| Evesham, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Burlington |
| Area | |
| - Total | 29.7 sq mi (76.9 km²) |
| - Land | 29.5 sq mi (76.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²) |
| Elevation | 98 ft (30 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 42,275 |
| - Density | 1,431.1/sq mi (552.5/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08053 |
| Area code(s) | 856 |
| FIPS code | 34-22110GR2 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882082GR3 |
Evesham Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 42,275. Evesham Township dates back to November 6, 1688, when it was formed as Eversham. It was incorporated as one of New Jersey's original 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Washington Township (November 19, 1802), Medford Township (March 1, 1847) and Mount Laurel Township (March 7, 1872).[1]
Contents |
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.7 square miles (76.9 km²), of which, 29.5 square miles (76.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.57%) is water. Evesham Township borders Mount Laurel Township, Medford Township, and Camden County. Marlton is an historic community, census-designated place (CDP), and unincorporated area located within Evesham. "Marlton" is often used in place of the township's name, even when referring to locations beyond the boundaries of the CDP.[2]
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,694 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,655 | -2.3% | |
| 1950 | 2,121 | 28.2% | |
| 1960 | 4,548 | 114.4% | |
| 1970 | 13,477 | 196.3% | |
| 1980 | 21,508 | 59.6% | |
| 1990 | 35,309 | 64.2% | |
| 2000 | 42,275 | 19.7% | |
| Est. 2006 | 46,711 | [3] | 10.5% |
| Population 1930 - 1990[4] | |||
As of the census² of 2000, there were 42,275 people, 15,712 households, and 11,344 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,431.1 people per square mile (552.6/km²). There were 16,324 housing units at an average density of 552.6/sq mi (213.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 91.26% White, 3.11% African American, 0.07% Native American, 4.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population. There were 15,712 households out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.21. In the township the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the township was $67,010, and the median income for a family was $77,245. Males had a median income of $54,536 versus $36,494 for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,494. About 1.7% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.
History
The area now known as Evesham Township was originally settled by Quakers in 1672. The township was named either for the town of the same name in England, or for prominent English settler Thomas Eves.[2] The Township was originally larger than it is today; it also included what today are Mount Laurel, Medford, Lumberton, Hainesport, Shamong, and Washington Townships. The South Branch of the Rancocas on the East Side and Cropwell Creek on the West Side bound this area. Evesham Township was eventually incorporated in 1692 as one of the thirteen Townships in Burlington County. In 1802, a tract was cut off for Washington Township; in 1847, the Township was then divided in half, with the eastern half becoming Medford Township; and in 1872, Evesham was divided again, for the last time, with the northern part becoming Mount Laurel Township. Evesham is also known as Marlton. Marlton is a name commonly associated and interchangeable with the name Evesham. The name Marlton came about in the early 19th century and stems from the name "Marl." Marl is a naturally occurring mixture of green clay with remnants of shells that was used as a fertilizer, like manure. Its discovery helped local commerce and fueled the first "building boom", which took place in the 1830s and 1840s. Marl continued to be mined locally until 1930, when the pits were finally closed. No trace of them remains today. The Marlton area was recognized as a village in 1758. The village was named Marlton in 1845. The same year the "Evesham" Post Office and the "Evesham" Baptist Church both had their names changed to "Marlton" Post Office and the "Marlton" Baptist Church. The names remain the same today. Most maps and directional signs refer to Marlton instead of Evesham. The historic village, Olde Marlton, remains mostly intact and is a locally regulated Historic District.[5] Full-time police services began in 1966. In 1955, the United States Army opened the PH-32 Nike Ajax facility on Tomlinson Mill Road. This battery was one of twelve used to shield Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from aerial assault during the Cold War.[6] The base was decommissioned in the mid-1960s and used for various functions, including a civil defense center. The site of the base is now a housing development which was built in the late 1990s.
Government
Local government
Evesham Township operates under the Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) system of municipal government, which was established in 1969 to replace the township committee government. The township is run by a Mayor and Township Council, which are chosen through non-partisan elections. As of 2007, these were filled by Mayor Randy Brown, Deputy Mayor Michael Schmidt, Chris Brown, John McKenna and Deborah Sarcone.[7]
Federal, state and county representation
Evesham Township is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th Legislative District.[8] New Jersey's Third Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Ocean County, is represented by Jim Saxton (R, Mount Holly). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken). The 8th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Martha W. Bark (R, Mount Laurel) and in the Assembly by Francis L. Bodine (D, Mount Laurel) and Larry Chatzidakis (R, Mount Laurel). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken). Burlington County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Burlington County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director James K. Wujcik, Deputy Freeholder Director William S. Haines, Jr., Dawn Marie Addiego, Vincent R. Farias and Aubrey A. Fenton.
