Chester Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
- See also Chester Borough, New Jersey
Chester Township is a township
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, 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 township population was 7,838.
Chester Township is an affluent community in Morris County, about 40 miles (64.4 km) west of 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...
that featurs Victorian style homes and palatial estates. Throughout the year there are craft fairs, Victorian house tours during the holiday season, jazz concerts in downtown park, and other community events. It was established 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 April 1, 1799, from portions of both Roxbury Township
Roxbury Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,883 people, 8,364 households, and 6,532 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,117.4 people per square mile . There were 8,550 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile...
and Washington Township
Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 18,533. It's one of six municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington. Washington, New Jersey, in fact is only away...
, based on the results of a referendum held that day. Additional territories were acquired from Randolph Township
Randolph, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,847 people, 8,679 households, and 6,804 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,185.2 people per square mile . There were 8,903 housing units at an average density of 424.7 per square mile...
(in 1806) and Washington Township (1840 and 1853). Portions of the township were taken on April 3, 1930 to form Chester Borough, a separate municipality surrounded entirely by Chester Township.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 township has a total area of 29.3 square miles (75.9 km²), of which 0.03% is water.
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 7,282 people, 2,323 households, and 2,014 families residing in the township. 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 248.3 people per square mile (95.9/km²). There were 2,377 housing units at an average density of 81.1 per square mile (31.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.12% white, 1.15% African American, 0.01% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.58% of the population.
Of the 2,323 households, 46.0% feature children under the age of 18, 79.6% 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, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.3% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the township the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $117,298, and the median income for a family was $133,586. Males had a median income of $91,841 versus $52,076 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 township was $55,353. About 2.4% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
The earliest records of individuals settling in the area date back to deeds dated in 1713, for properties located near a point where two LenapeLenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
trails crossed at an area called Black River. With the arrival of the Rogerenes
Rogerenes
The Rogerenes were a religious sect founded in 1674 by John Rogers in New London, Connecticut. Rogers was imprisoned and spent some years there. He was influenced by the Seventh Day Baptists and the Religious Society of Friends and opposed the Established Puritan church...
in 1730, the area developed as an agricultural community, producing applejack
Applejack (beverage)
Applejack is a strong alcoholic beverage produced from apples, popular in the American colonial period.Applejack was historically made by concentrating hard cider, either by the traditional method of freeze distillation or by true evaporative distillation. The term applejack derives from jacking, a...
, flax and wool, as well as raising cattle. A burst of economic activity occurred starting in 1875 with the discovery of iron ore in the area, which led to the construction of dozens of mines, a blast furnace and many of the commercial and residential structures in the township date to that era. The discovery of far more abundant and productive mining sites in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
's Mesabi Range
Mesabi Range
The Mesabi Iron Range is a vast deposit of iron ore and the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota. Discovered in 1866, it is the chief deposit of iron ore in the United States. The deposit is located in northeast Minnesota, largely in...
ended that boom after nearly 15 years. Chester returned to its farming roots in the 20th Century.
Local government
In 1958, Chester Township changed its form of government from the TownshipTownship (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
form to a Faulkner Act
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...
form, Small Municipality
Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Small Municipality form of government...
, Plan C. Its structure includes four Councilmembers and a Mayor, all elected at large for three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. The candidates run on a partisan basis at regular primary and general election times. Independent candidates, having declared their intentions at primary time, run only in the general election.
Chester Township's form of government features a strong mayor, who acts as the township's executive, overseeing the creation of a budget, preparing an annual financial report and the enforcement of state and local laws, and is responsible for hiring most township officials (with approval of the council). The council, which is the township's legislative body, selects one of its members to serve as president to preside when the mayor is not present. The mayor participates and votes in council sessions and makes committee assignments to council members. The mayor and a member of the council serve on the Planning Board.
, the members of the Chester Township Committee 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....
William A. Cogger, Matt Kass, Brian Murphy, Karen Powell and Leonard Taylor.
Merger discussion with Chester Borough
In 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon CorzineJon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
created incentives for municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants to combine with other communities. The goal is to reduce the overall cost of government and thereby offer some tax relief. "New Jersey has 21 counties, 566 municipalities and 616 school districts, and property taxes average $6,800 per homeowner, or twice the national average."
Chester Borough split from Chester Township in 1930 over the creation of sewer and water infrastructure in the more densely settled center of the municipality. The residents of the rural portions of the Township did not wish to financially support the construction and maintenance of a public sewer or water utility. Since that time rural Chester Township has relied upon individual private wells for water and septic systems for wastewater treatment while the Borough is primarily, although not entirely, served by public sewer and water. Concerns over the extension of utilities into the rural Township with the resultant potential for large scale growth served as an impediment to consolidation. The prohibition of utility extensions supported by the NJ State Plan and codified in the Highlands Water Protection Act, along with the development restrictions contained in the Highlands Act have lessened those concerns. Additionally, an aggressive land conservation program in the Township has resulted in over 40% of the 29 square miles (75.1 km²) Township being placed into permanent preservation, further lessening worries about potential over-development. The two municipalities currently share a common K-8 school district, volunteer fire department, library, first aid squad and other municipal services.
Governor Corzine's plan to reduce or eliminate state aid had residents considering recombining towns. The two mayors publicly endorsed a cost/benefit analysis of a merger. However, a merger vote planned for November 2, 2010, was delayed until 2011 due to Governor Christie's elimination of equalization funds that ensured some taxpayers do not pay more due to the merger.
Federal, state and county representation
Chester Township is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district. The township was relocated to the 25th 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 is 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.
