Harding Township is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

in Morris 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 so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It is located in the Passaic Valley region within the

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

. The township was formed 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 ...

on September 1, 1922, from portions of Passaic Township (since renamed as Long Hill Township), based on the results of a referendum passed on May 9, 1922.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 193. Accessed May 28, 2024. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,871, an increase of 33 (+0.9%) from the 2010 census count of 3,838, which in turn reflected an increase of 658 (+20.7%) from the 3,180 counted in the 2000 census. The long-established hamlets of New Vernon and Green Village (also within Chatham Township) are both located in Harding Township. The township is home to the private club community Mount Kemble Lake, a former summer colony developed in the 1920s. Described by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' as "one of the most restrictive and elegant of New Jersey's residential suburban areas" and as an "affluent Morris County township", the community has been one of the state's highest-income municipalities. Harding Township had a per capita income of $109,472 and was ranked first in New Jersey based on data from the 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

from the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, more than triple the statewide average of $34,858. Based on data from the ACS for 2014–2018, Harding Township ranked sixth in the state with a

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two 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 of und ...

of $183,587 and had almost half of households earning more than $200 thousand annually. The 07976 ZIP Code for New Vernon was named one of the "25 Richest ZIP Codes" in the United States by ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' magazine in 2006. Many relatively unchanged large country estates that have been passed down through several generations attest to the wealth of many of its residents. Some have been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and some have nonprofit support organizations that assure the retention of the original nature of the properties. As of 2021, the median value of a home in Harding Township lies at $1,181,000.

History

After the retreat of the

Wisconsin Glacier The Wisconsin glaciation, also called the Wisconsin glacial episode, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex, peaking more than 20,000 years ago. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleate ...

, a mighty glacial lake called Glacial Lake Passaic formed in this area that, about 15,000 to 11,000 years ago, extended for in length and was wide. The lake finally drained when a blockage of the

Passaic River The Passaic River ( or ) is a river, approximately long, in North Jersey, northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburb ...

reopened. The Great Swamp is the remnant of the lake bottom and portions of the swamp lay in what now is the township. Once the lake drained, higher areas became a wooded area that was used for hunting, fishing, and farming by Native Americans. At the time of colonization by the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

it belonged to the

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

tribes, but

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

colonists did their best to displace them westward. Much of what now is known as Harding was an agricultural community with roots stretching as far back as the early 18th century. Bypassed by colonial turnpikes, revolution era canals, and railroads laid in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

, the area remained a rural backwater. For almost two centuries of European occupation, its open and rolling landscapes reflected its agricultural use, as land had been cleared for cattle pastures, orchards, and fields of grain. The Great Swamp, the wooded slopes of the

Watchung Mountains The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States. The name is derived from the American Native Lenape name for them, Wach Unks ...

, and those near Jockey Hollow also were used by local farmers for wood supply. The communities of Green Village, Logansville, New Vernon, and Pleasantville were the village centers in this agricultural community. Wealthy urban residents from

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

and Newark bought farmland, enlarged old farmhouses, and landscaped the grounds. The movement to establish Harding Township was driven by local property owners who wanted to maintain a bucolic community without suburban development. The township was created in 1922 from the northern half of what was then Passaic Township (present day Long Hill Township) and it was named after the incumbent

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...

. The ''New Vernon Neighborhood Restrictive Agreement'' was established in 1928 by estate owners under which they agreed to voluntarily place

restrictive covenant A covenant, in its most general and covenant (historical), historical sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. Under historical English common law, a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the ...

s on their land that would require future owners of the properties to maintain the rural nature of the area. This voluntary effort to limit development and save the pastoral qualities of over across Harding Township influenced subsequent zoning codes, which emerged several decades later, and helped preserve the landscape to the present day.

Geography

According to the

, the township had a total area of 20.57 square miles (53.28 km²), including 20.05 square miles (51.94 km²) of land and 0.52 square miles (1.34 km²) of water (2.51%). The township includes

unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

, a portion of Green Village and all of New Vernon, both of which have origins as colonial settlements that predate the American Revolution. The governmental offices for the township are in New Vernon. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Baileys Mill, Dickson Mill, Glen Alpin, Jockey Hollow Park, Logansville, Mount Kemble Lake, Olmstead Mills, Osborn Mill, Pleasantville, Sugar Loaf and Van Dorens Mill. The township borders Mendham Township to the west, Madison to the northeast, Chatham Township to the east, Morris Township to the north, and Long Hill Township to the southeast in Morris County and

Bernardsville Bernardsville (Melisurgo, Len NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed December 1, 2024. "Same goes with the neighboring borough of Bernardsville. (It should be pronounced BERN-ards-vil.)") is the northernmost borough in Somerset C ...

to the southwest and Bernards Township to the south in Somerset County.

