Readington 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 ...

located in the easternmost portion of

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a County (United States), county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, 4th-least populous ...

, 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 ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 16,128, an increase of two people (+0.0%) from the 2010 census count of 16,126, which in turn reflected an increase of 323 (+2.0%) from the 15,803 counted in the 2000 census. Created by

Royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

of King George II, "Reading" Township was formed on July 15, 1730, from portions of Amwell Township. It was the first new township created after Hunterdon was established as an independent county. The township was incorporated as Readingtown Township, one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships, on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were annexed by Tewksbury Township in 1832 and 1861. The township was named for John Reading, the first native-born governor of the British

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial history of the United States, Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherla ...

. Covering more than , it is the largest township in the county,About Us
Readington Township. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Created by Royal Charter of King George II 'Readings' Township was formed July 15, 1730. It was the first new township created after Hunterdon became a county. Containing almost forty-eight square miles, it remains the largest township in the County." covering almost 11% of the county's area. More than of land have been preserved from development. Readington Township is bounded on the north by the Lamington River and Rockaway Creek; to the east by Somerset County, which existed as the boundary between East and West Jersey from 1688 to 1695; to the south, the South Branch of the Raritan River; and to the west by the old

West Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...

Society's line which crosses the Cushetunk Mountains.

Geography

According to 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 ...

, the township had a total area of 47.83 square miles (123.88 km²), including 47.56 square miles (123.17 km²) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km²) of water (0.57%). Cushetunk Mountain is a ring-shaped mountain located in Clinton Township. The

diabase Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-gra ...

mountain was formed 160 million years ago. 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 ...

called the mountain "Cushetunk" meaning "place of hogs". In the 1960s, the valley was filled with water to create Round Valley Reservoir, at in depth the second-deepest in the state. Whitehouse Station (2010 Census population of 2,089) is an

unincorporated community 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 ...

and

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

(CDP) located within Readington Township. The township borders the municipalities of Clinton Township, Raritan Township and Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County; and Branchburg and Hillsborough Township in Somerset County.

Communities

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Backers Island, Higginsville, McCrea Mills, Riverside, Rockfellows Mills, Round Mountain, Stovers Mills and Wood Church, as well as the following: * Barley Sheaf, a former hamlet within Readington Township, also known as Campbellsville and Farmersville * Centerville, a hamlet that was located on the halfway point on the Swift Sure Stage route between New York City and Philadelphia *Cushetunk was a settlement near Cushetunk Mountain and the railroad line * Darts Mills, a hamlet centered around a former mill complex on the

South Branch Raritan River The South Branch Raritan River is a tributary of the Raritan River in New Jersey.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. Description The source of the South Branch is the outflow from Budd Lake, a glacial remnant locat ...

* Dreahook, a former community near Readington Road and Main Street that was taken from the Dutch word for triangle because of the configuration of the roads at the time *Holcomb Mills was a community along the

* Mechanicsville, the eastern section of Whitehouse Village on the Jersey Turnpike *New Bromley, was a small community on the Rockaway Creek that was once home to William Paterson * Pleasant Run, a small community along Pleasant Run (formerly Campbell's Brook) * Potterstown, a small community at the western edge of the township * Readington Village, the oldest settled community in the township, along Holland Brook * Rowland's Mills, a deserted community on the

* Stanton, a small community near Round Mountain that has carried the names of Mount Pleasant, Housel's Hill, Waggoner's Hill and Stanton *Stilwells, a hamlet located south of Whitehouse Station named after the Stilwell family * Three Bridges, small community that once had a passenger rail station *

Whitehouse Whitehouse may refer to: People * Charles S. Whitehouse (1921–2001), American diplomat * Cornelius Whitehouse (1796–1883), English engineer and inventor * E. Sheldon Whitehouse (1883–1965), American diplomat * Elliott Whitehouse (born ...

, a community on the old Jersey Turnpike, north of Whitehouse Station * Whitehouse Station, a community in the western section of Readington near Cushetunk Mountain and the location of the township's railroad station

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 16,126 people, 5,971 households, and 4,496 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 337.8 per square mile (130.4/km²). There were 6,191 housing units at an average density of 129.7 per square mile (50.1/km²). The racial makeup was 93.09% (15,011)

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 ...

, 1.33% (214) Black or African American, 0.11% (18) Native American, 3.60% (581) Asian, 0.01% (1)

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 ...

, 0.77% (124) from other races, and 1.10% (177) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.93% (633) of the population. Of the 5,971 households, 35.1% had children under the age of 18; 66.0% were married couples living together; 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.7% were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.15. 25.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 35.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.1 males. The Census Bureau's 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 ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

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 ...

was $120,821 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,180) and the median family income was $138,171 (+/− $10,232). Males had a median income of $100,647 (+/− $11,576) versus $61,372 (+/− $6,196) 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 $55,493 (+/− $4,019). About 1.3% of families and 1.9% 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 2.7% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 15,803 people, 5,676 households, and 4,410 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 5,794 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 95.14%

, 0.76%

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 ...

