Moorestown, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Moorestown, New Jersey
Township
Moorestown Historic District, September 2012
Seal
Moorestown Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Moorestown, New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey Location in Burlington County, New Jersey Show map of Burlington County, New Jersey Moorestown, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Moorestown, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Burlington
Founded	1682
Incorporated	March 11, 1922
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (council–manager)
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	14.94 sq mi (38.70 km2)
• Land	14.73 sq mi (38.15 km2)
• Water	0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)  1.43%
Area rank	175th of 565 in state 16th of 40 in county
Elevation	69 ft (21 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,355
• Estimate  (2023)	21,577
• Rank	131st of 565 in state 7th of 40 in county
• Density	1,449.9/sq mi (559.8/km2)
• Density rank	339th of 565 in state 20th of 40 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08057
Area code(s)	609 and 856
FIPS code	3400547880
GNIS feature ID	0882095

Moorestown is a township located in Burlington County, New Jersey. It's a suburb of Philadelphia, part of the South Jersey area. In 2020, about 21,355 people lived here. Moorestown is also part of the larger Philadelphia-Reading-Camden metropolitan area.

Moorestown became an official township on March 11, 1922. The name "Moorestown" comes from Thomas Moore, who settled here in 1722 and built a hotel. For many years, Moorestown had strict rules about selling alcohol, even after the national ban (Prohibition) ended in 1933. Voters finally changed this rule in 2011, allowing alcohol sales only at the Moorestown Mall. In 2005, Money magazine named Moorestown the number one best place to live in America!

Moorestown's Past: A Look at Its History

Roberts Monument

Friends Meeting House

Moorestown's main street sits on a ridge once used by the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. Two natural springs in the area attracted both Native Americans and early traders.

Early Settlers and Village Names

In 1682, John and Sarah Roberts were the first English-speaking settlers in Moorestown. Their home is now marked by the Roberts Monument. In 1686, John and Thomas Rodman bought large areas of land, and this part became known as the Village of Rodmantown. The area around the eastern spring was called the Village of Chestertown.

Quaker Influence and Community Growth

In 1700, the first Society of Friends' Meeting House was built. Chester Avenue, originally called Meeting House Lane, was laid out in 1720. The community slowly grew with farmhouses along the King's Highway.

Thomas Moore and his wife Elizabeth arrived in 1722. Moore bought land and opened a hotel. Because he owned so much property, people started calling the area "Moorestown" instead of Chester. Eventually, Moorestown officially separated and became its own township.

Revolutionary War and Early Buildings

During the Revolutionary War in 1778, Hessian officers (German soldiers fighting for the British) used a tavern built by John Cox. After the war, this building served as a town hall. The current "Old Town Hall" was built in 1812. A house built in 1742 by John Cowperthwaite is even listed in the Library of Congress for its historical details.

Education in Moorestown's Early Days

The Quakers established Moorestown's first two schools in 1785. One was a brick schoolhouse, and the other was a stone schoolhouse next to the Friends Meeting House. The first public school in Moorestown opened in 1873.

Moorestown's Location and Climate

Moorestown covers about 14.94 square miles (38.70 km²). It's located in the southwest part of Burlington County. Moorestown borders several other townships, including Maple Shade, Cinnaminson, Delran, Willingboro, and Mount Laurel. It's about 10 miles east of Philadelphia.

Moorestown-Lenola is a smaller community located within Moorestown. The climate here has hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. It's known as a humid subtropical climate.

Who Lives in Moorestown? Demographics

Moorestown's Population in 2020

The 2020 United States census showed that Moorestown had a population of 21,355. Most residents were White (75.41%), followed by Asian (9.68%), Black or African American (5.48%), and people of two or more races (4.19%). About 4.70% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Moorestown's Population in 2010

In the 2010 United States census, Moorestown had 20,726 people. The majority were White (84.50%). About 6.42% were Black or African American, and 6.00% were Asian. Hispanic or Latino people made up 3.48% of the population.

The average household had 2.74 people, and the average family had 3.21 people. About 27.3% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age was 43.4 years. Moorestown is known for having a high median household income.

Businesses and Economy in Moorestown

Moorestown is home to offices and operations for several well-known companies. These include:

• Destination Maternity
• Lockheed Martin
• Comcast Cable
• Coca-Cola
• The United States Navy

Otis Elevator has its largest U.S. branch in Moorestown. BAYADA Home Health Care, a company that helps people with home health needs, also has its international headquarters here.