Demographics

Population

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 3,838 people, 1,474 households, and 1,126 families in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was 192.7 per square mile (74.4/km²). There were 1,610 housing units at an average density of 80.8 per square mile (31.2/km²). The racial makeup was 94.14% (3,613)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.99% (38) Black or African American, 0.13% (5) Native American, 2.66% (102) Asian, 0.00% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.34% (13) from other races, and 1.75% (67) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.49% (134) of the population. Of the 1,474 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18; 68.7% were married couples living together; 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.6% were non-families. Of all households, 20.6% were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.00. 24.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 35.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.1 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value refers to value measured in terms of absolute money amounts, whereas real value is considered and measured against the actual goods or services for which it can be exchanged at a given time. Real value takes into acco ...

dollars)

was $168,365 (with a margin of error of +/− $37,371) and the median family income was $185,647 (+/− $30,739). Males had a median income of $123,854 (+/− $38,454) versus $66,131 (+/− $25,727) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the borough was $109,472 (+/− $24,951). About 6.8% of families and 7.5% 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 13.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 3,180 people, 1,180 households, and 940 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,243 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.20%

, 0.41%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.07% Asian, 0.03%

, 0.22% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.79% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Harding township, Morris County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 2, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Harding township, Morris County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed December 2, 2012. There were 1,180 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.03. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $111,297, and the median income for a family was $128,719. Males had a median income of $95,737 versus $57,308 for females. The

for the township was $72,689. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were living below the

, including none under eighteen and 3.3% of those over 64.

Government

Local government

Harding Township is governed under the

Township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564 statewide) that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters

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

in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 95. At an annual reorganization meeting held during the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each serving terms of one year. Eleven standing committees are appointed at the reorganization meeting including planning, zoning and legal; finance and insurance; public safety; public works and building; personnel; recreation commission; freeholder liaison; Glen Alpin Steering liaison; school board liaison; open space liaison; and board of health liaison. Two members of the township committee serve on each standing committee and provide oversight to the departments. , members of the Harding Township Committee are Mayor Timothy D. Jones ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Rita Chipperson (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2023), Nicole Lacz (R, 2024), Nicolas Platt (R, 2025) and Christopher M. Yates (R, 2023).Township Committee
Harding Township. Accessed April 26, 2023. "Harding Township operates under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, elected by the public in partisan elections for three-year terms of office on a staggered schedule, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.... At the annual Reorganization meeting held in January, the Mayor is elected by the committee from among its members."''Morris County Manual 2024''

Morris County, New Jersey Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, tenth- ...

Clerk. Accessed May 1, 2024.''Morris County Municipal Elected Officials For The Year 2024''

Clerk, updated March 20, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024.General Election November 8, 2022, Official Results

, updated November 28, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.General Election Winners For November 2, 2021

Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2022.General Election 2020 November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results

, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.

Federal, state and county representation

Harding Township is located in the 11th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 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 New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed September 1, 2023.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,025 registered voters in Harding Township, of which 466 (15.4%) were registered as Democrats, 1,443 (47.7%) were registered as

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

and 1,115 (36.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party. 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: ...

, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

received 70.4% of the vote (1,607 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

with 28.6% (654 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (22 votes), among the 2,295 ballots cast by the township's 3,195 registered voters (12 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.8%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

received 61.9% of the vote (1,516 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 36.7% (898 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (23 votes), among the 2,449 ballots cast by the township's 3,139 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

received 66.8% of the vote (1,618 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

with 32.1% (778 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (20 votes), among the 2,421 ballots cast by the township's 3,040 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 79.6. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party (United States) ...

received 82.0% of the vote (1,193 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 16.6% (242 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (19 votes), among the 1,476 ballots cast by the township's 3,200 registered voters (22 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.4% of the vote (1,280 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006, and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran f ...

with 20.5% (384 votes), 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 10.5% (197 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (5 votes), among the 1,871 ballots cast by the township's 3,099 registered voters, yielding a 60.4% turnout.

