Location of Readington Township in Hunterdon County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Readington Township, New Jersey
Created by Royal charter of King George II, "Reading" Township was formed on July 15, 1730, from portions of Amwell Township. It was the first new township created after Hunterdon was established as an independent county.[23] The township was incorporated as Readingtown Township, one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships, on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were annexed by Tewksbury Township in 1832 and 1861.[24] The township was named for John Reading, the first native-born governor of the British Province of New Jersey.[25][26]
Covering more than 48 square miles (120 km2), it is the largest township in the county,[23] covering almost 11% of the county's area.[27] More than 8,000 acres (32 km2) of land have been preserved from development. Readington Township is bounded on the north by the Lamington River and Rockaway Creek; to the east by Somerset County, which existed as the boundary between East and West Jersey from 1688 to 1695;[28] to the south, the South Branch of the Raritan River; and to the west by the old West Jersey Society's line which crosses the Cushetunk Mountains.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 47.83 square miles (123.88 km2), including 47.56 square miles (123.17 km2) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km2) of water (0.57%).[1][2]
Cushetunk Mountain is a ring-shaped mountain located in Clinton Township. The diabase mountain was formed 160 million years ago. The Lenape called the mountain "Cushetunk" meaning "place of hogs".[29] In the 1960s, the valley was filled with water to create Round Valley Reservoir, at 180 feet (55 m) in depth the second-deepest in the state.[30]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Backers Island, Higginsville, McCrea Mills, Riverside, Rockfellows Mills, Round Mountain, Stovers Mills and Wood Church, as well as the following:[36]
Barley Sheaf, a former hamlet within Readington Township, also known as Campbellsville and Farmersville
Centerville, a hamlet that was located on the halfway point on the Swift Sure Stage route between New York City and Philadelphia
Cushetunk was a settlement near Cushetunk Mountain and the railroad line
Dreahook, a former community near Readington Road and Main Street that was taken from the Dutch word for triangle because of the configuration of the roads at the time
Of the 5,971 households, 35.1% had children under the age of 18; 66.0% were married couples living together; 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.7% were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.15.[20]
25.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 35.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.1 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $120,821 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,180) and the median family income was $138,171 (+/− $10,232). Males had a median income of $100,647 (+/− $11,576) versus $61,372 (+/− $6,196) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $55,493 (+/− $4,019). About 1.3% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.[48]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[17] there were 15,803 people, 5,676 households, and 4,410 families residing in the township. The population density was 331.4 inhabitants per square mile (128.0/km2). There were 5,794 housing units at an average density of 121.5 per square mile (46.9/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 95.14% White, 0.76% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.56% Asian, 0.53% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.05% of the population.[46][47]
There were 5,676 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.3% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.18.[46][47]
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.[46][47]
The median income for a household in the township was $95,356, and the median income for a family was $106,343. Males had a median income of $66,778 versus $48,385 for females. The per capita income for the township was $41,000. About 0.7% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.[46][47]
Economy
Readington Township is home to the personal and commercial lines of insurance of Chubb Corp.,[49] and the QuickChek Corporation, which operates over 100 convenience stores throughout New Jersey and New York.[50]
Readington was once also home to the global headquarters of Merck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, but the company has since relocated to nearby Kenilworth, New Jersey.[51]
Readington is home to several museums and offers many programs for adults and children. The Bouman-Stickney Homestead is located off of Dreahook Road in the hamlet of Stanton. Coldbrook School, the site of living history programs for the township's elementary school children, is in the northern section of town, and the Eversole-Hall House is located on Route 523, next to the Municipal building.[52]Taylor's Mill, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built around 1760 by John Taylor. It is the only remaining pre-revolutionary mill in the township and was used to provide troops with food during the Revolutionary War. The township plans to make Taylor's Mill a fourth township museum.[53]
Government
Local government
Readington Township is governed 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.[54] The Township Committee is comprised of 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][55] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. The Mayor serves as chair of the Township Committee and has the powers vested in the mayor's office by general law.[56]
As of 2023[update], members of the Readington Township Committee are Mayor R. Juergen Huelsebusch (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Adam Mueller (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy member ends 2023), John Albanese (R, 2023), Jonathan Heller (R, 2023) and Vincent Panico (R, 2025).[3][57][58][59][60][61][62]
