Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franklin Township, New Jersey
Township
Van Wickle House on Easton Avenue
Seal
Location of Franklin Township in Somerset County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Somerset County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
Franklin Township, New Jersey Location in Somerset County, New Jersey Show map of Somerset County, New Jersey Franklin Township, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Franklin Township, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Somerset
Formed as Eastern precinct	c. 1745
Incorporated	February 21, 1798
Named for	Benjamin Franklin
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (council–manager)
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	46.88 sq mi (121.43 km2)
• Land	46.17 sq mi (119.58 km2)
• Water	0.71 sq mi (1.85 km2)  1.52%
Area rank	37th of 565 in state 2nd of 21 in county
Elevation	62 ft (19 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	68,364
• Estimate  (2023)	68,233
• Rank	19th of 565 in state 1st of 21 in county
• Density	1,480.7/sq mi (571.7/km2)
• Density rank	337th of 565 in state 8th of 21 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	08873, 08875 – Somerset (also used as East Millstone) 08528 – Kingston 08823 – Franklin Park 08540 – Princeton 08890 – Zarephath
Area code(s)	732, 908 and 609
FIPS code	3403524900
GNIS feature ID	0882170

Franklin Township is a township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 68,364, an increase of 6,064 (+9.7%) from the 2010 census count of 62,300, which in turn reflected an increase of 11,397 (+22.4%) from the 50,903 counted in the 2000 census. The township was the state's 19th most-populous municipality in 2020, after being ranked 22nd in 2010.

Traditionally a farming community, it has become a fast-growing suburb with massive development in the later 20th and 21st centuries as a diverse blend of races, religions, and cultures. In 2008, Franklin Township ranked #5 on Money magazine's list of America's Top 100 Best Places to Live.

What is now Franklin Township was originally formed circa 1745 as Eastern precinct. Franklin Township was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. Portions of the township were taken to form South Bound Brook (formed within Township, became independent municipality as of April 11, 1907) and East Millstone (February 18, 1873, returned to Franklin Township on December 31, 1949).

History

It has been unclear if the township was named for founding father Benjamin Franklin or for his illegitimate son William Franklin, a Loyalist and the last Royal Governor of New Jersey (from 1763 to 1776). In 2000, after considering the evidence set forth by William B. Brahms in his books Images of America: Franklin Township (1997) and Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History, and The Case for William Franklin and The Case for Benjamin Franklin, the Township Council chose the theory that the township was indeed named for Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin Township was very much a part of Revolutionary War history and the scene of many raiding parties along Route 27, then known as the King's Highway. Two British generals, Cornwallis and DeHeister, tried to lure General George Washington and his Continental Army into battle on the plains of Middlebush and East Millstone. Washington, however, kept his troops at Chimney Rock, just north of Franklin, until the British withdrew. Several of the prosperous Middlebush farms were destroyed by the British soldiers during their retreat. In 1777, near the mill on the Millstone River at Weston, the Continental Army and local militia engaged and successfully drove off a British foraging party of about 600 troops, sent out of New Brunswick by General Cornwallis. On November 2, 1783, Washington composed his farewell address to the army while staying at Rockingham near Rocky Hill.

The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the 1830s, stretching 22 miles (35 km) to connect New York City and Philadelphia, led to significant growth in the township, with as much as 200,000 tons of goods shipped on barges using the canal by the 1860s. The rise of shipping commercial goods using railroads led to a substantial decline in canal traffic. The area has been restored as the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park

The Van Wickle House, located next to the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the Somerset section of the township, in between New Brunswick and South Bound Brook, was built in 1722 by Dutch settlers and is now owned by Franklin Township and leased by the Meadows Foundation. Set back behind Easton Avenue, the home adjoins the Rutgers Preparatory School and a Revolutionary War-era graveyard.

