Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey (Historical)
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Washington Township, officially the Township of Washington, is a township in
Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New Jersey, United States. 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 9,285, an increase of 183 (+2.0%) of the 2010 census count of 9,102, reflecting an increase of 164 (+1.8%) from the 8,938 counted in the 2000 census.


History

The
Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...
Native Americans first inhabited the township and many names throughout the general area were passed down from the Lenape. Pascack and
Kinderkamack County Route 503 (CR 503) is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 17.95 miles (28.89 kilometers) from Paterson Plank Road ( Route 120) in East Rutherford to the New York state line at the Montvale NJ/ Pearl River ...
are just two of these names. However, after Dutch and other European settlers began arriving in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lenape population was decimated. It is estimated that by 1750, 90% of the Lenape population in and around present-day New Jersey was killed by European settlement through war and European diseases.''About the Lenape - 1600-1750: Fur Traders, Disease, Settlers''
(see reference material linked therein)
Washington Township was created 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 April 13, 1840, from the territories between the Hackensack River and Saddle River that had been part of Harrington Township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 88. Accessed March 24, 2012.
At the time of its creation, the township encompassed an area of , more than .Our History
Township of Washington. Accessed December 22, 2013. "We have a number of interesting places in our town, one of which is Seven Chimneys, a large 18th century stone house that stands high on a grassy knoll in the southern portion of the Township. Legend has it; George Washington stayed there a short period of time, which gives our community special history and pride."
The township was named for
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 ...
, one of more than ten communities statewide named for the first president. It is one of five municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name " Washington Township". Another municipality, Washington Borough, is completely surrounded by Washington Township, Warren County. Growth in the area exploded after the Civil War with the completion of the New Jersey and New York Railway through the Pascack Valley, as communities were established near the railroad's stations. Orvil Township was created on January 1, 1886, from the western portion of The Township of Washington and the southern portion of Hohokus Township. The Borough Act resulted in a flurry of new boroughs created from portions of the township in 1894 as the "
Boroughitis Boroughitis (also borough fever or borough mania) was the creation in the 1890s, usually by referendum, of large numbers of small boroughs in the U.S. state of New Jersey, particularly in Bergen County. Attempts by the New Jersey Legislature t ...
" phenomenon swept through the Township of Washington, with Westwood (May 8, 1894), Park Ridge (May 14, 1894),
Eastwood Eastwood may refer to: Places ;in Australia *Eastwood, New South Wales **Eastwood railway station **Electoral district of Eastwood *Eastwood, South Australia ;in Canada * Eastwood, Ontario *Eastwood, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhood ;in the Ph ...
(part; created June 6, 1894, borough lasted until 1896), Montvale (part; created August 31, 1894) and Woodcliff (part; created August 31, 1894, name changed to Woodcliff Lake in 1910) formed among the 26 boroughs created that year in the county. Hillsdale Township (now a borough) was created on March 25, 1898. Etna Borough, which ultimately became Emerson, was formed on April 8, 1903. River Vale (part) was the last to leave when it was created on April 30, 1906. The departures have taken the township from over to its current size.
Seven Chimneys Seven Chimneys, also known as the Nicholas Zabriskie House, was built between 1745 and 1750 by Nicholas Zabriskie, an early Dutch settler in the Hudson Valley. It is the oldest house in Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey. Notable vis ...
is a house with the described seven chimneys, located on Ridgewood Road atop a small hill.
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 ...
is said to have stayed at the house during the Revolutionary War. Seven Chimneys, the oldest house in the township, is an impressive example of eighteenth-century, regional, domestic architecture and is an important remnant of the community's early settlement period. The house is listed on the State Register and National Register of Historic Places. Notable visitors include Theodore Roosevelt. The house was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. On November 3, 1968, the Bergen County Historical Society placed a historic-site marker on the property and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. During the mid-1950s, the completion of the Garden State Parkway split the township in two. The Parkway created two access routes with Exit 166 on the southern border closest to Paramus and Exit 168 on Washington Avenue. The northernmost toll plaza was built off of East Glen. During the decade after the Parkway was completed, the township dramatically increased in population. Efforts to gain a ZIP Code for the township back to the mid-1970s, when efforts were made to have the unused 07676 code allocated to the Township of Washington. Previously, the township had been served by the Westwood post office as ZIP Code 07675, which also served Old Tappan, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake. ZIP Code 07676 for Township of Washington was established effective July 2000.


