Kingwood Township, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingwood Township, New Jersey
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Township
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Thatcher House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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Location of Kingwood Township in Hunterdon County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
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Census Bureau map of Kingwood Township, New Jersey
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 Kingwood Township, New Jersey
Location in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Kingwood Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Kingwood Township, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County |  Hunterdon |
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| Established | 1746 | |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Township | |
| • Body | Township Committee | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 35.62 sq mi (92.24 km2) | |
| • Land | 35.01 sq mi (90.66 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.61 sq mi (1.58 km2) 1.71% | |
| Area rank | 67th of 565 in state 4th of 26 in county |
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| Elevation | 469 ft (143 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,802 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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3,843 | |
| • Rank | 420th of 565 in state 13th of 26 in county |
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| • Density | 108.6/sq mi (41.9/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 535th of 565 in state 26th of 26 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08803 – Baptistown
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| Area code(s) | 908 | |
| FIPS code | 3401937065 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882183 | |
| Website | ||
Kingwood Township is a community in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is located on the Hunterdon Plateau. In 2020, about 3,802 people lived here. This number was a small decrease from 2010.
Contents
History of Kingwood Township
Kingwood Township is one of the westernmost areas in Hunterdon County. It was first created around 1746 from Bethlehem Township. The exact details of its beginning are not fully known.
On February 21, 1798, Kingwood became one of New Jersey's first 104 official townships. Later, parts of Kingwood Township were used to form other areas. For example, Franklin Township was created in 1845. Also, Frenchtown borough took some parts of the township in 1876.
Kingwood Township was home to Daniel Bray. He was a local captain during the Revolutionary War. Daniel Bray helped George Washington gather boats for his famous crossing of the Delaware River. A part of Route 29 in the township is named after him.
In 1981, Dick Siano made history in Kingwood Township. He became the first candidate from the Libertarian Party to win an election outside of Alaska. He won a seat on the township committee.
Geography and Landscape
Kingwood Township covers about 35.62 square miles (92.24 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
The township shares borders with several other communities in Hunterdon County. These include Alexandria Township, Delaware Township, Franklin Township, and Frenchtown. Across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, it borders Plumstead Township and Tinicum Township.
Most of Kingwood Township sits on the Hunterdon Plateau. This is a flat, high area that is usually about 300 to 500 feet (91 to 152 meters) above sea level. However, near the Delaware River, the land drops sharply to about 100 feet (30 meters). You can see exposed rocks along parts of Route 29, especially between the river and the plateau.
Several smaller communities and places are located within Kingwood Township. These include Baptistown, Barbertown, Byram, Idell, Milltown, Point Breeze, Treasure Island, Tumble, and Tumble Falls.
Frenchtown Solar Farm
Kingwood Township is home to Frenchtown Solar. This is a large solar farm made up of three parts. It is owned by Consolidated Edison. This solar farm is one of the biggest in New Jersey. It covers about 110 acres (45 hectares) and has 68,500 solar panels. It can produce 20.1 megawatts of electricity. Two parts of the farm are near Baptistown on Route 12. The third and largest part is located off County Route 519.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 2,446 | — | |
| 1810 | 2,606 | — | |
| 1820 | 2,786 | 6.9% | |
| 1830 | 2,898 | 4.0% | |
| 1840 | 2,947 | 1.7% | |
| 1850 | 1,799 | * | −39.0% |
| 1860 | 2,148 | 19.4% | |
| 1870 | 1,942 | −9.6% | |
| 1880 | 1,694 | −12.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,424 | −15.9% | |
| 1900 | 1,304 | −8.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,265 | −3.0% | |
| 1920 | 1,160 | −8.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,218 | 5.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,253 | 2.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,320 | 5.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,841 | 39.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,294 | 24.6% | |
| 1980 | 2,772 | 20.8% | |
| 1990 | 3,325 | 19.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,782 | 13.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,845 | 1.7% | |
| 2020 | 3,802 | −1.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 3,843 | −0.1% | |
| Population sources: 1790–1920 1840 1850–1870 1850 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 * = Lost territory in previous decade. |
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In 2010, the 2010 United States census counted 3,845 people living in Kingwood Township. Most residents (96.51%) were White. There were also smaller groups of Black or African American (0.65%), Asian (1.09%), and people of two or more races (1.20%). About 2.39% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average household in Kingwood Township had 2.66 people. The average family had 3.04 people. About 23.1% of the population was under 18 years old. About 12.9% of residents were 65 years or older. The median age in the township was 45.1 years.
Education in Kingwood Township
Students in Kingwood Township attend public schools run by the Kingwood Township School District. This district has one school, Kingwood Township School. It serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. In the 2022–23 school year, there were 324 students and 36.2 teachers. This means there were about 9 students for every teacher.
For high school, students go to Delaware Valley Regional High School. This high school serves students from ninth through twelfth grade. Students from Alexandria Township, Frenchtown, Holland Township, and Milford borough also attend this school. In the 2022–23 school year, the high school had 722 students. Kingwood Township has two seats on the high school's nine-member board of education.
Eighth-grade students from all over Hunterdon County can also apply to the Hunterdon County Vocational School District. This district offers special career and technical education programs. These programs are located at campuses in Raritan Township and at other local high schools. Students do not have to pay tuition to attend these programs.
Transportation Routes
As of 2010, Kingwood Township had about 80.44 miles (129.46 kilometers) of roads. The township itself takes care of about 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) of these roads. Hunterdon County maintains about 12.54 miles (20.18 kilometers). The New Jersey Department of Transportation is responsible for about 12.88 miles (20.73 kilometers).
The two main state roads that go through Kingwood Township are Route 12 and Route 29. The only major county road is County Route 519.
Kingwood Township does not have any major highways like interstates. The closest one is Interstate 78, which is in the nearby Franklin Township.
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Places to Visit and See
Kingwood Township has several interesting historical sites and natural landmarks:
- The Old Stone Church was built in 1837. Today, it is owned by the First Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hunterdon County. This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
- The Oak Summit Cemetery is located across Oak Summit Road from the Old Stone Church. It was started in 1754.
- The Oak Summit School is a historic one-room schoolhouse. It was built in 1849 and was used until 1953. It is right next to the Old Stone Church.
- The Thatcher House was built in 1765. It has unique brickwork patterns. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.
- The Devil's Tea Table is a well-known landmark near Warsaw Road on Route 29. It is part of a series of cliffs with interesting geological features. These cliffs are a beautiful sight for tourists who travel along the nearby Delaware River.
Famous People from Kingwood Township
Some notable people have connections to Kingwood Township:
- George Opdyke (1805–1880) was a former Mayor of New York City.
- Billy Pauch Jr. (born 1987) is a professional stock car racing driver.
- John Runk (1791–1872) represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1845 to 1847.
- Kurt Wiese (1887–1974) was an author and illustrator of children's books. He illustrated famous books like The Five Chinese Brothers and the English version of Bambi, A Life in the Woods.