Passenger and freight railroad service was available in Franklin Township during the later half of the 19th century via the Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad (M&NB) which opened in 1854. The railroad was built and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), from a junction with the PRR mainline at Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick to East Millstone. The M&NB is now known as the Conrail Millstone Secondary Branch. The branch line was still operated by Conrail up to just west of Clyde Road in Somerset for a time, serving local industry in the industrial section of Somerset. As of 2011, Hermann Warehouse Corp re-located out of the Clyde Road facility and there has not been rail service into that building since then. A bumper was placed east of the Somerset Road/Route 27 crossing, with Clyde Road, Veronica Avenue and Route 27 crossings currently out of service. Jersey Avenue/Route 91 remains the sole active crossing on the line.

In 1922, the infamous Hall-Mills Murder took place in Franklin Township, in the area adjacent to New Brunswick known as Somerset.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 46.88 square miles (121.43 km²), including 46.17 square miles (119.58 km²) of land and 0.71 square miles (1.85 km²) of water (1.52%).

The community is approximately 75% rural.

The township borders the municipalities of Bridgewater Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, Rocky Hill and South Bound Brook in Somerset County; Princeton in Mercer County; New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Piscataway and South Brunswick in Middlesex County.

Communities

The D&R Canal in Griggstown during the Autumn months

The following are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within Franklin Township:

• Blackwells Mills (2010 CDP population of 803)
• Clyde (2010 CDP population of 213)
• East Franklin (2010 CDP population of 8,669)
• East Millstone (2010 CDP population of 579)
• East Rocky Hill (2010 CDP population of 469)
• Franklin Center (2010 CDP population of 4,460)
• Franklin Park (2010 CDP population of 13,295)
• Griggstown (2010 CDP population of 819)
• Kingston – officially designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission. The Kingston Village Advisory Committee, jointly appointed by the Councils of Franklin and South Brunswick townships, advises Franklin on matters of concern to Kingston's residents. (2010 CDP population of 271 for portion of Kingston in Franklin Township)
• Middlebush (2010 CDP population of 2,326)
• Pleasant Plains (2010 CDP population of 922)
• Six Mile Run (2010 CDP population of 3,184)
• Somerset (2010 CDP population of 22,083)
• Ten Mile Run (2010 CDP population of 1,959)
• Voorhees CDP (2010 CDP population of 976)
• Weston (2010 CDP population of 1,235)
• Zarephath, religious community in western part of the township, centered around the Pillar of Fire Church (2010 CDP population of 37)

Other unincorporated communities, localities, and place names located partially or completely within the township include Hamilton Park and Rockingham.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Franklin Township would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 62,300 people, 23,301 households, and 15,938 families in the township. The population density was 1,350.0 per square mile (521.2/km²). There were 24,426 housing units at an average density of 529.3 per square mile (204.4/km²). The racial makeup was 44.76% (27,887) White, 26.55% (16,539) Black or African American, 0.29% (183) Native American, 19.98% (12,450) Asian, 0.01% (9) Pacific Islander, 5.11% (3,183) from other races, and 3.29% (2,049) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.92% (8,050) of the population.

Of the 23,301 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 53.3% were married couples living together; 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.6% were non-families. Of all households, 25.7% were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.19.

22.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $89,992 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,918) and the median family income was $103,060 (+/− $3,429). Males had a median income of $66,178 (+/− $2,448) versus $54,733 (+/− $2,427) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,036 (+/− $1,203). About 3.2% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Parks in the township include:

• The William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest is a 500-acre (2.0 km²) natural preserve administered by Rutgers University that includes a 65-acre (260,000 m²) virgin old-growth forest designated a National Natural Landmark, and is located at 2150 Amwell Road (Route 514) about 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) east of East Millstone.
• Colonial Park, part of the Somerset County Park System, is a 685.5-acre (2.774 km²) facility located in the western portion of Franklin Township near East Millstone with entrances off Mettlers Lane and Elizabeth Avenue. The park offers many recreational activities, including picnicking, hiking, biking, fishing, paddle boating, golf, and tennis. It features a 144-acre (0.58 km²) Arboretum, "a living tree museum" that provides a wide range of examples of trees and shrubs that grow well in the Central Jersey environment. The park also offers a 3-acre (12,000 m²) leash-free dog area, a 1.4-mile (2.3 km) fitness parcourse, paddleboat rentals, an 18-hole putting course, the 18 hole championship Spooky Brook Golf Course, 3 stocked fishing ponds, softball fields, a tennis center, playground, nature trail, a 5-acre (20,000 m²) Perennial Garden, the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden, an accredited All-America Rose Selections (AARS) display garden, and the Fragrance and Sensory Garden, designed to be of special interest to visitors who are visually or physically impaired.
• A portion of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park runs for 22 miles (35 km) along much of the northern and western borders of Franklin Township eventually making its way as far south as Trenton with a feeder canal following the Delaware River north for another 22 miles (35 km) to Bull's Island near Frenchtown. The canal and adjacent tow path offer many recreational activities, from hiking and biking to fishing and boating. Access points with parking can be found near most road crossings of the canal, via bridges at Colonial Park (see above) and the Van Wickle House (see below) in Franklin Township as well as at many of the locks on the canal.
• The John W. Flemer Preserve is a 7.4-acre (30,000 m²) preserve adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Kingston that features a 2-mile (3.2 km) trail on the east bank of the Canal that offers a connection to the tow path on the west side of the Canal for a round trip hike.
• The Negri-Nepote Native Grassland Preserve is a 164-acre (0.66 km²) preserve located between Bennets Lane and Skillmans Lane in the Somerset section that features 111-acre (0.45 km²) of grassland, forest, and scrubland and a 2.5-acre (10,000 m²) wetland attracting migratory birds and amphibians with over 3 miles (4.8 km) of pedestrian trails, bird boxes and interpretive signage.
• Six Mile Run Reservoir Site, part of the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry, is located in the central portion of Franklin Township. The 3,037-acre (12.29 km²) park consists of land that was set aside in c. 1970 for water resource needs that still remains largely undeveloped and that offers numerous multi-use recreational trails. Access is provided via the former D&R Canal Main Office parking area off Canal Road just south of Blackwells Mills Road.
• Ten Mile Run Greenway is a 684-acre (2.77 km²) greenway over 4 miles (6.4 km) in length running between Canal Road south of Bunker Hill Road in Griggstown and S. Middlebush Road near Old Vliet Road in Franklin Park. It runs along the Ten Mile Run. It features four sections including:
  • Bunker Hill Natural Area, accessed from the north side of Bunker Hill Road near the intersection of Route 27, features trails through mature forest and meadows and along Ten Mile Run stream. Trails connect to the Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and the Catalpa Farm areas.
  • Catalpa Farm, on Old Vliet Road, offers trails along field edges and a small forest that connect to the Bunker Hill Natural Area.
  • Environmental Education Center, 255 Bunker Hill Road (parking is available at 287 Bunker Hill Road), is a 95-acre (38 ha) area that features a deciduous forest known as Graeber Woods, a one-mile (1.6 km) self-guided nature trail, the "Glass House", a home that has been renovated and is now used as a classroom and conference center to provide a wide range of instructional, hands-on activities in natural habitats, and a 20' climbing tower and a high ropes course adventure area. The Environmental Education Center is a cooperative effort of the Township of Franklin, the Franklin Township Board of Education, and the Green Acres Program. A trail connect to the Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve and the rest of the Ten Mile Run Greenway.
  • Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve accessed from Canal Road in Griggstown (1091 Canal Road) has over 100 acres (0.40 km²) of grassland and hundreds of acres of forest and features over 6 miles (9.7 km) of mapped trails. Trails connect to the other sections of the Ten Mile Run Greenway.

Education

The Franklin Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 7,150 students and 703.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Claremont Elementary School (665 students; in grades Pre-K–5), Conerly Road School (400; Pre-K–5), Elizabeth Avenue School (493; Pre-K–5), Franklin Park School (664; Pre-K–5), Hillcrest School (436; Pre-K–5), MacAfee Road School (381; Pre-K–5), Pine Grove Manor School (331; Pre-K–5), Franklin Middle School at Hamilton Street Campus (706; 6–8), Franklin Middle School at Sampson G. Smith Campus (797; 6–8) and Franklin High School (2,146; 9–12).

