Bridgewater Township, New Jersey

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Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
Bridgewater Township, New Jersey (New Jersey)
Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
Location within the state of New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°37′24″N 74°36′04″W / 40.62333, -74.60111
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Somerset
Royal Charter April 4, 1749
Incorporated February 21, 1798
Government
 - Type Faulkner Act Mayor-Council
 - Mayor Patricia Flannery
Area
 - Total 32.5 sq mi (84.3 km²)
 - Land 32.5 sq mi (84.0 km²)
 - Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²)
Elevation [1] 177 ft (54 m)
Population (2006)[2]
 - Total 44,818
 - Density 1,323.4/sq mi (510.9/km²)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 08807
Area code(s) 908, 732
FIPS code 34-07720[3]
GNIS feature ID 0882171[4]
Website: http://www.bridgewaternj.gov
Thirteen Star Flag at the site of the former Middlebrook encampment in Bridgewater is displayed continuously
Thirteen Star Flag at the site of the former Middlebrook encampment in Bridgewater is displayed continuously

Bridgewater Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 42,940.

Bridgewater Township was originally created by Royal Charter on April 4, 1749 from portions of the Northern precinct, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. During the nineteenth century, portions of the township were taken to form Warren Township (March 5, 1806), Branchburg Township (April 5, 1845), Somerville (March 25, 1863), Raritan (April 3, 1868) and Bound Brook (March 24, 1869).[5]

Contents

[edit] History

Bridgewater is a relatively large, mostly affluent suburban township located in the center of Somerset County. The thirty-three square mile area which is now the Township of Bridgewater was originally purchased from a local Lenape Native American tribe. Bridgewater was chartered by George II of Great Britain in 1749, and incorporated as one of New Jersey's 104 original townships in 1798.

Tradition holds that it was at the Middlebrook encampment that the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a Thirteen Star Flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater. Since 1889, the first hoisting of the flag is commemorated annually each July 4 with a changing of the flag, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the delivery of an historical address.

Until recently, Bridgewater was known as a farming town, until around the 1970s when its population began to grow when residents of larger cities such as Plainfield and Newark started to migrate into Bridgewater as a result of the 1967 Plainfield Riots and 1967 Newark riots. Subsequently, Bridgewater started to receive an influx of residents who worked in the strong pharmaceutical, telecommunications and financial industries in Bridgewater and the Raritan Valley. More recently, there has also been an influx of New York City commuters who use Bridgewater Station on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line or Interstate 78 East to commute to New York City. Bridgewater is now a fairly developed suburban community, with few traces of its rural past still evident in the town. Bridgewater is now Somerset County's second-most populous municipality, after Franklin Township.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 32.5 square miles (84.3 km²), of which, 32.5 square miles (84.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.28%) is water.

While much of Bridgewater has relatively flat terrain, the northeastern portion of the township is very hilly, with the First Ridge of the Watchung Mountains (sometimes known as the First Watchung Mountain) passing through the township. Additionally the Second Ridge (Second Mountain) passes just north of the township border.

The Raritan River and its branches and tributaries form much of Bridgewater's borders with other municipalities and a number of smaller rivers and streams run through Bridgewater. The Raritan itself runs along Bridgewater's southern border (except where Somerville and Raritan were carved out as separate boroughs) and the North Branch of the Raritan River forms the township's western border with Branchburg. The North Branch and South Branch of the Raritan River meet at the extreme southwestern corner of Bridgewater at the border with both Branchburg Township and Hillsborough Township, and this point known as the Raritan River Confluence was once intended to be a major reservoir.

Bridgewater borders 13 other municipalities. Its longest borders are with Branchburg Township, Bedminster, Bernards Towsnhip, Warren Township, Bound Brook, Somerville and Raritan. It also borders Green Brook (though connected only by Route 22), Middlesex (though connected only by one local street), South Bound Brook (a very short border in the middle of the Raritan River, Franklin Township (the only street connection is Interstate 287), Manville (the only street connection is Finderne Avenue, a county highway), and Hillsborough (no direct street connection.) Bridgewater Township's ZIP Code is 08807, with 08836 used in the community of Martinsville, and 08805 used in the Thomae Park section (mailing address of Bound Brook NJ). Bridgewater's area codes are 908 and 732.

