Bordentown, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Bordentown City is in Burlington County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,924. Bordentown is located at the confluence of the Delaware River
, Blacks Creek and Crosswicks Creek
. The latter is the border between Burlington
and Mercer
Counties.
Bordentown City was originally incorporated as a borough
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on December 9, 1825, from portions within Chesterfield Township
. It was reincorporated as a city on April 3, 1867, and separated from Chesterfield Township c. 1877.
Quaker
, was credited with being the first European settler in the Bordentown area in 1682, when he moved his family up river from Burlington
. He made a new home on the windswept bluff overlooking the broad bend in the Delaware River
. The Farnsworth's cabin was situated near the northwest corner of Park Street and Prince Street, perhaps where an 1883 frame house now stands. "Farnsworth Landing" soon became the center of trade for the region. Farnsworth is also the namesake of one of Bordentown's most popular streets, Farnsworth Avenue.
Joseph Borden, for whom the town is named, arrived in 1717, and by May 1740 founded a transportation system to carry people and freight between New York City
and Philadelphia
. This exploited Bordentown's natural location as the point on the Delaware River
that provided the shortest overland route to South Amboy
, from which cargo and people could be ferried to New York City.
By 1776, Bordentown was full of patriots. Patience Lovell Wright
, America's first female sculptor, was creating wax busts in King George's
court in England. Later, however, Bordentown became a rabble-rousing hotbed. In addition to Joseph Borden, who became a colonel during the war, patriots Francis Hopkinson
(a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence
), Colonel Kirkbride, Colonel Oakey Hoagland, and Thomas Paine
resided in the area. Due to their well-published activity in Bordentown, the British retaliated. Hessians occupied the town in 1776, and the British pillaged and razed the town during May and June of 1778.
Other famous residents included Clara Barton
who in 1852 started the first free public school in New Jersey. A recreation of her schoolhouse stands at the corner of Crosswicks and Burlington streets. Barton later founded the American Red Cross
.
, former King of Naples
and Spain and brother to the ill-fated Napoleon I of France
, established his residence in Bordentown. He lived there for 17 years, entertaining guests of great fame such as Henry Clay
, Daniel Webster
and the future 6th U.S. President, John Quincy Adams
. The residents of Bordentown nicknamed the Count, "The Good Mr. Bonaparte" (Good to distinguish him from his younger brother). He built a lake near the mouth of Crosswicks Creek
that was about 200 yards wide and half a mile long. On the bluff above it he built a new home, "Point Breeze". The current Divine Word Mission occupies its former site along Park Street.
Today only vestiges of the Bonaparte estate remain. Much of it is actually the remains of a building remodeled in English Georgian Revival style in 1924 for Harris Hammon, who purchased the estate at Point Breeze as built in 1850 by Henry Becket, a British consul in Philadelphia. In addition to the rubble of this mansion and some hedges of its elaborate gardens, only the original tunnel to the river (broken through in several places) and the house of Bonaparte's secretary remain. Many descendants of Joachim Murat
, King of Naples, also were born or lived in Bordentown, having followed their uncle Joseph there. After the Bonaparte dynasty was restored by Napoleon III, they moved back to France and were recognized as princes.
In August 1831, master mechanic Isaac Dripps of Bordentown re-assembled (without blueprint
s or instructions) the locomotive John Bull
(originally called "The Stevens") in just 10 days. It was built by Robert Stephenson and Company
, in England, and was imported into Philadelphia by the Camden and Amboy Railroad. The next year it started limited service, and the year after that regular service, to become one of the first successful locomotives in the United States. The John Bull is preserved at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
In 1866, Susan Waters moved into what is now one of the larger properties on Mary Street. This was a base from which she taught and produced over 50 of her works, many of which are painting of animals in natural settings and pastoral scenes. She was also an early photographer. In 1876 she was asked to exhibit several of her works at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.
In 1881, Rev. William Bowen purchased the old Spring Villa Female Seminary building (built on land purchased from the Bonapartes in 1837) and reopened it as the Bordentown Military Institute
. In 1886, African-American Rev. Walter A. Rice established a private school for African-American children, the Bordentown Manual and Training School, in a two-story house at 60 West Street, which later moved to Walnut Street on the banks of the Delaware, and became a public school in 1894 under Jim Crow laws. The school, which was known as the Bordentown School
, came to have a 400 acres (1.6 km²), 30-building campus with two farms, a vocational/ technical orientation, and a college preparatory program.
In 1909, the religious order Poor Clares
established a convent in the former Motherhouse of the Sisters of Mercy on Crosswicks Street. The building still stands and is used as an assisted living home for non-ambulatory elderly, called The Clare Estate. The Order of Poor Clares
has moved to a new facility outside Bordentown City.
The town has become a destination for weekend dining as well as for the casual perusal of its book stores, historical sites and art galleries. The active downtown business association sponsors an annual Iris Festival & Art Show in early May, an annual Street Fair in mid- to late May, and an annual Cranberry Festival in early October. The Bordentown Historical Society sponsors other events, such as the Holiday House Tour and Peach Social.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²). 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (5.15%) is water.
The City of Bordentown is surrounded on three sides by Bordentown Township
and on the western side by the juncture of the Delaware River
and Crosswicks Creek
, the border for Hamilton
. It is bounded on the east by U.S. Route 130
and U.S. Route 206
, on the south by Black's Creek and Interstate 295
, and on the north by the Mile Hollow Run. Across the Delaware River is Falls Township
in Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
.
of 2000, there were 3,969 people, 1,757 households, and 989 families residing in the city. The population density
was 4,303.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,665.7/km2). There were 1,884 housing units at an average density of abc 790.7/km2 (2,042.8/mi2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.25% White, 13.08% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.91% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races
, and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.82% of the population.
There were 1,757 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples
living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,279, and the median income for a family was $59,872. Males had a median income of $39,909 versus $31,780 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $25,882. About 4.0% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
since 1913, with a government consisting of three commissioners, one of whom is selected to serve as Mayor. Members are elected to four-year concurrent terms in office in non-partisan elections.
, Bordentown's commissioners are Mayor
James E. Lynch, Jr. (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety
), Deputy Mayor Heather Cheeseman (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance
) and Zigmont Targonski (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property
).
The BCEC's most current efforts have focuses upon a bicycle and pedestrian circulation study, the City's open space plan, and the development of a set of local greenways
(Thorntown and Black Creek).
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district will be in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
, which serves students from Bordentown City, Bordentown Township
and Fieldsboro Borough
. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are
Clara Barton Elementary School (221 students; grades K-3),
Peter Muschal Elementary School (563; K-3),
MacFarland Intermediate School (344; 4-5),
Bordentown Regional Middle School (532; 6-8) and
Bordentown Regional High School
(768; 9-12).
The New Hanover Township School
District, consisting of New Hanover Township
and Wrightstown Borough
, sends students to the district on a tuition basis for grades 9 - 12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship
. As of 2011, the New Hanover district was considering expansion of its relationship under which it would also send students to Bordentown for middle school.
St. Mary's Elementary School is a Catholic school
that teaches Pre-K - 8. This school is not to be confused with Doane Academy (formerly St. Mary's Hall-Doane Academy), located in Burlington City, NJ.
The Bordentown Military Institute was located here from 1881 to 1972. The Society of the Divine Word fathers operated a minor seminary in Bordentown from 1947 to 1983. One of its more famous alumni Douglas Palmer
was the four-term mayor of Trenton, New Jersey
, leaving office in 2009.
offers service to Camden
and Trenton Rail Station
, with a station in Bordentown
at Park Street. New Jersey Transit
has bus 409 run through Bordentown. providing service to Philadelphia.
U.S. Route 130
and U.S. Route 206
run through very briefly and intersect at County Route 528
in the city. The New Jersey Turnpike
is outside in neighboring Bordentown Twp with access at Interchange 7. Interstate 295
(which may not pass through) has two interchanges that take travelers into Bordentown: Exit 57 and Exit 56.
