Pleasant Plains is an

unincorporated community 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 ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) located in Franklin Township, in Somerset County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 ...

.GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Somerset County, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

. Accessed February 11, 2013.New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)

, August 2012. Accessed February 11, 2013. 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 CDP's population was 922.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Pleasant Plains CDP, New Jersey
,

. Accessed February 11, 2013. Having no distinct boundaries, a large area in the center of Franklin Township centered on the intersections of South Middlebush Road ( County Route 615) with Claremont and Suydam Roads (the former also CR 648) is generally considered Pleasant Plains.

History

Prior to the development of K. Hovnanian's Town and Country Estates in 1998, the area included little more than a collection of 18th and 19th century farms and rural lanes. Its historic rural character may be seen in an estimate from 1882 which listed the Pleasant Plains population at 46. An icon in the area has been the early 19th century general store and

blacksmith shop A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

buildings known since the late 1800s as Laird's Brothers Hardware and Laird's Corner Store. Another area feature is the Pleasant Plains Cemetery on South Middlebush Road just south of Laird's Corner that has been in use from early settlement of the area until the present day.Brahms, p. 559. Since the early 19th century (and possibly even earlier), the area featured a

one-room school One-room schools, or schoolhouses, were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. In most rural and s ...

house known as the Pleasant Plains School. Located on the north side of Suydam Road about a half mile west of Laird's Corner, it remained in use until about 1931 when the Township started decommissioning its one-room schoolhouses in favor of larger regional schools. Moved across the road on log rollers, it was converted into a residence and used until the late 20th century when it was threatened with demolition to make way for the Town and County development. Instead, it was moved to the Township's Municipal Complex on DeMott Lane where it awaits further rehabilitation.Brahms, pp. 355, 509. The

Six Mile Run Historic District Six Mile Run is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Franklin Township, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.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 ...

and

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 ...

includes a number of properties in the Pleasant Plains area.

Geography

According to the

, Pleasant Plains had a total area of 3.221 square miles (8.342 km²), including 3.215 square miles (8.328 km²) of land and 0.006 square miles (0.014 km²) of water (0.17%).

Demographics

2010 census

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 ...

counted 922 people, 254 households, and 236 families in the CDP. 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 . There were 257 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 40.13% (370)

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 ...

, 21.80% (201) Black or African American, 0.22% (2) Native American, 33.62% (310)

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 ...

, 0.00% (0)

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 ...

, 2.82% (26) 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 1.41% (13) from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

of any race were 5.10% (47) of the population. Of the 254 households, 57.1% had children under the age of 18; 85.0% were married couples living together; 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 7.1% were non-families. Of all households, 5.9% were made up of individuals and 0.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.63 and the average family size was 3.73. 30.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.4 males.

Cemetery

The Pleasant Plains Cemetery, located on South Middlebush Road just south of Laird's Corner, was established in 1898.

References

Sources

* Brahms, William B.br>''Franklin Township, Somerset County, NJ: A History''
Franklin Township Public Library, 1998; {{Somerset County, New Jersey Census-designated places in Somerset County, New Jersey Census-designated places in New Jersey Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey