- Deptford Township, New Jersey
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Deptford Township, New Jersey — Township — Deptford Township highlighted in Gloucester County. Inset map: Gloucester County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Deptford Township, New Jersey
Coordinates: 39°49′11″N 75°7′22″W / 39.81972°N 75.12278°WCoordinates: 39°49′11″N 75°7′22″W / 39.81972°N 75.12278°W Country United States State New Jersey County Gloucester Formed June 1, 1695 as Bethlehem Incorporated February 21, 1798 Government[1] – Type Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) – Mayor Paul Medany (D) – Manager Ken Barnshaw[2] Area – Total 17.6 sq mi (45.5 km2) – Land 17.5 sq mi (45.3 km2) – Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) Elevation 82 ft (25 m) Population (2010 Census)[3] – Total 30,561 – Density 1,529.7/sq mi (590.6/km2) Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) – Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4) ZIP code 08080, 08090, 08093, 08096 Area code(s) 856 FIPS code 34-17710[4][5] GNIS feature ID 0882149[6] Website http://www.deptford-nj.org/ Deptford Township (commonly known as Deptford) is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 30,561.[3]
Deptford was formed as a township dating back to June 1, 1695, at which time it was known as Bethlehem. It was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Over the centuries, portions of the township were taken to create Washington Township (February 17, 1836), Woodbury Borough (March 27, 1854; now Woodbury City), West Deptford Township (March 1, 1871), Wenonah (March 10, 1883), Westville (April 7, 1914) and Woodbury Heights (April 6, 1915).[7]
Deptford is a suburb of Philadelphia, located on the eastern side of the Walt Whitman Bridge, which joins southern New Jersey with Philadelphia. It is located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Philadelphia and 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Atlantic City.
Oak Valley is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Deptford Township.
Contents
History
Deptford was the site of the first hot air balloon landing in North America, gathering that distinction when Jean-Pierre Blanchard completed his flight to Deptford from Philadelphia in 1793. During his flight, Blanchard carried a personal letter from George Washington to be delivered to the owner of whatever property Blanchard happened to land on, making the flight the first delivery of air mail in the United States as well.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 17.6 square miles (46 km2), of which, 17.5 square miles (45 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.46%) is water.
Deptford Township borders Mantua Township, Washington Township, Wenonah, West Deptford Township, Westville, Woodbury and Woodbury Heights. Deptford Township also borders Bellmawr and Runnemede, and Gloucester Township both in Camden County.
Deptford is divided into many sections and neighborhoods, including Almonesson, Jericho, New Sharon, Oak Valley, Westville Grove, Cooper Village, Lake Tract, Blackwood Terrace, and Pine Acres.
Demographics
Historical populations Census Pop. %± 1930 4,507 — 1940 4,738 5.1% 1950 7,304 54.2% 1960 17,878 144.8% 1970 24,232 35.5% 1980 23,473 −3.1% 1990 24,137 2.8% 2000 26,763 10.9% 2010 30,561 14.2% Population 1930 - 1990.[3][8] As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 26,763 people, 10,013 households, and 7,079 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,529.7 people per square mile (590.5/km²). There were 10,647 housing units at an average density of 608.6 per square mile (234.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 83.44% White, 12.38% Black, 0.21% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.99% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.
There were 10,013 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,147, and the median income for a family was $56,642. Males had a median income of $40,641 versus $28,986 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,477. 5.9% of the population and 4.3% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government
Local government
Deptford Township operates under the Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) form of municipal government and is governed by a seven-member Township Council. Council members are elected on an at-large basis in partisan elections to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three or four seats coming up for election every other year.[1] The council then nominates a mayor and a deputy mayor during the reorganization meeting in January to serve two-year terms. The mayor and the deputy mayor can remain in those offices as long as they continue to be nominated by the council every two years and as long as they win their council elections every four years. The council also hires a non-partisan manager to serve as the chief administrative official of the township. The current Township Manager is Ken Barnshaw.
As of 2010[update], the members of the Deptford Township Council are Mayor Paul Medany (D), Deputy Mayor Tom Hufnell (D), Frank DiMarco (D), Phillip Schocklin (D), Joe Scott (D), Wayne Love (D), and Bill Lamb (D).[9]
Federal, state and county representation
Deptford Township is in the 1st Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.[10] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[3]
New Jersey's First Congressional District is represented by Rob Andrews (D, Haddon Heights). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
5th district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Donald Norcross (D, Camden) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Angel Fuentes (D, Camden) and Gilbert "Whip" Wilson (D, Camden).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[12] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[13]
Gloucester County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. Each year, the Board selects a Freeholder Director and Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2011, Gloucester County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger (D, West Deptford Township, 2012), Deputy Freeholder Director Dr. Warren S. Wallace (D, Washington Township, 2011), Giuseppe "Joe" Chila (D, Woolwich Township, 2012), Frank J. DiMarco (D, Deptford Township, 2011), Vincent H. Nestore, Jr. (R, Deptford Township, 2013), Heather Simmons (D, Glassboro Borough, 2011), Larry Wallace (R, Woolwich Township, 2013).[14]
Education
The Deptford Township Schools serve students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[15]) are Central Early Childhood Center (591 students; PreK-1), Good Intent School (428; 2-6), Lake Tract School (432; 2-6), Oak Valley School (409; 2-6), Pine Acres Early Childhood Center (228; PreK-1), Shady Lane School (492; PreK-6), Monongahela Middle School for grades 7&8 (662; 7&8), Deptford Township High School for grades 9-12 (1,131; 912) and New Sharon School (20; ungraded) serves students ages 3–21 with developmental or cognitive disabilities.[16]
Gloucester County College is also located in Deptford.