In the 2017 general election, Republicans John Albanese (3887 votes) and Jonathan Heller (3738 votes) prevailed against Democratic challenger Alan Harwick (2027 votes) The all-Republican Committee was unanimous on the leadership roles at the 2018 reorganization meeting, choosing Benjamin Smith as mayor and Betty Ann Fort as deputy mayor.[63]
In December 2014, the Township Council selected M. Elizabeth Duffy from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat of Beatrice Muir, who had resigned the previous month from a term of office ending in December 2015.[64]
Federal, state and county representation
Readington Township is located in the 7th Congressional District[65] and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district.[66][67][68]
Hunterdon County is governed by a Board of Chosen Commissioners comprised of five members who are elected at-large on a partisan basis to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as the board's Director and another to serve as Deputy Director, each for a one-year term.[74][75] As of 2024[update], Hunterdon County's Commissioners are:
As of March 2011, there were a total of 11,223 registered voters in Readington Township, of which 1,745 (15.5%) were registered as Democrats, 5,118 (45.6%) were registered as Republicans and 4,354 (38.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[88]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 63.8% of the vote (5,537 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 35.0% (3,039 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (103 votes), among the 8,730 ballots cast by the township's 11,700 registered voters (51 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 74.6%.[89][90] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 61.1% of the vote (5,646 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.0% (3,425 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (100 votes), among the 9,245 ballots cast by the township's 11,302 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.8%.[91] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 63.5% of the vote (5,566 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 35.7% (3,127 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (91 votes), among the 8,767 ballots cast by the township's 10,679 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 82.1.[92]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 79.1% of the vote (4,524 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 19.5% (1,114 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (83 votes), among the 5,812 ballots cast by the township's 11,669 registered voters (91 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.8%.[93][94] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.4% of the vote (4,771 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 20.6% (1,395 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.3% (495 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (46 votes), among the 6,777 ballots cast by the township's 11,169 registered voters, yielding a 60.7% turnout.[95]
In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 56.8% of the vote (5,565 cast), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 36.6% of the vote (3,590 cast), Libertarian Gary Johnson with 2.8% of the vote (278 cast), Green Party Jill Stein with 1% of the vote (100 cast), 27 votes for other candidates and 97 write-in votes for a total of 9,657 votes cast. Turnout was 77.5%, with 9,803 of 12,659 registered voters casting votes that day.[96]
Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend the Hunterdon Central High School, part of the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, which also serves students in central Hunterdon County from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough and Raritan Township.[106][107] As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 2,844 students and 238.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1.[108] Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based in the population of the five constituent municipalities who participate in the school district, with three seats allocated to Readington Township.[109]
Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.[110]
Emergency services
Readington Township is served by a full-time Police Department, two ambulances staffed by the Whitehouse Rescue Squad, and four volunteer Fire Companies.
EMS and rescue services
The Whitehouse First Aid & Rescue Squad Station 22 Rescue was formed in 1950 and provides the lead EMS & Rescue coordination for the Township under the leadership of Chief Jeff Herzog. They are a blended department, with over 50 EMTs. The squad has a rescue services division led by volunteers for rescue operations such as automobile extrication, confined space and water rescue. 22 Rescue is located on Main Street in Whitehouse Station.[111]
Fire departments
The following volunteer fire departments serve the Township:[112]
East Whitehouse Volunteer Fire Co., organized in December 1923 (Station 31 Fire)[113]
Readington Volunteer Fire Co., established in 1958 (Station 32 Fire)[114]
Three Bridges Volunteer Fire Co., established in 1927 (Station 33 Fire)[115]
Whitehouse Station Volunteer Fire Co. #1 (Station 22 Fire)[116]
Transportation
I-78 eastbound in Readington
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 178.01 miles (286.48 km) of roadways, of which 145.39 miles (233.98 km) were maintained by the municipality, 19.33 miles (31.11 km) by Hunterdon County and 13.29 miles (21.39 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[117]
On April 5, 2007, a shootout during the attempt to arrest serial bank robbers near a PNC Bank branch on U.S. Route 22 in Readington resulted in the death of FBI agent Barry Lee Bush. Bush was the first FBI agent to be killed in the line of duty in New Jersey and the second FBI agent to be killed by a fellow agent since the bureau was established in 1908.[131][132]
^ abAbout Us, Readington Township. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Created by Royal Charter of King George II 'Readings' Township was formed July 15, 1730. It was the first new township created after Hunterdon became a county. Containing almost forty-eight square miles, it remains the largest township in the County."
