Tuckerton, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tuckerton, New Jersey
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Borough
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| Borough of Tuckerton | |
Map of Tuckerton in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
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Census Bureau map of Tuckerton, New Jersey
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County |  Ocean |
| Incorporated | February 18, 1901 |
| Named for | Ebenezer Tucker |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough |
| • Body | Borough Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.81 sq mi (9.87 km2) |
| • Land | 3.36 sq mi (8.71 km2) |
| • Water | 0.45 sq mi (1.16 km2) 11.76% |
| Area rank | 304th of 565 in state 16th of 33 in county |
| Elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 3,347 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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3,388 |
| • Rank | 437th of 566 in state 17th of 33 in county |
| • Density | 995.1/sq mi (384.2/km2) |
| • Density rank | 382nd of 566 in state 19th of 33 in county |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) |
| ZIP Code |
08087
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| Area code(s) | 609 Exchanges: 294, 296, 812 |
| FIPS code | 3402974210 |
| GNIS feature ID | 885422 |
| Website | |
Tuckerton is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, named for founder Ebenezer Tucker (1758–1845), and was a port of entry, but not the third Port of Entry in the United States, as is often described. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 3,347, reflecting a decline of 170 (−4.8%) from the 3,517 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 469 (+15.4%) from the 3,048 counted in the 1990 Census.
Tuckerton was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1901, from portions of Little Egg Harbor Township.
The borough is surrounded by Little Egg Harbor Township, but is politically independent. Because Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor share the same 08087 ZIP code and Little Egg Harbor has no true "downtown" area, many refer to Little Egg Harbor and surrounding suburbs as "Tuckerton".
Tuckerton is home to the Tuckerton Seaport, a working maritime museum and village.
Contents
History
The area that is now Tuckerton was settled in 1698. Some of the early settlers were Andrews, Falkinburgs, Shourds, Ongs, Willets and Osborns. Edward Andrews settled on the east side of the Pohatcong Creek; his brother, Mordecai Andrews settled on the west side of the same creek. Edward, tired of going to Mount Holly Township with his grain, constructed a cedar log grist mill on the site of a dam built by beavers at the mouth of what is known as Tuckerton Creek. He built the grist mill in 1704, and it still stands to this day.
Tuckerton became a Port of Entry of the United States, but not the third port as is commonly believed, with Ebenezer Tucker appointed Collector, his commission bearing the date March 21, 1791, signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. It was six years later that Tuckerton became a post town with Reuben Tucker as its first postmaster.
Former names of the town included "Andrew Mills", "Middle-of-the-Shore", "Clamtown", "Quakertown", and "Fishtown". In March 1789, Ebenezer Tucker hosted a feast at the then-named Clamtown for the residents at which time they officially changed the name to Tuckerton.
In 1816, Isaac Jenkins established the first stage line between Tuckerton and Philadelphia, making one trip a week, each trip taking two days travel each way. John D. Thompson bought the line in 1828 and ran the stages each way in a day and carried the mail. The stages and vessels were the only public conveyances to the cities until the Tuckerton Railroad was built in 1871.
What was probably New Jersey's first summer resort was on Tucker's Island off shore from Little Egg Harbor. The island sported boarding houses, private cottages, and a school. In 1848 a Lighthouse was erected there, with Eben Rider as its first light keeper. In 1869 the Little Egg Harbor Lifesaving's Station was constructed there. Also known as Sea Haven, the island contained two hotels. The island was wiped away in a storm, including its lighthouse, which fell into the sea. At the Tuckerton Seaport Museum a re-created lighthouse has been built as well as other re-created buildings that were on Tuckers Island. In the lighthouse there are several wall-mounted pictures showing the instant that the original lighthouse fell into the sea. The original island remains under water.
The area surrounding present-day Tuckerton was part of Burlington County until 1891 when it joined with Ocean County. Tuckerton was established in March 1901. with its first Mayor being Frank R. Austin.
Tuckerton received extensive damage after Superstorm Sandy struck the boro on October 28, 2012. Almost 300 homes suffered extensive damage, while 32 homes were completely destroyed. Floodwaters also ravaged businesses along South green Street as well as flooding some buildings in the Tuckerton Seaport.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.804 square miles (9.851 km2), including 3.364 square miles (8.712 km2) of land and 0.440 square miles (1.139 km2) of water (11.56%).