, 0.06% Native American, 2.56% Asian, 0.53% from other races, and 0.94% 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 2.05% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Readington Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 14, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Readington township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 14, 2012. There were 5,676 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.3% 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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.18. In the township the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males. The median income for a household in the township was $95,356, and the median income for a family was $106,343. Males had a median income of $66,778 versus $48,385 for females. The

for the township was $41,000. About 0.7% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the

, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Readington Township is home to the personal and commercial lines of insurance of Chubb Corp., and the

QuickChek QuickChek is a chain of convenience stores based in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey with 153 stores in New Jersey and New York. The first store opened in Dunellen, New Jersey in 1967, and has since then grown into a chain. Several stores include p ...

Corporation, which operates over 100 convenience stores throughout New Jersey and New York. Readington was once also home to the global headquarters of Merck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, but the company has since relocated to nearby

Kenilworth, New Jersey Kenilworth is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,427, an increase of 513 (+6.5%) from the 2010 United St ...

. Readington's business climate benefits from its proximity to major highways,

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, Bridgewater Township and other centers of business in

central New Jersey Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative division, administrative toponymy, toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Je ...

Arts and culture

Readington is home to several museums and offers many programs for adults and children. The Bouman-Stickney Homestead is located off of Dreahook Road in the hamlet of Stanton. Coldbrook School, the site of living history programs for the township's elementary school children, is in the northern section of town, and the Eversole-Hall House is located on Route 523, next to the Municipal building. Taylor's Mill, 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 ...

, was built around 1760 by John Taylor. It is the only remaining pre-revolutionary mill in the township and was used to provide troops with food during the Revolutionary War. The township plans to make Taylor's Mill a fourth township museum.

Government

Local government

Readington 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, March 2013, p. 103. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. The Mayor serves as chair of the Township Committee and has the powers vested in the mayor's office by general law. , members of the Readington Township Committee are

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

Adam Mueller ( R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Vincent Panico (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy member ends 2024), John Albanese (R, 2026), Jonathan Heller (R, 2026) and R. Juergen Huelsebusch (R, 2024).Township Committee
Readington Township. Accessed June 3, 2024.Township of Readington

Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. At the 2020 census, the county was the state's 4th-least populous county,Republicans John Albanese (3887 votes) and Jonathan Heller (3738 votes) prevailed against Democratic challenger Alan Harwick (2027 votes) The all-Republican Committee was unanimous on the leadership roles at the 2018 reorganization meeting, choosing Benjamin Smith as mayor and Betty Ann Fort as deputy mayor. In December 2014, the Township Council selected M. Elizabeth Duffy from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat of Beatrice Muir, who had resigned the previous month from a term of office ending in December 2015.

Federal, state and county representation

Readington Township is located in the 7th 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 16th 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 New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 11,223 registered voters in Readington Township, of which 1,745 (15.5%) were registered as Democrats, 5,118 (45.6%) were registered as Republicans and 4,354 (38.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

or Greens. In the 2012 presidential election, 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 63.8% of the vote (5,537 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 35.0% (3,039 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (103 votes), among the 8,730 ballots cast by the township's 11,700 registered voters (51 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 74.6%. 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 61.1% of the vote (5,646 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.0% (3,425 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (100 votes), among the 9,245 ballots cast by the township's 11,302 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.8%. 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 63.5% of the vote (5,566 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 35.7% (3,127 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (91 votes), among the 8,767 ballots cast by the township's 10,679 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 82.1. 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 79.1% of the vote (4,524 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 19.5% (1,114 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (83 votes), among the 5,812 ballots cast by the township's 11,669 registered voters (91 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican

received 70.4% of the vote (4,771 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 20.6% (1,395 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.3% (495 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (46 votes), among the 6,777 ballots cast by the township's 11,169 registered voters, yielding a 60.7% turnout. In the 2016 presidential election, Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

received 56.8% of the vote (5,565 cast), ahead of Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

with 36.6% of the vote (3,590 cast), Libertarian

Gary Johnson Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 29th List of governors of New Mexico, governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republica ...

with 2.8% of the vote (278 cast), Green Party

Jill Stein Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and perennial candidate who was the Green Party of the United States, Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the Jill Stein 2012 presidential campaign ...

with 1% of the vote (100 cast), 27 votes for other candidates and 97 write-in votes for a total of 9,657 votes cast. Turnout was 77.5%, with 9,803 of 12,659 registered voters casting votes that day.Hunterdon County District Canvass November 8, 2016, General Election

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. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,404 students and 167.2 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 8.4:1.District information for Readington 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 15, 2024. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the

) are Three Bridges School with 294 students in grades PreK–3, Whitehouse School with 312 students in grades K–3, Holland Brook School with 302 students in grades 4–5 and Readington Middle School with 486 students in grades 6–8.''2024-2025 Public School Directory''

Department of Education. Accessed January 1, 2025. Students in public school 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 attend the Hunterdon Central Regional High School, part of the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, which also serves students in central Hunterdon County from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough and Raritan Township. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 2,408 students and 226.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 10.6:1. Seats on the high school district's nine-member

board of education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

are allocated based on the population of the five constituent municipalities who participate in the school district, with two seats allocated to Readington Township, a decrease of one seat based on the results of the 2020 Census.Board of Education
Hunterdon Central Regional High School. Accessed January 12, 2025. Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Emergency services

Readington Township is served by a full-time Police Department, two ambulances staffed by the Whitehouse Rescue Squad, and four volunteer Fire Companies.