[edit] Communities

Bridgewater contains a number of communities and sections, many of which do not have officially defined boundaries. They include:

  • Bradley Gardens: Located in southwestern Bridgewater, bordered on the east by Raritan and Branchburg to the west. This is one of Bridgewater's older residential areas but also includes some newer developments as well as a commercial area along Old York Road.
    • Eastern North Branch: Most of North Branch is in Branchburg, but a portion lies to the east of the North Branch of the Raritan River, in Bridgewater Township.
  • Finderne: Located in southeastern Bridgewater between Bound Brook and Somerville. This is a diverse area with older neighborhoods bordering Foothill Road, newer developments, multi-unit housing near the Raritan River/Manville border, as well as commercial and industrial areas. The Middlebrook Crossing industrial park, the Promenade shopping center and Commerce Bank Ballpark, home to the Somerset Patriots, are located here.
    • Thomae Park: In the extreme eastern portion of Bridgewater, bordering Bound Brook and Middlesex. Residents there have a Bound Brook ZIP code. One of their main attractions is Thomae Park, which has a playground, basketball court, baseball field, and hiking trail.
  • Green Knoll: Located in central Bridgewater, this is a residential area with many major commercial developments and government facilities, including the Bridgewater Commons Mall at the intersection of U.S. Route 22 and U.S. Route 202-206, a large office park just west of the Commons across 202-206, the municipal building and police station, and Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
    • Country Club/Meadow Road Area: This area is referred to by some as the "Country Club-Meadow Road area" or similar names, after the major north-south streets there. Some also refer to "the Van Holten area" after the elementary school located there. It borders Bedminster and Branchburg. It is Bridgewater's most "rural" section, although it is comprised almost exclusively of residential communities.
    • Milltown/Vanderveer Road Area: This area is known to some as the "Milltown-Vanderveer" area. The area is northeast of Bradley Gardens bordering Raritan and Branchburg. It is mainly a residential community with many new homes built in recent years.
  • Martinsville: Located in northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township and Bernards Township. This is a predominantly residential area, though it does have its own commercial center along Washington Valley Road, and its own post office and ZIP code. This also is a very hilly area as it is the portion of Bridgewater through which the Watchung Mountains pass.
    • Sunset Lake: Built around a manmade lake in the extreme northern part of Bridgewater, near the interchange of Interstate 287 and Interstate 78. Some of the residents there have the Basking Ridge ZIP code 07920.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 3,352
—
1940 4,934 47.2%
1950 8,234 66.9%
1960 15,789 91.8%
1970 30,235 91.5%
1980 29,175 -3.5%
1990 32,509 11.4%
2000 42,940 32.1%
Est. 2006 44,818 [2] 4.4%
Population 1930 - 1990.[6]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 42,940 people, 15,561 households, and 11,888 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,323.4 people per square mile (510.9/km²). There were 15,879 housing units at an average density of 489.4/sq mi (188.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 83.07% White, 2.17% African American, 0.08% Native American, 11.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.79% of the population. 19.7% were of Italian, 11.9% Irish, 10.4% German, 8.8% Polish and 5.2% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 15,561 households out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $88,308, and the median income for a family was $99,832. Males had a median income of $67,089 versus $49,096 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,555. About 1.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

According to National Geographic magazine, Bridgewater has an unusually high number of twins and triplets.[7]

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Bridgewater Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.[8] The Mayor of Bridgewater Township is Patricia Flannery. Members of the Bridgewater Township Committee are Council President Howard Norgalis, Robert Albano, Michael Hsing, Matthew Moench and Patrick Scaglione.[9]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Bridgewater Township is split between the Seventh and Eleventh Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.[10]

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 16th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R, Neshanic Station) and in the Assembly by Peter J. Biondi (R, Hillsborough Township) and Denise Coyle (R, Basking Ridge).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[12]

Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two elected each year. As of 2008, Somerset County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Peter S. Palmer (Bernardsville, term ends December 31, 2008), Freeholder Deputy Director Rick Fontana (Bridgewater Township, 2009), Jack Ciattarelli (Hillsborough Township, 2009), Patricia Walsh (Green Brook Township, 2010) and Robert Zaborowski (Franklin Township, 2008).[13] Fontana is a Bridgewater Township resident and former councilman.

[edit] Education

Bridgewater is part of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District. All of the schools in the district are in Bridgewater except for Kennedy, which is in Raritan Borough.

Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[14]) are:

Primary Schools (grades pre-K through 4):

Intermediate Schools (grades 5-6):

Middle School

High School

Bridgewater is the home of the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, a four-year public high school that provides occupational and academic training to students from all of Somerset County.

The headquarters of the Somerset County Library is also located in Bridgewater. The other branches of the Somerset County Library are located in Bound Brook, Hillsborough, North Plainfield, Peapack-Gladstone, Rocky Hill, Warren Township, and Watchung.

[edit] Transportation

Bridgewater is criss-crossed by several major highways, including Interstate 287, Interstate 78, U.S. 22, Route 202-206 and Route 28.