Education

The

Harding Township School District The Harding Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Harding Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2022–23 school yea ...

serves public school students in

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

through eighth grade at Harding Township School. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 299 students and 41.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 7.3:1.District information for Harding Township School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. For

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s, public school students attend

Madison High School Madison High School may refer to: * Madison County High School (Alabama), Gurley, Alabama * Madison High School (Idaho), Rexburg, Idaho * Madison Consolidated High School, Madison, Indiana * Madison High School (Kansas), Madison, Kansas * Kentucky: ...

in Madison, as part of a

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

with the Madison Public Schools. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 839 students and 69.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 12.1:1.

Historic district

The Tempe Wick Road–Washington Corners Historic District is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

located in Harding Township and Mendham Township. It extends along Tempe Wick Road from Mount Kemble Avenue to Cold Hill Road, and short segments of Corey Lane, Cemetery Road, Kennaday Road, Leddell Road, and Jockey Hollow Road. Tempe Wick Road is named for

Temperance Wick Temperance Wick (October 30, 1758 – April 26, 1822), also known as Tempe Wick and Tempe, was an American Revolutionary War heroine and the subject of many early American legends. She is traditionally regarded as an example of female patriotism ...

. The district was added to the

on August 25, 2000, for its significance in architecture and military history. The district includes 44

contributing buildings In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...

, 6 contributing sites, 10 contributing structures, and 4 contributing objects. With File:PETER KEMBLE HOUSE, MORRIS COUNTY.jpg, Peter Kemble House File:Tempe Wick House, Jockey Hollow, NJ.jpg, Tempe Wick House at Jockey Hollow

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Morris 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 transport ...

Interstate 287 Interstate 287 (I-287) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. It is a partial beltway around New York City, serving northern New Jersey and the counties of Rockland County, New York ...

is the most prominent highway within Harding Township, though there are no exits within the township. The nearest exits, 30 and 33, are both just outside the township in neighboring Bernards Township and Morris Township, respectively.

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...

is the main highway providing local access to Harding Township.

Public transportation

Many Harding residents commute to jobs in Manhattan. There are private van shuttles that make the 45-minute trip to Jersey City or Hoboken, where ferries and

PATH A path is a route for physical travel – see Trail. Path or PATH may also refer to: Physical paths of different types * Bicycle path * Bridle path, used by people on horseback * Course (navigation), the intended path of a vehicle * Desir ...

make the short journey across the Hudson River to Lower Manhattan. Additionally, many residents use the Madison, Morristown, and other nearby train stations to commute to

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. I ...

had provided local bus service on the MCM8 route until 2010, when subsidies were eliminated to the local service provider as part of budget cuts.

Notable people

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

William O. Baker William Oliver Baker (July 15, 1915 – October 31, 2005) was president of Bell Labs from 1973 to 1979 and advisor on scientific matters to five United States presidents. Biography He was born on July 15, 1915, in Chestertown, Maryland. He recei ...

(1915–2005), former head of

Bell Labs Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...

* James J. Barry Jr. (born 1946), politician who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

and was Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs * Michelle Cesan (born 1991),

field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

player who competed for the

United States women's national field hockey team The United States women's national field hockey team represents the United States in international field hockey. The team is currently coached by David Passmore. It made its first international appearance in 1920 when a touring team visited En ...

in the women's event at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

Ray Chambers Raymond G. Chambers (born August 7, 1942) is a philanthropist and humanitarian who is the World Health Organization Ambassador for Global Strategy. Chambers' philanthropic efforts are diverse, with major focus areas in global health, mentoring, ...

(born 1942), UN Special Envoy for Malaria *

Steve Conine Steven K. Conine (born 1972/73) is an American businessman, and the co-chairman and co-founder (with Niraj Shah) of the online retailer Wayfair. Early life Raised in the New Vernon section of Harding Township, New Jersey, Conine spent some time ...

(born 1972/73), co-founder of the online retailer

Wayfair Wayfair Inc. is an American e-commerce company based in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts that sells furniture and home goods online. Formerly known as CSN Stores, it was founded in 2002, and currently offers 14 million items from more than 11,000 gl ...

Ned Crotty Ned Crotty (born September 26, 1986) is an American former professional lacrosse player. He played for the Dallas Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse, and played for the NCAA Division I college lacrosse team at Duke University. He also played indo ...

