Medford, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Medford, New Jersey
Township
Downtown Medford at County Road 541 and Union Street, August 2016
Seal
Location of Medford in Burlington County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Burlington County in New Jersey highlighted in red (left).
Census Bureau map of Medford Township, New Jersey
Medford, New Jersey Location in Burlington County, New Jersey Show map of Burlington County, New Jersey Medford, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Medford, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Burlington
Incorporated	March 1, 1847
Named for	Medford, Massachusetts, U.S.
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act Council-Manager
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	39.81 sq mi (103.10 km2)
• Land	38.80 sq mi (100.49 km2)
• Water	1.01 sq mi (2.61 km2)  2.53%
Area rank	56th of 565 in state 8th of 40 in county
Elevation	52 ft (16 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,497
• Estimate  (2023)	25,000
• Rank	107th of 565 in state 5th of 40 in county
• Density	631.4/sq mi (243.8/km2)
• Density rank	425th of 565 in state 27th of 40 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08055
Area code	609 exchanges: 654, 714, 953
FIPS code	3400545120
GNIS feature ID	0882083
Website

Medford is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 24,497, an increase of 1,464 (+6.4%) from the 2010 census count of 23,033, which in turn reflected an increase of 780 (+3.5%) from the 22,253 counted in the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

Medford was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1847, from portions of Evesham Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. Portions of the township were taken to form Shamong Township (February 19, 1852), Lumberton (March 14, 1860), and Medford Lakes (May 17, 1939). The township is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

History

The area now known as Medford first saw European settlement when Samuel Coles purchased 900 acres (360 ha) of land in 1670. Shortly after, the Braddock, Prickett, Stratton, Branin, and Wilkins families relocated to the area, many of whom have descendants living there today. The area, then known as Upper Evesham, gradually evolved from scattered homesteads into a small village. Numerous buildings and roads constructed between the land sale and the American Revolutionary War, including Oliphant's Mill, Christopher's Mill, and the Shamong Trail (now Stokes Road), still exist.

In 1820, the area officially became known as Medford of Upper Evesham with the opening of the post office. This name was advocated by Mark Reeve, a developer who had recently visited Medford, Massachusetts. On March 1, 1847, Medford Township was formally separated from Evesham Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature. The inaugural township meeting took place at the Cross Roads (County Route 541 and Church Road) on March 9, 1847, which remained the seat of township government for several years. Medford Township's boundaries changed over time, with parts taken to form Shamong Township in 1852 and Lumberton in 1860. The borders remained unchanged until 1939 when Medford Lakes was incorporated.

As early as 1825, a thriving glass-making industry emerged in Medford, starting with a furnace that produced window panes. By 1850, William Porter ran a glass factory on a triangular property bordered by South Main Street, Mill Street, and Trimble Street. The factory, operating under names like Medford Glass Works and Star Glass throughout the 1880s, employed around 250 workers at its peak. It fostered a "company town" atmosphere, providing houses for owners, managers, and workers, and a company store where workers could exchange scrip for food and necessities. The glass-making operations ceased around 1925, and the factory was demolished by the mid-1940s. Today, nearly 30 workers' homes are well-maintained on Trimble Street and Mill Street, along with the owners' / managers' residence at 126 South Main Street and the company store at 132 South Main Street.

Dr. James Still (1812–1882), a self-taught African-American physician known as "the Black Doctor of the Pines," resided and practiced in Medford. His home was demolished in 1932, but his office building was preserved when the State of New Jersey purchased it in 2006. It now serves as the Dr. James Still Historic Office Site and Education Center.

Medford's position along the Camden and Atlantic Railroad facilitated trade, leading to rapid expansion in the post-Civil War years. However, by the 1920s, the rail line was dismantled, and the mill industry was waning. Despite this, Medford's growth continued due to its proximity to Philadelphia and Camden County, attracting many families seeking a more rural lifestyle away from the city.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 39.81 square miles (103.10 km²), including 38.80 square miles (100.49 km²) of land and 1.01 square miles (2.61 km²) of water (2.53%). Unincorporated communities, localities, and place names located partially or completely within the township include Birchwood Lakes, Braddocks Mill, Chairville, Christopher Mills, Crossroads, Fairview, Kirbys Mill, Medford Lakes in the Pines, Melrose, Oak Knoll, Oakanickon, Oliphants Mills, Pipers Corners, Reeves, Taunton, Taunton Lake, and Wilkins.

The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. Part of the township is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Ocean counties.

