Hackettstown is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 109,632, representing an increase of 940 (0.9%) from the 108,692 residents counted at the 2010 census. The county bord ...

. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the town's population was 10,248. Hackettstown was incorporated as a town by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

on March 9, 1853, from portions of Independence Township. Portions of territory were exchanged with Mansfield Township in 1857, 1860, 1872 and 1875.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 246. Accessed July 6, 2012.

History

Founding

William Johnson (1817–1891) was a prime contributor to the incorporation of the town in 1853. He and his brother George (1815–1889) were successful merchants in the town beginning in 1839 when they began operating the W.L. & G.W Johnson dry good store. The two men were very active in community affairs. George was a member of First Presbyterian Church, a director of the Hackettstown National Bank, and a member of the Hackettstown Water Board. Both men were involved in the establishment of the Union Cemetery. Hackettstown was named after Samuel Hackett, an early settler and large landowner. Hackett is said to have "contributed liberally to the liquid refreshments on the christening of a new hotel, in order to secure the name which, before this, had been Helms' Mills or Musconetcong."

Tillie Smith murder case

In 1886, Tillie Smith, a 19-year-old kitchen worker from a poverty-stricken family, was raped, murdered and left lying in an open field on the campus of the

Centenary Collegiate Institute Centenary University is a private liberal arts university in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Founded as a preparatory school by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1867, Centenary evolved into a Junior College for women and later ...

, where she worked. James Titus, a janitor at the school, was tried and convicted of the rape and murder, based on

circumstantial evidence Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact—such as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly—i.e., without need ...

and public opinion shaped by

yellow journalism Yellow journalism and yellow press are American terms for journalism and associated newspapers that present little or no legitimate, well-researched news while instead using eye-catching headlines for increased sales. Techniques may include ...

. Titus was sentenced to hang, but he signed a confession and served 19 years of hard labor. He lived from 1904 to 1952 in Hackettstown among many of the same residents who championed his conviction, the validity of which remains controversial. The killing remains a popular local legend, inspiring several books, Weird NJ magazine articles, theatrical performances and dark tourism ghost tours.

20th century

The Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, a popular tourist destination, was established in 1912. In 1925, a

train wreck A train wreck, train collision, train accident or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an acci ...

just outside of town killed about 50 people and injured about 50 others en route to

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 ...

from

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. The derailment involved a Lackawanna Railroad train and occurred at the Hazen Road grade crossing near Rockport Road at approximately 3:30AM, as a result of debris washed downhill by a storm fouling the road crossing. The event made national headlines and stands as the deadliest event in Warren County history."Big Toll Taken In A New Jersey Wreck. Latest Report Shows At Least 27 Were Killed. Thunderstorm Clogged A Switch With Sand Causing A Derailment."
''Sterling Daily Gazette'', June 16, 1925. Accessed March 17, 2015. Fund-raising campaigns for a new hospital started as early as 1945, supported and organized by local civic and business groups including

Kiwanis Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizat ...

, Unico International, PTA and others, a large donation by the Seventh Day Adventists and a grant from the

United States Public Health Service The United States Public Health Service (USPHS or PHS) is a collection of agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services concerned with public health, containing nine out of the department's twelve operating divisions. The Assistant ...

, the 106-bed Hackettstown Community Hospital was established in 1973. In 1977, a shooting occurred in the town when a 20-year-old graduate of

Hackettstown High School Hackettstown High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hackettstown in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the ...

and former U.S. Marine, Emil Pierre Benoist, took random shots at passing cars over the course of about four hours and shot and killed six people, before turning his sniper rifle on himself. In 1994, a charity BBQ picnic organized by the "Tri-County Motorcycle Club" at the Elk's Lodge in Hackettstown was crashed by rival members of the outlaw Pagan's Motorcycle Club. "An altercation started that escalated into knives and guns being used," according to the Warren County Prosecutor. Two Pagans were killed and three other bikers were injured.

21st Century

Hackettstown was named #72 of the top 100 towns in the United States to Live and Work In by ''

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money ar ...

'' Magazine in 2005; it has not been included since. In 2011, the town council proclaimed a

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

relationship with

Hacketstown Hacketstown (, IPA: �bˠalʲəˈhaceːdʲ, historically known as Ballydrohid (), is a small town in County Carlow, Ireland, near the border with County Wicklow. It is located on the R747 regional road at its junction with the R727. The Ri ...

, Ireland.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town had a total area of 3.71 square miles (9.61 km²), including 3.61 square miles (9.35 km²) of land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km²) of water (2.67%). The town is located in a valley along the banks of the Musconetcong River.