The borough borders the Ocean County municipality of Little Egg Harbor Township.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tuckerton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,268 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,106 | −12.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,429 | 29.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,320 | −7.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,332 | 0.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,536 | 15.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,926 | 25.4% | |
| 1980 | 2,472 | 28.3% | |
| 1990 | 3,048 | 23.3% | |
| 2000 | 3,517 | 15.4% | |
| 2010 | 3,347 | −4.8% | |
| Est. 2019 | 3,388 | 1.2% | |
| Population sources: 1910–2000 1910–1920 1910 1910–1930 1930–1990 2000 2010 |
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Census 2010
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,347 people, 1,396 households, and 873 families residing in the borough. The population density was 995.1 per square mile (384.2/km2). There were 1,902 housing units at an average density of 565.5 per square mile (218.3/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 93.79% (3,139) White, 0.75% (25) Black or African American, 0.09% (3) Native American, 1.05% (35) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.06% (69) from other races, and 2.27% (76) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.07% (203) of the population.
There were 1,396 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough, the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.5 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 93.1 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $53,209 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,943) and the median family income was $61,677 (+/− $10,244). Males had a median income of $50,139 (+/− $5,122) versus $43,963 (+/− $14,203) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,974 (+/− $3,410). About 6.7% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 3,517 people, 1,477 households, and 921 families residing in the borough. The population density was 961.7 people per square mile (371.0/km2). There were 1,971 housing units at an average density of 539.0 per square mile (207.9/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.90% White, 0.40% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.
There were 1,477 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $40,042, and the median income for a family was $49,528. Males had a median income of $35,799 versus $30,583 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,118. About 5.9% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
The Tuckerton Seaport, which is located in the center of town on Main Street, is a working maritime museum and village, which features several re-created historic buildings and has been a major attraction since its May 2000 opening.
Along Main Street in Tuckerton are several shops and stores. South of County Route 539, Main Street is bounded by Lake Pohatcong, which features a duck decoy-shaped billboard advertising the annual Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show held in September at nearby Tip Seaman Park that began in 1982 and draws as many as 20,000 visitors. During the Holidays, the duck is replaced with a Christmas tree. In 1995, a boardwalk was installed along the side of the road overhanging the lake.
Transportation
_just_south_of_Ocean_County_Route_539_(Green_Street)_in_Tuckerton,_Ocean_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 19.92 miles (32.06 km) of roadways, of which 12.23 miles (19.68 km) were maintained by the municipality, 5.69 miles (9.16 km) by Ocean County and 2.00 miles (3.22 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
U.S. Route 9 passes through the northern part of the town and connects with the southern end of CR 539.
The Garden State Parkway is accessible via Route 539 (Exit 58 in Little Egg Harbor) and US 9 (Exit 50 in Bass River).
Public transportation
NJ Transit provides bus service to Atlantic City on the 559 route.
Ocean Ride local service is provided on the OC6 Little Egg Harbor - Stafford route.
Education
Students in public school for pre-kindergarten through sixth grade are served by the Tuckerton School District at Tuckerton Elementary School. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 280 students and 30.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.3:1.
Public school students in seventh through twelfth grades attend the schools of the Pinelands Regional School District, which also serves students from Bass River Township, Eagleswood Township and Little Egg Harbor Township. Schools in the district (with 2017-18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Pinelands Regional Junior High School with 802 students in grades 7-9 and Pinelands Regional High School with 815 students in grades 10–12. The district's board of education is comprised of nine members directly elected by the residents of the constituent municipalities to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year. Seats on the high school district's board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with one seat allocated to Tuckerton.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Tuckerton include:
- Ezra Baker (c. 1765, date of death unknown), U.S. Representative from New Jersey.
- Mathilde Cottrelly (1851–1933), German-born stage actress, singer, producer and theater manager.
- Ebenezer Tucker (1758–1845), member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey from 1825 to 1829 who was the borough's namesake.
- Gina Krasley (1991-2021), featured subject of the eighth season of My 600-lb Life.
Images for kids
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The Little Egg Harbor Friends Meeting House, built in 1863
