Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lawrence Township, New Jersey
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Township
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Rider University
Bristol Myers Squibb Headquarters
U.S. Route 1 (Trenton Freeway) at the exit for U.S. Route 1 Business and U.S. Route 206
Israel Stevens House
Presbyterian Church of Lawrence, located in the town's main Historic district
Anderson–Capner House
Notre Dame High School
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| Nickname(s):
"Where Nature Smiles for 22 Miles"
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Location of Lawrence Township in Mercer County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Mercer County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
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 Lawrence Township, New Jersey
Location in Mercer County, New Jersey
Lawrence Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Lawrence 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 |  Mercer |
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| Formed | February 20, 1697 as Maidenhead Township | |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 | |
| Renamed | January 24, 1816 as Lawrence Township | |
| Named for | Capt. James Lawrence | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Faulkner Act (council–manager) | |
| • Body | Township Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 21.98 sq mi (56.94 km2) | |
| • Land | 21.73 sq mi (56.27 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.67 km2) 1.17% | |
| Area rank | 126th of 565 in state 4th of 12 in county |
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| Elevation | 82 ft (25 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 33,077 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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31,771 | |
| • Rank | 70th of 565 in state 4th of 12 in county |
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| • Density | 1,522.5/sq mi (587.8/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 333rd of 565 in state 9th of 12 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08648
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| Area code(s) | 609 | |
| FIPS code | 3402139510 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882126 | |
_at_the_exit_for_U.S._Route_1_Business_and_U.S._Route_206_NORTH_(Lawrenceville)_in_Trenton,_Mercer_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
Lawrence Township is a community in Mercer County, New Jersey. It's located where the Delaware Valley and Raritan Valley regions meet. This makes it a suburb of New York City and also close to the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Lawrence Township is home to famous places like the Lawrenceville School and Rider University. It also has the Quaker Bridge Mall, making it a key spot for shopping and culture in central New Jersey. In 2020, about 33,077 people lived here.
Contents
A Glimpse into Lawrence Township's History
Lawrence Township started as Maidenhead Township on February 20, 1697. It was part of Burlington County back then. The early settlers, who were Quakers, named it after a village in England called Maidenhead.
In 1698, Puritan settlers from Long Island and Connecticut arrived. They built a Presbyterian church in the early 1700s. The church building you see today was built in 1764.
Maidenhead Township became an official New Jersey township on February 21, 1798. In 1810, a minister named Isaac V. Brown started the Maidenhead Academy. This school later became the famous Lawrenceville School.
On January 24, 1816, the township changed its name to Lawrence Township. This was to honor Captain James Lawrence, a naval hero from the War of 1812. He was known for his famous last words: "Don't give up the ship." Lawrence Township joined Mercer County when it was created in 1838.
In 2003, a small tornado (an F1 tornado) passed through the township. It caused damage to homes but thankfully no one was hurt.
Where is Lawrence Township?
Lawrence Township covers about 21.98 square miles (56.94 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.
Lawrenceville is a community located inside Lawrence Township. Many people in the township use a Lawrenceville mailing address. Other smaller communities within the township include Clarksville, Eldridge Park, and Slackwood.
Lawrence Township shares borders with several other towns in Mercer County. These include Ewing Township, Hamilton Township, Princeton, and Trenton.
Who Lives in Lawrence Township?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 1,032 | — | |
| 1810 | 1,086 | — | |
| 1820 | 1,354 | 24.7% | |
| 1830 | 1,433 | 5.8% | |
| 1840 | 1,556 | 8.6% | |
| 1850 | 1,838 | 18.1% | |
| 1860 | 2,024 | 10.1% | |
| 1870 | 2,251 | 11.2% | |
| 1880 | 3,174 | 41.0% | |
| 1890 | 1,448 | * | −54.4% |
| 1900 | 1,555 | 7.4% | |
| 1910 | 2,522 | 62.2% | |
| 1920 | 3,686 | 46.2% | |
| 1930 | 6,293 | 70.7% | |
| 1940 | 6,522 | 3.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,499 | 30.3% | |
| 1960 | 13,665 | 60.8% | |
| 1970 | 19,567 | 43.2% | |
| 1980 | 19,724 | 0.8% | |
| 1990 | 25,787 | 30.7% | |
| 2000 | 29,159 | 13.1% | |
| 2010 | 33,472 | 14.8% | |
| 2020 | 33,077 | −1.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 31,771 | −5.1% | |
| 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, there were 33,472 people living in Lawrence Township. About 12,524 households were counted. The population density was about 1,535 people per square mile.
Most residents (around 69.7%) were White. About 10.8% were Black or African American, and 14.1% were Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up about 7.5% of the population.
The average age in Lawrence Township was 38.3 years. About 20% of the population was under 18 years old.
Economy and Shopping
Lawrence Township is an important center for business. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which creates and scores tests like the SAT, has its headquarters here. Bristol-Myers Squibb, a large pharmaceutical company, also has a major research and development center in the township.
The Quaker Bridge Mall is a big shopping center in Lawrenceville. It opened in 1975 and has over 100 stores. You can find major department stores like J.C. Penney and Macy's there. The mall was updated in 2011–2012.
Besides the mall, there's a small business district near the Lawrenceville School. You can also find many other businesses along U.S. Route 1.
Learning in Lawrence Township
Public Schools
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The Lawrence Township Public Schools serve students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. The district has seven schools.
