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Hope Township, New Jersey
Township
Township of Hope
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Map of Hope Township in Warren County. Inset: Location of Warren County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Hope Township in Warren County. Inset: Location of Warren County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Hope Township, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Hope Township, New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey is located in Warren County, New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey
Location in Warren County, New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey is located in the United States
Hope Township, New Jersey
Hope Township, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
state  New Jersey
County Warren
Incorporated April 8, 1839
Government
 • Type Township
 • Body Township Committee
Area
 • Total 18.29 sq mi (47.38 km2)
 • Land 18.08 sq mi (46.83 km2)
 • Water 0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)  1.15%
Area rank 155th of 565 in state
11th of 22 in county
Elevation
436 ft (133 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 1,952
 • Estimate 
(2019)
1,857
 • Rank 488th of 566 in state
21st of 22 in county
 • Density 104.8/sq mi (40.5/km2)
 • Density rank 541st of 566 in state
20th of 22 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07844
Area code(s) 908 Exchange: 459
FIPS code 3404133060
GNIS feature ID 0882242

Hope Township is a township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 1,952, reflecting an increase of 61 (+3.2%) from the 1,891 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 172 (+10.0%) from the 1,719 counted in the 1990 Census. The 2010 Census population marked the first decennial census in which the township's population exceeded the 1,903 recorded in the 1840 Census, the first recorded population after the township was formed.

Hope Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1839, from portions of Knowlton Township and Oxford Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. Liberty Township was created on March 25, 1926, from portions of the township.

History

Bank Of Hope in Hope, NJ
The Moravian Church in Hope, NJ is now the headquarters for the Bank of Hope.

Hope Township is one of the earliest planned communities in the United States, having been established by German Moravians in 1769. They knew what they wanted to achieve, which is shown on several early planning maps, which detail streets, homes, wells, businesses, farms, a school, tavern and church.

Prior to the arrival of the Moravians, there was no distinct town, but several families farmed on Jenny Jump Mountain, to the south of Hope, in surrounding area and on John Samuel Green Jr.'s farm in the center of what is now the Village. Throughout the 1760s, Moravians from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania traveled through this area on their way to New England to establish new communities. They lodged overnight with the Green Family who were impressed with their religion and way of life.

HOPE DISTRICT, WARREN COUNTY
Old gristmill in Hope

The Moravians were a religious group whose formal name was the "Unitas Fratrum" or Unity of the Brethren. They were followers of Jan Hus, the reformer from Prague who protested against the Roman Catholic Church in 1415 and was finally burned at the stake for his rebellion. These followers continued to practice his views in Moravia and Bohemia in what is now the Czech Republic, hence the common name "The Moravians". In the late 17th century this group began to be persecuted and sought shelter away from Bohemia. Count Nicolas Ludwig von Zinzendorf offered them refuge on his lands east of Dresden, Germany, and provided a base for them to regroup and pursue their religion. That settlement which remains as the center of the worldwide Moravian religion is called Herrnhut or "The Lord's Watch" inhabitants were not only "under the Lord's watchful care" but were also to be "on watch for the Lord". With the support of Count von Zinzendorf, the Church established over 200 missionary settlements.

After a formal survey of the Village completed on November 26, 1774, the community was officially accepted by The Moravian Church and the name was changed by drawing lots on February 8, 1775, from Greenland to Hope. The name derives from the "hope of immortality" of the early Moravian settlers.

After almost 40 years of the Moravian "experiment" in Hope, the community was sold and almost all of the Moravians returned to Bethlehem or Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The basic reason for closing the community was that it was never self-supporting and had declined from its height of population of 147 to under 100 people by the early 19th century. The Church in Germany could no longer subsidize such a small village. Moravians worldwide were selling possessions and even some other entire communities to pay off debts incurred years earlier by Count von Zinzendorf, who heavily mortgaged his lands to give them opportunity back in Germany. Disease and a competitive gristmill also contributed to Moravian Hope's decline.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 18.837 square miles (48.788 km2), including 18.621 square miles (48.229 km2) of land and 0.216 square miles (0.559 km2) of water (1.15%). The township is located in the Kittatinny Valley which is a section of the Great Appalachian Valley that stretches 700 miles (1,100 km) from Canada to Alabama.

