Long Hill Township, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Long Hill Township, New Jersey
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Township
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Boyle–Hudspeth-Benson House in Millington
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Location of Long Hill Township in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Long Hill Township, New Jersey
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 Long Hill Township, New Jersey
Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Long Hill Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Long Hill 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 |  Morris |
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| Incorporated | March 23, 1866 (as Passaic Township) | |
| Renamed | November 3, 1992 (as Long Hill Township) | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Township | |
| • Body | Township Committee | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 12.06 sq mi (31.22 km2) | |
| • Land | 11.80 sq mi (30.55 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.67 km2) 2.14% | |
| Area rank | 192nd of 565 in state 15th of 39 in county |
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| Elevation | 325 ft (99 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,629 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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8,613 | |
| • Rank | 277th of 565 in state 23rd of 39 in county |
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| • Density | 731.5/sq mi (282.4/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 416th of 565 in state 31st of 39 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Codes | ||
| Area code | 908 | |
| FIPS code | 3402741362 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882196 | |
Long Hill Township is a community located in Morris County, New Jersey. In 2020, about 8,629 people lived here.
It's in the southern part of Morris County, near Somerset and Union counties. The Passaic River runs along its south and west sides. To the north is the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, a large protected area for wildlife.
Long Hill Township was first called Passaic Township when it was formed in the 1860s. In 1992, people voted to change the name to Long Hill Township. The township includes the smaller communities of Gillette, Stirling, Millington, Meyersville, and Homestead Park. You can travel by train from Gillette, Millington, and Stirling stations using NJ Transit.
Contents
History of Long Hill Township
Long Hill Township was officially created as Passaic Township on March 23, 1866. Later, on September 1, 1922, a part of Passaic Township became Harding Township.
On November 3, 1992, residents voted to change the name to Long Hill Township. This change happened because people wanted to avoid confusion with the city of Passaic, which is about 22 miles away.
Some interesting businesses and places are in Long Hill Township. Garden State Fireworks, a company in Millington since 1890, has created the annual July 4th fireworks show in Washington, D.C. The Raptor Trust in Millington is a special center that helps injured wild birds.
The Clover Hill Swimming Club in Millington was involved in a court case in 1966. The Supreme Court of New Jersey decided that the club could not refuse to let someone join based on their race, even if it was a private club. This was an important decision about fairness.
Where is Long Hill Township?
According to the United States Census Bureau, Long Hill Township covers about 12.06 square miles (31.22 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Within the township, you'll find several smaller communities. These include Gillette, Millington, Stirling, Meyersville, and Homestead Park. Homestead Park was first developed in the 1920s.
A big part of the area is the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge covers 7,455 acres and is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Some parts of the refuge are open for visitors to explore, while other areas are protected for wildlife and not open to the public.
Long Hill Township is in the very southern part of Morris County. It shares borders with the Passaic River to the south and west, and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge to the north. It also borders other towns like Chatham Township and Harding Township in Morris County. In Somerset County, it borders Bernards Township and Warren Township. It also touches Berkeley Heights in Union County.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,624 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,896 | 16.7% | |
| 1890 | 1,821 | −4.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,141 | 17.6% | |
| 1910 | 2,165 | 1.1% | |
| 1920 | 2,373 | 9.6% | |
| 1930 | 2,149 | −9.4% | |
| 1940 | 2,664 | 24.0% | |
| 1950 | 3,429 | 28.7% | |
| 1960 | 5,537 | 61.5% | |
| 1970 | 7,393 | 33.5% | |
| 1980 | 7,275 | −1.6% | |
| 1990 | 7,826 | 7.6% | |
| 2000 | 8,777 | 12.2% | |
| 2010 | 8,702 | −0.9% | |
| 2020 | 8,629 | −0.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 8,613 | −1.0% | |
| Population sources: 1870–1920 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1910–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 Census Information
In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 8,629 people living in Long Hill Township. These people lived in 3,021 households. The average household income was $136,542.
Who Lives in Long Hill Township?
In 2010, there were 8,702 people living in Long Hill Township. Most residents (about 90.6%) were White. About 6% were Asian, and a small number were Black or Native American. About 7% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Many families live in the township. About 37.7% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.79 people, and the average family had 3.19 people.
The age groups in 2010 showed that 25.6% of the population was under 18. About 14.7% were 65 years old or older. The average age was 43.9 years.
