Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

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See also: the Borough of Hopewell, New Jersey.

Hopewell Township highlighted in Mercer County. Inset map: Mercer County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.

Hopewell Township is a Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 16,105.

Hopewell Township dates back to February 20, 1700, when the area was still part of Burlington County. It was formerly the name for one of two portions of 800 acres of land purchased in 1714 by William Trent I, and was formally set off to Hunterdon County, when that county was created on March 11, 1714. Trenton Township was formed out of this estate on June 3, 1719, later to become the City of Trenton. Hopewell Township was incorporated by Royal Charter on March 1, 1755, and incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Hopewell Township became part of Mercer County at its creation on February 22, 1838. Portions of the township were taken to form Marion Township (February 22, 1838, reverted back to Hopewell Township on February 14, 1839), Pennington (January 31, 1890) and Hopewell Borough (April 14, 1891), with additional portions of the township transferred to both Pennington and Hopewell Borough in 1915.^[1]

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 151.9 km² (58.7 mi²). 150.5 km² (58.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.4 km² (0.5 mi²) of it (0.92%) is water.

Hopewell Township borders Ewing Township, Lawrence Township, Princeton Township, Hunterdon County, Somerset County, and the Delaware River.

Pennington Borough and Hopewell Borough are both independent municipalities surrounded entirely by Hopewell Township.

Titusville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Hopewell Township.

Washington Crossing State Park is located in the western part of the township.

Some neighborhoods in the township include Hopewell Hunt, Brandon Farms, and Elm Ridge.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 16,105 people, 5,498 households, and 4,431 families residing in the township. The population density was 107.0/km² (277.1/mi²). There were 5,629 housing units at an average density of 37.4/km² (96.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 88.30% White, 5.83% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.97% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population.

There were 5,498 households out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $93,640, and the median income for a family was $101,579. Males had a median income of $66,849 versus $47,701 for females. The per capita income for the township was $43,947. About 0.9% of families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Hopewell Township has a Township Committee form of municipal government. All Committee members are elected at large for three year terms. Each year, the Township Committee elects one of its members as Mayor.^[4]

Members of the Hopewell Township Committee, with their areas of general responsibility, are:^[5]

• Mayor Vanessa Sandom: Administration, Health, Environmental and Wastewater
• Deputy Mayor David Sandahl: Finance, Legal, Planning and Zoning
• Mark Iorio: Economic Development, Agriculture, Open Space Preservation
• John Murphy: Recreation, Buildings & Grounds, Parks, Public Works and Interlocal Relations
• Judy Niederer: Affordable Housing, Historic Preservation and Public Safety

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Hopewell Township is in the Twelfth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 15th Legislative District.^[6]

New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District, covering all of Hunterdon County and portions of Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, and Somerset County, is represented by Rush D. Holt Jr. (D). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 15th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Shirley Turner (D, Ewing) and in the Assembly by Reed Gusciora (D, Trenton) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Trenton). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Mercer County's County Executive is Brian M. Hughes. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Mercer County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chair Keith V. Hamilton, Freeholder Vice Chair Pasquale "Pat" Colavita, Jr., Ann M. Cannon, Anthony P. Carabelli, Tony Mack, Elizabeth Maher Muoio and Lucylle R. S. Walter.

[edit] Education

Students in kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, a comprehensive regional public school district serving (as of 2005) nearly 4,000 students from Hopewell Borough (371 students), Hopewell Township (2,998 students), and Pennington Borough (497 students). The district consists of four K-5 elementary schools (Bear Tavern Elementary School with 498 students, Hopewell Elementary School with 520 students, Stony Brook Elementary School with 461 students and Toll Gate Grammar School with 312 students), Timberlane Middle School with 945 students in grades 6-8 and Hopewell Valley Central High School, which has an enrollment of 1,103 students in grades 9-12.

[edit] The Hopewell Project

Hopewell is home to an experimental renewable energy project called The Hopewell Project, which uses solar energy to generate hydrogen that is used to provide 100% of a home's heating, cooling and electrical needs. The Hopewell Solar-Hydrogen Residence was dedicated on October 20, 2006.

[edit] Media

• Hopewell Valley News
• Town Topics
• Pennington Post

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Hopewell Township web site
• Hopewell Valley School District
• Hopewell Valley Regional School District's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• National Center for Education Statistics data for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District
• Hopewell Township Fire District

This box: view • talk • edit Municipalities of Mercer County, New Jersey (County seat: Trenton)
Boroughs	Hightstown | Hopewell | Pennington | Princeton
City	Trenton
Townships	East Windsor | Ewing | Hamilton | Hopewell | Lawrence | Princeton | Washington | West Windsor
CDPs and communities	Grover's Mill | Lawrenceville | Mercerville-Hamilton Square | Princeton Junction | Princeton North | Robbinsville | Titusville | Twin Rivers | White Horse | Windsor | Yardville-Groveville