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 3.00 square miles (7.78 km2), including 2.95 square miles (7.65 km2) of land and 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2) of water (1.67%). The township is located in the northern portion of Bergen County, which in turn is in the far northeastern corner of New Jersey, northwest of New York City. It is within the Hackensack River watershed, which comprises Musquapsink Brook, Schlegel Lake, Pascack Brook,
Oradell Reservoir The Oradell Reservoir is a reservoir formed by the Oradell Reservoir Dam on the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. Geography The Oradell Reservoir Dam is located primarily in the borough of Oradell, but the reservoir ...
, Woodcliff Lake Reservoir, and Lake Tappan. The township borders the Bergen County municipalities of Emerson, Hillsdale,
Ho-Ho-Kus Ho-Ho-Kus () is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,258, an increase of 180 (+4.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,078, which in turn reflected an increase ...
, Paramus,
Ridgewood Ridgewood may refer to: Geography Australia *Ridgewood, Western Australia Canada * Ridgewood, Ontario *Ridgewood, Edmonton, Alberta United Kingdom *Ridgewood, East Sussex United States *Ridgewood Heights, California * Ridgewood, Illinois *Ridge ...
, Saddle River and Westwood. Located within the Pascack Valley of north-central Bergen County, elevations rise gradually in an east to west/south to north trajectory, and range anywhere from or less in the wooded swamplands behind Westwood Regional High School to approximately just west of Van Emburgh Avenue. Three hills are in the township: at the border of Westwood, west of Pascack Road, and another located west of Van Emburgh Avenue. Being higher in elevation, it is slightly cooler and less prone to flooding than the rest of the valley and other parts of northwestern Bergen County. The southern end of the township bordering Emerson and Paramus is wooded wetlands at the convergence of Musquapsink Brook and three cemeteries, and has consistently the densest overnight and morning fog in the area.


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 $117,394 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,960) and the median family income was $133,191 (+/− $10,285). Males had a median income of $91,038 (+/− $11,435) versus $56,599 (+/− $4,609) for females. The per capita income for the township was $48,415 (+/− $4,855). About 1.6% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over. Same-sex couples headed 27 households in 2010, an increase from the 10 counted in 2000.


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 8,938 people, 3,219 households, and 2,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,071.1 people per square mile (1,185.9/km2). There were 3,245 housing units at an average density of 1,115.0 per square mile (430.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 92.07% White, 0.98% African American, 0.04% Native American, 5.57%
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 ...
, 0.44% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 ...
of any race were 3.35% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Washington township, Bergen County, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 4, 2013.
DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Washington township, Bergen County, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 4, 2013.
There were 3,219 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.2% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.07. In the township, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $83,694, and the median income for a family was $88,017. Males had a median income of $67,090 versus $41,699 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,248. About 1.5% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Washington Town Center is a shopping mall located in the center of the township on Pascack Road. Stores include Rite Aid,
PNC Bank The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (stylized as PNC) is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of ...
, a Post Office and several restaurants and shops. It has a movie theater which offers a variety of theatrical films. It was formerly a Bowtie Cinemas chain, but the name branding was dropped in 2016 and became Washington Township Cinemas. The privately held Washington Town Center is the township's single largest taxpayer. Through a quirk in the town's tax code, the not-for-profit Washington Township Recreation Club remains the township's second-largest taxpayer.


Parks and recreation

The Township of Washington offers various sports activities—baseball, softball, football, cheerleading, and soccer—which are played at the numerous parks and fields throughout the town. Clark Field includes a little league baseball field with two large dugouts and electronic scoreboard, a basketball court, a playground, sandbox, and a concession stand. The playground has many slides, monkey bars, games, gliders, fire poles, regular swings, baby swings, and a tire swing. Memorial Field is in the major recreation site in the township and provides facilities for multiple uses: baseball, softball, soccer and youth football. Adjacent to the Washington Elementary School, it also includes a recreation building with concession stand and a covered picnic pavilion. Other fields include Sherry Field which is close to the border of Westwood and township and offers a baseball field with two playing areas. The other field is Gardener Field which is a baseball field and also a playground. Both of these fields include a concession stand. As the township does not provide for any recreational pool service, the Washington Township Recreation Club (WTRC) fills this void. Membership at the Washington Township Recreation Club, more commonly known as the 'swim club' or 'pool', is not limited to township residents and is open to any individual or family who wishes to join. In addition to the Olympic sized outdoor pool, the WTRC also offers a game room and picnic area. Additional recreational facilities include the Bergen County YJCC, offering fitness programs, indoor swimming and a variety of classes for all denominations. The town also has a privately owned Racquet and Health Club. Schlegel Lake, once referred to as Schlegel's Pond and commonly referred to as Washington Lake, is a artificial body of water privately owned and managed by the Washington Lake Association (WLA) since 1947, whose members have exclusive rights to use of the pond and surrounding property. WLA members may enjoy fishing, boating, picnicking, nature observation and other outdoor activities.


