Oxford Township, New Jersey

For the census-designated place within the township, see Oxford CDP, New Jersey.

Oxford Township, New Jersey
—  Township  —
Map of Oxford Township in Warren County. Inset: Location of Warren County in New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Oxford Township, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°48′17″N 74°59′46″W / 40.80472°N 74.99611°W / 40.80472; -74.99611Coordinates: 40°48′17″N 74°59′46″W / 40.80472°N 74.99611°W / 40.80472; -74.99611
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Warren
Established	May 30, 1754
Incorporated	February 21, 1798
Government[1][2][3]
– Type	Township (New Jersey)
– Mayor	Donald Niece (R, 2012)
Area
– Total	6.0 sq mi (15.6 km2)
– Land	5.9 sq mi (15.4 km2)
– Water	0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation[4]	466 ft (142 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	2,514
– Density	426.1/sq mi (163.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	07863
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	34-55530[5][6]
GNIS feature ID	0882247[7]
Website	http://www.oxfordnj.org

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).^[8]

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,^[9] 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.^[10]

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.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 6.0 square miles (16 km²). 5.9 square miles (15 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (1.33%) is water. Oxford borders the townships of Washington, Mansfield, White and Liberty.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	1,723		—
1940	1,548		−10.2%
1950	1,489		−3.8%
1960	1,657		11.3%
1970	1,742		5.1%
1980	1,659		−4.8%
1990	1,790		7.9%
2000	2,307		28.9%
2010	2,514		9.0%
Population 1930 - 1990.[11]

As of the census^[5] 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.

Government

Local government

Oxford Township is governed under the Township 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.^[1] 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).^[2][3]

Federal, state and county representation

Oxford Township is in the 5th Congressional district. New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

Oxford Township is in the 23rd Legislative District (New Jersey) of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Michael J. Doherty (R, Oxford Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by John DiMaio (R, Hackettstown) and Erik Peterson (R, Franklin Township).^[12]

Warren County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders whose three members are elected at-large on a staggered basis with one seat coming up for election each year. As of 2011, Warren County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Everett A. Chamberlain (Belvidere, term ends December 31, 2012), Freeholder Deputy Director Richard D. Gardner (Asbury, 2011) and Freeholder Jason Sarnoski (Lopatcong Township, 2013).^[13]

Education

The Oxford Township School District 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.^[14]

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.^[15] Schools in the district (with 2007-08 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[16] 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

Main article: List of people from the Lehigh Valley

Notable current and former residents of Oxford Township include:

• Keith Jarrett, jazz pianist and composer.^[17]
• George M. Robeson, Union Army general during the American Civil War, and United States Secretary of the Navy during the Grant administration.^[18]

Points of interest

• Shippen Manor
• Oxford Furnace

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 103.
2. ^ ^{a b} Township Directory, Oxford Township. Accessed March 16, 2011.
3. ^ ^{a b} Oxford Township, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed March 16, 2011.
4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Oxford, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
5. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
6. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
7. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
8. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 247.
9. ^ Snell, James P. (1881) History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Vol. 2 (Centennial ed., Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press, 1981) pg. 606
10. ^ Harpster, Richard E. Historical Sites of Warren County. (Warren County Tercentenary Committee and Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders, New Jersey, 1965) pg. 127
11. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
12. ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-07-25. 
13. ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
14. ^ Data for the Oxford Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 16, 2011.
15. ^ Warren Hills Regional High School 2007 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 21, 2008. "Warren Hills Regional High School offers a comprehensive education for students in grades 9 through 12. Our school population comprises students from Washington Township, Washington Borough, Mansfield Township, Oxford Township, and Franklin Township."
16. ^ Warren Hills Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 8, 2009.
17. ^ "A One-of-a-Kind Artist Prepares for His Solo". The Wall Street Journal. 2009-01-09. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123319724806127435.html. Retrieved 2009-04-08. 
18. ^ George Maxwell Robeson, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 24, 2007.

External links

• Oxford Township website
• Warren County page for Oxford Township
• Oxford Township School District
• Oxford Township School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Oxford Township School District
• Warren Hills Regional School District