Medford Lakes is an independent municipality encircled within the boundaries of Medford Township, making it half one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders Evesham Township (which includes Marlton), Lumberton, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township in Burlington County; and Waterford Township in Camden County.

The climate of Medford Township is classified as humid continental, with cold winters, hot summers, and year-round humidity. Annual precipitation for the area is 41 inches (1,000 mm), and annual snowfall is 23 inches (580 mm).

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 23,033 people, 8,277 households, and 6,456 families in the township. The population density was 591.8 per square mile (228.5/km²). There were 8,652 housing units at an average density of 222.3 per square mile (85.8/km²). The racial makeup was 94.33% (21,726) White, 1.53% (353) Black or African American, 0.16% (36) Native American, 2.03% (467) Asian, 0.03% (6) Pacific Islander, 0.56% (130) from other races, and 1.37% (315) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.60% (600) of the population.

Of the 8,277 households, 36.4% had children under the age of 18; 67.3% were married couples living together; 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 22.0% were non-families. Of all households, 18.1% were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.15.

26.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $107,883 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,728) and the median family income was $122,986 (+/− $5,037). Males had a median income of $82,169 (+/− $6,188) versus $58,324 (+/− $5,381) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $45,926 (+/− $2,571). About 0.8% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Brothers Charlie and Richie Ingui founded and sing with the R&B group Soul Survivors.

Parks and recreation

Jonathan Haines House

• Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge is a 170-acre (69 ha) nature preserve and wildlife rehabilitation center located on the southern border of Medford and is open to the public.
• Freedom Park is a public park with extensive playground equipment, basketball and volleyball courts, bike paths, large pavilions, and large multipurpose fields, including a dog run.
• Kirby's Mill is a grist mill (flour mill) that has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.
• Medford Canoe Trail is a recently cleared canoe trail connecting Medford Park to Kirby's Mill.
• Historic Medford Village offers shopping, historic homes and an old-fashioned atmosphere, serving as the site of Medford's traditional Dickens Festival.
• JCC Camps at Medford is the largest Jewish day camp in North America, operating since 1942. Part of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, the camp is accredited by the American Camp Association. Catering to children aged three and up from Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties, it offers a leader-in-training program for teenagers 14 or older. Located amidst the lakes of Medford in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the camp includes a 4-acre (16,000 m²) lake for boating and fishing, four pools, playgrounds, athletic fields, a petting zoo, and a ropes course, and serves kosher lunch.
• Camp Ockanickon (established in 1906), Matollionequay (established in 1937), and Stockwell (established in 1990) are three neighboring YMCA summer camps and conference centers that cover over 800 acres (320 ha) in the Pine Barrens.

Education

Medford Township Public Schools is a public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The district has five elementary schools serving students in kindergarten through fifth grade, a single school serving sixth graders and a school serving seventh and eighth graders. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 2,517 students and 225.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Milton H. Allen School with 399 students in grades K–5, Chairville Elementary School with 360 students in grades K–5, Cranberry Pines School with 365 students in grades K–5, Kirby's Mill Elementary School with 300 students in grades Pre-K–5, Taunton Forge School with 251 students in grades K–5, Maurice and Everett Haines Sixth Grade Center with 232 students in 6th grade, and Medford Memorial Middle School with 600 students in grades 7–8.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Shawnee High School, located in Medford Township, which serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from both Medford Lakes and Medford Township. The school is part of the Lenape Regional High School District, which also serves students from Evesham Township, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township and Woodland Township. As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,576 students and 122.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.9:1. Seats on the high school district's 11-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with two seats assigned to Medford.

Burlington County Institute of Technology is a countywide public vocational-technical school district serving students throughout Burlington County, with campuses in Medford and Westampton. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 837 students and 62.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.4:1.

Established in 1954, St. Mary of the Lakes School is a Catholic school that serves students in Pre-K through eighth grade, operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton.

Transportation

Route 70 in Medford

Roads and highways

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 179.25 miles (288.47 km) of roadways, of which 153.27 miles (246.66 km) were maintained by the municipality, 21.85 miles (35.16 km) by Burlington County and 4.13 miles (6.65 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Major roads in Medford include Route 70, County Road 532, County Road 541, and County Road 544.

Public transportation

NJ Transit used to provide bus service to and from Philadelphia on the 406 bus route which ended in Evesham Township but has been discontinued. Greyhound Lines provides nationwide service from nearby Mount Laurel.

The Flying W Airport, a public-use airport, is located in Medford near the border with Lumberton Township.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Medford include:

See also

In Spanish: Municipio de Medford (Nueva Jersey) para niños