Government


Local government

The Township of Washington is governed within the
Faulkner Act The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act (, et seq.) provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H. Faulkner, former mayor ...
(formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government (Plan E), implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1970. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a five-member Township Council, all of whom are 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 to four-year terms of office, as part of the November general election. Members of the Township Council are elected to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election together and the other two seats (along with the mayor) up for election two years later in odd-numbered years.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 165. , the Mayor of the Township of Washington is Republican Peter Calamari, whose term of office ends December 31, 2021. Members of the Township Council are Council President Desserie Morgan (R, 2023), Council Vice President Stacey Feeney (R, 2023), Dr. Steven Cascio (R, 2023), Tom Sears (R, 2025) and Daisy Velez (R, 2025).Mayor & Council
Township of Washington. Accessed July 25, 2022.
''2022 County and Municipal Directory''
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County November 5, 2019 General Election Statement of Vote
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Plan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.
and is part of New Jersey's 39th 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 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,381 registered voters in the Township of Washington, of which 1,364 (21.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,412 (37.8% vs. 21.1%) 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 2,601 (40.8% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 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 ...
.Voter Registration Summary - Bergen
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 ...
Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 22, 2013.
Among the township's 2010 Census population, 70.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 91.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide). In the
2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kirib ...
, Republican Donald Trump received 3,036 votes (56.1% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,184 votes (40.3% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 196 votes (3.6% vs. 4.6%), among the 5,484 ballots cast by the township's 7,010 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). 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 2,883 votes (58.3% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,000 votes (40.5% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 33 votes (0.7% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,941 ballots cast by the township's 6,619 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.6% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
received 3,146 votes (58.1% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,159 votes (39.8% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 42 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,418 ballots cast by the township's 6,735 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.4% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).2008 General Election Results for Washington Township
''
The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee Ge ...
''. Accessed December 22, 2013.
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 3,207 votes (59.6% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,137 votes (39.7% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 27 votes (0.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 5,379 ballots cast by the township's 6,582 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.7% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.3% of the vote (2,079 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 29.6% (889 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (31 votes), among the 3,067 ballots cast by the township's 6,527 registered voters (68 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.0%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,329 votes (56.7% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,475 votes (35.9% vs. 48.0%), 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 200 votes (4.9% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 20 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 4,110 ballots cast by the township's 6,623 registered voters, yielding a 62.1% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).


Education

Public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Westwood Regional School District, a comprehensive regional school district serving students from both the Township of Washington and Westwood Borough. The district is the county's only regional district serving grades K–12. As of the 2020–2021 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,796 students and 256.8 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 10.9:1.District information for Westwood Regional 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
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 ...
) are Berkeley Avenue Elementary School with 289 students in grades K–5, Brookside Elementary School with 398 students in grades K–5, Jessie F. George Elementary School with 274 students in grades K–5, Washington Elementary School with 316 students in grades K–5, Westwood Regional Middle School with 640 students in grades 6–8 and
Westwood Regional High School Westwood Regional High School (formerly Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School) is a four-year comprehensive regional public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Borough of Westwood and the Township of Washing ...
with 843 students in grades 9–12. Public school students from the township, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the
Bergen County Academies Bergen County Academies (BCA) is a tuition-free public magnet high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey that serves students in the ninth through twelfth grades from Bergen County, New Jersey. The school was founded by John Grieco, also foun ...
in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Bergen Tech campus in Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district. Immaculate Heart Academy is a parochial, college preparatory, all-girls Catholic high school located on Van Emburgh Avenue, operating under the auspices of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jerse ...
. The school was founded in 1960 as the first all-girls school operated by the Newark Archdiocese.


Emergency services

The Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1934. The station is located at 656 Washington Avenue and is home to Rescue 40, Tower Ladder 41, Engine 43, and Engine 44. The Washington Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps was founded in 1957. The station is located at 354 Hudson Avenue and is home to Ambulance 4–6. The Washington Township Police Department was founded in 1934. The station is located at 350 Hudson Avenue in the municipal complex.


Transportation


Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County and by the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Towns ...
. Located within the New York metropolitan area's arterial network, the township is easily accessible by car. The Garden State Parkway serves the Township with exits 166 (south) and 168 (north). The Parkway's final tool booth, the Pascack toll, is located in the township. County Route 502 also travels through the township. Route 17 is accessible nearby.