Upper Pohatcong Mountain Upper Pohatcong Mountain is a ridge in the Appalachian Mountains of northwestern New Jersey in the United States. It is located in eastern Warren County, and extends northeast of Washington approximately 6 mi (10 km) to the vicinity of ...

extends northeast of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

approximately . Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the town include Warren Furnace. Hackettstown borders the townships of Washington (Morris County) to the southeast,

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market to ...

to the southwest, Allamuchy to the north, Mount Olive to the northeast, and

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

to the west. Hackettstown is northeast of Allentown and northwest of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $62,215 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,907) and the median family income was $82,216 (+/− $10,611). Males had a median income of $51,489 (+/− $5,850) versus $41,822 (+/− $5,248) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $29,433 (+/− $2,122). About 4.4% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

there were 10,403 people, 4,134 households, and 2,530 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 2,809.5 people per square mile (1,085.6/km²). There were 4,347 housing units at an average density of 1,174.0 per square mile (453.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.25%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 2.18%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.12% Native American, 2.91% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.00% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 8.01% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Hackettstown town
,

. Accessed July 6, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Hackettstown town, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 5, 2012. There were 4,134 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.10. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $51,955, and the median income for a family was $64,383. Males had a median income of $44,420 versus $31,110 for females. The

for the town was $24,742. About 2.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the

, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Hackettstown houses the US headquarters of Mars Wrigley Confectionary, a business segment of

Mars, Incorporated Mars, Incorporated is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services, with US$40 billion in annual sales in 2021. Mars was ranked as the fourth-largest pri ...

, makers of

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

M&M's M&M's (stylized as m&m's) are multi-colored button-shaped chocolates, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M ...

, Twix and

Snickers Snickers is a chocolate bar made by the American company Mars, Incorporated, consisting of nougat topped with caramel and peanuts that is encased in milk chocolate. The annual global sales of Snickers was over $3 billion . In the United ...

Arts and culture

Musical groups from Hackettstown include The Semonski Sisters, a family musical act that appeared on television's ''

The Lawrence Welk Show ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 1 ...

'' from 1975 to 1977.

Sports

* The Skyland Rollergirls were a roller derby team founded in 2008 that bouted out of Excel Roller Skating Center in Hackettstown until it closed in late 2011. *The

Jersey Express The Jersey Express is a team in the American Basketball Association based in Paterson, New Jersey. The team was formed in 2005 as the Newark Express. Marsha Blount is the owner of the team. Inaugural season (2005–06) The Express ended the r ...

, a team in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...

moved to Hackettstown in late 2012 and played in the gym at Centenary College. *

sports teams are known as the Tigers and compete as part of the

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) is a sports league that includes 39 public and private high schools from Morris County, Sussex County and Warren County, New Jersey, that operates under the auspices of the New Jersey State Inter ...

. * The Centenary University sports teams are known as the

Cyclones In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an an ...

Government

Local government

The Town of Hackettstown operates under a mayor-council form of government that was created by a special charter adopted by the

and approved by the voters in 1970. The town is one of 11 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that operate under a special charter. The town's governing body is comprised of a strong mayor who serves a three-year term of office and six councilpersons who are elected at large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats up for election each year.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 125. The mayor is the town's chief executive officer, overseeing its day-to-day operation and presenting an annual budget. The council is the town's legislative body. The mayor attends town council meetings, but may only vote in the event of a tie. The mayor may veto ordinances passed by the council, which can be overridden with the votes of four council members. , the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Hackettstown is Republican Gerald DiMaio Jr. whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Town Council are Jody Becker (R, 2024), Matthew Engelau (R, 2022), Leonard Kunz (R, 2023), James Lambo (R, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Scott Sheldon (R, 2024) and Eric Tynan (R, 2023).Mayor and Town Council
Town of Hackettstown. Accessed March 1, 2022.Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results
Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.Warren County 2020 General Election November 20, 2020 Official Results
Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally

, updated November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. James Lambo was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill a vacant seat. The seat, which expired in December 2018, was vacated by William Conforti in August 2016, after his announcement that he was moving out of the municipality. Lambo served on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election during which he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.General Election November 8, 2016, Warren County Official Tally

, updated November 16, 2016. Accessed January 30, 2017.

