Hammonton, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hammonton, New Jersey
Town
William L. Black House
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Nickname(s):  "Blueberry Capital of the World"
Location of Hammonton in Atlantic County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Atlantic County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Hammonton, New Jersey
Hammonton, New Jersey Location in Atlantic County, New Jersey Show map of Atlantic County, New Jersey Hammonton, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Hammonton, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Atlantic
Incorporated	March 5, 1866
Named for	John Hammond Coffin
Government
• Type	Town
• Body	Town Council
Area
• Total	41.32 sq mi (107.01 km2)
• Land	40.75 sq mi (105.54 km2)
• Water	0.57 sq mi (1.46 km2)  1.37%
Area rank	50th of 565 in state 7th of 23 in county
Elevation	62 ft (19 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,711
• Estimate  (2023)	14,797
• Rank	179th of 565 in state 6th of 23 in county
• Density	361.0/sq mi (139.4/km2)
• Density rank	464th of 565 in state 15th of 23 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08037
Area code(s)	609
FIPS code	3400129430
GNIS feature ID	0885242
Website

Hammonton is a town in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, that has been referred to as the "Blueberry Capital of the World". As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 14,711, a decrease of 80 (−0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 14,791, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,187 (+17.4%) from the 12,604 counted in the 2000 census. Geographically, the town, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

The first European settlement of Hammonton was in 1812. It was named for John Hammond Coffin, a son of one of the community's earliest settlers, William Coffin, with the "d" in what was originally Hammondton disappearing over time. It was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1866, from portions of Hamilton Township and Mullica Township.

The town is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad with Hammonton station directly in the downtown area. The route is now used by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line.

History

Little is known about the area of Hammonton prior to European contact. Archaeological evidence, including stone tools likely dating back to the Woodland period, suggests some form of prehistoric habitation, though the details remain unclear. At the time of European contact, the region was inhabited by the Unalachtigo Lenape people.

As European settlement progressed, the Lenape population in the area declined due to disease, loss of land to European settlers, and emigration. In 1748, the West Jersey Society was granted rights over a large tract of land within the English Province of New Jersey, which included the territory that would later become Hammonton. In 1805, the Society sold a parcel of what would eventually become Hammonton, with the land passing through several owners.

In 1812, William Coffin and his family migrated to the area, building a home and managing a sawmill for John R. Coates. Coffin purchased the land and the mill in 1814. The sawmill was situated adjacent to Hammonton Lake and extended north and east of the present-day town, rather than being located within the current downtown. Originally named "Hammondton" after Coffin's son, John Hammond Coffin, the name was later simplified to Hammonton.

In 1817, Coffin established a glass factory in the area, taking advantage of the abundance of cheap timber and bog iron that supported South Jersey's glass industry at the time. Finished products were transported via the Mullica River before the advent of railroads, with trading stores and workers' housing established nearby.

The early settlement of Old Hammonton was small and experienced a shift from glass production to farming, particularly the cultivation of strawberries and blueberries. The arrival of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad in 1854, which ran to the west of Old Hammonton, prompted further development. In 1856, developer Charles K. Landis and Philadelphia banker Richard Byrnes formed Landis & Byrnes, acquiring large plots of land near the newly constructed railroad. They promoted and sold smaller parcels for development, moving the settlement closer to the railway. The Hammonton Railroad Station was established in 1858.

In 1861, Landis and Byrnes had a falling-out; Byrnes remained in Hammonton, while Landis went on to establish Vineland and Sea Isle City. In 1866, Hammonton's leaders petitioned the New Jersey Legislature to separate from Mullica Township and Hamilton Township, and Hammonton was officially incorporated as a town on March 5, 1866. At the time of incorporation, the population was recorded as 1,422.

A significant development in Hammonton's history following incorporation was a wave of Italian immigration. Salvador Calabrasce, an Italian immigrant and former Union Navy serviceman, moved to Hammonton after marrying a New Jersey native. He corresponded with friends in Gesso,Sicily, which attracted more immigrants to Hammonton. Through the efforts of Calabrasce and others, the town saw a growing population of Italian-Americans, who would eventually make up a substantial portion of the town's overall population.

Hammonton briefly featured a major racing track, the Atlantic City Speedway. Races were held from 1926 to 1928 on the wooden track that was built, complete with a direct rail connection. The owners had hoped to compete with the major racetracks of the era, but were unable to continue. The track served as a test track for Studebaker from 1928 to 1933 before it was demolished, and the timber used in its construction was repurposed for other buildings.

