kids encyclopedia robot

Wall Township, New Jersey facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Wall Township, New Jersey
Township
Township of Wall
Foreman's cottage in Allaire Village
Foreman's cottage in Allaire Village
Map of Wall Township in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Wall Township in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Wall Township, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Wall Township, New Jersey
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Monmouth
Incorporated March 7, 1851
Government
 • Type Township
 • Body Township Committee
Area
 • Total 31.69 sq mi (82.08 km2)
 • Land 30.66 sq mi (79.41 km2)
 • Water 1.03 sq mi (2.67 km2)  3.25%
Area rank 80th of 565 in state
7th of 53 in county
Elevation
98 ft (30 m)
Population
 • Total 26,164
 • Estimate 
(2019)
25,554
 • Rank 94th of 566 in state
9th of 53 in county
 • Density 853.0/sq mi (329.3/km2)
 • Density rank 401st of 566 in state
47th of 53 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
07719 - Belmar
07731 - Howell Township
07753 - Neptune Township
07762 - Spring Lake and Spring Lake Heights
08724 - Brick Township
08736 - Manasquan
08750 - Sea Girt
Area code(s) 732
FIPS code 3402576460
GNIS feature ID 0882112

Wall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area and is a bedroom community of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 26,164, reflecting an increase of 903 (+3.6%) from the 25,261 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 5,017 (+24.8%) from the 20,244 counted in the 1990 Census.

Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851. Over the years, portions of the township have been taken to form North Spring Lake (May 1884), Ocean Beach (March 9, 1885, now Belmar), Manasquan (December 30, 1887), Spring Lake (March 14, 1892), Sea Girt (March 29, 1917), Brielle (April 10, 1919), South Belmar (March 12, 1924, now Lake Como) and Spring Lake Heights (March 19, 1927).

Wall Township was named for General Garret D. Wall (1783-1850), a lawyer who commanded a Trenton volunteer company during the War of 1812 and was stationed at Sandy Hook. Wall served five years as clerk of the New Jersey Supreme Court and as quartermaster general of the state for more than 20 years before being chosen to represent the state in the United States Senate from 1835 to 1841.

History

The Greenville Cemetery was established in 1734, when a casualty of the French and Indian War was buried there. The original structure of the Glendola Protestant Bible Church was built in 1776; The congregation dedicated a new church in 1964.

Allaire Village dates back to 1822, when James P. Allaire purchased what became known as the Howell Works in Wall, and though it was the largest producing bog iron manufacturing site in New Jersey by 1836, the ironworks were shut down in 1846. The village and surrounding acres were later preserved and gifted to the State of New Jersey to form Allaire State Park as a memorial to Hearst editor Arthur Brisbane, the last private owner of the site, who purchased the land in 1907 and built a palatial residence on that property that would later serve as the Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center. The Brisbane family donated the property to the State of New Jersey to establish Allaire State Park and the Historic Village at Allaire. Allaire Village Inc., a non-profit organization, is licensed by the State of New Jersey to operate the site now known as "The Historic Village at Allaire."

The Allgor-Barkalow Homestead at 1701 New Bedford Road was constructed in 1840, although some accounts indicate construction of part of the building began in the 18th century. The building now houses the museum of the Old Wall Historical Society. The Blansingburg schoolhouse at Sea Girt Avenue opened in 1855; The building was relocated in 1999 to the Allgor-Barkalow Homestead Museum property for refurbishing.

Wall Township was formed in 1851, from portions of Howell Township.

The newly formed Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America, with its home office in England, purchases a 93-acre (380,000 m2) farm around 1900 that became the site of the company's receiver equipment for commercial transatlantic radio operation. The Marconi signal site was abandoned in 1924, but it was later occupied by the Ku Klux Klan until they were ejected in March 1928. The United States Army purchased the Marconi site in November 1941 and named it Camp Evans.

The Allenwood Hospital, located at Squankum and Allenwood Roads, opened in January 1921 as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. In 1957, a 16-room building is dedicated to Geraldine L. Thompson, who served as president of the hospital's board of managers. In the 1960s, the facility becomes an annex to the John L. Montgomery Medical Home in Freehold Township, a county-run nursing home, and was renamed the Geraldine L. Thompson Care Center.

In 1940, Edward I. Brown used an old World War I tank converted into a bulldozer to clear land for an airport that he turned into what is now Monmouth Executive Airport after completing his service in the United States Navy as a pilot during World War II; The airport was sold by the Brown family in 2007 to a private equity firm, despite lengthy attempts by Monmouth county to acquire the facility.