Hope CDP (with a 2010 Census population of 195), Mount Hermon (141) and Silver Lake (368) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within the township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Feebletown, Locust Lake, Mount Herman and Swayzes Mill.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 1,903
1850 1,755 −7.8%
1860 1,789 1.9%
1870 1,542 −13.8%
1880 1,569 1.8%
1890 1,332 −15.1%
1900 1,144 −14.1%
1910 1,119 −2.2%
1920 948 −15.3%
1930 553 −41.7%
1940 646 16.8%
1950 681 5.4%
1960 833 22.3%
1970 1,140 36.9%
1980 1,468 28.8%
1990 1,719 17.1%
2000 1,891 10.0%
2010 1,952 3.2%
2019 (est.) 1,857 −4.9%
Population sources:
1840-1920 1840 1850-1870
1850 1870 1880-1890
1890-1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010
* = Lost territory in previous decade.

The township's economic data (as is all of Warren County) is calculated by the US Census Bureau as part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,952 people, 741 households, and 558 families residing in the township. The population density was 104.8 per square mile (40.5/km2). There were 809 housing units at an average density of 43.4 per square mile (16.8/km2)*. The racial makeup of the township was 96.21% (1,878) White, 1.18% (23) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.59% (31) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.41% (8) from other races, and 0.61% (12) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.10% (80) of the population.

There were 741 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% 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 3.03.

In the township, the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 35.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 97.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $75,107 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,302) and the median family income was $81,204 (+/- $7,973). Males had a median income of $59,141 (+/- $10,502) versus $52,574 (+/- $25,011) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,283 (+/- $2,988). About 4.8% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 1,891 people, 697 households, and 538 families residing in the township. The population density was 102.2 people per square mile (39.5/km2). There were 747 housing units at an average density of 40.4 per square mile (15.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 98.25% White, 0.42% African American, 0.42% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.

There were 697 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.3% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $61,319, and the median income for a family was $68,750. Males had a median income of $48,750 versus $34,038 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,902. About 1.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

2020-07-14 14 46 42 View east along Interstate 80 at Exit 12 (Warren County Route 521 TO Warren County Route 519, Blairstown, Hope) in Hope Township, Warren County, New Jersey
View east along I-80 in Hope Township

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 44.14 miles (71.04 km) of roadways, of which 19.30 miles (31.06 km) were maintained by the municipality, 21.42 miles (34.47 km) by Warren County and 3.42 miles (5.50 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Interstate 80 (the Bergen-Passaic Expressway) passes through the township for 3.42 miles (5.50 km), with access via exit 12 to Hope-Blairstown Road (County Route 521). CR 521 has its southern terminus in Hope Township at an intersection with County Route 609 (High Street) and runs through the township for 2.83 miles (4.55 km). CR 519 passes through Hope for 6.33 miles (10.19 km) and can be accessed by CR 521.

Popular culture

  • Duluth, Minnesota slow-core band Low recorded their 1994 debut LP, I Could Live In Hope in Hope Township, and named the album as a reference to the municipality.

Points of interest

  • Land of Make Believe is an amusement park centered on "Safe and wholesome recreation", with entertaining rides and attractions that are enjoyed by people of all ages but not so extreme that it scares off younger children.
Moravian Cemetery
The gate to the Moravian Cemetery in Hope, NJ appeared in the horror movie, Friday the 13th.
  • Hope Township was the filming location for two scenes in the horror movie Friday the 13th, with the Moravian Cemetery (see photo) and Hartung's General Store appearing in the film.

Surrounding communities

  • Hope Township School's 2014–15 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education


Education

The Hope Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Hope Township Elementary School. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 115 students and 16.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.1:1. In the 2016–17 school year, the district was tied for the 30th-smallest enrollment of any school district in the state.

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades from Harmony Township, Hope Township and White Township attend Belvidere High School in Belvidere as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Belvidere School District. As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 367 students and 32.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1.

Students from the township and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township (for grades K-8) or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9-12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for PreK-12).

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Hope Township, New Jersey

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

  • Abraham H. Albertson (1872-1964), one of Seattle's most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century.
  • John Insley Blair (1802-1899), entrepreneur, railroad magnate, philanthropist and one of the 19th century's wealthiest men.
  • Charles Ferren Hopkins (1842-1934), the last surviving Union Civil War soldier in New Jersey that was a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
  • Joseph Krumgold (1908-1980), author of books and screenplays who was the first writer to win two annual Newbery Medals for the most distinguished new American children's book.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Municipio de Hope (Nueva Jersey) para niños

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