Rocky Hill is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, named for the Rocky Hill Ridge. 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 servin ...

, the rural borough's population was 682,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Rocky Hill borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 14, 2013.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Rocky Hill borough
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed February 14, 2013. reflecting an increase of 20 (+3.0%) from the 662 counted in the 2000 Census. This was a decline of 31 persons (−4.5%) from the 693 counted in the 1990 Census.

History

The earliest European settlement in the area began after John Harrison negotiated the purchase of land in 1701 from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans who had long occupied the area. In 1783, during the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington camped at Rockingham, the house owned by the Berrien family; he would pass through the area again in 1789 on his way to New York City for his inauguration as President of the United States. Before roads were improved and people traveled by automobiles, it was known as the Devil's Featherbed because it was difficult to travel the rocky terrain by horse and wagon. Rocky Hill was incorporated as a borough 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 December 18, 1889, from portions of Montgomery Township, based on the results of a referendum held four days earlier.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.61 square miles (1.59 km²), including 0.61 square miles (1.58 km²) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km²) of water (0.49%). A large portion of Rocky Hill is taken up by Van Horne Park. The borough borders the Somerset County municipalities of Franklin Township and Montgomery Township.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Rocky Hill, New Jersey would have an Appalachian Oak (''104'') vegetation type with an Eastern

Hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

Forest (''25'') vegetation form.U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)
Data Basin. Accessed November 5, 2020.

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 In economics, nominal value is measured in terms of money, whereas real value is measured against goods or services. A real value is one which has been adjusted for inflation, enabling comparison of quantities as if the prices of goods had not c ...

dollars) median household income was $88,929 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,448) and the median family income was $102,917 (+/− $21,668). Males had a median income of $88,333 (+/− $16,491) versus $57,083 (+/− $7,607) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $47,582 (+/− $7,276). About none of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none 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 ce ...

there were 662 people, 284 households, and 189 families residing in the borough. The population density was 982.0 people per square mile (381.5/km²). There were 295 housing units at an average density of 437.6 per square mile (170.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.17% White, 1.36% African American, 0.45% Asian, 0.60% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.93% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Rocky Hill borough, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 14, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Rocky Hill borough, Somerset County, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed February 14, 2013. There were 284 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% 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 t ...

living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.82. In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $79,469, and the median income for a family was $100,314. Males had a median income of $54,375 versus $50,357 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $48,357. About 2.5% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Rocky Hill is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 77. The Borough form of government used by Rocky Hill is a " weak mayor / strong council" government, in which council members act as the legislative body. The mayor presides at meetings and votes only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. , the Mayor of Rocky Hill is Democrat Robert Uhrik, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Edgar L. "Trey" Delaney (D, 2024), Susan P. Bristol ( I, 2023), Jonathan Lee (D, 2022; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Catherine Plunkett (D, 2022), Ken Rizzi (D, 2023; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Denise Varga (D, 2024).Council Members and Committees
Borough of Rocky Hill. Accessed July 14, 2022.''2021 Directory of County & Municipal Offices''

Somerset County, New Jersey Somerset County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, the county's population was 345,361, an increase of 21,917 (6.8%) from the 323,444 counted at the 2010 U.S Cen ...

. Accessed July 1, 2022.2021 General Election Winning Candidates

. Accessed January 1, 2022.Somerset County General Election November 3, 2020 Final Certified Results

, dated December 3, 2020. Accessed January 19, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Final Results

, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.General Election 2018 Winners List

. Accessed January 1, 2019. In January 2022, the Borough Council selected Jonathan Lee from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Rasheeda Pretto until she resigned from office. Rasheeda Pretto was appointed to fill the Borough Council seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Robert Uhrik until he stepped down to take office as mayor, though she chose to run for a full three-year term rather than to run for the remainder of the term. In November 2019, Amy Kirtland won a write-in campaign to fill the balance of Uhrik's council term. At the January 2015 Reorganization Meeting, the Borough Council selected Robert Ashbaugh to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2015 of Jeffrey Donohue, who vacated the seat when he took office as mayor.

Federal, state, and county representation

Rocky Hill is located in the 12th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative districtMunicipalities 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 we ...

. 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. Somerset County is governed by a five-member

Board of County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

, whose members are elected

to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held on the first Friday of January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members. , Somerset County's County Commissioners are Director Shanel Robinson ( D, Franklin Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as director ends 2022), Deputy Director Melonie Marano (D, Green Brook Township, term as commissioner and as deputy director ends 2022), Paul Drake (D, Hillsborough Township, 2023), Douglas Singleterry (D, North Plainfield, 2023) and Sara Sooy (D, Basking Ridge in Bernards Township, 2024).''2021 Directory of County & Municipal Offices''

. Accessed May 1, 2022.2021 General Election Winning Candidates

. Accessed January 1, 2022.Somerset County General Election November 3, 2020 Final Certified Results

, dated December 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Final Results

, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the

New Jersey State Constitution The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the sta ...

, each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as constitutional officers. These officers are the

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term). Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Steve Peter ( D,

Somerville Somerville may refer to: *Somerville College, Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford Places *Somerville, Victoria, Australia * Somerville, Western Australia, a suburb of Kalgoorlie, Australia * Somerville, New Zealand, a subur ...

