Hunterdon County, founded in 1714, was named after Robert Hunterdon, the Colonial Governor of New Jersey, in the early 18th century. In 1785, Flemington was established as the County seat.
Part of the unique charm of Hunterdon County is the coexistence of several diverse worlds within its borders. Nestled in the fertile Delaware River Valley, much of the county is rural and picturesque, with rolling hills and charming country towns. Clinton, with its historic mill, is an artist's mecca. The County's many recreational and cultural attractions make it a popular vacation destination. Hunterdon is one reason New Jersey is so aptly called "The Garden State." Hunterdon is also part of the Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon tri-county area, one of the fastest growing sections of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community located within easy commuting distance to New York City, Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania. Many businesses and individuals attracted by this combination of beauty and accessibility are moving to the County. Hunterdon is the home of numerous international corporate headquarters and has some of the best outlet shopping in the country.
Recreation in Hunterdon County
Whether it's canoeing, kayaking or fishing Hunterdon County's rivers and lakes, bicycling its beautiful back roads, shopping its upscale outlet stores, or browsing its quaint river towns, Hunterdon County has something for everyone.
Visit the Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation Department at http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/parks.htm, staffed by 20 full-time employees. It implements hundreds of recreational activities, environmental education programs, and special events annually, including Basketry workshops, canoe clinics and trips on Hunterdon's waterways, birding trips and programs, hand-on forestry programs, a "Music Under the Stars" program which is considered to be one of the best outdoor music series in New Jersey, and slide shows on the planets of the solar system and mammals found within the County.
Visit the Hunterdon County YMCA at http://www.hcymca.com, which has two branches serving over 250 children in preschool and summer kinder camps, instructs 4,000 youth in swimming, involves 2,500 area children in youth sports programs, provides before- and-after-school care to 700 children, and provides summer camp experiences for 1,500 school-age children.
Hunterdon County Medical Facilities
The Hunterdon Medical Center, located in Raritan Township, is a 200-bed non-profit community hospital providing comprehensive medical and health care. It also offers a broad spectrum of counseling, therapy and mental health services to the community. Also known as a teaching institution, it is affiliated with Rutgers Medical School, one of the leading colleges of medicine and dentistry in New Jersey. The county contains three family health centers, which offer comprehensive health services to the elderly and residents who live in the rural areas.
The State of New Jersey operates two mental health facilities within Hunterdon County, onethat provides 647 beds for intermediate care of the developmentally disabled and the other that provides 181 beds for psychiatric care to the geriatric population.
Additional healthcare information can be found at: http://newjerseyorg.com/Counties/Hunterdon/Health/index.html
Hunterdon County Municipalities
If you live in Hunterdon County, you live in one of 26 municipalities-14 townships, 10 boroughs, one town, and one city. Townships are geographically larger than boroughs, and in some cases, a borough is surrounded by a township. A municipality is an officially incorporated area where an elected governing body runs the municipal services, maintains local streets, makes local laws, regulates building and zoning, determines tax assessments and collects taxes.
The following will give you a snapshot of each township within Hunterdon County, as well as an appreciation for its rich history. (Note; Municipal Tax Rates are for 2006.)
Alexandria Township: Named for James Alexander, who owned nearly 10,000 acres in the Township, Alexandria Township is 27.75 square miles and has an estimated population of 4,364. Little changed by time, the Villages of Mount Pleasant, Little York and Everittstown are rich in history. Everittstown has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The township boasts of two small airports and a vineyard and winery. Municipal Tax Rate $2.00 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Bethlehem Township: Bethlehem Township was incorporated in 1798 and was settled mainly by Hollanders. Many of the descendants of these settlers still retain properties or portions of the original purchases made by their ancestors. Covering 21.8 square miles, the northern half of the Township is home to the beautiful Musconetcong Valley, while the southern half is covered by the Musconetcong Mountains. Its population is estimated to be 3,785. It is home to the County's 200-acre Charlestown Reservation and 150-acre Tower Hill Park. Municipal Tax Rate $2.70 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Clinton Township: The first known inhabitants of Clinton Township were the Lenape Indians. It is home to the Round Valley Recreation Area which now offers boating, fishing, hiking, camping, swimming and picnicking but was said in its earlier days to be a gathering and burial place for Indian Chiefs. Rich limestone deposits in this township assure good farmland. It covers 33.9 square miles, has an estimated population of 13,094 (making it the third largest township in the County). On the western border of the township is the Town of Clinton, with a bustling Main Street and an historic bridge, which crosses the South Branch of the Raritan River. At the bridge, the river spills over a dam between two picturesque old mills housing the Hunterdon Museum of Art and the Hunterdon Historical Museum (popularly known as the Red Mill). Municipal Tax Rate $2.30 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Delaware Township: Forming the western boundary of the County along the Delaware River, this township claims the only remaining covered bridge in New Jersey. North of the Delaware River, the township remains very much as it looked in the 1700s. The rolling fields and picturesque barns belong to farms that have changed little in the last 200 years. Covering 37 square miles, its population is around 5,153. Municipal Tax Rate $1.93 per $100 of Assessed Value.
East Amwell Township: Originally established by a royal patent from Queen Anne in 1708, East Amwell Township is located in the southeastern corner of the County and covers 28.5 square miles. Its estimated population is 4,645. Predominantly a farming community, the township is dedicated to preserving open space via farmland preservation programs and low-interest loans for recreation areas. Municipal Tax Rate $1.78 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Franklin Township: Established in 1845, this township was an early Quaker settlement. The Capoolong Creek, which runs through the village of Pittstown in this township, attracted early settlers who soon established three of the oldest churches in present day Hunterdon County: Thomas Episcopal, established in 1723, Bethlehem Presbyterian, organized in 1730, and the Quaker Church in 1733. Covering 23.1 square miles, its population is estimated to be around 3,138. Municipal Tax Rate $2.22 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Holland Township: This township is bordered by the Delaware River and the Musconetcong River and was created in 1874. This township is home to the 60-foot, seven story high Volendam Windmill, a living museum which demonstrates an authentic model of a mill driven by wind, used for grinding raw grain into flour. The rugged, undeveloped Musconetcong Gorge Nature Preserve is also located here and comprises 379 acres of steeply wooded terrain overlooking the Musconetcong River. Covering 23.9 square miles, its estimated population is 5,443. Municipal Tax Rate $1.80 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Kingwood Township: Originally established in 1746, this township covers 35.7 square miles, has an estimated population of 3,879. Two of the early structures still stand today-the Old Stone Meeting House, established in 1754 as the Presbyterian Congregation of Kingwood, now home to the First Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Township of Kingwood; and the Oak Summit School, built about 1869 and utilized as the one-room schoolhouse for the township. It now stands as a reminder of the system of instruction and learning that once existed there. Municipal Tax Rate $3.08 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Lebanon Township: Established in 1731, it is the northernmost township in Hunterdon County. It borders both Morris and Warren counties, covering 31.7 square miles with an estimated population of 6,259. Municipal Tax Rate $2.64 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Raritan Township: The most densely populated township in the County at approximately 19,430, Raritan Township was formed in 1838 and covers 37.6 square miles. This township surrounds the borough of Flemington, the County Seat of Hunterdon County. The land that comprises Flemington was originally the territory of the Lenni-Lenape Indians, as was all of Hunterdon County. In 1712, as part of a land parcel of 9,170 acres, William Penn and Daniel Coxe acquired the Flemington acreage. In 1756, Samuel Fleming bought part of this land and built his home, which still stands on Bonnel Street…and, thus, "Fleming's Town" was born. Its historic Courthouse is the famed site of the original "Crime of the Century" - the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby trial. The most dramatic change in Flemington in the last few years was its transformation into a major factory outlet center, which is called Liberty Village and Turntable Junction. With over 65 stores, it has become one of the finest high-quality manufacturer's outlet shopping centers in the Country. Municipal Tax Rate $3.44 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Readington Township: Created by Royal Charter of King George II, "Readings" Township was formed in 1730. It was the first new township formed after Hunterdon became a county. It covers 47.9 square miles (the largest in area of all County townships), has a population of approximately 17,233. Early settlement was mainly of Dutch origin. Municipal Tax Rate $2.38 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Tewksbury Township: Covering 31.8 square miles with an estimated population of 5,696. Tewksbury is situated in the northeastern corner of the County. Its first township meeting was held in March 1755, and the original settlers were of English descent. However, a large German contingent settled here around 1749, and theirs was the largest influence when Tewksbury became a township. Zion Lutheran Church in Oldwick (formerly New Germantown) is the oldest German Lutheran parish in New Jersey. Municipal Tax Rate $2.22 per $100 of Assessed Value.
Union Township: Formed in 1853, this township covers 20.5 square miles and has an estimated population of 5,654. It was named for Union Furnace, which was producing iron as early as 1700. The furnace and its forge produced cannon balls for the Revolutionary War, farm implements, and shoes for horses and oxen. As forests gave way to farm fields in order to stoke the furnace, a farm community then developed. Municipal Tax Rate $2.49 per $100 of Assessed Value.
West Amwell Township: This township covers 21.8 square miles, has an estimated population of 2,457. Originally formed in 1708, the Delaware Indians had a path through the woods from Lambertville through Mount Airy, Ringoes and Reaville to Newark upon which the Old York Road was subsequently laid. Early residents of the township were self-sufficient, raising sheep for wool and planting flax for linen to be woven in a mill or in a Lambertville mill. Grain was ground in local mills and surplus goods exchanged for things not produced locally. Municipal Tax Rate $1.71 per $100 of Assessed Value.
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