Sparta is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, ...

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.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 off ...

, the population was 19,600, reflecting a decrease of 122 (−0.6%) from 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 serving ...

, when the township's population was 19,722, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,642 (+9.1%) from the 18,080 counted in the 2000 Census. Sparta was organized as a township 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 14, 1845, from portions of Byram Township, Frankford Township, Hardyston Township and (the now-defunct) Newton Township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 232. Accessed June 28, 2012. The township was named after the existing community of Sparta, which had been settled and named years before, the name likely coming from

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...

, Greece. Ogdensburg borough was incorporated on February 26, 1914, from portions of Sparta Township.

History

Overview

Pre-colonial Sparta was inhabited by 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 inclu ...

Native Americans. In the 1750s, Dutch explorers discovered red ores in the area and attempted to mine copper. No permanent settlers arrived until 1778, when Robert Ogden and his wife built their home and constructed an iron forge on lands he had acquired and "called their house and farm Sparta." The first public building in Sparta was the Presbyterian Church which was incorporated in 1786. Schools were established in Ogdensburg by 1806 and in Sparta by 1812.

Iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

, and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

supported a mining industry for over 100 years, but today the mining operations have ceased and the township is now a residential community served by retail, professional, and service small businesses. According to the 2000 census, 65% of Sparta Township workers commute to jobs outside of the county.

Mining industry

Iron

Robert Ogden settled in 1778 near the present town of Ogdensburg and built an iron forge, utilizing local ore from his Ogden Mine on Sparta Mountain. The Horseshoe mine was opened in 1772 by the Englishmen Spargo and Harvey who shipped ore by horse and mule to the forges at Sparta and Hopewell. It wasn't until 1868 that the

Ogden Mine Railroad The Ogden Mine Railroad was a mine railroad in the U.S. state of New Jersey from 1866 until 1941. History It was built in 1866 to transport iron ore from the mines on Sparta Mountain in New Jersey. Ore was carried to Nolan's Point on Lake ...

began operations and made it economical to ship zinc and iron ore to Nolan's Point on Lake Hopatcong where the Morris Canal had a marine terminal that could ship ore to Newark. In 1872, the New Jersey Midland Railroad (later known as the New York, Susquehanna & Western) extended to Ogdensburg and captured the zinc ore traffic. In 1836, Henry Decker, along with Nelson Hunt and Lewis Sherman, began the manufacture of anchors at their forges in Sparta. Their success led to a small industry of forging anchors in Sparta, but by the end of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

the forge industry in Sparta had come to an end. In 1889,

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...

invested $3.5 million in his Edison Ore-Milling Company to build iron operations on of Sparta Mountain. Edison hoped to concentrate the mountain's vast quantities of low-grade ore and supply East Coast mills with raw material. At its peak Edison's operation employed 500 people, but after a 10 year effort he abandoned his attempt to compete with more economical ores from

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

Mesabi Iron Range The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesot ...

. The availability of the cheap Minnesota ores put an end to iron mining in Sparta.

Zinc

In 1848 the New Jersey Zinc Company began operations at Sterling Hill. Earlier attempts to obtain iron from the mineral rich ore of the Sterling Hill failed because of manganese contamination, but zinc was recoverable and the ores at Sterling Hill were rich with it.Staff
"Zinc Mine Showcases a Disappearing World"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', October 8, 1992. Accessed October 8, 2015. "In 1848, the process to extract zinc from ore was developed there.The mine was owned by the New Jersey Zinc Company, a subsidiary of Horshead Industries of New York City, until it shut for financial reasons in 1986." In 1856 the Passaic Zinc Company started operations at the Sterling Hill Mine and constructed large ore crushers, shipping the ores to the company's plant in

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.New Jersey Zinc Company and the Franklin Iron Company over rights to mixed ores, each company having purchased the right to mine zinc and iron, respectively. In 1880 the Franklin Iron Company acquired the New Jersey Zinc Company's operations at Sterling Hill mine, ending the dispute. Large scale operations began in 1897 when the claims were consolidated under the New Jersey Zinc Company and by 1900 its mill was processing 1,500 tons of ore daily. Zinc operations continued until 1986 when the Sterling Hill mine ceased operation. The Sterling Hill mine site is currently occupied by the Sterling Hill Mining Museum and is open to the public for tours.

Limestone

After closing his iron operations, Thomas Edison recouped his losses by opening a quarry called Limecrest near Sparta in 1919. The lime quarry fed Edison's

Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19t ...

operations, and was in continuous operation under various owners for more than 80 years until closed in 2003. During the years of its operation the limestone quarry was an important source of employment and tax revenue for Sparta. Limestone is no longer mined, but a limited amount of granite continues to be quarried by a handful of employees.