Education in Long Hill Township
The Long Hill Township School System serves students from pre-kindergarten up to eighth grade. In the 2019–20 school year, the district had 894 students and 80.6 teachers. This means there were about 11 students for every teacher.
The schools in the district are:
- Gillette School: For students in Pre-K through 1st grade.
- Millington School: For students in 2nd through 5th grade.
- Central Middle School: For students in 6th through 8th grade.
For high school, students from Long Hill Township attend Watchung Hills Regional High School. This school is located in Warren Township. Students from Long Hill Township, Green Brook Township, Warren Township, and Watchung all go to this high school. In 2019–20, the high school had 1,948 students.
There used to be a Catholic school called St. Vincent de Paul School in Stirling. It closed in June 2016 because fewer students were enrolling and there were financial problems. This school had received the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence in 2012.
Long Hill Township Library
The Long Hill Township Library started around 1880. Back then, a group of women in Millington formed a reading club. They bought a few books to share. A similar group also started in Meyersville. In 1920, these groups joined the Morris County Library system. Books were kept in the homes of the club members.
By the 1950s, the Millington group's library moved to the Town Hall. The Meyersville group used a room in the Central School. However, both locations became too small. In 1956, people voted to build a new library. The vote passed by just two votes!
The new library opened in 1958 on Central Avenue in Stirling. It was called the Passaic Township Free Public Library. It had a paid director and many volunteers. The library grew, and additions were built in 1972 and the 1980s.
After the township changed its name to Long Hill Township in 1992, the library also changed its name to the Long Hill Township Free Public Library. In 2005, a brand new library building was opened in Gillette, next to the Township Hall.
Today, the library is 16,000 square feet and can hold 72,000 books. It is part of a group of libraries called the Morris Automated Information Network. This means residents can borrow books from 37 other libraries in the area. The library also hosts professional concerts.
Getting Around Long Hill Township
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Roads and Highways
As of 2010, Long Hill Township had about 59.57 miles of roads. The local government maintained most of these roads. No major interstate highways or state highways go directly through Long Hill Township.
The most important roads in the township are county routes. These include County Route 512 and County Route 531. Larger highways like Interstate 78 and Interstate 287 are close by in neighboring towns.
Public Transportation
You can take NJ Transit trains from Long Hill Township. There are train stations in Gillette, Millington, and Stirling. These trains run on the Gladstone Branch line. They can take you to Newark Broad Street Station and Hoboken Terminal.
There is also a bus service called Lakeland Bus Lines. It offers special rush-hour service from Bedminster to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.
Communications and TV
Long Hill Township uses the Area code 908. The main phone exchange for Millington (908–647) was one of the last in New Jersey to switch from manual to automatic dialing in the early 1960s.
The main cable company in the area is Comcast. They provide TV, internet, and phone services. Many homes in Long Hill also have access to Verizon's FiOS service.
Long Hill Township has its own public service television channel. You can watch it on Comcast (Channel 25) and Verizon (Channel 37).
Long Hill Television
Long Hill Television is a special cable TV channel for the people of Long Hill Township. It shares important news, local activities, weather updates, and storm warnings. You can find it on Comcast channel 29 for all programs. On Verizon FiOS, it's on channel 37 for public meetings and programs, and channel 38 for community announcements.
Famous People from Long Hill Township
Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Long Hill Township. Here are a few:
- Jessie Baylin (born 1984): A talented singer-songwriter.
- David Bird (1959–2014): A journalist who worked for The Wall Street Journal. He helped expand news about energy markets.
- George B. Cooper (1808–1866): A politician who was elected to the United States House of Representatives.
- George Estock (1924–2010): A professional baseball pitcher who played for the Boston Braves.
- Eugenio Fernandi (1922–1991): A famous opera singer.
- Jack H. Jacobs (born 1945): A Medal of Honor recipient for his brave actions during the Vietnam War.
- Robert Tappan Morris (born 1965): A computer scientist known for creating the Morris Worm in 1988. This was one of the first computer worms on the internet.
- Bill Murray (born 1997): A football player who plays as a guard for the New England Patriots.
- Keith Sims (born 1967): A former professional football offensive lineman who played for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins.
See also
In Spanish: Municipio de Long Hill (Nueva Jersey) para niños
