Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey

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Not to be confused with Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.
Hamilton, New Jersey
Map of Hamilton Township in Atlantic County
Map of Hamilton Township in Atlantic County
Coordinates: 39°29′6″N 74°45′31″W / 39.485, -74.75861
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Atlantic
Incorporated February 5, 1813
Government
 - Type Township (New Jersey)
 - Mayor Charles Pritchard
 - Administrator Edward Sasdelli[1]
Area
 - Total 113.0 sq mi (292.6 km²)
 - Land 111.3 sq mi (288.2 km²)
 - Water 1.7 sq mi (4.4 km²)
Elevation [2] 69 ft (21 m)
Population (2006)[3]
 - Total 24,423
 - Density 184.2/sq mi (71.1/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP Code 08330 - Mays Landing
Area code(s) 609
FIPS code 34-29280[4]
GNIS feature ID 0882049[5]
Website: http://www.townshipofhamilton.com

Hamilton Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 20,499. The Township of Hamilton was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813.[6]

At 113 square miles (290 km²), Hamilton Township was the largest municipality, in area, in the State of New Jersey. Until the federal government confirmed recently that neighboring Galloway Township was larger with a total area of 114.8 square miles (297 km²) of land and water. [6]

Mays Landing (2000 population of 2,321), a census-designated place and unincorporated area, located within Hamilton Township, has been the county seat of Atlantic County since 1837.[6]

Contents

[edit] History

Hamilton Township’s origins are directly tied to the Great Egg Harbor River and its tributaries which run through it. George May, after whom the village of Mays Landing was named, built a shipyard and trading post near Babcock Creek in 1756. By the mid 19th century that Mays Landing reached the height of its shipbuilding.

From 1830 to 1880, more than two hundred vessels were built along the Great Egg Harbor River with lumber from native forests and iron from Weymouth foundries. Half of them were produced at Mays Landing. But by the end of century, wood shipbuilding began to disappear due to the lack of suitable timber. Iron was then substituted for hull construction.

Hamilton was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Weymouth Township, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. Hamilton became part of the newly-created Atlantic County in 1837. Portions of the township were taken to form Hammonton on March 5, 1866, and to form Buena Vista Township on March 5, 1867.[7]

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 113.0 square miles (292.6 km²), of which, 111.3 square miles (288.2 km²) of it is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) of it (1.51%) is water.

The western three-quarters of the township is rural pine forest protected from dense development by New Jersey Pinelands Commission restrictions and large preserved tracts of land. By stark contrast, the eastern quarter has developed as a suburban-like area due to its status as a Pinelands Regional Growth Area (RGA). Mandated to absorb growth fueled by nearby Atlantic City, Hamilton’s RGA now is home to the majority of its nearly 24,000 residents.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 3,193
—
1940 3,363 5.3%
1950 3,774 12.2%
1960 6,017 59.4%
1970 6,445 7.1%
1980 9,499 47.4%
1990 16,012 68.6%
2000 20,499 28%
Est. 2006 24,423 [3] 19.1%
Population 1930 - 1990[8]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 20,499 people, 7,148 households, and 5,039 families residing in the township. The population density was 184.2 people per square mile (71.1/km²). There were 7,567 housing units at an average density of 68.0/sq mi (26.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 71.45% White, 19.26% African American, 0.29% Native American, 3.29% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.33% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.91% of the population.

There were 7,148 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the township the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $50,259, and the median income for a family was $54,899. Males had a median income of $37,419 versus $30,089 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,309. About 4.5% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Township of Hamilton is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government by a five-member Township Committee. Members are elected in partisan elections to three-year terms in office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[9] At an annual reorganization meeting each January, the Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.

The members of the Hamilton Township Committee are Mayor Charles Pritchard, Deputy Mayor Nelson Gaskill, Amy Gatto, Joseph A. Nickels, III and Roger Silva.[10]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Hamilton Township is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd Legislative District.[11]

New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 2nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Jim Whelan (D, Atlantic City), and in the Assembly by John F. Amodeo (R, Margate) and Vincent J. Polistina (R, Egg Harbor Township).[12] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[13]

Atlantic County's County Executive is Dennis Levinson (Linwood).[14] The Board of Chosen Freeholders, the county's legislature, consists of nine members elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2008, Atlantic County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman Joseph F. Silipena, (Egg Harbor City, term expires December 31, 2008), Freeholder Vice Chairman Frank Sutton (Egg Harbor Township, 2008), Alisa Cooper (Linwood, 2008), James Curcio (Hammonton, 2009), Richard Dase (Galloway Township, 2010), Charles Garrett (Atlantic City, 2010), Frank V. Giordano (Hamilton Township, 2009), Joseph McDevitt (Ventnor City, 2010) and Thomas Russo (Atlantic City, 2009).[15]

[edit] Education

For Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade, public school students attend the Hamilton Township Schools. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[16]) are Joseph C. Shaner Memorial School with 681 students in Pre-K to 1st grade, George Hess Educational Complex with 1,470 in grades 2 - 6 and William Davies Middle School with 1,067 students in grades 7 and 8.

Public school students in grades 9 - 12 attend Oakcrest High School, located in Hamilton Township, which serves students from Hamilton Township, Mullica Township, the City of Port Republic and Washington Township.[17] 2,108 students attend the school. The High School is part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, a regional high school district serving approximately 3,700 students in the constituent districts of Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township and Mullica Township, together with students from the City of Port Republic and Washington Township (in Burlington County), who attend as part of sending/receiving relationships with their respective school districts.[18]

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Hamilton Township include::

[edit] Points of interest

Hamilton is home to over 3,000,000 square feet (280,000 m²) of first class retail establishments including Hamilton Mall, Consumer Square and Hamilton Commons. The Great Egg Harbor River and Lake Lenape are recreational resources used by local residents and visitors alike. Hamilton is also home to Atlantic Cape Community College, Atlantic County Institute of Technology, Atlantic County Justice Facility, the County Court Complex and the main branch of the Atlantic County Library.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hamilton Township Administrator, Township of Hamilton. Accessed May 5, 2008.
  2. ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Hamilton, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Census data for Hamilton Township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 24, 2007.
  4. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ a b c A Brief Overview of our Town, Hamilton Township. Accessed October 2, 2006.
  7. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 69.
  8. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  9. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 13.
  10. ^ Hamilton Township Committee, Hamilton Township. Accessed May 5, 2008.
  11. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 58. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  12. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  13. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  14. ^ County Executive Dennis Levinson, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 31, 2008.
  15. ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 31, 2008.
  16. ^ Data for the Hamilton Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 4, 2008.
  17. ^ Oakcrest High School 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 3, 2008. "Oakcrest is a comprehensive high school located in Mays Landing that provides a secondary school education to four elementary districts including Greenbank, Hamilton Township, Mullica Township, and Port Republic."
  18. ^ Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District 2007 Report card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 2, 2008. "The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District serves the communities of Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Egg Harbor City, Mullica Township and participates in receiving relationships with Port Republic and Washington Township."
  19. ^ Chira, Susan. "TO FIRST BLACK MISS AMERICA, VICTORY IS A MEANS TO AN END", The New York Times, September 19, 1983. Accessed December 4, 2007. "Her home is in Mays Landing, 15 miles west of Atlantic City, the site of the contest."
  20. ^ Darren Drozdov, database Football. Accessed December 8, 2007.
  21. ^ William Moore, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 24, 2007.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Atlantic County, New Jersey
County seat: Mays Landing
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Coordinates: 39°29′34″N, 74°44′35″W

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