Tourism

The New Jersey Midland Railroad opened to Ogdensburg in 1872 for zinc ore traffic, but in 1882 the line was extended to Stroudsburg,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and a station was built at Sparta, giving tourists easy access to the many boarding houses that served summer residents from the cities. Passenger service ended in 1935, but by then Sparta was well established as a summer destination. In 1926, the Arthur D. Crane Company along with developer and designer Herbert L. Closs constructed a dam across the

Wallkill River The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed Oct ...

to form Lake Mohawk in 1928. The private resort community created by the Crane Company consisted primarily of summer homes, but the homes began to be winterized in the 1940s and the current membership of 2,600 families are largely year-round residents.

Geography

The township borders the municipalities of Andover Township, Byram Township, Franklin borough, Hardyston Township, Hopatcong borough Lafayette Township and Ogdensburg, New Jersey Ogdensburg Borough in Sussex County; and Jefferson Township in Morris County. According to the

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

, the township had a total area of 38.80 square miles (100.50 km²), including 36.79 square miles (95.28 km²) of land and 2.02 square miles (5.22 km²) of water (5.20%).

Unincorporated communities

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Ackerson, Edison, Hopewell, Houses Corner, Lake Mohawk, Monroe, Sparta Junction, Sussex Mills, Upper Mohawk and Woodruffs Gap.

Lake Mohawk

Lake Mohawk (with 8,092 out of the CDP's total 2010 Census population of 9,916 in the township) 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 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 counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) split between Byram Township and Sparta Township.New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)

, August 2012. Accessed February 19, 2013.

Sparta Junction

Sparta Junction was where the tracks of the

New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (or New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad and also known as the Susie-Q or the Susquehanna) is a Class II American freight railway operating over 400 miles (645 km) of track in t ...

and the

Lehigh and Hudson River Railway The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (L&HR) was the smallest of the six railroads that were merged into Conrail in 1976. It was a bridge line running northeast–southwest across northwestern New Jersey, connecting the line to the Poughkeepsie B ...

crossed, near the western boundary of Sparta. A railroad telegraph office and a train order station, that controlled train signalling semaphores, was located there. It is located at .

Geology

Sparta is in the Highlands which is composed of igneous and metamorphic rock. Folding and faulting occurred when a continent struck the

North American Plate The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Cuba, the Bahamas, extreme northeastern Asia, and parts of Iceland and the Azores. With an area of , it is the Earth's second largest tectonic plate, behind the Paci ...

. This is what created the mountains through Sparta and northwards. The Wisconsin Glacier created all the lakes and streams. The Franklin Marble goes through the township from Lime Crest Quarry to the New York line.

Demographics

Sparta has been noted for the high number of pilots and their families who settle in the area. In his 1994 book ''The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International'', James Kaplan erroneously describes the home township of an interviewee as "thickly populated, for no particular reason, with pilots, many of whom do their flying out of Kennedy. The view out he pilot'spicture window is of trees ... The lights and noise of Manhattan, fifty miles distant, attract flight attendants, single people mostly. Pilots like the woods." However, the reality was the exact opposite. Airlines would require pilots to fly out of airports within 50 miles of their homes. To report to JFK Airport a pilot would have to commute into New York City and then back out of the City to get to JFK Airport. To avoid this commute and to enjoy the athletic activities and country environment of Lake Mohawk (boating, swimming, waterskiing and much more) they moved slightly beyond the 50 mile commute to JFK Airport while still being able to report to Newark and LaGuardia Airports with very reasonable commutes.

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 dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $112,699 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,658) and the median family income was $127,669 (+/− $8,981). Males had a median income of $89,118 (+/− $5,949) versus $60,590 (+/− $5,416) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $50,115 (+/− $3,064). About 2.3% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% 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 c ...

there were 18,080 people, 6,225 households, and 5,029 families residing in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 483.5 people per square mile (186.7/km²). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 176.2 per square mile (68.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.7%

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 ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.45% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Sparta township, Sussex County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed February 25, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Sparta township, Sussex County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed February 25, 2013. There were 6,225 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% 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 ...

living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.28. In the township the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males. The median income for a household in the township was $89,835, and the median income for a family was $100,658. Males had a median income of $74,293 versus $39,349 for females. The

for the township was $36,910. About 1.0% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the

, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Sparta is home to many small businesses. Lake Mohawk houses many boutiques and gift shops that cater to a wide variety of shoppers. As well as these smaller businesses, Sparta home to multiple family-owned pizzerias and delis. Rockaway Townsquare is located about 15 minutes away from Sparta and allows residents to find a wider variety of shops.

