scott Carpenter Elementary School], [Cheesequake Elementary School], [Leroy Gordon Cooper Elementary School], [Virgil I. Grissom Elementary School], [James A. McDivitt Elementary School], [Madison Park Elementary School], [Memorial Elementary School], [William A. Miller Elementary School], [Walter M. Schirra Elementary School], [Alan B. Shepard Elementary School], [Southwood Elementary School] and [Voorhees Elementary School]), Two Middle Schools serving grades 6-8 ( [Jonas Salk Middle School] and [Carl Sandburg Middle School]) and Old Bridge High School [link] for grades 9-12.

History

The first inhabitants of the area known as Old Bridge, were the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. They, like many people today, migrated to the shore along the Raritan each summer from their hunting grounds in the north.

When the English gained control from the Dutch in 1664, the state was divided into two provinces, East Jersey and West Jersey. In 1682, the general assembly of East Jersey defined the boundaries of Middlesex County as containing all plantations on both sides of the Raritan River, as far as Cheesequake Harbor to the east, then southwest to the Provincial line. This Southwest line is the border of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties and the Township's southern border.

In 1684, South Amboy Township was formed. At that time, it covered an area that now consists of the Townships of Monroe and Old Bridge and the Boroughs of Sayreville and South Amboy.

The 42 square miles (109 km²) that comprise the Township separated from South Amboy in 1869, and was called Madison Township until 1975, when the name was changed by referendum to the Township of Old Bridge.

The first settlers were John Warne, son of one of the original proprietors of East Jersey, and John and Susannah Brown, who obtained a 1,000 acre (4 km²) land grant from King George II of Great Britain in 1737. A section of the Township still carries the name Browntown.

Transportation

Major highways in or near Old Bridge Township include New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95), Garden State Parkway, Interstate 287 which becomes Route 440 (providing access to Staten Island and Long Island, New York points), U.S. 1, U.S. 9, Route 34 and Route 35

External links

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