township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, United States. As of the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
, the township's population was 2,538, reflecting an increase of 238 (+10.3%) from the 2,300 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 398 (+20.9%) from the 1,902 counted in the 1990 Census. The township is crossed by Route 15 and
Route 94
The following highways are numbered 94:
International
* European route E94
Australia
* List of road routes in Western Australia#94, National Route 94 in Western Australia
* Burley Griffin Way (New South Wales)
* Dohertys Road (Victoria) (New ...
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.
Historic district
The Lafayette Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village of Lafayette along NJ 15, Morris Farm Road and Meadows Road. It was added to 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 ...
on November 15, 2013 for its significance in architecture, exploration/settlement, industry, and transportation. The district includes 42 contributing buildings, a contributing structure, and three
contributing sites
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...
. With accompanying 45 photos.
The Lafayette Foundry was built where Morris Farm Road crosses the Paulins Kill in 1836 by Alexander Boyles. There are no visible remains at the site. The Lafayette Mill Complex on Morris Farm Road includes a flour and gristmill, storehouse and distillery on the south side; a general
store and playhouse on the north side. The Ludlum-Mabee House was built and is now used by Lafayette Center Preservation Foundation.
File:Morris Farm Road Bridge, Lafayette, NJ.jpg, Stone arch bridge over the Paulins Kill
File:The Lafayette Foundry, Lafayette, NJ - information sign.jpg, Lafayette Foundry information
File:115 State Route 15, Lafayette, NJ.jpg, Ludlum-Mabee House
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 t ...
, the township had a total area of 17.97 square miles (46.54 km2), including 17.88 square miles (46.32 km2) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.23 km2) of water (0.48%).
Unincorporated communities
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
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 o ...
was $96,369 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,553) and the median family income was $98,750 (+/− $11,241). Males had a median income of $71,607 (+/− $22,034) versus $56,964 (+/− $13,270) 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 $34,364 (+/− $3,922). About 6.4% of families and 8.0% 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 t ...
, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and none 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 cen ...
there were 2,300 people, 771 households, and 647 families residing in the township. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 127.6 people per square mile (49.3/km2). There were 799 housing units at an average density of 44.3 per square mile (17.1/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.04%
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 o ...
, 1.04%
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 ...
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.35% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.70% 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 forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
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 t ...
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 t ...
. Accessed February 21, 2013.
There were 771 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.4% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.0% were non-families. 12.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the township the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $82,805, and the median income for a family was $87,650. Males had a median income of $61,307 versus $38,816 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 township was $30,491. About 1.2% of families and 3.7% 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 t ...
, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Lafayette Township is governed under the
Township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...
form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.''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
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...
, March 2013, p. 110. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.
, members of the Lafayette Township Committee are Mayor Kevin K. O'Leary ( R, term on township committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Richard Hughes (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2022), Richard Bruning (R, 2022), Gregory J. Corcoran (R, 2023) and Alan R. Henderson (R, 2023).Township Committee Lafayette Township. Accessed April 20, 2022. "Lafayette Township is governed by a Township Committee consisting of five elected members. The members serve staggered three-year terms. The Township Committee elects a Mayor who serves a one-year term. The Mayor serves as the Chair of the Committee and has powers vested in the mayor's office by general law."
New Jersey Redistricting Commission
The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; t ...
, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government'' New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.Sussex County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners whose five members are elected at-large in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Commissioner Director and Deputy Director from among its members, with day-to-day supervision of the operation of the county delegated to a County Administrator. , Sussex County's Commissioners are
Commissioner Director Anthony Fasano ( R, Hopatcong, term as commissioner and as commissioner director ends December 31, 2022),
Deputy Director Chris Carney (R, Frankford Township, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022),
Dawn Fantasia (R,
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
, 2024),
Jill Space (R, Wantage Township, 2022; appointed to serve an unexpired term) and
Herbert Yardley (R, Stillwater Township, 2023). In May 2022, Jill Space was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Sylvia Petillo until she resigned from office.
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are
County Clerk Jeffrey M. Parrott (R, Wantage Township, 2026),
Sheriff Michael F. Strada (R, Hampton Township, 2022) and
Surrogate Gary R. Chiusano (R, Frankford Township, 2023). The County Administrator is Gregory V. Poff II, whose appointment expires in 2025.
Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,738 registered voters in Lafayette Township, of which 228 (13.1% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 781 (44.9% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 727 (41.8% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as
Libertarians
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's enc ...
or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Sussex New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 21, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 68.5% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 89.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).
In the
2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January ...
, Republican Mitt Romney received 867 votes (65.7% vs. 59.4% 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, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
with 431 votes (32.7% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 18 votes (1.4% vs. 2.1%), among the 1,319 ballots cast by the township's 1,815 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.7% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 921 votes (67.3% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 417 votes (30.5% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 18 votes (1.3% vs. 1.5%), among the 1,368 ballots cast by the township's 1,740 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.6% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
received 883 votes (67.4% vs. 63.9% 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 404 votes (30.8% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 18 votes (1.4% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,311 ballots cast by the township's 1,583 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.8% (vs. 77.7% 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 76.5% of the vote (646 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 20.4% (172 votes), and other candidates with 3.1% (26 votes), among the 855 ballots cast by the township's 1,824 registered voters (11 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 635 votes (66.2% vs. 63.3% 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 214 votes (22.3% vs. 25.7%), Independent
Chris Daggett
Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...
with 94 votes (9.8% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 14 votes (1.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 959 ballots cast by the township's 1,702 registered voters, yielding a 56.3% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).
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 ...
s, public school students attend
High Point Regional High School
High Point Regional High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Wantage Township, New Jersey, United States (with a Sussex postal address), which is the sole high school in its school district.
The district educate ...
, which also serves students from Branchville, Frankford Township, Montague Township, Sussex Borough and Wantage Township (where the school is located). As of the 2018–2019 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 893 students and 81.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. The district is governed by a nine-member board of education; seats on the board are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with one seat assigned to Lafayette Township.
Transportation
, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Sussex 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 transporta ...
.
The main highways serving Lafayette Township are
New Jersey Route 15
Route 15 is a state highway in New Jersey, spanning Morris and Sussex counties, which travels for from U.S. Route 46 (East McFarland Street) in Dover to an intersection with U.S. Route 206 in Frankford Township. It becomes a divided highw ...
and
New Jersey Route 94
Route 94 is a state highway in the northwestern part of New Jersey, United States. It runs from the Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge over the Delaware River in Knowlton Township, Warren County, where it connects to Pennsylvania Route 611 (PA 6 ...
. The two routes run concurrently in opposite directions for a short stretch in Lafayette Township.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Lafayette Township include:
* Andy Albeck (1921–2010), movie executive who served as president and chief executive of
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...
and operated the award-winning Albeck Family Christmas Tree farm in Lafayette Township
* Cleve Backster (1924–2013), interrogation specialist for the
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
, best known for his 1960s experiments with plants using a
polygraph
A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked ...
which led to his theory of " primary perception" where he claimed that plants "feel pain" and have
extrasensory perception
Extrasensory perception or ESP, also called sixth sense, is a claimed paranormal ability pertaining to reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses, but sensed with the mind. The term was adopted by Duke Universit ...
*
Bhikkhu Bodhi
Bhikkhu Bodhi (born December 10, 1944), born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka and currently teaching in the New York and New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publ ...
(born 1944),
Theravada
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
, ordained in Sri Lanka, who was appointed the second president of the
Buddhist Publication Society
The Buddhist Publication Society (BPS) is a publishing house with charitable status whose objective is to disseminate the teaching of Gautama Buddha. It was founded in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 1958 by two Sri Lankan lay Buddhists, A.S. Karunaratna and ...
*
Andrew J. Rogers
Andrew Jackson Rogers (July 1, 1828 – May 22, 1900) was an American lawyer, teacher, clerk, police commissioner and Democratic Party politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives for two terms from 1863 to 1867 ...
(1828–1900), lawyer, teacher, clerk, police commissioner and Democratic Party politician who represented
New Jersey's 4th congressional district
New Jersey's 4th congressional district is a congressional district that stretches along the New Jersey Shore. It has been represented by Republican Chris Smith since 1981, the second-longest currently serving member of the US House of Represe ...
in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 1863 to 1867
*
Jay Nelson Tuck
Jay Nelson Tuck (1916-1985) was a journalist, television critic and president of The Newspaper Guild of New York City. He held reporting and editing posts at the New York World-Telegram and Sun, New York Post, The New York Post and at Medical Wo ...
(1916–1985),
journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
,
television critic
Television criticism is the act of writing or speaking about television programming to evaluate its worth, meaning, and other aspects. Such criticism can be found in daily newspapers, on culture discussion shows (on TV and radio), and in specialis ...
who served as president of
The Newspaper Guild
The NewsGuild-CWA is a labor union founded by newspaper journalists in 1933. In addition to improving wages and working conditions, its constitution says its purpose is to fight for honesty in journalism and the news industry's business practices ...
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', November 25, 1985. Accessed May 1, 2015. "Jay Nelson Tuck, a journalist and former president of the Newspaper Guild of New York, died of lung cancer Friday at his home in Lafayette, N.J."
References
Further reading
*McCabe, Wayne T.; and Gordon, Kate. ''A Penny A View...An Album of Postcard Views...Lafayette, N.J.'' (Newton, NJ: Historic Preservation Alternatives, 1993).