Government

Local government

Sparta Township 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 Council-Manager (Plan B) form of municipal government, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of July 1, 1960. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. The governing body is comprised of a five-member Township Council whose members 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

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

basis for staggered four-year terms of office, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years as part of the November general election.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 110. The council chooses a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among themselves to serve one-year terms of office. The Township Council has the responsibility for all legislative matters. The Council's responsibilities include enacting ordinances and resolutions, establishing policies, preparing the annual budget with the assistance of the Township Manager and the Treasurer, and levying taxes. Additionally, the Council makes appointments to both the policy and decision-making boards and various advisory committees in accordance with general law and Township ordinances and resolutions. The council voted to shift its municipal elections from May to November, and voters approved a 2011 referendum that ended a requirement that a runoff election be held in June in the event that no candidate received a majority of votes in the May council election. The first election in which the candidates receiving the most votes won office was held in November 2012. , members of the Sparta Township Council are

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

David F. Smith (term on the council and as mayor ends December 31, 2022), Deputy Mayor Josh Hertzberg (term on council ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Daniel M. Chiariello (2022), Christine Quinn (2024) and Molly Ann Whilesmith (2022).Township Council
Sparta Township. Accessed August 26, 2022. "Sparta Township is governed by a nonpartisan form of government known as Council-Manager Plan B of the Faulkner Act. The five-member Council is elected at large for four-year terms of office on a staggered basis with two or three seats coming up for election every other year. The council chooses a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among themselves to serve one-year terms of office."

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.Sussex County, New Jersey General Election November 6, 2018, Official Results Summary Report

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 24th 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 ...

. 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. Prior to the 2010 Census, Sparta Township had been split between the and the 11th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 64, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015. Sussex County is governed by a

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 five members are elected

in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Commissioner Director and Deputy Director from among its members, with day-to-day supervision of the operation of the county delegated to a County Administrator. , Sussex County's Commissioners are Commissioner Director Anthony Fasano ( R,

Hopatcong Hopatcong ( ) is a borough in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 14,362, a decrease of 785 (−5.2%) from the 2010 census count of 15,147, which in turn reflecte ...

, term as commissioner and as commissioner director ends December 31, 2022), Deputy Director Chris Carney (R, Frankford Township, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022), Dawn Fantasia (R, Franklin, 2024), Jill Space (R, Wantage Township, 2022; appointed to serve an unexpired term) and Herbert Yardley (R, Stillwater Township, 2023). In May 2022, Jill Space was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Sylvia Petillo until she resigned from office. Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Jeffrey M. Parrott (R, Wantage Township, 2026), Sheriff Michael F. Strada (R, Hampton Township, 2022) and Surrogate

Gary R. Chiusano Gary R. Chiusano (born August 5, 1951) is an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from January 8, 2008 until February 11, 2013, where he represented the 24th Legislative District. He resigned on ...

(R, Frankford Township, 2023). The County Administrator is Gregory V. Poff II, whose appointment expires in 2025.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 13,647 registered voters in Sparta Township, of which 2,393 (17.5% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,854 (35.6% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 6,387 (46.8% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 13 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Sussex

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 25, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 69.2% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 97.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, 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 ...

received 6,370 votes (61.6% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

with 3,747 votes (36.3% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 188 votes (1.8% vs. 2.1%), among the 10,335 ballots cast by the township's 14,177 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.9% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex 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 te ...

received 6,462 votes (59.9% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat

with 4,171 votes (38.7% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 103 votes (1.0% vs. 1.5%), among the 10,781 ballots cast by the township's 13,490 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.9% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,622 votes (65.8% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

with 3,311 votes (32.9% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 102 votes (1.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 10,070 ballots cast by the township's 12,537 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.3% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

received 72.8% of the vote (4,431 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 24.6% (1,496 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (159 votes), among the 6,140 ballots cast by the township's 14,360 registered voters (54 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christiereceived 4,694 votes (65.2% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,844 votes (25.6% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 593 votes (8.2% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 37 votes (0.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 7,202 ballots cast by the township's 13,308 registered voters, yielding a 54.1% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).

Education

Public schools

The

Sparta Township Public School District The Sparta Township Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Sparta, in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2021� ...

serves students in public school from

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 Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 3,203 students and 275.9 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 11.6:1.District information for Sparta Township Public 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 financ ...

. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the

) are Alpine Elementary School with 695 students in grades Pre-K–2, Mohawk Avenue School with 207 students in grade 3, Helen Morgan School with 439 students in grades 4–5, Sparta Middle School with 759 students in grades 6–8 and Sparta High School with 1,074 students in grades 9–12. The Sparta Education Foundation was founded in 2006 to help with budgetary issues in the Sparta school district and to bring extra funds to the public school district from concerned private citizens and groups. In 2009, the Foundation provided technology money for SMART boards and projectors in Alpine and Helen Morgan schools. The Board of Education office is located in the Mohawk Avenue School. Dr. Michael A. Rossi Jr. is the Superintendent of Schools.

Specialized and charter schools

Sparta is also home to

Sussex County Technical School Sussex County Technical School is a county-wide technical public high school located in Sparta Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Sussex County Vocational Sc ...

, a county-wide technical high school. Sussex Charter School for Technology serves grades 6-8, and is open to students from across the state, with preference given to application to students from Sparta.

Private schools

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson is responsible fo
Rev. George A. Brown Elementary
for 1st-5th, Pope John XXIII Middle School for 6th-8th, and Pope John XXIII High School for 9th-12th. Sparta is home of Hilltop Country Day School, a private school for students in

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

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 ...

Veritas Christian Academy Veritas Christian Academy is a private, Christian school in Fletcher, North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United Stat ...

, a small private school, educates students in grades 9-12.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Sussex County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

New Jersey Route 15 Route 15 is a state highway in New Jersey, spanning Morris and Sussex counties, which travels for from U.S. Route 46 (East McFarland Street) in Dover to an intersection with U.S. Route 206 in Frankford Township. It becomes a divided highw ...

is the primary highway serving Sparta Township. Much of the original stretch of this highway within Sparta has been bypassed by a freeway, with the old route now designated

New Jersey Route 181 Route 181 is a state highway in Jefferson Township, New Jersey, Jefferson Township and Sparta Township, New Jersey, Sparta Township in New Jersey. The highway begins in Jefferson Township at a cloverleaf interchange with New Jersey Route 15 ...

. New Jersey Route 94 and County Route 517 also pass through the township.

Public transportation

Sparta is served by the Skylands Connect bus, which provides service to Newton,

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

and

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the Englis ...

. Lakeland Bus Lines provides commuter service to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 bus ...

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 Buildi ...

from the Sparta police station and Blue Heron Road park and rides on the Route 80 route.

Emergency services

Police

The Sparta Police Department is headquartered in the Municipal Building. The department is led by the Chief of Police Neil Spidaletto. The department has 10

Ford Explorer The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...

s. Sparta Dispatch located in Sparta Police Headquarters is staffed 24/7 by trained Telecommunicators and Emergency Medical Dispatchers. Sparta Dispatch handles Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Dispatch for the towns of Sparta, Franklin, Ogdensburg and Stanhope.

Emergency Medical Services

The Sparta Ambulance Squad was founded on July 11, 1947, by the Sparta VFW post #7248. Today, the squad is staffed by a combination of volunteers and paid EMTs. During weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., ambulances are staffed by two paid EMTs. From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and all day on weekends, Volunteer crews are on call to handle emergencies. If a crew is not found in Sparta, mutual aid agreements exist with area volunteer and hospital based EMS agencies. The squad and its more than 60 members operate three ambulances (4191, 4192, 4193), an off road utility vehicle, and an Emergency Response Unit (4195). Sparta Ambulance Squad's headquarters is located at 14 Sparta Avenue. In 2013, the squad responded to 1,425 calls.About Us
Sparta Ambulance Squad. Accessed March 10, 2020.

Fire

The Sparta Fire Department serves the township, providing firefighting services along with vehicle extrication and HazMat services. The department's headquarters is located at 141 Woodport Road but it also has substations on Glen Road and Sparta Stanhope Road.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Sparta Township include: * Mary Vail Andress (1883–1964), banker who was a

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

relief worker in France *

Greg Baty Gregory James Baty (born August 28, 1964) is a former American football tight end, who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford University. Career In the NFL, Baty was selected by the Ne ...