- Eldridge Park Elementary School (grades K-3)
- Ben Franklin Elementary School (grades PreK-3)
- Lawrenceville Elementary School (grades PreK-3)
- Slackwood Elementary School (grades K-3)
- Lawrence Intermediate School (grades 4–6)
- Lawrence Middle School (grades 7-8)
- Lawrence High School (grades 9–12)
Students in Mercer County can also apply to the Mercer County Technical Schools. These schools offer special programs in health sciences, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and culinary arts.
Private Schools
Lawrence Township has two Catholic schools. Notre Dame High School is a co-ed high school for grades 9–12. Saint Ann School serves students from preK-3 through eighth grade. Both are part of the Diocese of Trenton.
The Lawrenceville School is a very old and respected private boarding school. It was founded in 1810 and teaches students from ninth to twelfth grade.
Princeton Junior School is a private school for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. It moved to Lawrence Township in 1983.
Colleges and Universities
Rider University is a private university in Lawrence Township. It was founded in 1865 and became a university in 1992. It has almost 6,000 students studying at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Other Educational Programs
The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which creates tests like the SAT, has been headquartered in Lawrence Township since 1964.
The Princeton Community Japanese Language School offers weekend Japanese classes. These classes are for Japanese children living abroad and also for people learning Japanese as a second language. They hold classes at Rider University.
Yinghua Chinese School teaches Simplified Chinese to students of all backgrounds. It started in 2002 and now holds classes at Chapin School. HindiUSA also offers Hindi classes at Notre Dame High School.
Historic Places to Visit
The Lawrence Township Historic District is a large historic area that covers the community of Lawrenceville. It includes many old buildings along U.S. Route 206, which was once part of the historic Lincoln Highway. You can also see two old cemeteries connected to the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville and the Lawrenceville School. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
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Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville
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Hamill House
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Theophilus Phillips House
Getting Around Lawrence Township
Roads and Highways
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Several major roads run through Lawrence Township. Interstate 295 goes through the township in a semicircle. U.S. Route 1 cuts through the middle. U.S. 1 is a very important road that connects to other major highways.
U.S. Route 206 (Lawrence Road) is the main road within the township itself. It runs from Trenton to Princeton. This road is also part of the historic Lincoln Highway. Other important county roads include County Route 533, County Route 546, and County Route 569.
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Before May 2018, a part of Interstate 95 used to end suddenly in Lawrence Township. This section was renumbered to I-295 to make the highway system clearer.
Public Transportation
The busy Northeast Corridor train line runs along the eastern edge of the township. You can catch Amtrak and NJ Transit trains at nearby stations in Hamilton, Trenton, Princeton, and Princeton Junction.
NJ Transit also provides bus service to Trenton and local service within the township.
A rail line used to run from Trenton to Lawrenceville but was turned into a bicycle trail in the 1970s. There was also a trolley line to Princeton from 1900 to 1941.
The closest airport for commercial flights is Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing Township. It has flights to several major cities. Lawrence Township is also about the same distance from Philadelphia International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Fun Places to Visit
The Port Mercer Canal House is a historic building from the 1830s. It's located along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. This house was where the bridge tender lived, who would open the swing bridge for canal boats.
The Delaware and Raritan Canal has a walking path called a towpath that you can explore. Other great places for walking trails include Shipetaukin Woods, Carson Road Woods, and part of Rosedale Park. Lawrence Township is also part of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, a path that is still being developed.
Jasna Polana was once the home of John Seward Johnson I. It has now been turned into the Tournament Players Club at Jasna Polana golf course.
Terhune Orchards is a local farm where you can buy fresh produce and visit a winery.
Colonial Lake is a man-made lake that covers 25 acres. It's the main feature of Colonial Lake Park, a great spot for outdoor activities.
The Brearley Oak, the largest Black Oak tree in New Jersey, can be found along the Princeton Pike.
Climate in Lawrence Township
Lawrence Township has a climate with hot summers. This means it gets warm and humid in the summer, and the winters are cold.
Notable People from Lawrence Township
Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Lawrence Township:
- Kevin Bannon (born 1957), a former college basketball coach.
- Ifa Bayeza (born Wanda Williams), a playwright and artist.
- Brett Brackett (born 1987), a former NFL tight end.
- David Brearley (1745–1790), a signer of the United States Constitution.
- Scott Brunner (born 1957), a former NFL quarterback for the New York Giants.
- Mark Carlson (born 1969), a hockey coach and general manager.
- Cason Crane (born 1992), an entrepreneur and athlete who climbed the Seven Summits.
- Oliver Crane (born 1998), who set a record as the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
- Margery Cuyler (born 1948), a children's book author.
- Tony DeNicola (1927–2006), a jazz drummer.
- Luke Elliot (born 1984), a singer-songwriter.
- John Cleve Green (1800–1875), a merchant who supported the Lawrenceville School and Princeton University.
- Josue Lajeunesse, a custodian at Princeton University who helps provide clean water in Haiti.
- Dan Lavery (born 1969), a musician from bands like The Fray and Tonic.
- Wesley Leggett (born 2001), a soccer player.
- James T.C. Liu (1919–1993), a Chinese historian and professor at Princeton University.
- David S. Mao, a law librarian and former acting Librarian of Congress.
- Ed Moran (born 1981), a retired long-distance runner.
- Jake Nerwinski (born 1994), a Major League Soccer player.
- John Schneider (born 1980), a professional baseball coach.
- Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (1934–2012), a United States Army General who led forces in the Gulf War.
- Norman Schwarzkopf Sr. (1895–1958), the first superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.
- Jon Stewart (born 1962), host of The Daily Show.