Education
Public schooling in Evesham Township is provided by two school systems: the Evesham Township School District for Kindergarten to 8th grade and the Lenape Regional High School District for grades 9 to 12. The Evesham Township School District is composed of the following elementary and middle schools (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics): The seven elementary schools (grades K-5) are: Helen L. Beeler Elementary School (508 students), Richard L. Rice Elementary School (490 students), Frances S. DeMasi Elementary School (312 students), Florence V. Evans Elementary School (574 students), Robert B. Jaggard Elementary School (471 students), Van Zant Elementary School (539 students) and Marlton Elementary School (556 students). The two middle schools (grades 6-8) are: Frances S. DeMasi Middle School (760 students) and Marlton Middle School (1,177 students). In Evesham, public school students in grades 9 - 12 attend Cherokee High School, which opened a 210,000 square foot addition in September 2001. This public high school is part of the Lenape Regional High School District.
Transportation
New Jersey Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia on the 406 route.[9]
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Evesham Township include:
- Shawn Andrews, Offensive Lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles
- Brian Baldinger (1960-), former NFL offensive tackle and current Fox Sports commentator.[10]
- Sheldon Brown, Defensive Back for the Philadelphia Eagles
- Ashley Harder won the Miss New Jersey USA 2007 title in the state pageant held in Parsippany.[11]
- Brian Herzlinger, film director and star of My Date with Drew.[12]
- Tom Knight (1974-), former NFL cornerback.[13]
- Chris Therien, Defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers
References
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 95-96.
- ^ a b "Evesham: A tale of two cities", Courier-Post, October 19, 2006. Accessed July 18, 2007. "The township was named either for a borough in England by the same name or to honor Thomas Eves, a settler from Evesham, England."
- ^ Census data for Evesham township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 14, 2007.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Brief History of Evesham Township and its Village of Olde Marlton[1]
- ^ Bewley, Joel. "Missile-base remnants recall hair-trigger days of Cold War", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 19, 2005. Accessed October 2, 2007. "Evesham Township played a potentially crucial role in trying to protect the region from a Soviet nuclear attack during the early years of the Cold War. A half-century ago, a military base was built and armed with Nike surface-to-air missiles."
- ^ Evesham Township Government, Evesham Township. Accessed August 14, 2007.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 57. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Burlington County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 15, 2007.
- ^ Luksa, Frank. "Lessons in Dallas prepared Baldinger", The Dallas Morning News, July 7, 2002. Accessed November 25, 2007. "Baldinger can explain how it happened and did this week from his home in Marlton, N.J."
- ^ Evesham Township Regular Council Meeting Minutes for November 28, 2006, accessed April 17, 2007. "Proclamation: Miss New Jersey USA 2007 - Ashley Harder"
- ^ Gaul, Lou. "Hollywood buzzing with Oscar anticipation", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 24, 2007, accessed April 17, 2007. "“Out here, the Oscar ceremony is the most anticipated event of the year,” said former Evesham resident Brian Herzlinger, who has been working in the movie business for nine years and co-directed and starred in “My Date With Drew,” a heartwarming comedy."
- ^ Tommy Knight, database Football. Accessed December 24, 2007.
Reading List
- Horner, Maurice W. A History of Evesham Township. (Philadelphia: Dorrance, 1971).
- McCabe, Wayne T. A Penny A View...An Album of Postcard Views...Marlton, N.J. (Newton, NJ: Historic Preservation Alternatives, 2001).
External links
- Evesham Township's official site
- Evesham Township School District
- Evesham Township School District's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Evesham Township School District
- Lenape Regional High School District
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Burlington County, New Jersey |
||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Mount Holly Township | ||
| Boroughs |
Fieldsboro | Medford Lakes | Palmyra | Pemberton | Riverton | Wrightstown |
 |
| Cities | ||
| Townships |
Bass River | Bordentown | Burlington | Chesterfield | Cinnaminson | Delanco | Delran | Eastampton | Edgewater Park | Evesham | Florence | Hainesport | Lumberton | Mansfield | Maple Shade | Medford | Moorestown | Mount Holly | Mount Laurel | New Hanover | North Hanover | Pemberton | Riverside | Shamong | Southampton | Springfield | Tabernacle | Washington | Westampton | Willingboro | Woodland |
|
| CDPs | ||
| Communities |
Chatsworth | Crosswicks | Jobstown | New Gretna | Vincentown |
|
