Location of Bernards Township in Somerset County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Somerset County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Bernards Township, New Jersey
Bernards Township was originally formed by royal charter on May 24, 1760, as Bernardston Township from remaining portions of Northern precinct.[28] It was incorporated as Bernards Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to form Warren Township (March 5, 1806), Far Hills (April 7, 1921) and Bernardsville (March 6, 1924).[29] The township celebrated its 250th charter anniversary in May 2010.[28]
A set of referendums to create independent boroughs from portions of Bernards Township were held in June 1921, which would have left only Liberty Corner and Lyons remaining in Bernards Township if all three proposals had been approved; The referendum in Far Hills passed and the vote in Bernardsville failed in 1921, but ultimately passed in 1924.[30] Voters rejected the creation of proposed borough of Basking Ridge by a more than 4–1 margin.[31]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 24.33 square miles (63.01 km2), including 24.20 square miles (62.68 km2) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.33 km2) of water (0.52%).[1][2]
Of the 9,783 households, 40.0% had children under the age of 18; 61.7% were married couples living together; 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.5% were non-families. Of all households, 26.6% were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.27.[23]
28.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.5 males.[23]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $123,285 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,030) and the median family income was $153,906 (+/− $14,565). Males had a median income of $123,390 (+/− $9,621) versus $86,272 (+/− $9,195) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $67,809 (+/− $4,972). About 2.1% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.[50]
2000 census
At the 2000 United States census[19] there were 24,575 people, 9,242 households and 6,487 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,023.8 inhabitants per square mile (395.3/km2). There were 9,485 housing units at an average density of 395.1 per square mile (152.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 89.20% White, 1.44% African American, 0.05% Native American, 7.85% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.63% of the population.[48][49]
There were 9,242 households, of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.17.[48][49]
Age distribution was 27.7% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.[48][49]
The median income for a household in the township was $107,204, and the median income for a family was $135,806. Males had a median income of $95,758 versus $60,865 for females. The per capita income for the township was $56,521. About 0.6% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.[48][49]
Bernards Township operates under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.[53] The Township Committee has five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[7][54] At an annual reorganization meeting held during the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.[3]
As of 2023[update], members of the Bernards Township Committee are Mayor Andrew J. McNally (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Jennifer L. Asay (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), James Baldassare Jr. (R, 2023), Janice M. Fields (R, 2025) and Gary S. Baumann (R, 2023).[3][55][56][57][58][59]
Federal, state and county representation
Bernards Township is located in the 7th Congressional District[60] and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.[61]
Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held on the first Friday of January, the board selects a Director and deputy director from among its members.[68] As of 2024[update], Somerset County's County Commissioners are:
Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are:
Clerk Steve Peter (D, Somerville, 2027),[78][79]
Sheriff Darrin Russo (D, Franklin Township, 2025)[80][81] and
Surrogate Bernice "Tina" Jalloh (D, Franklin Township, 2025)[82][83][76]
Elections
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 18,377 registered voters in Bernards Township, of which 3,544 (19.3% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 7,019 (38.2% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 7,803 (42.5% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 11 voters registered to as Libertarians or Greens.[84] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 69.0% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 96.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).[84][85]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 59.2% of the vote (7,879 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.1% (5,338 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (101 votes), among the 13,383 ballots cast by the township's 19,555 registered voters (65 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.4%.[86][87] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 8,078 votes here (56.1% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 6,143 votes (42.6% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 99 votes (0.7% vs. 1.1%), among the 14,405 ballots cast by the township's 18,039 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.9% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County).[88] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 8,364 votes here (60.6% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 5,317 votes (38.5% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 84 votes (0.6% vs. 0.9%), among the 13,812 ballots cast by the township's 16,534 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.5% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).[89]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 77.1% of the vote (6,505 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 21.7% (1,829 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (105 votes), among the 8,547 ballots cast by the township's 19,701 registered voters (108 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.4%.[90][91] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 6,124 votes here (59.5% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 2,639 votes (25.6% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 1,427 votes (13.9% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 33 votes (0.3% vs. 0.7%), among the 10,293 ballots cast by the township's 18,244 registered voters, yielding a 56.4% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).[92]
Students in public school for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are served by the Bernards Township School District.[93] As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 4,874 students and 456.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.7:1.[94] Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[95]) are
Cedar Hill Elementary School[96] with 483 students in grades K-5,
Liberty Corner Elementary School[97] with 466 students in grades K-5,
Mount Prospect Elementary School[98] with 507 students in grades PreK-5,
Oak Street Elementary School[99] with 406 students in grades K-5,
William Annin Middle School[100] with 1,201 students in grades 6-8 and
Ridge High School[101] with 1,794 students in grades 9-12.[102][103][104][105] The district offers its Integrated Preschool Program for children on the autism spectrum, utilizing the principles of applied behavior analysis.[106]
During the 2009–10 school year, Ridge High School was awarded the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive.[107] The school had also won the award for the 1986–1987 school year.[108] Mount Prospect Elementary School was one of 11 in the state to be recognized in 2014 by the United States Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.[109][110] In 2015, Liberty Corner School was one of 15 schools in New Jersey, and one of nine public schools, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the exemplary high performing category.[111][112]
Ridge High School was ranked 194th, the second-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools.[113] The school was the 9th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 12th in 2010 out of 322 schools.[114] The Ridge High School was ranked 37th best in America in 2015 by Newsweek.