The Roadside Diner, formerly the Circle Diner and Rusty's, was delivered to its Route 34 site by the Silk City Diner Co. in the 1940s. The diner was used for filming of a scene for the 1983 movie Baby It's You and appears on the cover of the 1994 Bon Jovi album Cross Road: 14 Classic Grooves, as well as having been featured in the 2008 music video for "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" by Bruce Springsteen.

Wall High School opened in September 1959, while Wall Intermediate School opened in 1967.

Interstate 195 was extended into Wall Township in 1981, giving direct high-speed access to Trenton.

A suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in December 1999 against the township over a holiday display that included a nativity scene and a Hannukah menorah, contending that the religious symbols violate the constitutional separation of church and state was dismissed by a judge who ruled that the organization had filed its suit too close to the start of the holiday season. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a ruling in April 2001 vacating the decision of the district court in the case that the township's holiday display as modified in 2000 to include other seasonal decorations did not violate the Establishment Clause or the New Jersey Constitution and ruling that the ACLU lacked standing to file the case.

Even though many of the surrounding towns sprung out of Wall Township, the only ZIP code that exclusively serves areas of Wall is Allenwood, but even it relies solely on a Post-office box system for regular mail services.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 31.737 square miles (82.198 km2), including 30.673 square miles (79.443 km2) of land and 1.064 square miles (2.755 km2) of water (3.35%).

Allenwood (2010 Census population of 925) and West Belmar (2010 population 2,493) are census-designated places and unincorporated communities located within Wall Township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Algers Mills, Allaire, Baileys Corner, Blansingburg, Carmerville, Treasure Island and Wallington.

Wreck Pond is a tidal pond located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Wall Township and the boroughs of Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, and Sea Girt. The Wreck Pond watershed covers about 12 square miles (31 km2) in eastern Monmouth County.

The township borders Belmar, Brielle, Colts Neck Township, Howell Township, Lake Como, Manasquan, Neptune Township, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights and Tinton Falls in Monmouth County; and Brick Township in Ocean County.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 2,283
1870 2,671 17.0%
1880 3,829 43.4%
1890 3,269 −14.6%
1900 3,212 −1.7%
1910 3,817 18.8%
1920 3,324 −12.9%
1930 3,540 6.5%
1940 4,383 23.8%
1950 7,386 68.5%
1960 11,929 61.5%
1970 16,498 38.3%
1980 18,952 14.9%
1990 20,244 6.8%
2000 25,261 24.8%
2010 26,164 3.6%
2019 (est.) 25,554 −2.3%
Population sources: 1860-1920
1860-1870 1870 1880-1890
1890-1910 1910-1930
1900-1990 2000 2010
* = Lost territory in previous decade.

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 26,164 people, 10,051 households, and 7,066 families residing in the township. The population density was 853.0 per square mile (329.3/km2). There were 10,883 housing units at an average density of 354.8 per square mile (137.0/km2)*. The racial makeup of the township was 93.72% (24,521) White, 2.44% (639) Black or African American, 0.16% (41) Native American, 1.61% (421) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.91% (237) from other races, and 1.16% (303) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.47% (908) of the population.

There were 10,051 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the township, the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.0 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 87.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $89,278 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,640) and the median family income was $108,865 (+/- $6,748). Males had a median income of $75,198 (+/- $3,706) versus $51,969 (+/- $5,806) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $46,514 (+/- $2,483). About 3.1% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 25,261 people, 9,437 households, and 6,926 families residing in the township. The population density was 825.1 people per square mile (318.5/km2). There were 9,957 housing units at an average density of 325.2 per square mile (125.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.09% White, 0.61% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.

There were 9,437 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The 2000 Census showed that median household income for the township was $73,989 and the median family income was $83,795. Males had a median income of $61,022 versus $37,011 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,954. About 1.7% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Brick Township Reservoir, with parts located in both Wall and Brick Township, covers 80 acres (32 ha) and is encircled by a 1.7-mile (2.7 km) trail. Fishing is permitted on the reservoir. The reservoir can hold up to 1,000,000,000 US gallons (3.8×109 L; 830,000,000 imp gal) of water, which is pumped in from the Metedeconk River.

