Cape May Court House was laid out in 1703 by Jeremiah Hand and was first called Rumney Marsh and afterward Middleton before the adoption of its present name. The Court of Cape May County met in private homes and the First Baptist Church until 1764, when Daniel Hand set 1-acre (4,000 m2) of his own property to construct a courthouse and jail. It was replaced by the current structure in 1849.[17]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 9.899 square miles (25.639 km2), including 8.926 square miles (23.118 km2) of land and 0.973 square miles (2.520 km2) of water (9.83%).[5][18]
First United Methodist Church, next to the old courthouse
Of the 2,165 households, 23.5% had children under the age of 18; 48.1% were married couples living together; 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 35.5% were non-families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95.[13]
19.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 22.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 88.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 83.4 males.[13]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $56,773 (with a margin of error of +/- $14,695) and the median family income was $73,618 (+/- $19,854). Males had a median income of $57,109 (+/- $11,100) versus $50,231 (+/- $6,373) for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $31,865 (+/- $4,296). About 0.9% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.[21]
2000 census
As of the 2020 U.S. census,[6] there were 4,704 people, 1,732 households, and 1,221 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 202.3/km2 (524.1/mi2). There were 2,086 housing units at an average density of 89.7/km2 (232.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.35% White, 10.88% African American, 0.19% Native American, 2.70% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.[20]
There were 1,732 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 24.9% 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 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07.[20]
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.[20]
The median income for a household in the CDP was $48,902, and the median income for a family was $56,707. Males had a median income of $39,848 versus $28,043 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $21,541. About 5.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.[20]
Church Street Christian School, 18 months to preschool, is on the property of its sponsor, First United Methodist Church. It was formerly a Montessori school.[31]
Cape May County Library has its Cape May Court House branch in the CDP.[22][32]
Parks and recreation
The Cape May County Park & Zoo in Cape May Court House provides free year-round admission to a collection of over 550 animals representing 250 species in 85 acres of exhibits. The zoo is located in the center of Cape May County's Central Park, and together the zoo and the park cover about 220 acres. The zoo began operation in 1978. Its principal exhibit areas are a 57-acre African Savanna, a free-flight aviary, and a reptile collection.[33]
The Clarence and Georgiana Davies Sports Complex includes basketball courts, soccer fields, and baseball fields.
The Middle Township Recreation Department hosts multiple sports comprised of indoor basketball courts, baseball fields, football fields and soccer fields.[34][better source needed]
Matthew Maher (born 1984), retired soccer defender, who was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for first degree aggravated manslaughter and drunken driving.[39]
^All four district schools have CMCH addresses with the Zip code 08210: District HQ and Elementary #1 respectively: 216 South Main Street and 215 Eldredge Road, Elementary #2: "101 W. Pacific Ave." - Middle school: 300 E. Pacific Avenue, High school: 300 East Atlantic Avenue - Compare the school addresses to the CDP address.
^Welcome, Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School. Accessed February 22, 2023. "The school is part of the Diocese of Camden, and is supported by the four regional parishes of Avalon/Stone Harbor, Cape May Court House, Marmora/Woodbine and Sea Isle City."
^Schools, South Jersey Catholic Schools. Accessed February 21, 2023.
^Berg, Aimee. "Disabled Skier Designs His Way to Be a Daredevil", The New York Times, December 13, 2006. Accessed November 27, 2007. "These days, Bramble builds the 32-pound aluminum and steel contraptions in a converted woodshop behind the two-story home that he built for his parents in Cape May Court House, N.J., before the accident. He and his fiancée, Leslie, live in an apartment above the shop, which he reaches via an open-air elevator that he also engineered."
^Spencer, Zac. "Former Middle soccer standout Joe Fala on Red Bulls 2 preseason roster", The Press of Atlantic City, February 20, 2020. Accessed March 8, 2020. "When Joe Fala went into college, he was a three-sport athlete at Middle Township High School.... The 22-year-old Cape May Court House resident has spent the past four years making a name for himself at NCAA Division III Ramapo College in Mahwah, Bergen County, where he's now a senior."
^"Recent Deaths". Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. Massachusetts Medical Society. 156 (18): 588. 1907. doi:10.1056/NEJM190705021561820.
^Staff. "Maher Gets Over Five Years for Drunk Driving Death", Cape May County Herald, January 7, 2010. Accessed October 3, 2017. "A former Middle Township High School and Philadelphia Kixx soccer star was sentenced to 5 ½ years in state prison today (Thursday, Jan. 7) for a drunk driving crash that killed a Philadelphia man on March 7. Before being eligible for parole, Matthew Maher, 25, of Court House, must serve 85 percent of the sentence for aggravated manslaughter handed down by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Michael A. Donio."
^Pesice, Duane. "Szcz the Day: A Profile Of Cubs Outfielder Matt Szczur", Bleedcubbieblue.com, April 12, 2016. Accessed July 21, 2017. "Matthew Francis Szczur was born on July 20, 1989 in Cape May Court House, an unincorporated community in central New Jersey."
^"Middle Township H. S. Graduates 33 Thursday", Courier-Post, June 7, 1932. Accessed August 23, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The other graduates are: Cape May Court House - Nancy Costande, John F. Foster. Virginia Louise lverson, James Arthur Roorbach, Lillian Irene Saul, Helen Anna Stites, Julius Henry Taylor, George Carl Thompson and Mary Alice Wright."
United States
New Jersey