^Reading, David R. "Gov. John Reading (1686-1767)", The Mount Amwell Project. Accessed September 21, 2015. "On July 15, 1730, Reading Township (present Readington, N.J.) was named in his honor."
^Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 267, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed July 18, 2013. "Readington Township was formed in 1798. Its population in 1850 was 2,836; in 1860, 3,074; and in 1870, 3,070. The New Jersey Central Railroad runs through the township near its centre. Whitehouse, Potterstown, White House Station, Readington, Pleasant Run, Stanton, Rowland Mills and Centreville are post villages."
^Cold Brook School and Taylor's Mill, Readington Township. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Taylor's Mill is a stone gristmill built c. 1760 by Colonel John Taylor. The mill is located at the southwest corner of Taylor's Mill Road and Rockaway Road on the Readington/Tewksbury border. Taylor's Mill is the last surviving pre-Revolutionary mill in Readington Township and eastern Hunterdon County. It played a significant role in the Revolution by providing grain for the troops."
^Local Form of Government, Readington Township, updated September 7, 2018. Accessed May 5, 2023. "Under the current township government laws, the township committee remains the backbone of the municipality's government. Voters elect, at-large, the township committee comprising of five members. The elections are partisan and the committee members serve staggered three-year terms. The Township Committee elects the mayor and deputy mayor each January from its members for a one-year term."
^Kiriluk-Hill, Renée. "Betty Ann Fort new Readington mayor in split vote at reorganization", Hunterdon County Democrat, January 6, 2015. Accessed March 12, 2015. "Betty Ann Fort was elected mayor in a split vote by her fellow Township Committee members on Jan. 5. Tom Auriemma will serve as deputy mayor.... The Township Committee remains all-Republican, but Tropella and Broten in the June primary had defeated incumbents Julia Allen and Frank Gatti, and then prevailed again in November after the incumbents launched a write-in campaign."
^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.."
^Board of County Commissioners, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2023. "As top governing officials of Hunterdon County, the five Commissioners are chosen by popular vote in the November general elections. The term of office is for two or three years and the current compensation is $16,000 a year, with an extra $1,000 for the Director. One or two of the five members is elected each year."
^Readington Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Readington Township Public Schools. Accessed April 17, 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 eight in the Readington Township School District. Composition: The Readington Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Readington Township."
^Hunterdon Central Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Hunterdon Central Regional High School. Accessed April 17, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District. Composition: The Hunterdon Central Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of, Delaware Township, East Amwell, Flemington Boro, Raritan Township, and Readington Township."
^Hunterdon Central Regional High School District 2016 Report Card NarrativeArchived September 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 17, 2020. "Located in beautiful, historic Hunterdon County in central New Jersey, Hunterdon Central Regional High School serves the five municipalities of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Readington Township. The District is comprised of 152.5 square miles and has a population of approximately 51,468 residents."
^Board of Education, Hunterdon Central Regional High School. Accessed April 17, 2020. "The Hunterdon Central Regional Board of Education is comprised of nine members, elected by constituents in the five municipalities whose students attend Hunterdon Central Regional High School: one each from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township and the Borough of Flemington; three each from Raritan Township and Readington Township."
^Heyboer, Kelly. "How to get your kid a seat in one of N.J.'s hardest-to-get-into high schools", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 2017. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Hunterdon County's vo-tech district has three academies for high-achieving students, all operating in partnerships with local high schools.... The academies are open to all students in the county. Students in the 8th grade are required to submit an application, schedule an interview and take a placement exam."
^About Us, Whitehouse Rescue Squad. Accessed July 14, 2012.
^Fire Departments, Hunterdon County Department of Public Safety. Accessed October 23, 2014.
^History, East Whitehouse Fire Department. Accessed October 23, 2014.
^About Us, Readington Volunteer Fire Company. Accessed October 23, 2014.
^About Us, Three Bridges Volunteer Fire Company. Accessed October 23, 2014.
^Station, Whitehouse Station Volunteer Fire Co. #1. Accessed October 23, 2014.
^Bus Routes, Ride the LINK. Accessed November 18, 2019.