(born 1964), former NFL player * Mike Budnik (born 1974), former professional inline skater and

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

fighter * Cassidy, lead singer for the band Antigone Rising from 1999 through 2008 * Frank Dolce (born 1996), actor who appeared in '' Sons of Tucson'' on television and on Broadway in the role of Michael in '' Billy Elliot the Musical'' * Charles Joseph Fletcher (1922–2011), inventor and the owner and chief executive of an aeronautical equipment company Technology General Corporation * Archimedes Giacomantonio (1906–1988), sculptor who was best known for his busts of noted figures * Bob Gunderman (born 1934), NFL football player for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

Frank Herbert Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr. (October 8, 1920February 11, 1986) was an American science fiction author best known for the 1965 novel ''Dune'' and its five sequels. Though he became famous for his novels, he also wrote short stories and worked as ...

(1931–2018), politician who served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

and the Bergen County

Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...

Chris Jent Christopher Matthew Jent (born January 11, 1970) is an American basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was formerly the head coach of the Bakersfie ...

(born 1970), former NBA basketball player and current coach * F. Ross Johnson (1931–2016), Canadian businessman and former CEO of RJR Nabisco * Jordan Lawlor (born 1992), musician, who has toured with the band M83 * Jeff Lenosky (born 1971), US National Mountain Bike Champion and world record holder *Simon J. Levien (born 2000), journalist who exposed the presence of the Ku Klux Klan on Harvard's campus * Sean Maguire (born 1994), football quarterback * Wendy Mass (born 1967), author * Dan Miller (born 1981), mixed martial artist who is a UFC Contender, CFFC Middleweight Champion and IFL Middleweight ChampionMcCullough, Andy
"Ex-Sparta High wrestlers Jim and Dan Miller make UFC a family affair"
''

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

'', March 26, 2010, updated April 1, 2019. Accessed September 14, 2021. "Day after day, Mike Miller heard his boys brawling. His two 20-something sons worked construction with him, on the job at 7 a.m., out in the sun during the summer. When work slowed, Jim and Dan tussled in basements and dumpsters, 'beating the crap out of each other,' Jim said. So Mike waited. He understood. The boys missed competition. Both had wrestled at Sparta High School." * Jim Miller (born 1984), mixed martial artist who is a UFC Contender, CFFC Lightweight Champion and Reality Fighting Featherweight Champion * Troy Murphy (born 1980), NBA basketball player * Sylvia Pressler (1934–2010), New Jersey court judge whose rulings included one allowing girls to participate in

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Tom Raney Tom Raney is an American comic book artist known for illustrating titles as '' Annihilation: Conquest'', ''Alpha Flight'', '' Ultimate X-Men'' and ''Uncanny X-Men'' for Marvel Comics, ''DV8'' and '' Stormwatch'' for Image Comics, and '' Outside ...

, comics artist known for his work on ''

Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X- ...

'' and ''The Outsiders'' * J. Allyn Rosser (born 1957), poet *

Jack Thomas Smith Jack Thomas Smith (born March 10, 1969) is an American producer, writer and director of feature films and documentary television series. His feature horror films include ''Disorder'' and ''Infliction''. Smith is a member of the Horror Writers Ass ...

(born 1969), horror filmmaker * Tim Sweeney (born 1980), former professional baseball player who became a sports agent and participated in ''

The Amazing Race 23 ''The Amazing Race 23'' is the twenty-third season of the American reality television show ''The Amazing Race''. It featured eleven teams of two competing in a race around the world. The season premiered on CBS on September 29, 2013, and the tw ...

'' *

Arthur Tipton Arthur Charles "Bull" Tipton (June 5, 1882 – January 15, 1942) was an American football player and United States Army officer. He was a consensus first-team selection to the 1904 College Football All-America Team. Early years Tipton was born ...

(1882–1942), football player and

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

officer *

Russ Van Atta Russell Van Atta (June 21, 1906 – October 10, 1986) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Browns over a seven-season career. After his career ended, he ...

(1906–1986), former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

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

for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

and the Saint Louis Browns who served as

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Sussex County and as a county freeholder *

Harry Wright William Henry "Harry" Wright (January 10, 1835 – October 3, 1895) was an English-born American professional baseball player, manager, and developer. He assembled, managed, and played center field for baseball's first fully professional team, t ...

(1919–1993), football player and coach who played 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 divisio ...

and served as the mayor of the townshipvia

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

"Harry C. Wright, Football Player, 73"
''

'', March 13, 1993. Accessed October 25, 2018. "He also served terms in Sparta, N.J., as Mayor and a member of the Township Council."

Sources

* * * * *

References

External links

* *
Sparta Ambulance Squad
{{Authority control 1845 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (council–manager) Populated places established in 1845 Townships in Sussex County, New Jersey Wallkill River