The Raritan Valley Line of NJ Transit also passes through Bridgewater. There are two stations in the Finderne area, the now-closed Finderne off Finderne Avenue and the Bridgewater station on the old American Cyanamid property.

NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 114 route to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, to Newark on the 65 line (Limited) and local Wheels service on the 884 and 989 bus routes.[18]

Scheduled passenger service is provided by Newark Liberty International Airport, located approximately 32 miles (51 km) away in Newark / Elizabeth.

[edit] Emergency services

Police Bridgewater is primarily protected by the Bridgewater Police Department. This large department boasts a detective unit, a traffic unit, a patrol unit, and many other divisions.

Fire Bridgewater has five all-volunteer fire companies. They provide fire suppression and assist in vehicle extrication and rescue attempts.

EMS/Rescue Bridgewater is served by five volunteer BLS rescue squads and one paid municipal EMS brigade to assist during the days. They provide EMS coverage as well as vehicle extrication, water rescue, and other rescue services. ALS (paramedics) is dispatched from Somerset Medical Center.

  • Martinsville Rescue Squad
  • Green Knoll Rescue Squad
  • Finderne First Aid & Rescue Squad
  • Bradley Gardens First Aid & Rescue Squad
  • Unit 500 - Paid Township Employees

[edit] Points of interest

  • Places of worship in Bridgewater include churches for a number of Christian denominations, a Jewish synagogue, and temples for the Hindu and Sikh religions.
  • Bridgewater Commons, a large regional shopping mall.
  • Commerce Bank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots.
  • Washington Camp Ground (also known as Middlebrook encampment), just north of Bound Brook, a preserved portion of the land on which the army of George Washington encamped during the winter of 1778-79. (The general himself stayed in an actual house in Somerville.)
  • Somerset County library headquarters
  • The United States Bicycling Hall of Fame, a private organization formed to preserve and promote the sport of cycling.
  • The area also offers many parks and other recreational facilities.[19]

Bridgewater has also served as the location for several films, notably Home Alone (1990) which utilized a passenger bridge for a chase sequence and North (1994) which used the Bridgewater Commons Mall as the setting for a discussion between characters. Both were box office successes.

[edit] Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Somerset Patriots ALPB, Baseball Commerce Bank Ballpark 1998 3

[edit] Interesting facts

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Bridgewater Township include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Bridgewater, Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 16, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Census data for Bridgewater township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 24, 2007.
  3. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 222.
  6. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  7. ^ 08730 Triplet Epidemic, National Geographic, October 2005.
  8. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 77.
  9. ^ Bridgewater Township Mayor and Council Members, Township of Bridgewater. Accessed March 3, 2008.
  10. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  11. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  12. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  13. ^ The Role of County Government: "What Is A Freeholder?", Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed March 30, 2008.
  14. ^ Bridgewater-Raritan regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 15, 2007.
  15. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
  16. ^ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  17. ^ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  18. ^ Somerset County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 15, 2007.
  19. ^ Somerset County Parks
  20. ^ "Former Philadelphia Warriors player Hank Beenders dies at 87", Burlington County Times, October 27, 2003. "born in Haarlem, Holland, he lived in Brooklyn, and in Scotch Plains before moving to Bridgewater 36 years ago."
  21. ^ Kentucky II: Rob Bunker preview, motorsport.com. Accessed July 18, 2007. "Rob Bunker hopes Friday the 13th will bring good luck, as he starts his fifth of seven ARCA RE/MAX Series races this season. The Bridgewater, N.J., driver will be behind the wheel of the No. 4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Charger prepared by Cunningham Motorsports."
  22. ^ Considine, Bob. "In writing romance, Martinsville author living a real adventure: Writer's 22nd novel coming out this week", copy of article from the Courier-Post, March 26, 2007. Accessed December 20, 2007. "So if there's a giant gale coming out of the Martinsville section of Bridgewater on Tuesday, it might just be the exhale of Andrea Kane."
  23. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E3D6113EF930A35756C0A96E958260 "THE N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Murdock Regrets a Gesture In Emotion of the Moment"], The New York Times, May 3, 1998. Accessed January 1, 2008. "While he was growing up in Bridgewater, N.J., sports gave Eric Murdock a chance to forget that his father abandoned him, sometimes even that his mother had died when he was 6 months old, killed by a car as she crossed a street."
  24. ^ David Wiesner, accessed April 16, 2007. "David Wiesner was born and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration."

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Somerset County, New Jersey
County seat: Somerville
Boroughs
Map of New Jersey highlighting Somerset County
Townships
CDP
Communities

Coordinates: 40°37′24″N, 74°36′04″W

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