, 2022), Sheriff Darrin Russo (D, Franklin Township, 2022) and Surrogate Bernice "Tina" Jalloh (D, Franklin Township, 2025)

Politics

Rocky Hill is considered to be the most Democratic-leaning municipality in Somerset County. It was Democratic in 2004 when most of the area was not, but like other municipalities in the region, it shifted further to the left since then, giving Joe Biden a plurality of more than 50% in the 2020 presidential election. As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 527 registered voters in Rocky Hill, of which 183 (34.7% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 190 (36.1% vs. 25.7%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and 151 (28.7% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary - Somerset

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 13, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 77.3% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 100% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% 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: E ...

, Democrat Barack Obama received 63.6% of the vote (252 cast), ahead of 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 f ...

with 34.6% (137 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (7 votes), among the 397 ballots cast by the borough's 532 registered voters (1 ballot was spoiled), for a turnout of 74.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 258 votes (61.0% vs. 52.1% countywide), ahead of 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 terms ...

with 154 votes (36.4% vs. 46.1%) and other candidates with 8 votes (1.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 423 ballots cast by the borough's 511 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.8% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 241 votes (56.3% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 181 votes (42.3% vs. 51.5%) and other candidates with 6 votes (1.4% vs. 0.9%), among the 428 ballots cast by the borough's 501 registered voters, for a turnout of 85.4% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 54.0% of the vote (150 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 42.8% (119 votes), and other candidates with 3.2% (9 votes), among the 282 ballots cast by the borough's 535 registered voters (4 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 52.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 153 votes (50.2% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 122 votes (40.0% vs. 34.1%), 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 Env ...

with 23 votes (7.5% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 2 votes (0.7% vs. 0.7%), among the 305 ballots cast by the borough's 522 registered voters, yielding a 58.4% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education

The Montgomery Township School District is a comprehensive public school district, consisting of five school facilities in Montgomery Township, that serves students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through twelfth grade from both Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill. As of the 2020–2021 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 4,498 students and 403.1 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 11.2:1.District information for Montgomery Township 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 finance ...

. Accessed February 15, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2020–2021 enrollment data from the

) are Orchard Hill Elementary School with 727 students in grades Pre-K–2, Village Elementary School with 634 students in grades 3–4, Montgomery Lower Middle School with 743 students in grades 5–6, Montgomery Upper Middle School with 776 students in grades 7–8 and Montgomery High School with 1,577 students in grades 9–12. Rocky Hill had been a non-operating school district that had sent all of its students to the Montgomery Township School District, as part of a sending/receiving relationship. With the termination of the non-operating district, Rocky Hill operates as part of the Montgomery district. Rocky Hill is home to the Rocky Hill Cooperative Nursery School, which was established in 1957.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Somerset County. The major road that passes through is County Route 518, which runs for through the borough and provides access to

U.S. Route 206 U.S. Route 206 (US 206) is a north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile (800 m) of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford–Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delawa ...

to the west and Route 27 to the east. The nearest limited access roads are at least 25 minutes away, such as Interstate 287, Interstate 295 and the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

(

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

Airport

Princeton Airport, serving the neighboring borough of Princeton, is located in Montgomery Township, just west of Rocky Hill.

Emergency services

Police coverage is provided by the

New Jersey State Police The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors. History As with other state police organization ...

, from the Kingwood Station in Hunterdon County. Part-time coverage is provided by the South Bound Brook Police for traffic enforcement only. Fire protection is offered by the Rocky Hill Hook & Ladder Co #1/Station 53 Fire. Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Rocky Hill First Aid and Rescue Squad (53 Rescue), which had been temporarily decommissioned as of March 2011 by Resolution 2011–33. An aggressive recruitment and training program under new operational and executive leadership led to Rocky Hill First and Rescue Squad returning to full primary EMS coverage in October 2012, covering all shifts on a scramble basis and offering mutual aid to squads based in Franklin Township, Kingston, and Princeton.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Rocky Hill include: * John Berrien (1711–1772), justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and trustee of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University * John Berrien Jr. (1759–1815), army officer during the Revolutionary War *

John Macpherson Berrien John Macpherson Berrien (August 23, 1781January 1, 1856) of United States senator from Georgia and Attorney General of the United States during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Early life and education Berrien was born on August 23, 1781 at ...

(1781–1856), served as United States Attorney General and represented Georgia in the United States Senate * Anthony Cassar (born 1996), freestyle wrestler who was the NCAA Division I champion * Tom Malinowski (born 1965), diplomat and politician who represents New Jersey's 7th congressional district *

Stephen F. Voorhees Stephen Francis Voorhees FAIA (February 15, 1878 – January 23, 1965) was an American architect in practice in New York City from 1910 until 1959. From 1935 to 1937 he was president of the American Institute of Architects. Life and career Voor ...

(1878–1965), architect in practice in New York City from 1910 until 1959, who was president of the American Institute of Architects from 1935 to 1937."Stephen Voorhees, 86, Times Tower Architect"
''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

'', January 25, 1965. Accessed October 26, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Born in Rocky Hill, NJ, Voorhees was the scion of a family that arrived in Brooklyn from Holland in 1660." *

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, stayed in Rockingham, the house of the Berrien family, in the late summer of 1783, while Congress was in session in Princeton

References

External links

Rocky Hill Borough website

Montgomery Township School District
*
School Data for the Montgomery Township School District

Rocky Hill and Montgomery's hometown newspaper
{{authority control 1889 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Somerset County, New Jersey New Jersey District Factor Group none Populated places established in 1889