Moorestown Historic District

Moorestown Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
John C. Hopkins House
Location	Roughly bounded by Maple Avenue, Chestnust Avenue, Main Street from Zelley Avenue to Locust Street, and Mill Street
Area	47 acres (19 ha)
Built	1682 (1682)
Architectural style	Mid 19th Century Revival, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.	89002295
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 30, 1990

The Moorestown Historic District is a special area that protects the community's history. It covers 47 acres and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. This district is important for its architecture, businesses, and how the community developed from 1720 to 1940. It includes 351 historic buildings and four historic sites. Some buildings, like Breidenhart and the Town Hall, were already famous before being part of the district.

Learning in Moorestown: Schools and Education

Moorestown has excellent schools for students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The Moorestown Township Public Schools district has six schools:

• George C. Baker Elementary School (PreK-3)
• Mary E. Roberts Elementary School (PreK-3)
• South Valley Elementary School (PreK-3)
• Moorestown Upper Elementary School (grades 4-6)
• William Allen Middle School (grades 7-8)
• Moorestown High School (grades 9-12)

Students in Burlington County can also attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology. This school offers vocational and technical training at its campuses in Medford and Westampton.

Moorestown also has private schools:

• Moorestown Friends School: A private Quaker school for preschool through twelfth grade.
• Our Lady of Good Counsel School: A Catholic school for nursery through eighth grade. It was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2015 for its high performance.

Getting Around Moorestown: Transportation

Route 38 in Moorestown

Moorestown has over 123 miles of roads. The main highway is Route 38. County Route 537 also runs through the town. Both roads go east-west.

Public Transport Options

NJ Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia. Other buses connect the Moorestown Mall to the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden. From Camden, you can catch connecting buses or the PATCO Speedline train to Philadelphia. Burlington County also offers a public transit van service during rush hour.

Moorestown does not have its own train station. However, residents can easily drive to nearby train stations in Haddonfield and Lindenwold for the PATCO Speedline. The Palmyra station offers NJ Transit's River Line service, which connects to New York Penn Station through Trenton.

Moorestown's Role in the "Miracle on the Hudson"

On June 5, 2011, the fuselage (main body) of US Airways Flight 1549 was transported through Moorestown. This was the plane that famously landed on the Hudson River in 2009, known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." Moving the plane through Moorestown was one of the most challenging parts of its entire 788-mile journey to a museum in North Carolina. The team even had to temporarily remove a street light and part of a graveyard fence to make a difficult turn!

Famous Faces: Notable People from Moorestown

Brendan O'Connor

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Moorestown. Here are a few:

• Diane Allen (born 1948), a politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly.
• Samuel Leeds Allen (1841–1918), the inventor of the Flexible Flyer sled.
• Mary Ellen Avery (1927–2011), a pediatrician whose research helped understand breathing problems in premature babies.
• Kevin Chamberlin (born 1963), a well-known actor.
• Bobby Clarke (born 1949), a famous former hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
• John S. Collins (1837–1928), who helped develop Miami Beach, Florida.
• Phil Costa (born 1987), a former football player for the Dallas Cowboys.
• Elisabeth Elliot (1926–2015), a Christian author and speaker.
• Edwin B. Forsythe (1916–1984), a former U.S. Representative and mayor of Moorestown.
• Walter French (1899–1984), a professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Athletics.
• Bill Guerin (born 1970), a hockey player who won the Stanley Cup twice.
• Vernon Hill (born 1946), the founder of Commerce Bank.
• Eldridge R. Johnson (1867–1945), who founded the Victor Talking Machine Company.
• Jevon Kearse (born 1976), a former NFL defensive end.
• Tim Kerr (born 1960), a former NHL hockey player.
• Kathy Linden (born 1938), a pop singer with hit songs like "Billy."
• Donovan McNabb (born 1976), a former professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Victoria Napolitano (born 1988), Moorestown's youngest mayor at age 26.
• Brendan O'Connor (born c. 1960), a soldier who received the Distinguished Service Cross.
• Terrell Owens (born 1973), a famous former professional football player.
• Sal Paolantonio (born 1956), an ESPN reporter.
• Alice Paul (1885–1977), a leader in the women's suffrage movement, which helped women get the right to vote.
• Doug Pederson (born 1968), a former head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Jeremy Roenick (born 1970), a professional hockey player.
• Jon Runyan (born 1973), a former football player and U.S. Congressman.
• Steve Sabol (1942–2012), the president and co-founder of NFL Films.
• Lauren Schmetterling (born 1988), a rower who won gold medals at the World Rowing Championships and the Olympics.
• Katherine Shindle (born 1977), Miss America 1998 and an actress.
• Ben Simmons (born 1996), a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers.
• John Vanbiesbrouck (born 1963), a professional hockey player.
• Tim Young (born 1968), a silver medal-winning rower.

Moorestown in Stories

The song "Moorestown" by Sun Kil Moon is set in Moorestown.