Central Jersey College Prep Charter School is a comprehensive public charter middle school / high school serving students in grades 6–12 that aims to prepare all graduates for admission to a four-year university. In 2016, the school was one of ten schools in New Jersey, and the only charter school, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 820 students and 73.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1.

Rutgers Preparatory School, a private day school founded in 1766, is located in Franklin Township and occupies a 35-acre campus between Easton Avenue and the Raritan River. The state's oldest independent school, RPS moved to Franklin Township in 1957.

Saint Matthias School is a parochial elementary school founded in 1962 that serves students in preschool through eighth grade and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

Cedar Hill Preparatory School, a Pre-K–8 school founded in 2003 as Oakcrest Academy, was one of eight private schools recognized in 2017 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program as an Exemplary High Performing School by the United States Department of Education.

Historic district

The Kingston Mill Historic District is a 49-acre (20 ha) historic district encompassing the community of Kingston, New Jersey (which is bounded by Franklin Township in Somerset County, Princeton in Mercer County, and South Brunswick in Middlesex County). In 1683, Henry Greenland built the first tavern here for travelers between New York City and Philadelphia. The current Kingston Mill, also known as the Kingston Gristmill, was built in 1888, the third one at this site. In 1755, Jacob Skilman built a gristmill and sawmill here on the Millstone River, located along the historic King's Highway. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1986 for its significance in engineering, exploration/settlement, industry, and transportation. The district includes 16 contributing buildings and 2 contributing structures.

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  Kingston Mill on the Millstone River

• 

  The Kingston Bridge (1798), built to replace one demolished by George Washington's troops to prevent British pursuit

• 

  The mile marker from 1798, showing the distance to Philadelphia (45 miles) and New York City (50 miles)

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  Colonial on King's Highway

Infrastructure

Emergency services

Fire companies

Franklin Township is served by 10 all-volunteer Fire Departments in four fire districts.

• Community Fire Company / Station 25 (District 3)
• Elizabeth Ave. Fire Company / Station 26 (District 1)
• East Franklin Fire Department / Station 27 (District 3)
• Middlebush Fire Department / Station 44 (District 1)
• Millstone Valley Fire Company / Station 28 (District 1)
• Franklin Park Fire Department / Station 31 (District 2)
• Griggstown Fire Company / Station 35 (District 2)
• Kingston Fire Company / Station 39 (District 4)
• Little Rocky Hill Fire Company / Station 41 (District 2)
• Somerset Fire & Rescue Company #1 / Station 56 (District 1)

First aid squads

Franklin Township is served by four volunteer First Aid and Rescue Squads and one hospital-based EMS provider

• East Millstone First Aid Squad / Station 52
• Franklin Somerset First Aid Squad / Station 71 (Permanently closed)
• Rocky Hill First Aid & Rescue Squad / Station 53
• Kendall Park First Aid & Rescue Squad
• Kingston First Aid & Rescue Squad / Station 72
• Robert Wood Johnson EMS (Paid EMS through Municipal Contract)

Transportation

Roads and highways

Interstate 287 northbound in Franklin Township

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 260.12 miles (418.62 km) of roadways, of which 216.72 miles (348.78 km) were maintained by the municipality, 34.67 miles (55.80 km) by Somerset County and 8.73 miles (14.05 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Interstate 287 is the most significant highway within the township. It runs through the northern part of the township with two interchanges. Route 27 runs along the border between New Brunswick, and the townships of South Brunswick and North Brunswick. Some of the major county routes that are in the township are CR 514, CR 518 and CR 527.

The New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) passes outside the township in both neighboring South Brunswick and New Brunswick, but the closest interchanges are two towns away in Edison (Exit 10), East Brunswick Township (Exit 9) and Monroe Township (Exit 8A).

Franklin Township was to house the northern end of the Somerset Freeway at I-287 back in 1964 until it was later proposed to end in Piscataway. An additional spur, Interstate 695, was also proposed as part of the project. This road was to complete Interstate 95 at the proposed southern end in Hopewell Township at I-95 and I-295. However the entire project was ultimately cancelled in 1982.