Politics
In recent years, according to the results of previous elections, Chester Township tends to support the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
on the national and state levels. In the 2008 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
received 63% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who received around 36%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...
, Republican Chris Christie received 72% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, who received around 19%.
Education
Students in grades K-8 attend the Chester Township Public School DistrictChester Township Public School District
The Chester Township Public School District is a fully accredited elementary district responsible for the education of students in kindergarten through eighth grades...
, together with children from Chester Borough. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 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
Dickerson Elementary School (grades K-2; 413 students),
Bragg Intermediate School (3-5; 465), and
Black River Middle School (6-8; 499). Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on County Route 510
County Route 510 (New Jersey)
County Route 510 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from North Road in Chester to McCarter Highway in Newark.A separate, westbound portion of CR 510 stretches through Morristown.-Morris County:...
, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on County Route 513
County Route 513 (New Jersey)
County Route 513 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Kingwood Avenue in Frenchtown to Lakeside Road in West Milford...
(North Road), north of Chester Borough.
Students in public school for grades nine through twelve in both communities attend West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Mendham High School is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth though twelfth grade as part of the West Morris Regional High School District. The school is located in Mendham Borough, New Jersey, United States...
, part of the West Morris Regional High School District
West Morris Regional High School District
The West Morris Regional High School District is a regional public high school district in New Jersey that serves students from the surrounding Morris County communities of Chester Borough , Chester Township , Mendham Borough , Mendham Township and from Washington Township...
, which serves students from the surrounding Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township
Mendham Township, New Jersey
Mendham Township is an affluent township in Morris County, in the central portion of northern New Jersey, United States, located more than due west of New York City. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 5,400...
and from Washington Township
Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 18,533. It's one of six municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington. Washington, New Jersey, in fact is only away...
.
Transportation
New Jersey TransitNew 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...
local bus service is provided on the MCM4
PABCO Transit, Inc
PABCO Transit, Inc., doing business under the Morris County Metro brand, is a public transport company based in Dover, New Jersey operating local bus service in Morris County for New Jersey Transit. The company was originally called Passaic - Athena Bus Lines which operated service in Passaic and...
and MCM5
PABCO Transit, Inc
PABCO Transit, Inc., doing business under the Morris County Metro brand, is a public transport company based in Dover, New Jersey operating local bus service in Morris County for New Jersey Transit. The company was originally called Passaic - Athena Bus Lines which operated service in Passaic and...
routes.
Local recreation and environment
Of the township’s 29.8 square miles (77.2 km²), 42 percent, or about 12 square miles (31.1 km²), is permanently protected from development. There are nature reserves and parkland, but also agricultural property that is deed restricted under the state Farmland Preservation Program, which buys the development rights while allowing the farmer to retain title and continue working the land.Chester has been described as a rural environment that caters to "agritourism." The township has developed this reputation by preserving farmland through public investment in open spaces.
The townships parks are preserves are free and open to the public. A partial list includes:
- Chubb Park: an 85 acres (343,983.1 m²) area with playing fields, skating, ponds, and sledding.
- Tiger Brook Park: Purchased with the assistance of the New Jersey Green Acres Program in 1980, this 270 acres (1.1 km²) preserve contains a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) reservoir.
- Hacklebarney State Park: This 890 acres (3.6 km²) park was established in 1924 with the donation of 32 acres (129,499.5 m²). The Black River, which bisects the park, is one of the premier trout fishing streams in New Jersey.
- Black River Fish and Wildlife Management Area: This area consists of 3020 acres (12.2 km²) in the northern portion of the Township. It was purchased under the Green Acres Acquisition Program for recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, canoeing, cross-country skiing and hiking.
Development is highly constrained due to state and town ordinance. The entire Township is located in the New Jersey Highlands with approximately 86% of the land area designated as part of the more highly constrained Highlands Preservation Area. This environmentally sensitive area supplies drinking water to two-thirds of the state’s residents. In 2004, the state passed the Highlands Preservation Act to limit development. In 2005, 27 new homes were built and only 16 in 2006.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Chester Township include:- Jim BreuerJim BreuerJim Breuer is an American stand-up comedian, actor and radio host. He is most noted for his time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and starring in the 1998 cult "stoner comedy" Half Baked, alongside Dave Chappelle....
(born 1967), comedian. - Alex BuzbeeAlex BuzbeeAlex Buzbee is a defensive end for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
(born 1985), defensive endDefensive endDefensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
of the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. - Neil CavutoNeil CavutoNeil Patrick Cavuto is an American television anchor and commentator on the Fox Business Network and host of three television programs, Your World with Neil Cavuto and Cavuto on Business, both on the Fox News Channel and Cavuto on sister channel Fox Business Network.Cavuto also tapes a nightly...
(born 1958), Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
anchor. - James GandolfiniJames GandolfiniJames J. Gandolfini, Jr. is an Italian American actor. He is best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos, about a troubled crime boss struggling to balance his family life and career in the Mafia...
(born 1961), actor. - Dave Levey, finalist on Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen (U.S. season 6)Season 6 of the American competitive reality television series Hell's Kitchen began airing on the Fox Network on July 21, 2009. Gordon Ramsay returned as the host and head chef. Scott Leibfried returned as a sous chef for the blue team, for his sixth season. This season, Heather West, the winner of...
. - Rick PorcelloRick PorcelloFrederick Alfred "Rick" Porcello III is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
(born 1988), pitcher for the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
External links
- Chester Township website
- Chester Township Public School District
- Data for the Chester Township Public 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...
- West Morris Regional High School District
- West Morris Central High School
- West Morris Mendham High School
- Daily Record, area newspaper
- Photographic montage of Chester Township
- Chester Game Association