Mount Holly Township, New Jersey

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Mount Holly, New Jersey
Mount Holly Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Mount Holly Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Coordinates: 39°59′42″N 74°47′13″W / 39.995, -74.78694
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Burlington
Area
 - Total 2.9 sq mi (7.5 km²)
 - Land 2.9 sq mi (7.4 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation 56 ft (17 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 10,728
 - Density 3,750.8/sq mi (1,448.2/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 08060
Area code(s) 609
FIPS code 34-48900GR2
GNIS feature ID 0882104GR3

Mount Holly Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 10,728. It is the county seat of Burlington County.

What is now Mount Holly was originally formed as Northampton on November 6, 1688. Northampton was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Little Egg Harbor Township (February 13, 1740, now part of Ocean County), Washington Township (November 19, 1802), Pemberton borough (December 15, 1826), Coaxen Township (March 10, 1845, now known as Southampton Township), Pemberton Township (March 10, 1846), Westampton Township (March 6, 1850) and Lumberton Township (March 14, 1860). The township was renamed Mount Holly as of November 6, 1931, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier.[1]

Contents

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.69%) is water.

Mount Holly borders Westampton Township, Eastampton Township, Lumberton Township, and Hainesport Township.

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 6,573
—
1940 6,892 4.9%
1950 8,206 19.1%
1960 13,271 61.7%
1970 12,713 -4.2%
1980 10,818 -14.9%
1990 10,639 -1.7%
2000 10,728 0.8%
Est. 2006 10,602 [2] -1.2%
Population 1930 - 1990[3]

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 10,728 people, 3,903 households, and 2,583 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,750.8 people per square mile (1,448.3/km²). There were 4,248 housing units at an average density of 1,485.2/sq mi (573.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 68.68% White, 21.57% African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.77% from other races, and 3.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.78% of the population.

There were 3,903 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the township the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $43,284, and the median income for a family was $52,000. Males had a median income of $38,186 versus $27,425 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,672. About 6.8% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Members of the Mount Holly Township Council are Mayor Brooke Tidswell, III, Joan Boas, Jules Theissen, Thomas Gibson, and one vacancy.[4] 12-year Councilmember Gladys Danser submitted her resignation as of October 8, 2007.[5]

Mount Holly Township is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 7th Legislative District.[6]

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 7th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Diane B. Allen (R, Edgewater Park) and in the Assembly by Herb Conaway (D, Delanco) and Jack Conners (D, Pennsauken). 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.

For Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade, students attend the Mount Holly Township Public Schools. John Brainerd School is an elementary school that includes pre-Kindergarten to 4th grade and serves 309 students. Gertrude C. Folwell School is an elementary school that includes pre-K to 4th grade and has 330 students. F. W. Holbein Middle School includes grades 5 through 8 and has 469 students.

For grades 9 - 12, public school students attend the Rancocas Valley Regional High School, a comprehensive regional public high school serving students in grades 9 through 12 from five communities encompassing approximately 40 square miles and comprised of the communities of Eastampton Township, Hainesport Township, Lumberton Township, Mount Holly Township and Westampton Township. The current population of the school is approximately 2,250 students. The school is located in Mount Holly Township and is part of the Rancocas Valley Regional High School District.

The history of Mount Holly predates the American Revolution by nearly 60 years. The town essentially began after a dam was built on the Rancocas. This allowed water to flow into a mill race that was built connecting two loops of the meandering creek. The race initially powered a grist mill and saw mill. Edward Gaskill and his sons hand dug the mill race on their property between 1720 and 1723.[7] No mills remain on the raceway that still flows in its original course from the Rancocas just above the dam. The land where the mills once stood is now the Mill Dam Park. After the mills were established, houses and commercial buildings were built on High, Church, White, Mill, and Pine Streets so that by 1800, over 250 dwellings had been built.[8]

On December 17, 1776, Colonel Samuel Griffin crossed the Delaware River with 600 men — mostly untrained men and boys, and with little equipment — and marched to Mount Holly, where he set up a few "3-pounder" artillery pieces on Iron Works Hill. Hessian commanders von Block and Carl von Donop, were told that there were 3,000 American troops at Mount Holly.

By December 23, 1776, 2,000 Hessians were moved from Bordentown and positioned at The Mount in Mount Holly, where they engaged in a three day-long artillery battle with the Americans on Iron Works Hill. The Americans slipped away that night.

After George Washington crossed the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, the fact that thousands of Hessian troops had been drawn to Mount Holly aided in the Continental Army's success in the Battle of Trenton the next day, a surprising American victory that helped turn the Army's fading morale after the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Fort Washington just weeks before and the ignominious retreat through New Jersey.[9]

The 1793 state legislature approved the relocation of the Burlington County seat from Burlington City to Mount Holly.[10] Several important municipal buildings were constructed including the courthouse built in 1796 and the County prison (now a museum) built circa 1819. The prison was designed by nationally known architect Robert Mills. There remains an abundance of 18th and 19th century buildings in town, most of which are included in the Mount Holly Historic District that is listed in the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places.[11] Commercial buildings were constructed primarily along High Street. In 1849, the Burlington and Mount Holly Railroad was established and twenty years later, the Camden and Mount Holly Railroad had constructed a station near the intersection of Washington and King Streets.

