Oxford Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Oxford Township is a Township
in Warren County
, New Jersey
, United States
. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 2,514. It part of the eastern-most region of the Lehigh Valley
.
Oxford
is a census-designated place
and unincorporated area located entirely within Oxford Township.
Oxford Township was formed from portions of Greenwich Township
on May 30, 1754, while the area was still part of Sussex County
, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on February 21, 1798. Mansfield Township became part of the newly formed Warren County on November 20, 1824. Over the centuries since its creation, portions of the township were taken to form Knowlton Township
(February 23, 1763), Franklin Township
, Harmony Township
and Hope Township
(all on April 8, 1839), Belvidere
(April 7, 1845) and White Township
(April 9, 1913).
The origin of the name and the exact date of the township's creation is in dispute. One source says that the township was named after the university in England, and was formed in either 1753 or 1755, but another source claims that the township was named after an early settler named John Axford, who came to settle in the area with others between 1735 and 1739, and affirms that the township's creation was in 1755.
Oxford Furnace
, built in 1741, it was the third furnace in Colonial New Jersey and the first constructed at a site where iron ore was mined. Other furnaces used ore extracted from bogs in South Jersey
, impure deposits called bog iron
. Oxford Furnace operated the longest of any of the Colonial Furnaces, not being "blown out" until 1884. In 1835, it was the site of America's first successful use of the hot blast
in which preheated air was blown into the furnace, cutting production time. Though worn down by time, much of the site still stands. Oxford Furnace is listed on the State and the National Register of Historic Places
.
, the township has a total area of 6 square miles (15.5 km²). 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.33%) is water. Oxford borders the townships of Washington
, Mansfield
, White
and Liberty
.
of 2000, there were 2,307 people, 886 households, and 618 families residing in the township. The population density
was 388.7 inhabitants per square mile (150.0/km²). There were 938 housing units at an average density of 158.0 per square mile (61.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.58% White, 1.21% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.65% from other races
, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.47% of the population.
There were 886 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples
living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $53,359, and the median income for a family was $63,750. Males had a median income of $45,667 versus $31,210 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $23,515. About 2.6% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
form of government with a three-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor.
Members of the Oxford Township Committee are Mayor
Donald Niece (R
, 2012), Deputy Mayor
Bonnie Riley (D
, term ends December 31, 2011), Keith Gibbons (R, 2013).
Oxford Township is in the
serves public school students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Oxford Central School had an enrollment of 291 students as of the 2008-09 school year.
Students in grades 9 and up for public school attend Warren Hills Regional High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship
. The Warren Hills Regional School District
also serves students in grades 7-12 from the municipalities of Washington Borough
, Washington Township
, Mansfield Township
, and Franklin Township
. Schools in the district (with 2007-08 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
are
Warren Hills Regional Middle School (grades 7 and 8; 675 students) located in Washington Borough and
Warren Hills Regional High School (grades 9 - 12; 1,364 students) located in Washington 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 Warren County
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 2,514. It part of the eastern-most region of the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
.
Oxford
Oxford, New Jersey
Oxford is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Oxford Township, in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 2,283 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oxford is located at ....
is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and unincorporated area located entirely within Oxford Township.
Oxford Township was formed from portions of Greenwich Township
Greenwich Township, Warren County, New Jersey
Greenwich Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 5,712. The township is located in the far eastern region of the Lehigh Valley....
on May 30, 1754, while the area was still part of Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of townships 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 February 21, 1798. Mansfield Township became part of the newly formed Warren County on November 20, 1824. Over the centuries since its creation, portions of the township were taken to form Knowlton Township
Knowlton Township, New Jersey
- Local government :The Knowlton Township Committee consists of Mayor Frank Van Horn , Deputy Mayor Ronald Farber , Theresa Capriccio , René Mathez and Scott Odorizzi ....
(February 23, 1763), Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Warren County, New Jersey
- Local government :Franklin Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for...
, Harmony Township
Harmony Township, New Jersey
-Transportation:The only major road that traverses Harmony is CR 519 which leads to U.S. Route 22 to the south and U.S. Route 46 to the north.The closest limited access road is Interstate 78 which is in neighboring Greenwich and Franklin.- Local government :...
and Hope Township
Hope Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,891 people, 697 households, and 538 families residing in the township. The population density was 102.2 people per square mile . There were 747 housing units at an average density of 40.4 per square mile...
(all on April 8, 1839), Belvidere
Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere is a Town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,681. It is the county seat of Warren County....
(April 7, 1845) and White Township
White Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,245 people, 1,668 households, and 1,179 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.1 people per square mile . There were 1,770 housing units at an average density of 64.7 per square mile...