The first Hammonton Blueberry Festival was held in 1953, embracing the area's identity as a major producer of blueberries.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hammonton had a total area of 41.32 square miles (107.01 km²), including 40.75 square miles (105.54 km²) of land and 0.57 square miles (1.46 km²) of water (1.37%).

The town borders Folsom borough, to the southwest, and both Hamilton and Mullica townships to the southeast in Atlantic County; Shamong Township and Washington Township in Burlington County to the northeast; and Waterford Township and Winslow Township in Camden County to the northwest. It is located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, so is largely flat, though the highest point in Atlantic County is located along the Pennsylvania Railroad within the borders of Hammonton. The town is located almost exactly halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located completely or partially within the town include Barnard, Bellhurst, Caldwell Crossing, Dacosta, Dutchtown, Great Swamp, Murphy, Rockford, Rockwood, Rosedale and West Mills.

Pine Barrens

The town 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. All of the town is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

Due to its location in the Pine Barrens, the soil is largely sandy, making it ideal for growing blueberries. Low, marshy areas, often within the Pine Barrens are also used for cranberry cultivation.

On June 19, 2022, a fire broke out in the Wharton State Forest in a remote area in the northern part of Hammonton. The Mullica River Fire consumed more than 15,000 acres of protected land and became the largest wildfire in the state in 15 years. The cause of the fire is believed to be caused by an illegal campfire.

Climate

Hammonton lies in the northern reaches of the humid subtropical climate zone, and, similar to inland southern New Jersey, is characterized by brisk winters, hot summers, and plentiful precipitation spread evenly throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hammonton's climate is abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 14,791 people, 5,408 households, and 3,759 families in the town. The population density was 361.8 per square mile (139.7/km²). There were 5,715 housing units at an average density of 139.8 per square mile (54.0/km²). The racial makeup was 81.67% (12,080) White, 3.00% (444) Black or African American, 0.28% (42) Native American, 1.37% (203) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 10.81% (1,599) from other races, and 2.85% (421) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.93% (3,096) of the population.

Of the 5,408 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18; 51.5% were married couples living together; 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.5% were non-families. Of all households, 25.0% were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.19.

23.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $59,085 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,242) and the median family income was $62,354 (+/− $3,893). Males had a median income of $47,110 (+/− $4,411) versus $36,615 (+/− $3,549) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,292 (+/− $1,528). About 8.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Musical groups from the town include the rock band The Early November.

Sports

In 1997, Gabriel Donio (founder and publisher of The Hammonton Gazette) proposed a minor-league baseball team called the Hammonton Blueberries, going so far as to create a team logo and a prototype uniform, as well as purchasing a 20-acre tract of land for $200,000. Donio planned to build on the site a 3,500-seat, six-million-dollar ballpark, which he described as "a rough miniature of the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field". In 1999, the Northern League announced that they would form a six-team developmental circuit and include Hammonton as one of the clubs; however, this did not happen, and the proposed ballpark was not built, putting an end to the Blueberries. (Since Hammonton is less than 75 miles from Philadelphia, any pro baseball team there would either need permission from the Phillies or play in an independent league, outside of MLB's jurisdiction.)

Education

Students in kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hammonton Public Schools. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 3,566 students and 249.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Early Childhood Education Center with 355 students in grades K–1, Warren E. Sooy Elementary School with 873 students in grades 2–5, Hammonton Middle School with 879 students in grades 6–8 and Hammonton High School with 1,393 students in grades 9–12.

Students from Folsom Borough (grades 9–12) and Waterford Township in Camden County (7–12) attend the Hammonton schools as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Folsom Borough School District and the Waterford Township School District.

In the wake of the dissolution of the Lower Camden County Regional School District, the Hammonton board of education voted in 1999 to begin accepting an estimated 800 students from Waterford Township for grades 7–12 starting as of 2002, with the tuition paid by students from Waterford helping to lower overall costs to Hammonton taxpayers.

Borough public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

Hammonton was home of the Catholic schools St. Joseph Regional Elementary School (for Pre-K–8) and St. Joseph High School (for grades 9–12) which operated under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden. In April 2020, the Diocese of Camden announced that despite its status as a football powerhouse, St. Joseph was one of five Catholic schools in New Jersey which would close permanently at the end of the school year on June 30, 2020. St. Joseph Regional Elementary was to permanently close at the end of the school year as well. St. Joseph High School reopened in September 2020 as the independent St. Joseph Academy, which operates separately from the Camden Diocese and leases the building from the Hammonton Public Schools, which had acquired the building.

Media

Television stations

• WPSJ-CD Channel 8 Hammonton (Independent)

Newspapers

• Hammonton Gazette
• Hammonton News

Hammonton is served by other newspapers:

• The Press of Atlantic City a major daily newspaper in South New Jersey.
• Philadelphia Daily News a major daily newspaper based in Philadelphia.
• The Philadelphia Inquirer a major daily newspaper based in Philadelphia.