Bordentown City's one square mile is home to at least 10 houses of worship, including: American Presbyterian Church, B’nai Abraham Synagogue, Christ Episcopal Church, Ebenezer Full Gospel Community Church, First Baptist Church of Bordentown, First Presbyterian Church, Mount Zion AME Church, Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, and Union Baptist Church.
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,924. Bordentown is located at the confluence of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, Blacks Creek and Crosswicks Creek
Crosswicks Creek
Crosswicks Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Burlington County, in western New Jersey in the United States.Crosswicks Creek watershed encompasses parts of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties...
. The latter is the border between Burlington
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
and Mercer
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
Counties.
Bordentown City was originally incorporated as a borough
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on December 9, 1825, from portions within Chesterfield Township
Chesterfield Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,955 people, 899 households, and 744 families residing in the township. The population density was 278.1 people per square mile . There were 924 housing units at an average density of 43.1 per square mile...
. It was reincorporated as a city on April 3, 1867, and separated from Chesterfield Township c. 1877.
History
Thomas Farnsworth, an EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, was credited with being the first European settler in the Bordentown area in 1682, when he moved his family up river from Burlington
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....
. He made a new home on the windswept bluff overlooking the broad bend in the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. The Farnsworth's cabin was situated near the northwest corner of Park Street and Prince Street, perhaps where an 1883 frame house now stands. "Farnsworth Landing" soon became the center of trade for the region. Farnsworth is also the namesake of one of Bordentown's most popular streets, Farnsworth Avenue.
Joseph Borden, for whom the town is named, arrived in 1717, and by May 1740 founded a transportation system to carry people and freight between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. This exploited Bordentown's natural location as the point on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
that provided the shortest overland route to South Amboy
South Amboy, New Jersey
South Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, on the Raritan Bay. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 7,913.South Amboy, and Perth Amboy across the Raritan River, are collectively referred to as The Amboys...
, from which cargo and people could be ferried to New York City.
By 1776, Bordentown was full of patriots. Patience Lovell Wright
Patience Wright
Patience Lovell Wright was the first recognized American-born sculptor. She chiefly created wax figures of people. She loved to write poetry and was also a painter....
, America's first female sculptor, was creating wax busts in King George's
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
court in England. Later, however, Bordentown became a rabble-rousing hotbed. In addition to Joseph Borden, who became a colonel during the war, patriots Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson , an American author, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. He later served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania...
(a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
), Colonel Kirkbride, Colonel Oakey Hoagland, and Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine
Thomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
resided in the area. Due to their well-published activity in Bordentown, the British retaliated. Hessians occupied the town in 1776, and the British pillaged and razed the town during May and June of 1778.
Other famous residents included Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
who in 1852 started the first free public school in New Jersey. A recreation of her schoolhouse stands at the corner of Crosswicks and Burlington streets. Barton later founded the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
.
Joseph Bonaparte
Several years after the banishing of his family from France in 1816, arriving under vigilant disguise as the Count de Survilliers, Joseph BonaparteJoseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
, former King of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Spain and brother to the ill-fated Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, established his residence in Bordentown. He lived there for 17 years, entertaining guests of great fame such as Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
, Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts during the period leading up to the Civil War. He first rose to regional prominence through his defense of New England shipping interests...
and the future 6th U.S. President, John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
. The residents of Bordentown nicknamed the Count, "The Good Mr. Bonaparte" (Good to distinguish him from his younger brother). He built a lake near the mouth of Crosswicks Creek
Crosswicks Creek
Crosswicks Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Burlington County, in western New Jersey in the United States.Crosswicks Creek watershed encompasses parts of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties...
that was about 200 yards wide and half a mile long. On the bluff above it he built a new home, "Point Breeze". The current Divine Word Mission occupies its former site along Park Street.