A trolley station was built in 1904 for the passengers making connections to Burlington City and Moorestown. New municipal buildings were constructed during the 1900s including the town hall on Washington Street (1930) and the U.S. Post Office building located across the street (1935).

In the late 1950s, Mount Holly began experiencing economic difficulties stemming from the loss of its industrial base. In the post-WWII period, Mount Holly saw a large number of blue collar, family wage jobs disappear as the community's traditional employers, mills and dye factories, were shut down. Initially the impact of the loss of jobs was masked by increased employment with Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base, especially during the period of the Vietnam War. In 1970, the residential vacancy rate in Mount Holly was 4.3%. By 1980, the vacancy rate had climbed to 8.7% as a result of the nearby military installations' downsizing after the end of the Vietnam conflict. During this same period, 1970-1980, shopping malls proliferated in the Philadelphia area and retail business in Mount Holly suffered.[12] Mount Holly received Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) status in 1995, which has considerably helped the local economy by providing tax incentives and other assistance programs to local businesses, including lowering the sales tax rate to 3½, half of the prevailing rate charges statewide.[13]

Mount Holly is accessible at exit 5 of the New Jersey Turnpike via County Route 541.

New Jersey Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia on the 317, 409 and 413 bus routes.[14]

  • Mount Holly Cemetery
  • Shinn Curtis Log Cabin
  • Burlington County Historic Prison
  • Old Courthouse Complex
  • St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
  • Friends Meeting House
  • Brainerd School
  • Relief Fire Company No. 1
  • Thomas Budd House
  • Stephen Girard House
  • John Woolman House

Walking tour[2]

  1. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 96.
  2. ^ Census data for Mount Holly township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 15, 2007.
  3. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  4. ^ Mount Holly Administration: Township Council, Mount Holly Township. Accessed October 19, 2007.
  5. ^ Harris, Jason. "Mt. Holly councilwoman resigns after 11 years", Burlington County Times, October 18, 2007. Accessed October 22, 2007. "Gladys Danser, a member of the Township Council for nearly 12 years, has resigned due to health reasons. Danser submitted her resignation effective Oct. 8, but the council hasn't formally accepted."
  6. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 61. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  7. ^ Shinn, Henry. The History of Mount Holly 1957.
  8. ^ U.S.Census data 1820
  9. ^ Diversionary Battleground of December, 1776, Burlington County Library. Accessed December 29, 2006.
  10. ^ Shinn, Henry. The History of Mount Holly. 1957.
  11. ^ Walking Tour of Mount Holly [1]
  12. ^ History of the Mount Holly UEZ, Make It Mount Holly. Accessed October 22, 2007.
  13. ^ Mount Holly Urban Enterprise Zone Program Official Website, Mount Holly Township. Accessed October 22, 2007.
  14. ^ Burlington County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 15, 2007.
  15. ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 
  16. ^ Samuel Atkinson Dobbins, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 15, 2007.
  17. ^ Samuel Carr Forker, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 15, 2007.
  18. ^ Irving Fryar, database-Football.com. Accessed November 3, 2007.
  19. ^ Holloway, Lynette. "John F. Gerry, 69, Chief Judge Of Federal Court in New Jersey", The New York Times, March 12, 1995. Accessed December 12, 2007.
  20. ^ Stephen Girard, Independence Hall Association. Accessed November 3, 2007. "Shortly after Girard married Mary Lum, he purchased a home at 211 Mill Street in Mount Holly, New Jersey."
  21. ^ The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures, Sports Illustrated, December 27, 1999.
  22. ^ Blais, Jacqueline. "Junie B. always has the bestest time", USA Today, June 30, 2004. Accessed October 22, 2007. "In a parallel universe in the 1950s, Park was a talkative schoolgirl in Mount Holly, N.J."
  23. ^ Naedele, Walter F. "IN 1700S, A QUAKER WAS FIGHTING SLAVERY JOHN WOOLMAN STANDS OUT. HIS JOURNAL TELLS OF HIS STRUGGLE, THE SUBJECT OF LECTURES HERE.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 30, 1994. Accessed October 22, 2007. "John Woolman was a Mount Holly store assistant who, at 26, quit the shop because he was making too much money"

  • De Cou, George. Historical Sketches of Mount Holly and Vicinity. (Mount Holly, NJ: G. DeCou, 1936).
  • Rizzo, Dennis C. Mount Holly, New Jersey: Hometown Reinvented. (Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2007).
  • Shinn, Henry C. The History of Mount Holly. (Mount Holly, NJ: Herald Printing House, 1977).
  • Winzinger, Heidi J. and Mary L. Smith. Mount Holly (Images of America). (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001).

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Municipalities and communities of
Burlington County, New Jersey
County seat: Mount Holly Township
Boroughs
Map of New Jersey highlighting Burlington County
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