West Amwell Township, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Amwell Township, New Jersey
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Township
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West Amwell Township Municipal Building
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Location of West Amwell Township in Hunterdon County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
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Census Bureau map of West Amwell Township, New Jersey
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 West Amwell Township, New Jersey
Location in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
West Amwell Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
West Amwell Township, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County |  Hunterdon |
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| Incorporated | April 6, 1846 | |
| Named for | Amwell Township / Great and Little Amwell, Hertfordshire | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Township | |
| • Body | Township Committee | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 21.84 sq mi (56.58 km2) | |
| • Land | 21.65 sq mi (56.07 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.20 sq mi (0.51 km2) 0.90% | |
| Area rank | 129th of 565 in state 12th of 26 in county |
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| Elevation | 315 ft (96 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,005 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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3,020 | |
| • Rank | 449th of 565 in state 17th of 26 in county |
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| • Density | 138.8/sq mi (53.6/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 525th of 565 in state 23rd of 26 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08530 – Lambertville
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| Area code(s) | 609 | |
| FIPS code | 3401978230 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882181 | |
| Website | ||
West Amwell Township is a township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,005, a decrease of 835 (−21.7%) from the 2010 census count of 3,840, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,457 (+61.1%) from the 2,383 counted in the 2000 census.
West Amwell was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1846, when Amwell Township was split, also creating East Amwell Township at the same time. Portions of the township were taken to form Lambertville town on March 1, 1849. In 1896, the township annexed portions of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township and Raritan Township. The township was named for Amwell Township, which in turn was named for Great Amwell/Little Amwell, Hertfordshire in England.
Contents
History
The earliest settlers of the area were the Delaware Native Americans, who had a path through the woods from Lambertville through Mount Airy, Ringoes and Reaville to Newark which would later become the route followed by the Old York Road.
In 1935, local farmers signed a declaration against the Potato Control Law, which established federal controls on the growth of the crop, stating "[t]hat we protest against and declare that we will not be bound by the 'Potato Control Law,' an unconstitutional measure recently enacted by the United States Congress. We shall produce on our own land such potatoes as we may wish to produce and will dispose of them in such manner as we may deem proper."
Geography
The northern areas of West Amwell are in Amwell Valley, while the southern sections are in The Sourlands region. The Delaware River separates West Amwell from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 21.84 square miles (56.58 km2), including 21.65 square miles (56.07 km2) of land and 0.20 square miles (0.51 km2) of water (0.90%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Alexauken, Bowlryville, Bowne, Linvale (historically known as New Market), Mount Airy, Oakdale and Rocktown.
The township borders Delaware Township, East Amwell Township and Lambertville in Hunterdon County; Hopewell Township, in Mercer County; along with New Hope and Solebury Township across the Delaware River in Bucks County in Pennsylvania.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,175 | * | — |
| 1860 | 1,089 | −7.3% | |
| 1870 | 1,030 | −5.4% | |
| 1880 | 1,039 | 0.9% | |
| 1890 | 866 | −16.7% | |
| 1900 | 839 | −3.1% | |
| 1910 | 866 | 3.2% | |
| 1920 | 735 | −15.1% | |
| 1930 | 788 | 7.2% | |
| 1940 | 975 | 23.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,213 | 24.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,683 | 38.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,142 | 27.3% | |
| 1980 | 2,299 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,251 | −2.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,383 | 5.9% | |
| 2010 | 3,840 | 61.1% | |
| 2020 | 3,005 | −21.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 3,020 | −21.4% | |
| Population sources: 1850–1920 1850–1870 1850 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 * = Lost territory in previous decade. |
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2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 3,840 people, 1,102 households, and 839 families in the township. The population density was 177.9 inhabitants per square mile (68.7/km2). There were 1,157 housing units at an average density of 53.6 per square mile (20.7/km2). The racial makeup was 82.58% (3,171) White, 13.39% (514) Black or African American, 0.05% (2) Native American, 1.46% (56) Asian, 0.05% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.12% (43) from other races, and 1.35% (52) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.84% (186) of the population.
Of the 1,102 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18; 66.9% were married couples living together; 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.9% were non-families. Of all households, 19.5% were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.95.
16.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 155.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 165.5 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $101,094 (with a margin of error of +/− $16,403) and the median family income was $115,595 (+/− $19,328). Males had a median income of $86,875 (+/− $26,080) versus $53,438 (+/− $17,350) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $54,485 (+/− $9,741). About 4.2% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The South Hunterdon Regional School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell Township. Each of the three municipalities had their own school through sixth grade, until the Stockton school was closed after the end of the 2017–18 school year; public school students in seventh through twelfth grades attend a shared high school in Lambertville. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 827 students and 108.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.7:1. Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are South Hunterdon Regional Elementary School for grades PreK–4 (was Lambertville Public School, which had 221 students in grades PreK–6), South Hunterdon Regional Middle School for grades 5–8 (was West Amwell School, with 170 students in grades K–6) and South Hunterdon Regional High School for grades 9–12 (which had 417 students in grades 7–12). The township is assigned three of the nine seats on the regional district's board of education.
In a special election held in September 2013, voters from Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell Township passed referendums to dissolve the South Hunterdon Regional High School District and to combine the three existing school districts from each municipality (Lambertville City School District, Stockton Borough School District and West Amwell Township School District), with majorities in each community passing both ballot items. A single combined regional Pre-K–12 district was created, with property taxes levied under a formula in which 57% is based on property values and 43% on the number of students. The executive county superintendent appointed an interim board of education for the new regional district, which was responsible for implementing the merger.
Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.
Historic district
The Pleasant Valley Historic District is a 1,565-acre (633 ha) historic district located along Pleasant Valley Road, Valley Road, Woodens Lane and Hunter Road in the community of Pleasant Valley in Hopewell Township in Mercer County that extends into West Amwell Township. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 1991, for its significance in agriculture, architecture, and exploration/settlement. It includes 52 contributing buildings, 7 contributing structures, and 22 contributing sites.
Central to the district is the Howell Living History Farm, which is a 130-acre (53 ha) living open-air museum located in the Hopewell Township side of the district, just north of Titusville. The farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1977, for its significance in agriculture and architecture. The farm was included in the Pleasant Valley Historic District on June 14, 1991. The farm was first created by Joseph Phillips, a blacksmith, who purchased 125 acres (51 ha) from William Bryant in 1732. By 1800, Henry Phillips, Joseph's son, had enlarged the farm by 100 acres (40 ha). The current buildings on the property date to the 19th century, primarily before the American Civil War. The final private owner of the farm was the Howell family, who donated the land to Mercer County in 1974 for use as a museum. The museum shows farm life from the year 1900.
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Joseph Phillips Farmhouse
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Barn on Joseph Phillips Farm
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Major Henry Phillips House
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Historic colonial
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Privately-owned colonial along Woodens Lane
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 56.52 miles (90.96 km) of roadways, of which 37.75 miles (60.75 km) were maintained by the municipality, 8.43 miles (13.57 km) by Hunterdon County and 10.34 miles (16.64 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Route 29 passes through the southwestern part of the municipality, but without any roads that connect to the heart of the township. Route 31 passes along the eastern border with East Amwell. Route 179 and U.S. Route 202 pass through around the northwestern part of the municipality. Major county roads that go through the township include County Route 518 and County Route 579. The closest interstate highway is Interstate 295 which is outside the township in neighboring Hopewell.
Public transportation
NJ Transit offers bus service to Trenton on the 608 route.