Today only vestiges of the Bonaparte estate remain. Much of it is actually the remains of a building remodeled in English Georgian Revival style in 1924 for Harris Hammon, who purchased the estate at Point Breeze as built in 1850 by Henry Becket, a British consul in Philadelphia. In addition to the rubble of this mansion and some hedges of its elaborate gardens, only the original tunnel to the river (broken through in several places) and the house of Bonaparte's secretary remain. Many descendants of Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
, King of Naples, also were born or lived in Bordentown, having followed their uncle Joseph there. After the Bonaparte dynasty was restored by Napoleon III, they moved back to France and were recognized as princes.
In August 1831, master mechanic Isaac Dripps of Bordentown re-assembled (without blueprint
Blueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
s or instructions) the locomotive John Bull
John Bull (locomotive)
John Bull is a British-built railroad steam locomotive that operated in the United States. It was operated for the first time on September 15, 1831, and it became the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operated it in 1981...
(originally called "The Stevens") in just 10 days. It was built by Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
, in England, and was imported into Philadelphia by the Camden and Amboy Railroad. The next year it started limited service, and the year after that regular service, to become one of the first successful locomotives in the United States. The John Bull is preserved at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
In 1866, Susan Waters moved into what is now one of the larger properties on Mary Street. This was a base from which she taught and produced over 50 of her works, many of which are painting of animals in natural settings and pastoral scenes. She was also an early photographer. In 1876 she was asked to exhibit several of her works at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition.
In 1881, Rev. William Bowen purchased the old Spring Villa Female Seminary building (built on land purchased from the Bonapartes in 1837) and reopened it as the Bordentown Military Institute
Bordentown Military Institute
The Bordentown Military Institute was a private high school in Bordentown, New Jersey from 1881 to 1973.-History:It was created in 1881 when Reverend William Bowen purchased the Spring Villa Female Seminary building and reopened it as the Bordentown Military Institute. In 1972 it was merged with...
. In 1886, African-American Rev. Walter A. Rice established a private school for African-American children, the Bordentown Manual and Training School, in a two-story house at 60 West Street, which later moved to Walnut Street on the banks of the Delaware, and became a public school in 1894 under Jim Crow laws. The school, which was known as the Bordentown School
Bordentown School
The Bordentown School , was a residential high school for African-American students, located in Bordentown in Burlington County, New Jersey...
, came to have a 400 acres (1.6 km²), 30-building campus with two farms, a vocational/ technical orientation, and a college preparatory program.
In 1909, the religious order Poor Clares
Order of Poor Ladies
The Poor Clares also known as the Order of Saint Clare, the Order of Poor Ladies, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, and the Second Order of St. Francis, , comprise several orders of nuns in the Catholic Church...
established a convent in the former Motherhouse of the Sisters of Mercy on Crosswicks Street. The building still stands and is used as an assisted living home for non-ambulatory elderly, called The Clare Estate. The Order of Poor Clares
Order of Poor Ladies
The Poor Clares also known as the Order of Saint Clare, the Order of Poor Ladies, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, and the Second Order of St. Francis, , comprise several orders of nuns in the Catholic Church...
has moved to a new facility outside Bordentown City.
The town has become a destination for weekend dining as well as for the casual perusal of its book stores, historical sites and art galleries. The active downtown business association sponsors an annual Iris Festival & Art Show in early May, an annual Street Fair in mid- to late May, and an annual Cranberry Festival in early October. The Bordentown Historical Society sponsors other events, such as the Holiday House Tour and Peach Social.
Geography
Bordentown is located at 40.145900°N 74.710148°W (40.145900, -74.710148).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²). 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (5.15%) is water.
The City of Bordentown is surrounded on three sides by Bordentown Township
Bordentown Township, New Jersey
Of note, the Crosswicks Creek and its juncture with the Delaware River, otherwise known as the Trenton-Hamilton Marsh, is a very significant ecosystem and, with the peninsula of land and waterways to the northwest of Bordentown Township known, respectively, as Duck Island, Duck Creek and the...
and on the western side by the juncture of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
and Crosswicks Creek
Crosswicks Creek
Crosswicks Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Burlington County, in western New Jersey in the United States.Crosswicks Creek watershed encompasses parts of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties...
, the border for Hamilton
Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Hamilton Township is a Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 88,464...
