Lower Township, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lower Township, New Jersey
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Township
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Owen Coachman House
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| Motto(s):
"Home of the Best Sunsets"
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Location of Lower Township in Cape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey highlighted in red (right).
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Census Bureau map of Lower Township, New Jersey
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 Lower Township, New Jersey
Location in Cape May County, New Jersey
Lower Township, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Lower 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 |  Cape May |
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| Established | April 2, 1723 (as precinct) | |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 (as township) | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Faulkner Act (council–manager) | |
| • Body | Township Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 31.06 sq mi (80.45 km2) | |
| • Land | 27.38 sq mi (70.91 km2) | |
| • Water | 3.69 sq mi (9.54 km2) 11.86% | |
| Area rank | 84th of 565 in state 4th of 16 in county |
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| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 22,057 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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21,886 | |
| • Rank | 127th of 565 in state 1st of 16 in county |
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| • Density | 805.6/sq mi (311.0/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 407th of 565 in state 10th of 16 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
08251 – Villas
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| Area code(s) | 609 exchanges: 884, 886, 889, 898 | |
| FIPS code | 3400941610 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882044 | |
| Website | ||
Lower Township is a community in Cape May County, New Jersey. It's known for its beautiful sunsets. The township is part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. In 2020, about 22,057 people lived here.
New Jersey Monthly magazine once called Lower Township the 34th best place to live in New Jersey. This area is part of South Jersey.
Contents
Exploring Lower Township's History
Early Days and First Settlements
Long ago, the Kechemeche tribe of the Lenape Native Americans lived in South Jersey. They would travel to the coast in summer to hunt and fish. In 1609, explorer Henry Hudson visited the Delaware Bay.
Around 1630, the Dutch West India Company bought land from the native people. More land was purchased later. Because many whales were in the Cape May area, Dutch explorers started a whaling village called Town Bank around 1640. This was the first European settlement in Cape May County.
Town Bank even served as the county's court house for a time. Another important place was Coxehall, built by Dr. Daniel Coxe. Today, a part of this old building is kept at Historic Cold Spring Village. This village is a museum that shows what life was like in the 1800s.
How Lower Township Was Formed
Lower Township officially began on April 2, 1723. It became a full township on February 21, 1798. This happened when New Jersey created 104 townships. The name "Lower Township" comes from its location. At the same time, Middle Township and Upper Township were also created.
Over the years, some parts of Lower Township became separate towns. For example, Cape May city and Wildwood Crest were once part of Lower Township. Some areas, like South Cape May, later rejoined the township.
Geography of Lower Township
Lower Township covers about 31.06 square miles (80.45 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 3.69 square miles (9.54 square kilometers) is water.
Communities Within the Township
Several communities are located inside Lower Township. These include Diamond Beach, Erma, North Cape May, and Villas. Other smaller places include Cold Spring, Sunset Beach, and Town Bank.
Schellengers Landing is a place where boats dock. It also has a bridge connecting it to Cape May city. This area was named after families who moved there in the 1600s.
Lower Township shares borders with several other towns in Cape May County. These include Cape May City, Middle Township, and Wildwood City. It also borders the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Education in Lower Township
Public Schools
The Lower Township School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. There are four schools in this district:
- David C. Douglass Veterans Memorial School (PreK-K) in Villas
- Carl T. Mitnick School (grades 1-2) in Cold Spring
- Maud T. Abrams School (grades 3-4) in Cold Spring
- Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School (grades 5-6) in Cold Spring
For students in seventh through twelfth grades, they attend schools in the Lower Cape May Regional School District. These schools are located in the Erma area. This district also serves students from Cape May City and West Cape May. The schools are:
- Richard M. Teitelman Middle School (grades 7-8)
- Lower Cape May Regional High School (grades 9–12)
Students can also attend Cape May County Technical High School. This school offers special programs for students from all over the county.
Private Schools
For private education, Wildwood Catholic Academy (Pre-K–12) in North Wildwood is a nearby Catholic school. There are also other private schools in the area, like Bishop McHugh Regional School.
The Cape May County Library has a branch in Villas, the Lower Township Library.
Getting Around Lower Township
Roads and Highways
Lower Township has many roads. The most important highway is the Garden State Parkway. This parkway starts in Lower Township. Other important roads include U.S. Route 9 and Route 109.
Public Transportation
NJ Transit offers bus services to and from Lower Township. You can take a bus to places like Philadelphia or Atlantic City. During the summer, there's also a bus that goes to New York City.
The Cape May–Lewes Ferry terminal is in North Cape May. This ferry takes passengers and cars across the bay to Lewes, Delaware. The trip takes about 85 minutes. There's also a shuttle bus service from the ferry terminal to other places in Cape May.
Cape May Airport is also located in Lower Township.
Fun Places to Visit in Lower Township
Lower Township has many interesting places to visit:
- Battery 223
- Cape May Lighthouse
- Cape May Winery & Vineyard
- Owen Coachman House
- Cold Spring Grange Hall
- Cold Spring Presbyterian Church
- Fire Control Tower No. 23
- Fishing Creek Schoolhouse
- Historic Cold Spring Village
- Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum
- Sunset Beach
Famous People from Lower Township
Many notable people have connections to Lower Township:
- Bob Andrzejczak (born 1986), a politician who served in the New Jersey government.
- Maurice Catarcio (1929–2005), a professional wrestler.
- T. Millet Hand (1902–1956), a politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Chris Jay (born 1978), a musician and actor.
- Michael Linnington (born 1958), the CEO of the Wounded Warrior Project.
- Charles W. Sandman Jr. (1921–1985), a politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Erik K. Simonsen, a politician who served as mayor of Lower Township.
- Matt Szczur (born 1989), a Major League Baseball player.