(April 9, 1913).
The origin of the name and the exact date of the township's creation is in dispute. One source says that the township was named after the university in England, and was formed in either 1753 or 1755, but another source claims that the township was named after an early settler named John Axford, who came to settle in the area with others between 1735 and 1739, and affirms that the township's creation was in 1755.
Oxford Furnace
Oxford Furnace, New Jersey
Oxford Furnace was a furnace used for smelting iron located in Oxford Township, in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. Built in 1741, it was the third furnace in colonial New Jersey and the first constructed at a site where iron ore was mined. Other furnaces used ore extracted from bogs in...
, built in 1741, it was the third furnace in Colonial New Jersey and the first constructed at a site where iron ore was mined. Other furnaces used ore extracted from bogs in South Jersey
South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation is a colloquial one, reflecting not only geographical but perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state, with no official...
, impure deposits called bog iron
Bog iron
Bog iron refers to impure iron deposits that develop in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in the solutions. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite...
. Oxford Furnace operated the longest of any of the Colonial Furnaces, not being "blown out" until 1884. In 1835, it was the site of America's first successful use of the hot blast
Hot blast
Hot blast refers to the preheating of air blown into a blast furnace or other metallurgical process. This has the result of considerably reducing the fuel consumed in the process...
in which preheated air was blown into the furnace, cutting production time. Though worn down by time, much of the site still stands. Oxford Furnace is listed on the State and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
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 6 square miles (15.5 km²). 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.33%) is water. Oxford borders the townships of Washington
Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 6,651. It is part of the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley. It is one of six municipalities in New Jersey under the name Washington...
, Mansfield
Mansfield Township, Warren County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,653 people, 2,334 households, and 1,750 families residing in the township. The population density was 222.3 people per square mile . There were 2,415 housing units at an average density of 80.7 per square mile...
, White
White Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,245 people, 1,668 households, and 1,179 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.1 people per square mile . There were 1,770 housing units at an average density of 64.7 per square mile...
and Liberty
Liberty Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,765 people, 980 households, and 750 families residing in the township. The population density was 234.3 people per square mile . There were 1,088 housing units at an average density of 92.2 per square mile...
.
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 2,307 people, 886 households, and 618 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 388.7 inhabitants per square mile (150.0/km²). There were 938 housing units at an average density of 158.0 per square mile (61.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.58% White, 1.21% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.65% 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 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.47% of the population.
There were 886 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $53,359, and the median income for a family was $63,750. Males had a median income of $45,667 versus $31,210 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 $23,515. About 2.6% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Oxford Township is governed under 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 of government with a three-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor.
Members of the Oxford 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....
Donald Niece (R
Republican 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...
, 2012), Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
Bonnie Riley (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, term ends December 31, 2011), Keith Gibbons (R, 2013).
Federal, state and county representation
Oxford Township is in the 5th Congressional district.Oxford Township is in the
Education
The Oxford Township School DistrictOxford Township School District
The Oxford Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through eighth grade from Oxford Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States....
serves public school students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Oxford Central School had an enrollment of 291 students as of the 2008-09 school year.
Students in grades 9 and up for public school attend Warren Hills Regional High School 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...
. The Warren Hills Regional School District
Warren Hills Regional School District
The Warren Hills Regional School District is a Grade 7-12 comprehensive public school district located in Warren County, New Jersey that serves approximately 2,100 students from the municipalities of Washington Borough, Washington Township, Mansfield Township and Franklin Township, along with...
also serves students in grades 7-12 from the municipalities of Washington Borough
Washington, New Jersey
Washington is a borough in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 6,461. The borough is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley....
, Washington Township
Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 6,651. It is part of the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley. It is one of six municipalities in New Jersey under the name Washington...
, Mansfield Township
Mansfield Township, Warren County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,653 people, 2,334 households, and 1,750 families residing in the township. The population density was 222.3 people per square mile . There were 2,415 housing units at an average density of 80.7 per square mile...
, and Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Warren County, New Jersey
- Local government :Franklin Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for...
. Schools in the district (with 2007-08 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
Warren Hills Regional Middle School (grades 7 and 8; 675 students) located in Washington Borough and
Warren Hills Regional High School (grades 9 - 12; 1,364 students) located in Washington Township.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Oxford Township include:- Keith JarrettKeith JarrettKeith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...
, jazz pianist and composer. - George M. RobesonGeorge M. RobesonGeorge Maxwell Robeson was an American Republican Party politician and lawyer from New Jersey who served as a Union army general during the American Civil War, and then as Secretary of the Navy during the Grant administration. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1879 to...
, Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and United States Secretary of the NavyUnited States Secretary of the NavyThe Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
during the Grant administration.