Public transportation

Somerset County offers DASH routes 851 and 852, providing service to Franklin Township from Bound Brook, New Brunswick and North Brunswick. Additionally, the CAT 1R provides service to Raritan Valley Community College, passing through Bound Brook, Somerville, and Raritan.

Commuter bus service to Midtown Manhattan is offered by commuter transportation company OurBus, during peak hours, with service at Kendall Park to and from New York City.

Utilities

Gas and electricity are provided by PSE&G. Water comes from the Delaware and Raritan Canal from water bought from American Water and neighboring North Brunswick and New Brunswick in Middlesex County. In 2011, the township considered privatizing the system and awarding the contract to United Water. Sewerage service is provided by the Township of Franklin Sewerage Authority.

Points of interest

• The Blackwells Mills Canal House, located at Blackwells Mills Road and Canal Road (598 Canal Road, Somerset) on the Delaware and Raritan Canal, was built c. 1830s, at the same time as the canal. It was constructed to house the bridge tender, who would open the swing bridge when canal boats came through, then close it to allow traffic to cross over the canal. The building is leased from the State and is maintained and operated by the Blackwells Mills Canal House Association in conjunction with the Meadows Foundation.
• The Franklin Inn, at 2371 Amwell Road (Route 514), East Millstone, NJ a farmhouse built c. 1752 by Cornelius Van Liew, it has also been known as Annie Van Liew's House and, after being remodeled into a tavern and inn, the Franklin House Hotel.
• The Hageman Farm, at 209 South Middlebush Road, is a c. 1861 historic farm. Owned by Franklin Township, the farm is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation.
• Rockingham State Historic Site, near Kingston on CR 603 (Somerset County), adjacent to the Delaware and Raritan Canal. George Washington wrote his Farewell Address to the Revolutionary Army while staying here in the fall of 1783.
• Spieden & Hoebel Farms, Little Valley Natural Area is a 120-acre (0.49 km²) area at 1327 and 1345 Canal Road with several miles of trails through forest and along field edges. Across Canal Road is access to the Delaware and Raritan Canal tow path and the Millstone River and flood plain.
• Tulipwood, at 1165 Hamilton Street, is a c. 1892 designed by J. August Lienau, the son of Detlef Lienau for his brother-in-law Stephen Guion Williams whose family owned the Williams & Guion Black Star Line. The home is owned by Franklin Township.
• The Ukrainian Cultural Center at 135 Davidson Avenue, serves as the headquarters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and includes the following at the site (some open by appointment only):
  • St. Sophia Seminary and Library, founded in 1975
  • St. Andrew Memorial Church, completed and consecrated in 1967 in memory of the 7-14 million people who died in the Ukrainian famine of 1932-33 is a unique example of Ukrainian Cossack Baroque architecture in the area
  • St. Andrew Cemetery, founded in 1952
  • The Ukrainian Historical and Educational Center, founded in 1972, which contains treasures of Ukrainian cultural, historical, social, religious, literary and political life including Easter eggs, lacework, hand embroidery, statuary and church vessels.
  • The Ukrainian Cultural Center, dedicated in 1985
  • St. Andrew Ukrainian School, founded in 1962 and located in the Cultural Center
  • St. Andrew Bookstore and Ecclesiastical Supply, founded in 1992
• The historic Fisher Homestead, built in 1688, the home of Hendrick Fisher, New Jersey's delegate to the Continental Congress, and the site of the Fisher Family Cemetery.
• The Van Liew-Suydam House, at 280 South Middlebush Road, was built in the 18th century by Peter Van Liew. Joseph Suydam later built the part of the house that is visible today. The newest and largest portion of the house was built in 1875. Although the most recent long term owner of the house was named French, the house has been named after its two initial owners. Owned by Franklin Township, the farm is under the stewardship of the Meadows Foundation.
• The Van Wickle House, at 1289 Easton Avenue is a historic house built c. 1722 by Symen Van Wickle. Operated by the Meadows Foundation which holds special annual events here.
• The Wyckoff-Garretson House, at 215 South Middlebush Road, was built in 1730 by Cornelius Wyckoff. The house was restored by the Meadows Foundation under the direction of architect Mark Alan Hewitt.

Notable people

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