Notable residents
Rock musician Patti Smith hails from Deptford.
Notable current and former residents of Deptford Township include:
- Isaac Hopper (1771–1852), abolitionist, founder of the Underground Railroad.[17]
- Michael Johns (born 1964), health care executive, former White House speechwriter, conservative policy analyst and writer.[18]
- Bob Levy (born 1962), stand-up comic.[19]
- Dave Rowe (born 1945), former professional football player who played for the Baltimore Colts, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers.[20]
- Patti Smith (born 1946), rock musician, songwriter and poet.[21]
- Gary Stuhltrager (born 1955), eight-term member of the New Jersey General Assembly.[22]
Deptford Mall
The Deptford Mall is the seventh largest shopping mall in New Jersey and the largest in the South Jersey region of the state, with a Gross leasable area (GLA) of 1,300,000 square feet (120,000 m2).
The Deptford Mall is surrounded by two movie theaters (with a total of fourteen screens between them), twelve strip malls, bars, and numerous restaurants and individual stores. This thriving business district is a major contributor to Deptford having one of the lowest municipal tax rates in Gloucester County.
Transportation
Deptford Township is crisscrossed by major transportation routes in and near the township, including Interstate 295, Route 41, Route 42, Route 45, Route 47, Route 55, as well as County Route 534, County Route 544, County Route 551 and County Route 553. The New Jersey Turnpike passes through, but the nearest interchange is Exit 3 in neighboring Bellmawr/Runnemede.
Deptford in popular media
Deptford is featured briefly in the film Patti Smith: Dream of Life, a 2008 documentary about rock musician Patti Smith.[23]
References
- ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 28.
- ^ Township Manager, Deptford Township. Accessed April 12, 2011.
- ^ a b c d 2011 Apportionment Redistricting: Municipalities sorted alphabetically, New Jersey Department of State, p. 3. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 138.
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ 2010 Mayor & Council, Deptford Township. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- ^ 2010 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 56. Accessed April 12, 2011.
- ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
- ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "About the Lieutenant Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/lt/. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed May 27, 2011.
- ^ Data for the Deptford Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 12, 2011.
- ^ School District Directory, Deptford Township Schools. Accessed April 12, 2011.
- ^ Bulletin Article - September 2005, Historical Society of Haddonfield, accessed April 17, 2007. "In the city, she boarded with the family of Isaac Hopper whose ancestors had lived in what is now Deptford, New Jersey."
- ^ "Deptford man a force behind Tea Party drive," by Jessica Driscoll, The Gloucester County Times, February 21, 2010.
- ^ Budzak, Gary. "Stern's irreverent cohorts to provide humor at Alrosa Villa", The Columbus Dispatch, October 16, 2008. Accessed April 12, 2011. "Levy, of Deptford, N.J., has performed stand-up for 20 years, earning the ironic nickname 'Reverend' for his foul language."
- ^ Staff. "Deptford selects Hall of Fame class", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 8, 2009. Accessed February 8, 2011. "Deptford has selected a group that will make up its first athletic Hall of Fame class. The inaugural class will be inducted April 27 at Auletto Caterers in Deptford. Dave Rowe, a starter for the 1977 Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders, will be one of seven athletes to be inducted."
- ^ LaGorce, Tammy. "MUSIC; Patti Smith, New Jersey's Truest Rock-Poet", The New York Times, December 11, 2005. Accessed April 25, 2008. "But of all the ways to know Patti Smith, few people, including Ms. Smith, would think to embrace her as Deptford Township's proudest export."
- ^ Assemblyman Gary W. Stuhltrager, New Jersey Legislature, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 25, 1998. Accessed June 12, 2010.
- ^ "Patti Smith: Dream of Life," Electric Sheep, December 2, 2008.
External links
- Deptford Township Official Web Site.
- Deptford Township Schools Official Web Site.
- Deptford Township Schools's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Deptford Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Deptford Mall Official Web Site.
- Deptford forum at NJ.com.
Municipalities and communities of Gloucester County, New Jersey City 
Boroughs Clayton | Glassboro | National Park | Newfield | Paulsboro | Pitman | Swedesboro | Wenonah | Westville | Woodbury Heights
Townships Deptford | East Greenwich | Elk | Franklin | Greenwich | Harrison | Logan | Mantua | Monroe | South Harrison | Washington | West Deptford | Woolwich
CDPs Communities Almonesson | Bridgeport | Clarksboro | Cooper | Cross Keys | Ferrell | Franklinville | Greenfields Village | Harrisonville | Hurffville | Malaga | Mickleton | Monroeville | Mount Royal | New Brooklyn | Red Bank | Repaupo | Richwood | Sewell | Thorofare
Categories:- Faulkner Act Council-Manager
- Populated places established in 1798
- Townships in Gloucester County, New Jersey
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