Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey


Franklin Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 62,300, reflecting an increase of 11,397 from the 50,903 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 8,123 from the 42,780 counted in the 1990 Census.
Traditionally a farming community, it has become a fast-growing suburb with massive development in the later 20th and 21st centuries as a diverse blend of races, religions and cultures. In 2008, Franklin Township ranked #5 on Money magazine's list of America's Top 100 Best Places to Live.
What is now Franklin Township was originally formed circa 1745 as Eastern precinct. Franklin Township was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. Portions of the township were taken to form South Bound Brook and East Millstone.

History

It has been unclear if the township was named for founding father Benjamin Franklin or for his illegitimate son William Franklin, a Loyalist and the last Royal Governor of New Jersey. In 2000, after considering the evidence set forth by William B. Brahms in his books Images of America: Franklin Township and Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History, and The Case for William Franklin and The Case for Benjamin Franklin, the Township Council chose the theory that the township was indeed named for Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin Township was very much a part of Revolutionary War history and the scene of many raiding parties along Route 27, then known as the King's Highway. Two British generals, Cornwallis and DeHeister, tried to lure General George Washington and his Continental Army into battle on the plains of Middlebush and East Millstone. Washington, however, kept his troops at Chimney Rock, just north of Franklin, until the British withdrew. Several of the prosperous Middlebush farms were destroyed by the British soldiers during their retreat. In 1777, near the mill on the Millstone River at Weston, the Continental Army and local militia engaged and successfully drove off a British foraging party of about 600 troops, sent out of New Brunswick by General Cornwallis. On November 2, 1783, Washington composed his farewell address to the army while staying at Rockingham near Rocky Hill.
The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the 1830s, stretching to connect New York City and Philadelphia, led to significant growth in the township, with as much as 200,000 tons of goods shipped on barges using the canal by the 1860s. The rise of shipping commercial goods using railroads led to a substantial decline in canal traffic. The area has been restored as the.
The Van Wickle House, located next to the Delaware and Raritan Canal in the Somerset section of the township, in between New Brunswick and South Bound Brook, was built in 1722 by Dutch settlers and is now owned by Franklin Township and leased by the Meadows Foundation. Set back behind Easton Avenue, the home adjoins the Rutgers Preparatory School and a Revolutionary War-era graveyard.
Passenger and freight railroad service was available in Franklin Township during the later half of the 19th century via the Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad which opened in 1854. The railroad was built and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad, from a junction with the PRR mainline at Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick to East Millstone. The M&NB is now known as the Conrail Millstone Secondary Branch. The branch line is still operated by Conrail up to just west of Clyde Road in Somerset, serving local industry in the industrial section of Somerset.
In 1922, the infamous Hall-Mills Murder took place in Franklin Township, in the area adjacent to New Brunswick known as Somerset.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 46.846 square miles, including 46.147 square miles of land and 0.699 square miles of water.
The community is approximately 75% rural.
The township borders the municipalities of Bridgewater Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery Township, Rocky Hill and South Bound Brook in Somerset County; Princeton in Mercer County; New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Piscataway and South Brunswick in Middlesex County.

Communities

The following are unincorporated communities and census-designated places located within Franklin Township:
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Hamilton Park and Rockingham.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $89,992 and the median family income was $103,060. Males had a median income of $66,178 versus $54,733 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,036. About 3.2% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 50,903 people, 19,355 households, and 12,987 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,088.3 people per square mile. There were 19,789 housing units at an average density of 423.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 55.11% White, 25.98% African American, 0.18% Native American, 12.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.56% from other races, and 2.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.11% of the population.
There were 19,355 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.7% 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 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $67,923, and the median income for a family was $78,177. Males had a median income of $52,351 versus $41,101 for females. The per capita income for the township was $31,209. About 3.1% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Parks in the township include:

Local government

The Township of Franklin is chartered under the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, within the Council-Manager, Plan D. The township is one of 42 municipalities statewide that use this form of government. The Township Council is comprised of nine members, including a Mayor elected from the township at-large, one elected for each of the five wards and three elected from the township at-large. The Mayor is the Chief Legislative Officer of the township and is elected by the voters to serve for a four-year term. The Township Manager is the Chief Executive Officer overseeing the township's daily operations and is hired by and serves at the pleasure of the Township Council. Councilmembers are chosen for a four-year term in partisan elections held at the June Primary and November General Elections in odd-numbered years, with the five ward seats coming up for election together and the mayoral and at-large seats up for election two years later.
, the Mayor of Franklin Township is Democrat Phillip Kramer, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Township Council are Deputy Mayor Charles Onyejiaka, Sivaraman Anbarasan, Theodore Chase Jr., Kimberly Francois, William Galtieri, Crystal Pruitt, James Vassanella and Carl R.A. Wright.
In the November 2015 general election, Phillip Kramer became the first Democrat directly elected as Mayor in the township's history, resulting in the Mayor and entire council being from the Democratic Party. This marked a transition that started in 1995, when the council was controlled 8 to 1 by the Republican Party. In January 2016, the Township Council selected Charles Onyejiaka from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the Third Ward seat expiring in December 2017 that was vacated by Philip Kramer when he took office as mayor; Onyejiaka will serve on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters will select a candidate to fill the one-year balance of the term of office.
In January 2015, the Township Council chose Chris Kelly from among three candidates offered by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat of Brian D. Levine, who had resigned from his council seat to take office on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
In 1998, the township approved a referendum by a better than 2-1 margin to raise property taxes by 3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, with the money to be used to preserve open space.