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 138.86 miles (223.47 km) of roadways, of which 109.20 miles (175.74 km) were maintained by the municipality, 21.13 miles (34.01 km) by Somerset County and 8.53 miles (13.73 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[118]
The Brick Academy – A restoration of what was known as the Basking Ridge Classical School, a prep school for those hoping to attend Princeton University. The Brick Academy is the current home of the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills.[128]
The Devil's Tree – A solitary oak tree in a field off Mountain Road in the southern corner of the township that has been subject of several stories in Weird NJ magazine[131]
In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, which had a devastating effect on the Greater New Orleans area, the Bernards Township Regional Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of former Mayor Albert LiCata, organized and sent truckloads of supplies to assist residents of Houma, Louisiana. In 2007, the Parish returned the favor by sending the Terrebonne High School Marching band on a 26-hour bus ride to the Bernards Township Chamber's Holiday Parade to march at their event and perform a Christmas concert for the public at a local church.[134]
In January 2017 the township hired Trenton-based Burton Trent Public Affairs to help manage the negative publicity associated with the Justice Department's allegations.[136] The contract was reportedly worth $45,000.
Philip Lindsley (1786–1855), Presbyterian minister, educator, and classicist; acting president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), 1822–1824[149]
^ abcTownship Committee, Bernards Township. Accessed September 18, 2023. "Bernards Township operates under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, elected by the public in partisan elections for three-year terms of office on a staggered schedule, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.... At the annual Reorganization meeting held in January, the Mayor is elected by the committee from among its members."
^Cheselow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In: Basking Ridge, N.J.;A Rich Hamlet That Gobbled Up a Town", The New York Times, November 19, 1995. Accessed July 4, 2012. "But over two centuries, about 95 percent of the township became known as Basking Ridge and has a Basking Ridge postal address.... The only major parts of Bernards that do not have Basking Ridge addresses are the Veterans Administration Hospital, opened in 1930, where disabled veterans and staff are housed, and Liberty Corner, a small historic district in the southern section of the township."
^Melisurgo, Len. "Here's the right way to pronounce 25 N.J. town names everyone botches", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed June 22, 2023. "Bernards Township & Bernardsville (Somerset County) Outsiders frequently say ber-NARDS, with the emphasis on the last syllable. But the correct pronunciation is BERN-ards, with the emphasis on the first syllable."
^About Us, Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. Accessed June 23, 2023. "Founded in 1928 originally as the Historical Society of Basking Ridge, the mission and name of the society was later changed to The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization including all five communities of the Somerset Hills region: Bedminster Township, Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Peapack-Gladstone, which are all located in Somerset County, New Jersey."
^ abSadlouskos, Linda. "250th anniversary tea to celebrate Bernards history", Courier News, January 6, 2010. Accessed March 22, 2011. "The events commemorate the 250th anniversary of the granting of a charter from British King George II to create the township of Bernardston, Kennedy said."
^Thomson, W. Barry. "New Municipal Proposals of 100 Years Ago", Inside the Brick Academy, June 2021. Accessed July 18, 2023. "One hundred years ago, in 1921, efforts were made to break up Bernards Township to create three new boroughs: Far Hills, Bernardsville, and Basking Ridge. As originally proposed, only the areas around Liberty Corner and Lyons would have remained within Bernards Township. After bills authorizing these new boroughs passed the New Jersey Legislature, local referenda were held in June 1921 allowing residents in each of the affected areas to vote on the proposals. The vote to create the Borough of Far Hills passed, while votes to form the separate boroughs of Bernardsville and Basking Ridge were defeated."
^"Ridge Defeats Borough Act", Bernardsville News, June 9, 1921. Accessed July 18, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Basking Ridge by defeating the borough proposition today by a majority of 127 votes, chose to remain in the Township with Bernardsville and Liberty Corner. There were 161 ballots cast against the borough and 34 in favor."
^Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Bernards Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Bernards Township School District. Accessed February 6, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Bernards Township School District. Composition The Bernards Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Bernards Township."
^Goldman, Jeff. "Which N.J. schools were named to national 'Blue Ribbon' list?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 2, 2014. Accessed December 31, 2014. "Eleven New Jersey schools have been named to the annual National Blue Ribbon list, the U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday."
^Mueller, Mark. "Which N.J. schools were named National Blue Ribbon schools?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 29, 2015. Accessed November 14, 2016. "Fifteen New Jersey schools have been recognized by the federal government as National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that celebrates excellence in academics or progress in closing the achievement gap among groups of students.... Each of the 15 New Jersey schools was chosen for the 'exemplary high performing' category, which weighs state or national tests, high school graduation rates and the performance of subgroups of students, such as those who are economically disadvantaged."