Transportation

Roads and highways

2020-07-15 18 06 42 View east along Interstate 195 (Central Jersey Expressway) at Exit 35A (New Jersey State Route 34 SOUTH to Garden State Parkway SOUTH, Brielle) in Wall Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
The junction of I-195, Route 138, Route 34 and the Garden State Parkway in Wall Township

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 200.26 miles (322.29 km) of roadways, of which 146.03 miles (235.01 km) were maintained by the municipality, 24.91 miles (40.09 km) by Monmouth County and 22.78 miles (36.66 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 6.54 miles (10.53 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Two major limited-access highways run through Wall Township: the Garden State Parkway (including interchange 98 for Belmar / Wall) and Interstate 195, which ends at Route 34 and continues as Route 138. Several state routes also pass through the township, including Route 18, which begins at a partial-cloverleaf interchange with Route 138, Route 33, Route 34 (with its southern terminus at the interchange of Routes 35 and 70), Route 35, Route 70 (which has its eastern terminus at Route 34 and continues towards the east as Route 35), and Route 71.

Major county roads that traverse through the township include CR 524 and CR 547.

Public transportation

NJ Transit offers train service on the North Jersey Coast Line at the Belmar, Spring Lake and Manasquan stations. NJ Transit bus service is available between the township and Philadelphia on the 317 route, with local service offered on the 830 and 836 routes.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Wall Township, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Wall Township include:

  • James Peter Allaire (1785–1858), master mechanic and steam engine builder, and founder of Allaire Works (est. 1815), the first steam engine company in New York City, and later Howell Works.
  • James Avery, professional sous chef on season 11 of Hell's Kitchen.
  • Dara Brown (born c. 1965), news anchor and actress.
  • Kim Clijsters (born 1983), retired professional tennis player (and wife of Brian Lynch).
  • George B. Cooper (1808-1866), politician who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1858, but left office after a year when Congress awarded the seat to his opponent in 1860.
  • Peter Criss (born 1945), musician with the band KISS.
  • Dean Ehehalt (born 1964), head coach of the Monmouth Hawks baseball team.
  • Theodore Fields, politician who served as a freeholder, and as sheriff of Monmouth County.
  • Fletcher (born 1994), singer-songwriter known for her single "Undrunk".
  • George Gelnovatch (born 1965), men's head soccer coach, University of Virginia, and former professional soccer player.
  • Deborah Gramiccioni, attorney who worked in the administration of Governor Chris Christie and as the deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
  • Emily Grove (born 1991), singer-songwriter and musician.
  • Suzy Hansen (born 1978), writer, whose book Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-America World was a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
  • Gary Hindley (born 1947), soccer coach.
  • Tom Kain (born 1963), 1984 U.S. Olympic Soccer Team, top-rated college player in the country at Duke University, four-time All American.
  • Sean T. Kean (born 1963), represents the 30th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly, served on the Wall Township Planning Board from 2001 to 2002.
  • Brian Lynch (born 1978), retired professional basketball player and current coach (and husband of Kim Clijsters).
  • Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937), radio pioneer.
  • Gil McDougald (1928–2010), infielder who played for the New York Yankees.
  • Jessica Poland (born 1988), musician formerly signed to Geffen Records who performs under the stage name Charlotte Sometimes, who was a contestant on season 2 of The Voice.
  • Dan Prestup (born 1984), World's Fastest Drummer winner and drummer for Spider Rockets.
  • Dave Rible (born 1967), politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2008.
  • Ed Sadowski (1917–1990), professional basketball player.
  • Athanasios Scheidt (born 1998), soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Polish club Radomiak Radom.
  • Rusty Schweickart (born 1935), astronaut.
  • Ned Thomson (born 1953), politician who has represented the 30th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2017.
  • F. Paul Wilson (born 1946), author.
  • Tim Wright (born 1990), football player for the Detroit Lions and Super Bowl XLIX champion.

Education

The Wall Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 3,429 students and 358.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Wall Primary School for the district's preschool disabled children with 50 students in grades PreK, Allenwood Elementary School with 391 students in grades K-5, Central Elementary School with 527 students in grades K-5, Old Mill Elementary School with 382 students in grades K-5, West Belmar Elementary School with 181 students in grades K-5, Wall Intermediate School with 789 students in grades 6–8 and Wall High School with 1,091 students in grades 9–12.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Municipio de Wall (Nueva Jersey) para niños

kids search engine
Wall Township, New Jersey Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.