Lebanon Township is a township located at the northernmost point of Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. 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 of ...

, the township's population was 6,195, a decrease of 393 (−6.0%) from the 2010 census count of 6,588, which in turn reflected an increase of 772 (+13.3%) from the 5,816 counted in the 2000 census. Lebanon Township is the extreme northern township of Hunterdon County. It borders both Warren and Morris Counties. When Lebanon Township was created in 1731, its original borders extended from the Musconetcong River 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 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 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, a member of the

New Jersey Synod New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

and the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxim ...

, 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 The Mt. Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church and Cemetery, popularly known as the Swack Church or Old Swack Church, was a Lutheran church located in Lebanon Township, New Jersey. Abandoned by its congregation in 1896, it has since become a histori ...

, is a historical Lutheran church; the burial ground of which houses plots dating as early as 1801.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, 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, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Anthony, 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 Califon is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,076,Clinton Township, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Tewksbury Township and Union Township in Hunterdon County; Washington Township in Morris County; and Mansfield Township and Washington Township in Warren County.

Demographics

2010 census

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 $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 for the borough was $43,424 (+/− $5,347). About 4.4% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

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 5,816 people, 1,963 households, and 1,556 families residing in the township. The population density 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, 0.81% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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
, United States Census Bureau. 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
, United States Census Bureau. 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 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, 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 per capita income for the township was $30,793. About 1.0% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, 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, a bluegrass trio of the Mizzone brothers: Jonny (banjo), Robbie (fiddle) and Tommy (guitar)

Parks and recreation

Lebanon Township hosts part of a rail trail that was created out of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch. The trail is maintained by Hunterdon County Parks and Recreation and is called the Columbia Trail, which includes a scenic area known as the

Ken Lockwood Gorge Ken Lockwood Gorge is between Califon and High Bridge in Lebanon Township of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It was purchased in 1948 by the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife and has been referred to as “one of New Jersey's most beautiful place ...

Government

Local government

Lebanon Township is governed under the Township 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 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 ...

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 Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, 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 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. Accessed June 26, 2022.''2022 County and Municipal Directory''
Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.November 2, 2021 District Report Hunterdon County Official Results
Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 12, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 3, 2020 District Report Hunterdon County Official Results
Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.Hunterdon County District Canvass November 5, 2019, General Election
Hunterdon County, New Jersey, updated November 14, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In January 2021, the Township Committee appointed Abe Abuchowski to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Brian Wunder who resigned from office the previous month. Abuchowski served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when Guy Wilson was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Lebanon Township is located in the 7th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, 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 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.

Politics

As of March 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 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 1,881 (43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or

Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...

. 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 ...

, 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 ...

received 63.3% of the vote (2,048 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama 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 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 ...

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 received 63.9% of the vote (2,152 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry 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 received 74.6% of the vote (1,547 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono 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 The Lebanon Township Schools is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Lebanon Township, in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.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

eighth grade Eighth grade (or grade eight in some regions) is the eighth post-kindergarten year of formal education in the US. The eighth grade is the ninth school year, the second, third, fourth, or final year of middle school, or the second and/or final ye ...

.''2019-2020 Public School Directory''
Hunterdon County Department of Education. Accessed May 6, 2020. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 624 students and 64.6 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 9.7:1.District information for Lebanon 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 April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the

) 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 Califon is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,076,ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through twelfth grades attend

Voorhees High School Voorhees High School is a four-year public high school located in Lebanon Township, named for Foster McGowan Voorhees, the 30th Governor of New Jersey. It is one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District ...

, which also serves students from

Califon Califon is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,076,Glen Gardner, Hampton, 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

of 11.8:1. The school is part of the

North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District is a regional, four-year public high school district, that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from twelve municipalities in northern Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United St ...

, which also includes students from Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township who attend North Hunterdon High School 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 The New Hampton Historic District is a historic district in the village of New Hampton, Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 6, 1998, for its significance i ...

, including the New Hampton Pony Pratt Truss Bridge, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Lebanon Township Museum, built , is a contributing property of the district. It includes a memorial to General

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (1735–1736July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

, who was born here and served in the American Revolutionary War.

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. Route 31 passes through the township, providing access to Interstate 78.

Public transportation

Local bus service is provided by NJ Transit on the

884 __NOTOC__ Year 884 ( DCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * March 1 – Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, count of Castile, founds and repo ...

route, with train service on the Raritan Valley Line available at the High Bridge station. The Hunterdon County LINK provide bus service on Routes 17 and 18, which operate between

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

and

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...

Notable people

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

Adrienne Adams Adrienne Adams may refer to: * Adrienne Adams (illustrator) (1906–2002), American illustrator * Adrienne Adams (politician) Adrienne Eadie Adams (born December 9, 1960) is an American politician serving as Speaker of the New York City C ...

(1906–2002), children's book illustratorStapleton, Chip
"Author, artist-wife make a happy team"
'' Courier News'', May 7, 1971. Accessed April 13, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Mr. Biddle, is ecstatic as he flies along with the help of Adso, Bodso, Crown and Charlie in the latest joint effort by Adrienne Adams and John Lonzo Anderson of Lebanon Township." * Lonzo Anderson (1905–1993), children's author * Alvah A. Clark (1840–1912), lawyer and politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1881 *

Julie Culley Julie Culley (born September 10, 1981) is an American track and field athlete, who competes in middle distance track events. Culley represented the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the 5000 m. While competing for Rutger ...

(born 1981), member of the 2012 US Olympic Team for the women's 5000m competition *

Mary Decker Mary Teresa Slaney (formerly Tabb, née Decker, born August 4, 1958) is a retired American middle-distance runner. During her career, she won gold medals in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters at the 1983 World Championships, and was the world re ...

(born 1958), former track athlete * Merv Griffin (1925–2007), television producer owned a farm in Lebanon Township, though it had a Califon mailing address * Joe Piscopo (born 1951), comedian, actor, musical entertainer and nationally syndicated radio talk show host best known for his work on '' Saturday Night Live'' *

Helen Walulik Helen Walulik iely(May 3, 1929 – March 6, 2012) was a pitcher and an outfield/utility infielder, infield utility who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at , 121 lb, she batted and threw right-handed. ...

(1929–2012), pitcher and an outfield/ infield utility who played for three seasons in the

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

* Bernie Worrell (1944–2016), keyboardist and founding member of Parliament-FunkadelicLustig, Jay
"Plainfield's Bernie Worrell - Parliament/Funkadelic alum - graduates to his own band"
'' The Star-Ledger'', 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

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