^The Brick AcademyArchived 2010-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. Accessed September 5, 2015. "The Brick Academy is known also as the original Basking Ridge Classical School, the 1809 Federal-style Brick Academy located in the center of the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township."
^Renee, Robin. "Central Jersey", Courier News, October 31, 2004. Accessed July 4, 2012. "There are many tales of death around The Devil's Tree. Some say it is a portal to hell and a sentinel guards it. He will appear driving an old black pickup truck."
^Pleasant, Matthew. "Terrebonne band returns from long-awaited field trip", Houma Today, December 29, 2007. Accessed August 26, 2013. "Driving into the frigid temperatures of New England a week before Christmas, more than a hundred students, parents and teachers from Terrebonne High School traveled to Bernards Township, N.J., to perform in the town's holiday parade. The journey was their way of showing thanks to Bernards Township for the support the town showed during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, when their community and chamber of commerce trucked loads of supplies to Houma."
^Nutt, Amy Ellis. "Chris Daggett, ever the policy wonk, concentrates on the details", The Star-Ledger, October 11, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2013. "As an independent, Daggett straddles more than just political parties. He's a child of the free-thinking, authority-mocking 1960s — and a buttoned-down, plow-ahead grinder. The life-long Basking Ridge resident graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he says his college thesis was 'something out of the '60s, like the study of personhood.'"
^Powers, Phil. "Scott Style: Adventure Student Makes Good", The Leader of the National Outdoor Leadership School, Winter 1992, backed up by the Internet Archive as of April 6, 2003. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Fischer's mountaineering background began at the young age of 14 when he took a NOLS Adventure Course. His father was an outdoor enthusiast who called Scott in to watch a television program one night at their home in Basking Ridge, New Jersey."
^Horner, Shirley. "About Books", The New York Times, October 3, 1993. Accessed July 4, 2012. "The other inductees are Patricia Lee Gauch of Basking Ridge, who has written more than 30 children's books"
^Gates, Kellie Patrick. "Love: Melissa Gordon & Jarryd Goldberg", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 19, 2014. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Jarryd had lived in Israel when he played professional soccer for Bnei Sakhnin. But the native of Basking Ridge, N.J., in Somerset County, then played for the Miami Football Club in Florida."
^"Col. Vincent Kramer, decorated Marine veteran", New Jersey Hills, October 11, 2001. Accessed June 29, 2020. "Vincent R. Kramer, 83, of the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, died on Monday, Sept. 17, 2001, at Morris Hills Multicare Center in Morristown."
^Staff. "Peter H. Kuhn, accomplished race car driver", Hunterdon County Democrat, June 29, 2009. Accessed August 15, 2016. "Born in Summit, April 14, 1955, he was a son of Jean Henry and Elizabeth 'Lib' Dowd Kuhn. Mr. Kuhn had resided in Franklin Township since 1995, having formerly lived in Basking Ridge and Chatham Township."
^Kelly-Anne Lyons (Actress), Amazing Women Rock, backed up by the Internet Archive as of June 15, 2009. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Kelly-Anne Lyons (who plays the role of Chelsey Pucks in the online video series called Chelsey OMG, two excellent segments of which AWR features here), grew up along the East Coast of the USA. She spent the younger part of her childhood in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, her adolescence and teenage years in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and attended University in New York City."
^Staff. "Ridge H.S. Graduate Max Mahoney Signs Contract with German Pro Basketball Team", TAP into Basking Ridge, September 24, 2020. Accessed September 25, 2020. "Max Mahoney, a 2016 Ridge High School graduate who recently completed four years at Boston University, has signed a pro basketball contract to play for a German team. Mahoney, a 6-foot-8 forward, recently signed with the VFL Kirchheim Knights, a team that plays in the ProA, the second highest stage league in Germany."
^Makin, Robert. "Music", Courier News, December 6, 2002. Accessed November 13, 2013. "Phish, whose guitarist, Trey Anastasio, was raised in Princeton, and whose keyboardist, Page McConnell, was raised in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards, took a two-year hiatus to pursue solo projects and downtime."
^Caldwell, Dave. "In Person; Renaissance Man", The New York Times, December 4, 2005. Accessed January 24, 2008. "The taciturn Mulcahy, who graduated from Millburn High School and lives in Basking Ridge, did much of the groundwork that let Schiano, after a few tough seasons, become a success in his home state -- their home state."
^"Urban Skills Project Helps Ease Trauma Of The Past", Bernardsville News, August 29, 1985. Accessed April 21, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Editor's Note: The three articles on this page were written by Jasbir K. Puar of Basking Ridge, a summer intern at The Bemardsville News..... She graduated from Ridge High School in June and will attend Rutgers University."
^Alumnus to lead ASME in 2014, Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Mechanical engineering alumnus J. Robert Sims Jr. (BE’63) will serve as president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for 2014-2015. Bob Sims Sims, of Basking Ridge, N.J., is a senior engineering fellow with Becht Engineering Company Inc."
United States
New Jersey
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