Transportation

The eastbound Atlantic City Expressway in Hammonton

Roads and highways

As of 2010^[update], the town had a total of 126.50 miles (203.58 km) of roadways, of which 77.04 miles (123.98 km) were maintained by the municipality, 30.61 miles (49.26 km) by Atlantic County and 14.65 miles (23.58 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 4.20 miles (6.76 km) by the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

The Atlantic City Expressway, U.S. Route 30, U.S. Route 206 and Route 54 all pass through Hammonton, as do County Route 536, County Route 542, County Route 559 and County Route 561.

Public transportation

Hammonton station, which is served by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line

The Hammonton station of NJ Transit provides passenger rail service between the Atlantic City Rail Terminal in Atlantic City and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and intermediate points on the Atlantic City Line.

NJ Transit provides bus service in Hammonton on the 554 route between Lindenwold station and Atlantic City.

Airport

Hammonton Municipal Airport is located 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of the central business district.

Community

Blueberry capital

Hammonton is known as the "Blueberry Capital of the World".

Since the 1980s, the Red, White and Blueberry Festival has celebrated Hammonton's status as the nation's blueberry capital. A 1,300-acre (530 ha) farm in the town is Northeast's largest blueberry grower.

Hammonton and the surrounding Atlantic County produce upwards of 50 million pounds of blueberries each year thanks to traveling bands of labor from outside of the United States, though often the farms employing these undocumented workers are largely supportive of stricter border policies.

Presidential visits

Ronald Reagan visited Hammonton during his 1984 re-election campaign. Reagan's speech highlighted Hammonton's status as "Blueberry Capital of the World" and then extolled the virtues of New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce soon disassociated himself from the politics and the use of his song "Born in The U.S.A."

Hammonton has also been visited by Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, who made whistle stops in the town.

Festivals

Every year Hammonton hosts the Red, White and Blueberry festival, Our Lady of Mount Carmel festival and the Hammonton wine festival. Mount Carmel's Italian Festival dates back to 1875 and is considered the oldest such continuously run festival in the United States. Other festivals include; Hammonton Fall Beer Festival, Teen Arts Festival, Hammonton Food Truck Festival, Hammonton Green Day Festival, and Crusin Main Street.

Downtown

Aerial view of Hammonton, New Jersey (1926)

Hammonton's downtown district has been growing for the past 20 years. The downtown area includes Bellevue Avenue, Central Avenue, Vine street, Second Street, Third Street, Twelfth Street, Egg Harbor Road, Front Street, West End Avenue, Railroad Avenue and Washington Street. The downtown includes art galleries, restaurants, wine and sports bars, banks, clothing stores, offices, a theatre, a park, and a college satellite campus, attracting shoppers from South Jersey.

Every year the downtown has three parades. The Halloween and Christmas parades are the two major parades that happen in downtown. In May, there is a smaller Memorial Day parade. The Downtown also hosts the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, which is a large celebration that includes the lighting of a large tree on the corner of Bellevue and Central Avenue, Christmas carolers, a music show, carriage rides, a live nativity and the arrival of Santa. During these events the downtown stores are open late.

On the third Thursday of every month, the downtown host the "Third Thursday Events", with a different theme each month. Stores offer discounts, and people perform on the street.

The downtown was one of the finalist for the Great American Main Street Award in 2013. The award recognizes three communities each year for their successful revitalization efforts, based on documented economic impact, small-business development, historic preservation, volunteer involvement, public/private cooperation and success over time.

Events

In 1949, Hammonton was the winner of the Little League World Series, after finishing third in the tournament in both 1947 and 1948. The Hammonton team was the first official team located outside of Pennsylvania.

Longest Line of Cakes Guinness Record in Hammonton New Jersey

On July 24, 2011, Ricca's Italian Bakery set a Guinness World Record for the Longest Line of Cakes topped with fresh blueberries donated by local farmers. This received recognition from the Mayor Steve DiDonato and all members of the Hammonton Town Council. The Hammonton Town Council Deputy Mayor Tom Gribbin announced the recognition during a town council meeting on local TV in 2011 August.

In November 2014, in a study conducted by CreditDonkey.com, Hammonton was ranked second-happiest city in New Jersey. The ranking was based on restaurants, crime rate, commute, departure time, income, divorce rate, and housing.

Notable people

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

Sister city

• San Gregorio da Sassola, Province of Rome,  Italy

See also

In Spanish: Hammonton (Nueva Jersey) para niños