Public transportation

NJ Transit bus route
165 Year 165 ( CLXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Orfitus and Pudens (or, less frequently, year 918 ''Ab urbe condita'' ...
serves nearby Westwood with access to and from the Township of Washington to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
and local service on the
752 __NOTOC__ Year 752 ( DCCLII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 752 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
route. Westwood train station can also be easily accessed from the township. Rockland Coaches provides express service from Pascack Road and Washington Avenue via Garden State Parkway Exit 168, with weekday rush-hour service provided to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
, heading to New York in the morning and returning to the township weekday evenings on routes 46, 47 and 49.


Entertainment

The Township of Washington has a movie theater in the Washington Township Shopping Center, with three viewing screens. It closed in 2016 as Bowtie Cinemas, but reopened shortly thereafter as an independent cinema.


Community

The Township of Washington has its own TV station, Washington Community Television (WCTV), run entirely by volunteers. The non-profit, community access group is funded by cable franchise fees and provides a 24/7 electronic bulletin board telecast over several cable systems in surrounding towns. WCTV provides live programming and coverage of high school sports, local events and activities on the Public, educational, and government access (PEG)
cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broadc ...
channels as well as the Internet. Its volunteers have been honored for their efforts. Town Meetings are broadcast live and are archived on the WCTVNJ YouTube pages. The Township of Washington Public Library offers a collection of 48,325 volumes with a circulation of over 80,000 items per year. It is a member of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System. In addition to traditional materials, the library offers an online collection and specialty items not typically found in a library setting, including technology, housewares and hobby equipment. Friends of the Township of Washington Public Library is a small group of dedicated volunteers who strive to improve and enhance the library through donations and special events. Laura Rifkin is the current Library Director. As the township does not provide residential trash pickup service, residents must pay for trash pickup services through a choice of two private garbage companies.


Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the Township of Washington include: * Beverly Bower (1925–2002), operatic soprano * Carol Higgins Clark (born 1956), mystery writer * Robert Dow (born 1945), fencer who competed in the team saber event at the
1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...
* Thomas Fitzpatrick (1940–2009), pilot known for two intoxicated flights where he flew from New Jersey and landed on the streets of New York City * Damon Harrison (born 1988),
defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
for the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
* Mary Higgins Clark (1927–2020), best-selling author of suspense novels * Raymond E. Johns Jr. (born 1955), General, Commander
Air Mobility Command Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force. It is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, Missouri. Air Mobility Command was established on 1 June 1992, and was formed from elements ...
, United States Air Force *
Pert Kelton Pert or PERT may refer to: Ships * - see List of United States Navy ships: P * , a World War II corvette, originally HMS ''Nepeta'' * ''Pert'' (sidewheeler), a 19th-century steamboat that operated in British Columbia, Canada Statistics * PER ...
(1907–1968), vaudeville, movie, radio and television actress, who originated the role of Alice Kramden in '' The Honeymooners'' with Jackie Gleason * John Markert (1929–2011), politician who served as Mayor of the Township of Washington before being elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he served three terms representing the 39th Legislative District *
Miriam Moskowitz Miriam Ruth Moskowitz (June 10, 1916 - February 14, 2018) was an American schoolteacher who served two years in prison after being convicted for conspiracy as an atomic spy for the Soviet Union. She was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on June 10, 191 ...
(1916–2018), schoolteacher who served two years in prison after being convicted for conspiracy as an atomic spy for the Soviet Union * Jeffrey Nordling (born 1962), actor who has appeared in the series '' Dirt'' *
B. J. Raji Busari Alamu Raji Jr. (born July 11, 1986) is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Boston College. Raji was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He won Super Bo ...
(born 1986), former NFL nose tackle who played for the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
*
Corey Raji Corey Raji (born November 7, 1988) is an American-Nigerian professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Boston College. High school career Raji attended Westwood Regional High School in Washington Township, New Jersey where he ...
(born 1988), professional basketball player *
Bob Schroeder Robert Schroeder (born February 16, 1960) is an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2010 to 2014, where he represented the 39th Legislative District, having taken the seat of ...
(born 1960), member of the New Jersey General Assembly and former councilmember in the Township of Washington, who was sentenced in 2017 to eight years in state prison for deception, misconduct and passing bad checks * Vito Trause (1925–2019), World War II United States Army veteran and prisoner of warKatzban, Nicholas
"Vito Trause, who left school in Bergen County to fight in WWII, dies at 94"
''
The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee Ge ...
'', November 3, 2019. Accessed October 11, 2021. "Washington Township — A resident known for dropping out of Becton Regional High School to fight in World War II and surviving five months as a German prisoner died Thursday."


References


Sources

* ''Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)'' prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958 * Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William
''History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.''
Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882. * Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.)
''Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900. * Van Valen, James M
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900. * Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923''
Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.


External links


Township of Washington website
{{Authority control 1840 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (mayor–council) Pascack Valley Populated places established in 1840 Townships in Bergen County, New Jersey