Federal, state and county representation

Franklin Township is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 17th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Franklin Township had been split between the and the 12th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 36,240 registered voters in Franklin Township, of which 13,993 were registered as Democrats, 4,962 were registered as Republicans and 17,262 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 23 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 58.2% were registered to vote, including 74.7% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 71.2% of the vote, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 27.7%, and other candidates with 1.0%, among the 27,718 ballots cast by the township's 39,291 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 19,442 votes, ahead of Republican John McCain with 7,951 votes and other candidates with 246 votes, among the 27,776 ballots cast by the township's 35,508 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 14,737 votes, ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 7,913 votes and other candidates with 211 votes, among the 22,962 ballots cast by the township's 28,743 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.9%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 51.7% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 46.9%, and other candidates with 1.3%, among the 16,108 ballots cast by the township's 40,155 registered voters, for a turnout of 40.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 9,369 ballots cast, ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 6,842 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 1,180 votes and other candidates with 137 votes, among the 17,679 ballots cast by the township's 36,033 registered voters, yielding a 49.1% turnout.

Points of interest

The Franklin Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 7,150 students and 703.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1. Schools in the district are
Claremont Elementary School,
Conerly Road School,
Elizabeth Avenue School,
Franklin Park School,
Hillcrest School,
MacAfee Road School,
Pine Grove Manor School,
Franklin Middle School at Hamilton Street Campus,
Franklin Middle School at Sampson G. Smith Campus and
Franklin High School.
Central Jersey College Prep Charter School is a comprehensive public charter middle school / high school serving students in grades 6-12 that aims to prepare all graduates for admission to a four-year university. In 2016, the school was one of ten schools in New Jersey, and the only charter school, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 820 students and 73.4 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1.
Rutgers Preparatory School, a private day school founded in 1766, is located in Franklin Township and occupies a 35-acre campus between Easton Avenue and the Raritan River. The state's oldest independent school, RPS moved to Franklin Township in 1957.
Saint Matthias School is a parochial elementary school founded in 1962 that serves students in preschool through eighth grade and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.
Cedar Hill Preparatory School, a PreK-8 school founded in 2003 as Oakcrest Academy, was one of eight private schools recognized in 2017 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program as an Exemplary High Performing School by the United States Department of Education.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Somerset County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Interstate 287 is the most significant highway within the township. It runs through the northern part of the township with two interchanges. Route 27 runs along the border between New Brunswick, and the townships of South Brunswick and North Brunswick. Some of the major county routes that are in the township are CR 514, CR 518 and CR 527.
The New Jersey Turnpike passes outside the township in both neighboring South Brunswick and New Brunswick, but the closest interchanges are two towns away in Edison, East Brunswick Township and Monroe Township.
Franklin Township was to house the northern end of the Somerset Freeway at I-287 back in 1964 until it was later proposed to end in Piscataway. An additional spur, Interstate 695, was also proposed as part of the project. This road was to complete Interstate 95 at the proposed southern end in Hopewell Township at I-95 and I-295. However the entire project was ultimately cancelled in 1982.

Public transportation

Somerset County offers DASH routes 851 and 852, providing service to Franklin Township from Bound Brook, New Brunswick and North Brunswick. Additionally, the CAT 1R provides service to Raritan Valley Community College, passing through Bound Brook, Somerville, and Raritan.
Commuter bus service to Midtown Manhattan is offered by commuter transportation company OurBus, during peak hours, with service at Kendall Park to and from New York City.

Utilities

Gas and electricity are provided by PSE&G. Water comes from the Delaware and Raritan Canal from water bought from American Water and neighboring North Brunswick and New Brunswick in Middlesex County. In 2011, the township considered privatizing the system and awarding the contract to United Water. Sewerage service is provided by the Township of Franklin Sewerage Authority.

Emergency services

;Fire companies
Franklin Township is served by 10 all-volunteer Fire Departments in four fire districts.
;First aid squads
Franklin Township is served by five First Aid and Rescue Squads
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Franklin Township include: