Lebanon Township is a

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 ...

located at the northernmost point of

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,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 6,588, reflecting an increase of 772 (+13.3%) from the 5,816 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 137 (+2.4%) from the 5,679 counted in the 1990 Census. Lebanon Township is the extreme northern township of Hunterdon County. It borders both

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...

and

Morris Morris may refer to: Places Australia *St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia Canada * Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry * Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba ** Morris, Manitob ...

Counties. When Lebanon Township was created in 1731, its original borders extended from the

Musconetcong River The Musconetcong River is a tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It flows through ...

to Readington Township.

History

Lebanon Township was first mentioned on October 26, 1731, as having been formed partly from the now-defunct Amwell Township, though the exact circumstances of its formation are unknown. Lebanon Township 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 have been taken to form Tewksbury Township (March 11, 1755), Clinton Township (April 12, 1841), High Bridge borough (February 19, 1898), Junction borough (February 20, 1895, now known as Hampton borough), Califon borough (April 2, 1898) and Glen Gardner borough (March 26, 1919).Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 154. Accessed October 26, 2012.

Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church, also known as Spruce Run Lutheran Church, is located at 442 West Hill Road in the Spruce Run section of Lebanon Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The congregation is a member of the New Jersey ...

, a member of the New Jersey Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, was established in 1774 by a group of 13 families. The church's current facility was constructed in 1870. The Mt. Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church and Cemetery, popularly known as the Swack Church, is a historical

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

church; the burial ground of which houses plots dating as early as 1801.

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 31.68 square miles (82.05 km²), including 31.43 square miles (81.40 km²) of land and 0.25 square miles (0.66 km²) of water (0.80%).

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 ...

, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include

Anthony Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the '' Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...

, Bunnvale, Changewater, Hampton Junction, Hoffmans, Little Brook, Lower Valley, Mount Lebanon, New Hampton, Newport, Penwell, Red Mill, Saint Nicholas Village, Scrappy Corner, Spruce Run, Stone Mill, The Point and Woodglen. The township borders Bethlehem Township, Califon, Clinton Township, Glen Gardner,

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia *Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria Canada * Hampton, New Brunswick *Ha ...

, High Bridge, Tewksbury Township and Union Township in Hunterdon County; Washington Township in Morris County; and Mansfield Township and Washington Township in

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey 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 o ...

was $96,489 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,123) and the median family income was $110,893 (+/− $29,973). Males had a median income of $78,056 (+/− $22,457) versus $56,346 (+/− $14,410) 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 $43,424 (+/− $5,347). About 4.4% of families and 5.9% 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 5.8% of those under age 18 and 1.6% 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 5,816 people, 1,963 households, and 1,556 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 183.5 people per square mile (70.9/km²). There were 2,020 housing units at an average density of 63.7 per square mile (24.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.97%

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 ...

, 0.81%

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.38% 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 0.79% 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 ...

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 ...

of any race were 1.72% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Lebanon township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 15, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Lebanon township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 15, 2012. There were 1,963 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.1% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.15. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $77,662, and the median income for a family was $86,145. Males had a median income of $58,306 versus $40,474 for females. The

for the township was $30,793. About 1.0% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the

, including none of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Musical groups from the township include the

Sleepy Man Banjo Boys Sleepy Man (prior to late 2014 known as Sleepy Man Banjo Boys) is a bluegrass music band from Lebanon Township, New Jersey, United States. It is composed of the Mizzone brothers: Jonny (born 14 March 2002, banjo), Robbie (born 7 November 1998, ...

, a bluegrass trio of the Mizzone brothers: Jonny (banjo), Robbie (fiddle) and Tommy (guitar)

Government

Local government

Lebanon 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 government, a form used by 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide. The Township Committee, comprised of five members, is 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. 103. At an annual reorganization meeting held during the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. , the Lebanon Township Committee consists of

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 ...

Michael Schmidt ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Marc Laul (R, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Beverly Koehler (R, 2022), Thomas R. McKee (R, 2023) and Guy Wilson (R, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term).Township Committee
Lebanon Township. Accessed June 26, 2022. "The Township of Lebanon is governed by a five member Township Committee consisting of township residents elected for three year terms. The committee organizes annually during the first week in January, at which time it elects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among its members.... In addition to the Township Committee, a number of boards, commissions, and committees, township residents, are established."

Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,''2022 County and Municipal Directory''

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 23rd 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.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,366 registered voters in Lebanon Township, of which 723 (16.6%) were registered as Democrats, 1,759 (40.3%) were registered as Republicans and 1,881 (43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 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. 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 63.3% of the vote (2,048 cast), 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 35.3% (1,140 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (46 votes), among the 3,250 ballots cast by the township's 4,543 registered voters (16 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 60.4% of the vote (2,119 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.2% (1,305 votes) and other candidates with 1.7% (59 votes), among the 3,507 ballots cast by the township's 4,450 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.8%. 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 63.9% of the vote (2,152 ballots cast), outpolling 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 34.7% (1,170 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (49 votes), among the 3,370 ballots cast by the township's 4,249 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 79.3. 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 74.6% of the vote (1,547 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 23.0% (477 votes), and other candidates with 2.5% (51 votes), among the 2,118 ballots cast by the township's 4,499 registered voters (43 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.3% of the vote (1,851 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 20.5% (539 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.9% (208 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (15 votes), among the 2,633 ballots cast by the township's 4,396 registered voters, yielding a 59.9% turnout.

Education

The Lebanon Township Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.''2019-2020 Public School Directory''

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.7:1.District information for Lebanon Township School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Valley View School with 310 students in grades Pre-K–4 and Woodglen School with 320 students in grades 5–8. Both schools are located in Lebanon Township, but have a Califon mailing address. Public school students in ninth 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 ...

s attend Voorhees High School, which also serves students from Califon, Glen Gardner,

, High Bridge and Tewksbury Township. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 982 students and 83.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. The school is part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, which also includes students from Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township who attend

North Hunterdon High School North Hunterdon High School is a four-year regional public high school serving students from six municipalities in northern Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States, as one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High Sch ...

in Annandale. Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance. Lebanon Township is also home to the Hunterdon Learning Center, an alternative education school founded by James Butters in 1975.

Points of interest

The New Hampton Historic District, including the

New Hampton Pony Pratt Truss Bridge The New Hampton Pony Pratt Truss Bridge is a historic pony Pratt truss bridge on Shoddy Mill Road in New Hampton of Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It crosses the Musconetcong River between Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County and ...

, are 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 ...

. The Lebanon Township Museum, built , is a contributing property of the district. It includes a memorial to General Daniel Morgan, who was born here and served in the

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 ...

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Hunterdon 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 ...

. Route 31 passes through the township, providing access to

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

Public transportation

Local bus service is provided by

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 ...

on the 884 route, with train service on the

Raritan Valley Line The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region in central New Jersey, United States. ...

available at the High Bridge station. The Hunterdon County LINK provide bus service on Routes 17 and 18, which operate between Milford and Clinton.

Notable people

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

Alvah A. Clark Alvah Augustus Clark (September 13, 1840 – December 27, 1912) was an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives for two terms in the 45th and 46th congress from 1877 to 18 ...

(1840–1912), lawyer and 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 1877 to 1881 * Julie Culley (born 1981), member of the 2012 US Olympic Team for the women's 5000m competition * Mary Decker (born 1958), former track athlete *

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own t ...

(1925–2007), television producer owned a farm in Lebanon Township, though it had a Califon mailing address *

Joe Piscopo Joseph Charles John Piscopo ( ; born June 17, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and conservative radio talk show host. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1980 to 1984, where he played a variety of recurring characters. His f ...

(born 1951), comedian, actor, musical entertainer and nationally syndicated radio talk show host best known for his work on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

'' * Helen Walulik (1929–2012),

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

and an

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball a ...

/ infield utility who played for three seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League *

Bernie Worrell George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Rol ...

(1944–2016), keyboardist and founding member of

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...

Lustig, Jay
"Plainfield's Bernie Worrell - Parliament/Funkadelic alum - graduates to his own band"
''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to '' The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of ...

'', March 19, 2010. Accessed June 30, 2011. "Worrell, who grew up in Long Branch and Plainfield and has lived in Lebanon Township for the past decade, is collaborating with another former Parliament/Funkadelic music director, guitarist DeWayne 'Blackbyrd' McKnight, in a new band, SociaLybrium."

References

External links

Lebanon Township websiteLebanon Township Schools
*
School Data for the Lebanon Township Schools
National Center for Education Statistics
North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School DistrictHunterdon Land Trust AllianceHunterdon Learning Center
{{Hunterdon County, New Jersey 1731 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1731 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in Hunterdon County, New Jersey