Federal, state, and county representation

Hackettstown is located in the 7th congressional district2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of the 23rd state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 5,410 registered voters in Hackettstown, of which 1,169 (21.6% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,764 (32.6% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2,468 (45.6% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Warren

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed June 5, 2013. Among the town's 2010 Census population, 55.6% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 69.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

received 1,973 votes (52.2% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

with 1,661 votes (44.0% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 77 votes (2.0% vs. 1.7%), among the 3,777 ballots cast by the town's 5,516 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.5% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

received 2,090 votes (52.7% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat

with 1,724 votes (43.4% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 64 votes (1.6% vs. 1.6%), among the 3,969 ballots cast by the town's 5,437 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.0% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,368 votes (60.3% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

with 1,492 votes (38.0% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 48 votes (1.2% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,928 ballots cast by the town's 5,241 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.9% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

received 72.5% of the vote (1,543 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 25.6% (545 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (41 votes), among the 2,166 ballots cast by the town's 5,608 registered voters (37 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,547 votes (61.1% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

with 662 votes (26.1% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 250 votes (9.9% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 30 votes (1.2% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,533 ballots cast by the town's 5,321 registered voters, yielding a 47.6% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).

Education

Old Main, Centenary University, Hackettstown, NJ

The Hackettstown School District serves students in

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. The district serves students in four schools: two elementary schools (covering K–4), a middle school (5–8), and a four-year high school (9–12). As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,975 students and 170.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 11.6:1.District information for Hackettstown Public School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district financ ...

. Accessed April 1, 2021. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the

) are Hatchery Hill School with 299 students in grades K–1, Willow Grove School with 340 students in grades 2–4, Hackettstown Middle School with 457 students in grades 5–8 and

with 864 students in grades 9–12. Students from the townships of Allamuchy,

, and

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

, attend the district's high school as part of

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

s. For the 2001–2002 school year, Hackettstown Middle School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Departmen ...

, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. Students from the town and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township (for grades K–8) or

Warren County Technical School Warren County Technical School (WCTS) is a technical and vocational public high school located in Washington, which serves students in ninth through twelfth grades as well as adult learners from across Warren County, United States, as part ...

in Washington borough (for 9–12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the

Warren County Special Services School District The Warren County Special Services School District is a special education public school district based in Oxford Township, serving the educational needs of classified students ages 3 to 21 from Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the ...

in Oxford Township (for Pre-K–12). Centenary University, a private college affiliated with the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

, was founded in 1867 and received approval in 1995 to grant master's degrees.

Media

* WXPJ, 91.9 on the FM dial – Centenary University radio. * WRNJ, at 1510 on the AM dial, is licensed to Hackettstown. It is also simulcast on FM translators on FM 92.7, FM 104.7, and FM 105.7. * The main office for '' The Warren Reporter'', a free weekly newspaper delivered to 42,000 households in Warren County, is on East Moore Street.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the town had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Warren County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

. Passing through Hackettstown are U.S. Route 46, Route 57, and County Route 517. Route 182 exists completely within the boundaries of Hackettstown.

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...

runs to the north of the town.

Public transportation

The Hackettstown station is the western terminus of the

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

Morristown Line The Morristown Line is an NJ Transit commuter rail line connecting Morris and Essex counties to New York City, via either New York Penn Station or Hoboken Terminal. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbou ...

and the Montclair-Boonton Line, which both provide service to

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by nine NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, one Metr ...

with connections to Pennsylvania Station in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...

via

Midtown Direct The Kearny Connection is a railroad junction in Kearny, New Jersey that allows passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to enter Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) and travel to and from New York Penn Station. The juncti ...

trains. New Jersey Transit bus service used to be provided on the

MCM5 DNA replication licensing factor MCM5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MCM5'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene is structurally very similar to the CDC46 protein from S. cerevisiae, a protein involved in the initia ...

and 973 local routes before they were discontinued. Warren County operates a shuttle along Route 57 to Washington Township that operates on an hourly loop on weekdays, with connections available to a shuttle to Phillipsburg.

Airports

Hackettstown is located from

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...

in Newark / Elizabeth. Lehigh Valley International Airport, near

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 census. It is the fastest-growing major city in Pennsylvania ...

, is away. Hackettstown Airport, a small general aviation airport with the official database designation of is located in adjoining Mansfield Township, only a few hundred yards from the municipal border with Hackettstown proper.

Points of interest

* Hackettstown Historical Society Museum, 106 Church Street *

Jacob C. Allen House The Jacob C. Allen House is a historic building at 206 West Moore Street in Hackettstown, Warren County, New Jersey. It was built with a Second Empire architectural style. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places for ...

, 206 West Moore Street, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

* First Presbyterian Church of Hackettstown, 291 Main Street *Hackettstown Free Public Library, 110 Church Street *Hackettstown Community Center, 293 Main Street File:HACKETTSTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM, WARREN COUNTY.jpg, Historical Society Museum File:206 West Moore Street, Hackettstown, NJ.jpg,

File:291 Main Street, Hackettstown, NJ.jpg, First Presbyterian Church File:Hackettstown Free Public Library at night.jpg, Hackettstown Free Public Library File:Hackettstown Community Center at Night.jpg, Hackettstown Community Center

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Hackettstown include: *

Abraham H. Albertson Abraham Horace Albertson (April 14, 1872 – April 18, 1964) was an American architect who was one of Seattle, Washington's most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century. He was born in New Jersey and educated at Columbia Univer ...

(1872–1964), one of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

's most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century *

John D. Bulkeley John Duncan Bulkeley (19 August 1911 – 6 April 1996) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy and was one of its most decorated naval officers. Bulkeley received the Medal of Honor for actions in the Pacific Theater during World War II. ...

(1911–1996), Vice Admiral in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

winner, PT boat skipper who evacuated General Douglas MacArthur from

Corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...

* Bette Cooper (1920–2017),

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

1937 *

Jim Courter James Andrew Courter (born October 14, 1941) is an American Republican Party politician, lawyer, and businessman. He represented parts of northwestern New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1991. In 1989, he u ...

(born 1941), former Member of Congress * Jonathan Townley Crane (1819–1880), clergyman, author, abolitionist, father of

Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism an ...

, founder of

* Christina Desiderio (born 2000), artistic gymnast *

John DiMaio John DiMaio (born November 27, 1955) is an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician, who was selected on February 21, 2009 to fill the New Jersey General Assembly seat for the New Jersey's 23rd legislative district, ...

(born 1955), member of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

who served as mayor of Hackettstown from 1991 to 1999 *

Brian Fallon Brian Fallon (born January 28, 1980) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main lyricist of the rock band the Gaslight Anthem, with whom he has recorded five studio albums. H ...

(born 1980), lead singer for The Gaslight Anthem /

The Horrible Crowes The Horrible Crowes is a musical duo consisting of vocalist and guitarist Brian Fallon and guitarist Ian Perkins. Fallon is also the front man in The Gaslight Anthem, a band he formed in 2006. Their debut album and only full-length studio release t ...

John Clifford Heed John Clifford Heed (1862–1908) was an American composer and musician, best known for composing over 60 marches. Early life and education Born in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on April 23, 1862, Heed began his musical career with the Hackettstown ...

(1862–1908), composer and musician, best known for composing over 60 marches * Kenneth Hopper (1926–2019), engineer *

Izetta Jewel Izetta Jewel Kenney (November 24, 1883 – November 14, 1978) was an American stage actress, women's rights activist and politician. She became the first woman to deliver a seconding speech for a presidential nominee at a major American politica ...

(1883–1978), born Izetta Jewel Kenney, actress and women's rights activist * Cole Kimball (born 1985), pitcher who has played for the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

* William Logan (1914–2002),

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

who competed in the

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...

and team pursuit events at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-s ...

* Kristen Maloney (born 1981), former gymnastics Olympian *

Naked Cowboy Robert John Burck (born December 23, 1970), better known as the Naked Cowboy, is an American actor, singer, songwriter, writer, and street performer, best known for singing regularly in New York City's Times Square. Burck is also a regular in th ...

(stage name of Robert John Burck, born 1970), street performer and 2012 Presidential candidate *

Louis F. Post Louis Freeland Post (November 15, 1849 – January 11, 1928) was a prominent Georgist and the Assistant United States Secretary of Labor during the closing year of the Wilson administration, the period of the Palmer Raids and the First Red Scare ...

(1849–1928), journalist, lawyer, author, former US Attorney, former Assistant

United States Secretary of Labor The United States Secretary of Labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all ot ...

during the

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People *Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson R ...

administration *

Jimmi Simpson Jimmi Simpson (born November 21, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, which includes recurring roles as Liam McPoyle on ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–2013), Lyle the Intern on ''The Late Show ...

(born 1975), Emmy nominated film and television actor *

Joe Stanowicz Joseph John Stanowicz (November 4, 1921 – September 21, 1999) was an American football player. He attended the United States Military Academy where he played at the guard position for the Army Black Knights football team. He was selected by ...

(1921–1999), football player who attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

where he played at the guard position for the

Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football team, previously known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. Army is a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member of the NCAA. The Black Knights play home ...

team *

George Theodore Werts George Theodore Werts (March 24, 1846January 17, 1910) was an American attorney, judge, and Democratic Party politician who served as the 28th governor of New Jersey from 1893 to 1896. His term in Governor coincided with the precipitous declin ...

(1846–1910), Governor of New Jersey (1893–1896)"New Jersey Governor George Theodore Werts"

National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...

. Accessed September 10, 2017. "George T. Werts, the thirty-fifth governor of New Jersey, was born in Hackettstown, New Jersey on March 24, 1846."

References

External links

Official website
{{Warren County, New Jersey 1853 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1853 Special Charters in New Jersey Towns in Warren County, New Jersey