. It is bounded on the east by U.S. Route 130
U.S. Route 130
U.S. Route 130 is a north–south U.S. Highway completely within the state of New Jersey. It runs from Interstate 295 and US 40 at Deepwater in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where the road continues east as Route 49, north to US 1 in North Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, where...
and U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
, on the south by Black's Creek and Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey)
Interstate 295 in New Jersey and Delaware is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The route begins at a junction with Interstate 95 south of Wilmington, Delaware, and runs to another junction with I-95 north of Trenton, New Jersey...
, and on the north by the Mile Hollow Run. Across the Delaware River is Falls Township
Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Falls Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 34,300 at the 2010 census. Portions of Fairless Hills and Levittown, Pennsylvania, are located in the township...
in Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,969 people, 1,757 households, and 989 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,303.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,665.7/km2). There were 1,884 housing units at an average density of abc 790.7/km2 (2,042.8/mi2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.25% White, 13.08% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.91% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.82% of the population.
There were 1,757 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.7% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,279, and the median income for a family was $59,872. Males had a median income of $39,909 versus $31,780 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $25,882. About 4.0% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Bordentown has been governed under the Walsh ActWalsh Act (New Jersey)
The Walsh Act is legislation in the U.S. state of New Jersey that permits municipalities to adopt a non-partisan commission form of government. The legislation was signed by Governor of New Jersey Woodrow Wilson on April 25, 1911. The commissions in Walsh Act municipalities are composed of either...
since 1913, with a government consisting of three commissioners, one of whom is selected to serve as Mayor. Members are elected to four-year concurrent terms in office in non-partisan elections.
, Bordentown's commissioners are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
James E. Lynch, Jr. (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety
Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety
The Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety heads one of the departments in those local governments in New Jersey that operate under the Walsh Act form of municipal governance. This is a standalone position in Walsh Act municipalities with a three-member commission...
), Deputy Mayor Heather Cheeseman (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance
Commissioner of Revenue and Finance
The Commissioner of Revenue and Finance heads one of the departments in those local governments in New Jersey that operate under the Walsh Act form of municipal governance...
) and Zigmont Targonski (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property
Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property
The Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property heads one of the departments in those local governments in New Jersey that operate under the Walsh Act form of municipal governance. This is a standalone position in Walsh Act municipalities with a three-member commission...
).
Environmental Commission
The Bordentown City Environmental Commission (BCEC) is a volunteer group of Bordentown City residents. The Commission is an official body, and its chair answers to the Mayor. The BCEC advises local officials and the Planning Board regarding environmental issues and is a watchdog for environmental problems and opportunities. It is designed to inform elected officials and the public, serve on committees, research issues, develop educational programs and advocate for sound environmental policies. Local issues include preservation of open space, promoting walking and bicycling trails and the River Line, protection of wetlands and water quality, recycling and energy conservation, and environmental education.The BCEC's most current efforts have focuses upon a bicycle and pedestrian circulation study, the City's open space plan, and the development of a set of local greenways
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
(Thorntown and Black Creek).
Federal, state and county representation
Bordentown City is in the 4th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 30th state legislative district. The city was relocated to the 7th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district will be in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
Education
Public school students in grades K through 12 attend the schools of the Bordentown Regional School DistrictBordentown Regional School District
The Bordentown Regional School District is a comprehensive regional public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from five communities in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States...
, which serves students from Bordentown City, Bordentown Township
Bordentown Township, New Jersey
Of note, the Crosswicks Creek and its juncture with the Delaware River, otherwise known as the Trenton-Hamilton Marsh, is a very significant ecosystem and, with the peninsula of land and waterways to the northwest of Bordentown Township known, respectively, as Duck Island, Duck Creek and the...
and Fieldsboro Borough
Fieldsboro, New Jersey
Fieldsboro is a Borough in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 522.Fieldsboro was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature as Fieldsborough on March 7, 1850, within portions of Mansfield Township. It...
. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are
Clara Barton Elementary School (221 students; grades K-3),
Peter Muschal Elementary School (563; K-3),
MacFarland Intermediate School (344; 4-5),
Bordentown Regional Middle School (532; 6-8) and
Bordentown Regional High School
Bordentown Regional High School
Bordentown Regional High School is a comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from five communities in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Bordentown Regional School District. The high school serves students...
(768; 9-12).
The New Hanover Township School
New Hanover Township School
The New Hanover Township School is an elementary school in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The school serves students in pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade from New Hanover Township and Wrightstown, as part of the New Hanover Township School District.As of the 2005-06 school year,...
District, consisting of New Hanover Township
New Hanover Township, New Jersey
New Hanover Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 9,744. The township is located in the Delaware Valley....
and Wrightstown Borough
Wrightstown, New Jersey
Wrightstown is a Borough in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 802....
, sends students to the district on a tuition basis for grades 9 - 12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
. As of 2011, the New Hanover district was considering expansion of its relationship under which it would also send students to Bordentown for middle school.
St. Mary's Elementary School is a Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
that teaches Pre-K - 8. This school is not to be confused with Doane Academy (formerly St. Mary's Hall-Doane Academy), located in Burlington City, NJ.
The Bordentown Military Institute was located here from 1881 to 1972. The Society of the Divine Word fathers operated a minor seminary in Bordentown from 1947 to 1983. One of its more famous alumni Douglas Palmer
Douglas Palmer
Douglas Harold Palmer was the first African American mayor of Trenton, New Jersey.- Biography :He was born in Trenton and attended Trenton public schools. He then graduated from the Bordentown Military Institute in Bordentown, New Jersey...
was the four-term mayor of Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, leaving office in 2009.
Transportation
The River LineRiver Line (New Jersey Transit)
The River Line is a diesel light rail system in New Jersey, United States, that connects the cities of Camden and Trenton, New Jersey's capital. It is operated for New Jersey Transit by the Southern New Jersey Rail Group , which originally included Bechtel Group and Bombardier...
offers service to Camden
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
and Trenton Rail Station
Trenton Rail Station (New Jersey)
Trenton Transit Center, formerly known as Trenton Rail Station, is the main passenger train station in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the southernmost stop in New Jersey on the Northeast Corridor...
, with a station in Bordentown
Bordentown (River LINE station)
Bordentown is a station on the River Line light rail system, located on West Park Avenue in Bordentown, New Jersey.The station opened on March 15, 2004. Southbound service from the station is available to Camden, New Jersey...
at Park Street. New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
has bus 409 run through Bordentown. providing service to Philadelphia.
U.S. Route 130
U.S. Route 130
U.S. Route 130 is a north–south U.S. Highway completely within the state of New Jersey. It runs from Interstate 295 and US 40 at Deepwater in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where the road continues east as Route 49, north to US 1 in North Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, where...
and U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
run through very briefly and intersect at County Route 528
County Route 528 (New Jersey)
County Route 528 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Farnsworth Avenue in Bordentown to Ocean Avenue in Mantoloking.-Burlington County:...
in the city. The New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
is outside in neighboring Bordentown Twp with access at Interchange 7. Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey)
Interstate 295 in New Jersey and Delaware is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The route begins at a junction with Interstate 95 south of Wilmington, Delaware, and runs to another junction with I-95 north of Trenton, New Jersey...
(which may not pass through) has two interchanges that take travelers into Bordentown: Exit 57 and Exit 56.
Commerce
Downtown Bordentown has many book and antique stores lining its streets, with Italian and American restaurants. The restaurants are primarily Italian, but there are also restaurants and diners that specialize in American food, Chinese food, and more recently Japanese food. There is also a wellness and spa oriented business called The Wellness Center of Bordentown.Bordentown City's one square mile is home to at least 10 houses of worship, including: American Presbyterian Church, B’nai Abraham Synagogue, Christ Episcopal Church, Ebenezer Full Gospel Community Church, First Baptist Church of Bordentown, First Presbyterian Church, Mount Zion AME Church, Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, and Union Baptist Church.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Bordentown include:- Ricardo AlmeidaRicardo AlmeidaRicardo Almeida is a retired Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler residing in Bordentown, New Jersey.-Background:...
