Califon, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Califon, New Jersey
Borough
Victorian house on Main Street
wordmark
Location of Califon in Hunterdon County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Califon, New Jersey
Califon, New Jersey Location in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Show map of Hunterdon County, New Jersey Califon, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Califon, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Hunterdon
Incorporated	April 2, 1918
Named for	California
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	0.98 sq mi (2.54 km2)
• Land	0.96 sq mi (2.48 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)  2.04%
Area rank	502nd of 565 in state 23rd of 26 in county
Elevation	479 ft (146 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,005
• Estimate  (2023)	1,013
• Rank	531st of 565 in state 24th of 26 in county
• Density	1,048.1/sq mi (404.7/km2)
• Density rank	378th of 565 in state 8th of 26 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07830
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	3401909280
GNIS feature ID	885176

Califon is a small town, called a borough, located in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. In 2020, about 1,005 people lived here. The town's name is thought to come from the California gold rush of 1849. People say the name was shortened to Califon because "California" was too long for the train station signs.

History of Califon

Califon was once a stop on the Central Railroad of New Jersey's High Bridge Branch. This old train line closed in 1976. Today, it's a walking and biking path called the Columbia Trail. This trail goes south to High Bridge and north into Morris County.

How Califon Got Its Name

Mills were in the Califon area for a long time. The town really started to grow in the mid-1800s. It was first named California. This name came from Jacob Neighbor, who was excited about his milling business around the time of the California Gold Rush. Califon officially became a borough on April 2, 1918. This happened when the New Jersey Legislature took parts of Lebanon and Tewksbury Townships to create the new town.

There's a fun local story about how Califon got its shorter name. California used to be a popular stop for weekend train trips. Passengers would get a voucher for ice cream. The train would stop so tourists could get off and enjoy their treat. The town wanted a proper train station. So, everyone worked together to build one.

The story goes that two sign painters came to paint the station sign. They rode the train from Dunellen. But the background paint wasn't dry when they arrived. They waited at the local hotel, which later burned down. By the time the sign was ready, the painters were not sober. The tale says "Califon" was the closest they could get to "California."

Natural Beauty and Historic Sites

Califon is just north of the Ken Lockwood Gorge. This beautiful area is on the South Branch of the Raritan River. It's a clear river surrounded by forests. It's a very popular spot for trout fishing in New Jersey.

The Califon Historic District is a special area that covers 164 acres. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it's a protected area because of its history. The district has 154 important old buildings. Many houses in Califon are in the Victorian style. They often have the names of their builders and the year they were built, instead of street numbers.

Saving the Bridge

The center of Califon has an old iron bridge over the South Branch of the Raritan River. This river divides the town. The State of New Jersey once planned to replace the bridge. They said it couldn't safely hold a loaded school bus. But the people of Califon loved their historic bridge. They found a clever solution to save it.

Now, the school bus stops at one end of the bridge. Students get off and walk across. Then, the empty bus, which is light enough, drives across. The students get back on the bus on the other side. This way, the old bridge was saved!

Califon in Pop Culture

Califon became well-known in the 1970s. This was because Merv Griffin often talked about it on his TV show. Merv Griffin was a famous television producer. He owned a home nearby that had a Califon mailing address. He even named his TV production company "Califon Productions, Inc." This company created the popular game show Wheel of Fortune.

The Hoffmans were a German farming family. A bridge and an area south of Califon are still known as Hoffman's Crossing. This is named after Thomas B. Hoffman, who farmed land there.

Califon Historic District

Califon Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Victorian houses on Academy Street
Location	Main, Academy, Mill, Bank and First streets; Railroad and Philhower avenues; and River Road
Area	164 acres (66 ha)
Architectural style	Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian, Mid 19th Century
NRHP reference No.	76001157
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 14, 1976

The Califon Historic District is a large area covering 164 acres. It includes much of the borough. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1976. This was because of its importance in local business. The district has 154 buildings, three structures, and one site that are considered historically important. The Califon Historical Society worked hard to create this district. Many houses are in the Victorian style. They are often marked with the names of their builders and the dates they were built.

For example, the Joseph Tiger House was built from stone in 1846. The former Beatty's Store has a stone channel underneath it. This shows it might have been a mill site. The house at 1 First Street was built in the mid-1800s. It has a pointed roof with a window sticking out. The Califon Main Street Bridge was built in 1887. It's a special type of bridge called a Pratt thru truss.

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  Victorian houses on Main Street

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  Joseph Tiger House on Mill Street

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  Former Beatty's Store on Main Street

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  1 First Street

Geography of Califon

Califon covers about 0.972 square miles (2.518 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Califon is next to two other towns in Hunterdon County. These are Lebanon Township and Tewksbury Township. A small community called Lower Valley is located right on the border of Califon and Lebanon Township.

Population of Califon

In 2010, Califon had 1,076 people living in 394 households. About 40% of these households had children under 18. Most households (67.8%) were married couples. The average household had about 2.73 people.

About 28% of the people in Califon were under 18 years old. The average age of residents was 41.9 years.

Parks and Recreation in Califon

Califon is home to part of the Columbia Trail. This trail was once a railroad line. It is now a great place for walking, running, and biking. The trail is managed by Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation. It includes a beautiful area called the Ken Lockwood Gorge.

Education in Califon

Local Schools

The Califon School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. These students attend the Califon Public School. In the 2021–22 school year, there were 83 students and about 15 teachers. This means there was about one teacher for every 5 or 6 students.

High School

Students in ninth through twelfth grades go to Voorhees High School. This high school also serves students from several nearby towns. Voorhees High School is part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. In the 2021–22 school year, Voorhees High School had 780 students and about 76 teachers.

Vocational Education

Students in eighth grade from all over Hunterdon County can apply to special high school programs. These are offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District. These programs teach skills for different careers and trades. The cost of these programs is covered by local taxes.

Places of Worship in Califon

The Califon United Methodist Church was started in 1867. However, the oldest part of its building was built in 1824 in Oldwick and then moved to Califon. The newer part of the church was built in 1891. The Lower Valley Presbyterian Church was built in 1871. Both churches are important historic sites in Califon.

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  United Methodist Church on River Road

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  Lower Valley Presbyterian Church

Transportation in Califon

County Route 512 in Califon

As of 2010, Califon had about 11.50 miles of roads. Most of these roads are maintained by the town itself. Hunterdon County maintains about 2.00 miles of roads. The main roads that go through Califon are County Route 512 and County Route 513.

Notable People from Califon

Many interesting people have lived in or been connected to Califon:

• W. Carl Burger (1925–2023) was an abstract expressionist painter.
• Thomas W. Greelish (1939–1991) was a lawyer who became the United States Attorney for New Jersey. He moved to Califon when he was seven.
• Merv Griffin (1925–2007) was a famous television producer. He once owned a farm near Califon. He even named his company, Califon Productions, after the town. This company created the TV show Wheel of Fortune.
• Asher Grodman (born 1987) is an actor and producer. He stars in the CBS show Ghosts.
• Francis Burton Harrison (1873–1957) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also the Governor-General of the Philippines. He moved to Califon before he passed away.
• Teddy Schneider (born 1988) is a soccer player who played for the New York Red Bulls.

See also

In Spanish: Califon para niños