Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Franklin Township, New Jersey
|
||
|---|---|---|
|
Township
|
||
|
||
Location of Franklin Township in Hunterdon County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
|
||
Census Bureau map of Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
|
||
 Franklin Township, New Jersey
Location in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Franklin Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Franklin Township, New Jersey
Location in the United States
|
||
| Country |  United States |
|
| State |  New Jersey |
|
| County |  Hunterdon |
|
| Incorporated | April 7, 1845 | |
| Named for | Benjamin Franklin | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Township | |
| • Body | Township Committee | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 23.18 sq mi (60.02 km2) | |
| • Land | 23.04 sq mi (59.66 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.14 sq mi (0.36 km2) 0.60% | |
| Area rank | 120th of 565 in state 11th of 26 in county |
|
| Elevation | 600 ft (200 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
|
||
| • Total | 3,267 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
|
3,286 | |
| • Rank | 436th of 565 in state 16th of 26 in county |
|
| • Density | 141.8/sq mi (54.7/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 524th of 565 in state 22nd of 26 in county |
|
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08867 – Pittstown, New Jersey
|
|
| Area code(s) | 908 | |
| FIPS code | 3401924870 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882184 | |
Franklin Township is a small community located in the middle of Hunterdon County, in the state of New Jersey. In 2020, about 3,267 people lived here. The township is mostly on the Hunterdon Plateau, which is a higher area of land. The eastern part of the township is lower, near the South Branch Raritan River.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: Franklin Township's History
Long ago, the Lenape (Delaware) Native Americans lived in this area. The first European settlers arrived around 1700. They were Quakers from Burlington County. Records from the Friends' Meeting in Quakertown tell us a lot about these early days.
Franklin Township officially became a township on April 7, 1845. This happened after people voted to separate it from parts of Kingwood Township. Later, on April 5, 1865, a small part of the township was used to create Clinton town. The township was named after Benjamin Franklin, a famous American.
For hundreds of years, the rich soil made farming very important here. Franklin Township was known for its dairy farms. Today, farmers mostly grow corn, hay, and soybeans.
Where is Franklin Township?
Franklin Township covers about 23.18 square miles (60.02 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.
There are several small communities and places within Franklin Township. These include Allens Corner, Cherryville (once called Dogtown), Grandin, Lansdowne, Pittstown, and Quakertown (which used to be called Fairview). Pittstown is also partly in Alexandria Township and Union Township.
The Capoolong Creek flows through Pittstown. This creek attracted early settlers. They built three of the oldest churches in Hunterdon County nearby. These were Thomas Episcopal (1723), Bethlehem Presbyterian (1730), and the Quaker Church (1733).
Franklin Township shares borders with several other towns in Hunterdon County. These include Alexandria Township, Clinton, Clinton Township, Delaware Township, Kingwood Township, Raritan Township, and Union Township.
Who Lives in Franklin Township?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,454 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,552 | 6.7% | |
| 1870 | 1,342 | * | −13.5% |
| 1880 | 1,338 | −0.3% | |
| 1890 | 1,287 | −3.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,258 | −2.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,099 | −12.6% | |
| 1920 | 980 | −10.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,100 | 12.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,211 | 10.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,255 | 3.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,777 | 41.6% | |
| 1970 | 2,154 | 21.2% | |
| 1980 | 2,294 | 6.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,851 | 24.3% | |
| 2000 | 2,990 | 4.9% | |
| 2010 | 3,195 | 6.9% | |
| 2020 | 3,267 | 2.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 3,286 | 2.8% | |
| Population sources: 1850–1920 1850–1870 1850 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 * = Lost territory in previous decade. |
|||
In 2010, there were 3,195 people living in Franklin Township. There were 1,137 households, and 908 of these were families. The population density was about 140 people per square mile. Most people (about 96.84%) were White. About 1.25% were Asian, and 0.69% were Black or African American. About 3.44% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In 2010, about 24.7% of the people were under 18 years old. About 15.3% were 65 years or older. The average age was 45 years. Most households (71.0%) were married couples living together.
Learning and Schools
The Franklin Township School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. All these students attend Franklin Township School. In the 2018–19 school year, there were 283 students and 29 teachers, meaning about 9.8 students per teacher.
For high school, students in ninth through twelfth grades go to North Hunterdon High School in Annandale. Students from several nearby townships also attend this school. In 2018–19, the high school had 1,584 students and 123.2 teachers. This means there were about 12.9 students per teacher.
North Hunterdon High School is part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. This district also includes Voorhees High School in Lebanon Township.
Getting Around: Transportation
_just_east_of_Exit_15_in_Franklin_Township,_Hunterdon_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
As of 2010, Franklin Township had over 53 miles of roads. The township itself takes care of about 32.91 miles of these roads. Hunterdon County maintains 19.55 miles, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation maintains 0.63 miles.
Several important roads pass through Franklin Township. Interstate 78 and U.S. Route 22 go through a small part of the township. There's an exit (Exit 15) at the northern tip. Route 12 also runs through for a short distance.
County roads like CR 513 and CR 579 also cross the township. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line, which used to be the main line for the Lehigh Valley Railroad, also runs through the northern part of Franklin Township.
Cool Places to Visit
- Lansdown is a historic house in Lansdowne. It was owned by Charles Stewart during the American Revolution. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
- Quaker Meeting House is a historic building in Quakertown. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Notable People from Franklin Township
Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Franklin Township. Here are a few:
- Christian Bauman (born 1970), a writer who creates novels, essays, and song lyrics.
- Hiram Deats (1810–1887), a businessman known for agricultural manufacturing.
- Chris Kappler (born 1967), an Olympic athlete who won gold and silver medals in equestrian (horse riding) events.
- John J. Myers (born 1941), a leader in the Catholic Church and former Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey.
- Erik Peterson (born 1966), a politician who serves in the New Jersey General Assembly.
- Toshiko Takaezu (1922–2011), a talented artist who worked with ceramics and painting.
Images for kids
-
Lansdown
-
Quaker Meeting House