(born 1986), professional lacrosse player with the

Chrome Lacrosse Club The Denver Outlaws are a professional field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado, that competes in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). Founded as the Chrome Lacrosse Club, they began play as one of the league's six inaugural teams in the 20 ...

of the

Premier Lacrosse League The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is a professional field lacrosse league in the United States. The league comprises eight teams. Its inaugural season debuted on June 1, 2019, and included a 14-week tour-based schedule taking place in 12 major- ...

* Marcellus Hartley Dodge Sr. (1881–1963), lived at Hartley Farms, a large estate in New Vernon, from the time he was married * Regina Egea, Chief of Staff to Governor

* Peter Frelinghuysen Jr. (1916–2011), politician who represented

New Jersey's 5th congressional district New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Democrat Josh Gottheimer, who has served in Congress since 2017. The district stretches across the entire northern border of the state and contains most of Bergen County, as well as p ...

in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from 1953 to 1975 *

Rodney Frelinghuysen Rodney Procter Frelinghuysen (born April 29, 1946) is an American former politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for from 1995 to 2019. The district includes most of Morris County, an affluent suburban county west of New ...

(born 1946), politician who represented New Jersey's 11th congressional district from 1995 to 2019 *

Justin Gimelstob Justin Jeremy Gimelstob (born January 26, 1977) is a retired American tennis player. Gimelstob has been a resident of Morristown, New Jersey, and as of 2009 lived in Santa Monica, California. He was the top-ranked boy in his age group at the ag ...

(born 1977), professional tennis player * Barry Halper (1939–2005), extensive collector of baseball memorabilia who had been a limited partner owning about 1% of the

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

Kerry Kittles Kerry Kittles (born June 12, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional basketball player. A shooting guard, Kittles played for the New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA career that spanned from 1996 to 2005. ...

(born 1974), former professional basketball player *

Eric Mangini Eric Anthony Mangini (born January 19, 1971) is an American former professional football coach and current television sports analyst. He served as a head coach for the New York Jets from 2006 to 2008 and the Cleveland Browns from 2009 to 2010. ...

(born 1971), former

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

of the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

Josephine Margetts Josephine Margetts (October 8, 1901 – March 3, 1989) was an American politician. She was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1967 to 1973. She was a graduate of the Ambler School of Horticulture. A resident of Harding Township, Ne ...

(1901–1989), politician who served as a member of the

from 1967 to 1973. * Bart Oates (born 1958), former professional football player 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

Morgan Pearson Morgan Cadwell Pearson (born September 22, 1993) is an American professional triathlete who won silver medals in the mixed relay at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. Early life Raised in the New Vernon section of Harding Township, New Jersey ...

(born 1993), professional

triathlete A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...

who won a silver medal in the mixed relay event at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

William E. Simon William Edward Simon (November 27, 1927 – June 3, 2000) was an American businessman and philanthropist who served as the 63rd United States Secretary of the Treasury. He became the Secretary of the Treasury on May 9, 1974, during the Nixon adm ...

(1927–2000),

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

for

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

and FordGarbarine, Rachelle
"If You're Thinking of Living in: Harding"
''

'', June 10, 1990. Accessed February 28, 2008. "Among its residents are William E. Simon, the former Secretary of the Treasury, and Robert P. Luciano, the chairman of Schering-Plough, the pharmaceutical company." * Bo Sullivan (1937–2000), chairman of 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 Town ...

and a Republican Party politician who sought the nomination for

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

in the 1981 primary * Jim Weaver, chef, author and a pioneer in the Slow Food movement * Greeley Wells (1920 – 2014), businessman,

Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...

veteran who participated in the first raising of the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima and mayor of Harding TownshipLodder, Reece
"Remembering Greeley: The Marine who carried his flag to Iwo Jima"

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

, November 21, 2014. Accessed December 25, 2024. "After a brief stint in the Chicago area, he moved his family to the quaint community of Harding Township, New Jersey.... Over his years in Harding Township, he sat on its city council, planning commission and eventually served as the mayor and police commissioner."

References

External links

Harding Township websiteHarding Township School
*
School Data for the Harding Township School

Harding Township Civic Association
{{Geographic Location , Centre = Harding Township , North = Morris Township , Northeast = Madison , East = Chatham Township , Southeast = , South = Long Hill Township , Southwest = Bernards Township , West =

, Northwest = Mendham Township 1922 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1922 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in New Jersey Townships in Morris County, New Jersey