(born 1976), a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler. - Al AronowitzAl AronowitzAlfred Gilbert Aronowitz was an American rock journalist best known for introducing Bob Dylan and The Beatles in 1964.Aronowitz was born in Bordentown, New Jersey...
(1928–2005), rock journalist who claimed that Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
wrote his famous "Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" in Aronowitz's former Berkeley Heights home. - Clara BartonClara BartonClarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
(1821–1912), in 1852 started the first free public school in New Jersey and later founded the American Red CrossAmerican Red CrossThe American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
. - Joseph BonaparteJoseph BonaparteJoseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
(1768–1844), King of Naples and Sicily, King of Spain and the Indies and brother to Napoleon I of FranceNapoleon I of FranceNapoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. - Denise Borino-QuinnDenise Borino-QuinnDenise Borino-Quinn was an American television actress who had a recurring role as Ginny Sacramoni, the overweight wife of New York mob boss Johnny Sack in the television series The Sopranos....
(1964–2010), Ginny Sacramoni, the overweight wife of New York mob boss Johnny SackJohnny SackJohn "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni, played by Vince Curatola, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was the longtime underboss and later the boss of the powerful Brooklyn-based New York City Lupertazzi crime family...
in The SopranosThe SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
. - Samuel C. ForkerSamuel C. ForkerSamuel Carr Forker was a Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1871-1873.Forker was born in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey on March 16, 1821...
(1821–1900), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's Second Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Frank LoBiondo.-Counties and municipalities in the district:...
in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1871-1873. - Richard Watson GilderRichard Watson GilderRichard Watson Gilder was an American poet and editor.-Life and career:Gilder was born at Bordentown, New Jersey. He was the son of Jane Gilder and the Rev. William Henry Gilder, and educated at his father's seminary in Flushing, Queens. There he learned to set type and published the St. Thomas...
(1844–1909), poet, author and editor of The Century MagazineThe Century MagazineThe Century Magazine was first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City as a successor to Scribner's Monthly Magazine...
. - Francis HopkinsonFrancis HopkinsonFrancis Hopkinson , an American author, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. He later served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania...
(1737–91), author who was one of the signers of the Declaration of IndependenceUnited States Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
. - Thomas PaineThomas PaineThomas "Tom" Paine was an English author, pamphleteer, radical, inventor, intellectual, revolutionary, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States...
(1737–1809), American and French Revolution inspiration and author of many works, including "Common Sense" and "The Rights of Man". - Chris PrynoskiChris PrynoskiChris Prynoski born November 1, 1971, is an American animator, director, and producer.Prynoski was born in Trenton, New Jersey and grew up in Bordentown, New Jersey. He graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1994. He then spent several years working in the industry in New York, mostly on his...
(born 1971), animator. - Charles Stewart (1778–1869), United States Navy admiral, resided in Bordentown at the time of his death in 1869.
- Susan WatersSusan WatersSusan Catherine Moore Waters , self-taught painter of animals and resident of Bordentown, New Jersey.- Biography :...
(1823–1900), painter, photographer, active in the suffrage movement and in animal rights causes. - Patience WrightPatience WrightPatience Lovell Wright was the first recognized American-born sculptor. She chiefly created wax figures of people. She loved to write poetry and was also a painter....
(1725–86), America's first native-born female sculptor.
External links
- Official website
- Bordentown Historical Society
- Bordentown Regional School District
- Data for the Bordentown Regional School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Bordentown City Environmental Commission
- Joseph Bonaparte's Sojourn in the United States
- Point Breeze: Joseph Bonaparte's Home in America
- A Walking Tour of Bordentown, by the Bordentown Historical Society
- Downtown Bordentown Business Association
- The Northern Burlington Regional Chamber of Commerce (formerly The Greater Bordentown Area Chamber of Commerce)
- A July 3, 2000 Princeton Packet article on the Bordentown Ocean Spray Processing Plant
- Our Town: Bordentown City