Hopewell Valley, New Jersey facts for kids
Hopewell Valley is a special area in Mercer County, New Jersey. It's made up of several towns and communities that work together. They share services like schools, and all students attend the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
The main parts of Hopewell Valley are Hopewell Township, the Borough of Hopewell, the Borough of Pennington, and a smaller community called Titusville. Titusville is part of Hopewell Township. In 2000, Hopewell Township had about 16,105 people, Hopewell Borough had 2,035, and Pennington Borough had 2,696.
The school district for Hopewell Valley has several schools. There are four elementary schools: Hopewell Elementary, Toll Gate Grammar, Bear Tavern, and Stony Brook Elementary. Students then go to Timberlane Middle School. Finally, they attend Hopewell Valley Central High School. Before the schools joined together in the 1950s, the high school was known as Central High School of Hopewell Township. Some people in New Jersey still call it Central High School.
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Historic Events in Hopewell Valley
Hopewell Valley is home to some important moments in American history.
Washington's Crossing
One famous event is George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River. This happened on December 25, 1776. General Washington led his soldiers from Pennsylvania across the icy Delaware River to New Jersey. This brave journey led to a big victory at the Battle of Trenton the next morning. You can learn about this event at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville. Every year, if the weather is good, people re-enact this historic crossing.
The Lindbergh Incident
Hopewell Valley was also the location of a very sad and famous event in 1932. This was when the baby of the famous pilot Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped. It was a big news story across the country.
Notable People from Hopewell Valley
Many interesting people have lived in or have connections to Hopewell Valley.
Peter Benchley
Peter Benchley was a writer who wrote the famous novel Jaws in 1974. He used the names of local streets and roads from Hopewell Valley to create the fictional town of Amity in his book.
John Hart
John Hart was a very important person in American history. He was one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence. John Hart lived in Hopewell Township. He is buried in Hopewell Borough.