^Hunterdon County Short Line Rail Study, p. 9. Hunterdon County, New Jersey Planning Board, September 1998. Accessed November 15, 2019. "The Lehigh Line is a major regional line that connects the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (PA) metropolitan hub with the Newark (NJ) metropolitan area. The Lehigh Line enters the County at the Borough of Bloomsbury and passes through the Townships of Bethlehem, Union, Franklin, Clinton, and Raritan before exiting the County at the southern tip of Readington Township."
^Intersimone, Jenna. "'It's time to just have fun': New Jersey balloon festival returns July 29-31", Courier News, July 15, 2022. Accessed August 8, 2022. "At the New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America that returns to Solberg Airport in Readington for the 39th time this July 29–31, it will almost seem that they can."
^Staff. "Built Jersey Tough", Inside Jersey, February 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of March 10, 2011. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Bell, 24, hails from Stanton, a tiny community that neighbors the much larger and more business-oriented Flemington.... In 2002, she left Hunterdon Central High School midway through her sophomore year to enroll at Talent Unlimited, a performing arts school on Manhattan's Upper East Side."
^Resnick, Marin. "Hundreds attend Cust's revised presentation for Union Hotel, downtown Flemington", Hunterdon Review, August 28, 2016. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Cust, a Whitehouse Station resident and founder of Diamond Nation baseball complex in Raritan Township, presented the renderings by Minno Wask Architects and Planners and Bohler Engineering."
^Webb, Harold W. "Bergen Davis 1869-1958", National Academy of Sciences. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Bergen Davis was born on March 31, 1869, on a 125-acre farm near Whitehouse, New Jersey, the fourth son of John Davis and Catherine Dilts Davis."
^Seals, Bob. "In Defense Of The Horse: Major General John K. Herr, Chief Of Cavalry", The Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation, May 7, 2009. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Born in 1878 in White House, New Jersey to Judge Henry Burdette Herr and Virginia Buford Large Herr, his family was what was commonly described in the 19th century as to be one of 'means'."
^Rule, Lucien V. Forerunners of Lincoln in the Ohio Valley: With Historic Summaries, p. 110. Press of Brandt & Fowler, 1927. Accessed June 16, 2020. "He was a student of medicine and practiced his profession in a little village near Elizabethtown, in Jersey State. He was a gifted and highly cultivated man and met with such success that he established himself for a number of years at Readington, Hunterdon county, in the same State. Here his son Jonathan was born in the year 1784."
^ abBouman-Stickney HouseArchived 2016-06-23 at the Wayback Machine, Readington Township. Accessed June 9, 2016. "In 1935, Broadway playwright and producer Howard Lindsay purchased the house and surrounding property as a gift for his wife, Broadway and movie actress Dorothy Stickney. Ms. Stickney and Mr. Lindsay used the house as a weekend and vacation retreat until Mr. Lindsay's death in 1968."
^"Tom Malloy; A Prominent Figure in the Indie Film Scene", Talker of the Town, April 22, 2017. Accessed July 2, 2018. "I was born in Red Bank, NJ, and grew up in farm country NJ, in Hunterdon county in a little town called Whitehouse Station."
^Gussow, Mel. "William Marchant, 72, Desk Set Playwright", The New York Times, December 20, 1995. Accessed November 15, 2012. "Mr. Marchant had been a resident of the Actors Fund of America Nursing and Retirement Home in Englewood, N.J., before moving to the hospital last year. Before that, he lived in Stanton, N.J., in a house owned by the actress Dorothy Stickney, said Kenneth Stadnik, a neighbor."
^Wagman, Jake. "Chris Christie hears it — from Ed Martin's mom", St. Louis Post Dispatch, October 6, 2011. Accessed July 9, 2018. "She questioned why Christie would support Wagner when 'Ed is a native born New Jerseyan,' the product of Readington Township Public Schools and St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City."
^Capitani, Cindy. "Hundreds turn out in rain to support Tim Piazza Foundation", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 16, 2017. Accessed November 4, 2017. "Piazza, a 19-year-old engineering student at Penn State University who grew up in Readington Township in Hunterdon County, died on Feb. 4 after falling face-first down a set of basement stairs on Feb. 2 at the fraternity house where he was pledging."
^Taylor, Troy. "Women Who Sat In 'Old Sparky'", American Hauntings, March 20, 2014. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Born Martha 'Mattie' Garretson on September 18, 1849 in Readington Township, New Jersey, her early life was uneventful."
United States
New Jersey
Hunterdon
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