EMS and rescue services

*The Whitehouse First Aid & Rescue Squad Station 22 Rescue was formed in 1950 and provides the lead EMS & Rescue coordination for the Township under the leadership of Chief Jeff Herzog. They are a blended department with career and volunteer members, and a roster of over 50 EMTs. The squad responds to over 2200 calls per year in Readington and Tewksbury Townships. The squad has a rescue services division led by volunteers for rescue operations such as automobile extrication, confined space and water rescue. 22 Rescue is located on Main Street in Whitehouse Station.

Fire departments

The following volunteer fire departments serve the Township: *Whitehouse Fire Company #1 (Station 22 Fire) *Readington Volunteer Fire Co., established in 1958 (Station 32 Fire) *Three Bridges Volunteer Fire Co., established in 1927 (Station 33 Fire) *East Whitehouse Volunteer Fire Co., organized in December 1923, Retired in 2022 (Station 31 Fire)

Transportation

Roads and highways

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

New Jersey Department of Transportation 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 ...

. Several roads and highways pass through the township. These include

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States that runs from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and North Jersey, terminating at the Holland Tunnel entra ...

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 ...

, Route 22 and Route 31.

Public transportation

The township is also served by

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 ...

's White House station, offering service on the

Raritan Valley Line The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, Middlesex, Essex, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region, primarily in centra ...

to Newark Penn Station and

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by eight NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, an NJ T ...

, with connecting service to Penn Station New York in

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 provides local bus service on the

884 __NOTOC__ Year 884 ( DCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * March 1 – Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, count of Castile, founds and repopulates (''repoblación'') Burgos a ...

route. The Hunterdon County LINK provide local bus service on Routes 17 / 18 between Milford and Clinton; and Route 23 between Flemington and Bridgewater Commons Mall / Somerville.

Rail service

The

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

's Lehigh Line (formerly the mainline of the

Lehigh Valley Railroad The Lehigh Valley Railroad was a railroad in the Northeastern United States built predominantly to haul anthracite, anthracite coal from the Coal Region in Northeastern Pennsylvania to major consumer markets in Philadelphia, New York City, and ...

), runs through Readington Township. The Black River and Western Railroad is a freight and

heritage railroad A heritage railway or heritage railroad (U.S. usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) ...

that runs from Lambertville via Ringoes and Flemington to Three Bridges (Readington) where it connects to the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Community

An annual event known as the New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning celebrated its 39th anniversary in 2022. The event held at Solberg-Hunterdon Airport is the largest summertime

hot air balloon festival Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year, allowing hot air balloons operators to gather- as well as for the general public- to participate in various activities.They can include races; evening "night glows", ...

in North America.

FBI shootout

On April 5, 2007, a shootout during the attempt to arrest serial bank robbers near a

PNC Bank The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 U.S. state, states and the District of Columbia, ...

branch on U.S. Route 22 in Readington resulted in the death of

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

agent Barry Lee Bush. Bush was the first FBI agent to be killed in the line of duty in New Jersey and the second FBI agent to be killed by a fellow agent since the bureau was established in 1908.

Notable people

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

Emma Bell Emma Jean Bell (born December 17, 1986) is an American actress, best known for her role as Parker O'Neal in the films '' Frozen'' and '' Hatchet II'' (both 2010), as Molly Harper in ''Final Destination 5'' (2011), and for playing Amy in the firs ...

(born 1986), actress *

William Cheswick William R. "Bill" Cheswick (also known as "Ches") is a computer security and networking researcher. Education Cheswick graduated from Lawrenceville School in 1970 and received a B.S. in Fundamental Science in 1975 from Lehigh University. While ...

(born ), computer security and networking researcher, co-author of '' Firewalls and Internet Security'' and started the Internet Mapping Project * Jack Cust (born 1979), a professional baseball player who played for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

* Bergen Davis (1869–1958), physicist * John De Mott (1790–1870), US Congressman from New York State from 1845 to 1847 * Isaac G. Farlee (1787–1855), member of 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 New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District from 1843 to 1845 *

Taissa Farmiga Taissa Farmiga ( ; born August 17, 1994) is an American actress. Her numerous appearances in horror films have established her as a scream queen, alongside her older sister Vera Farmiga. Farmiga was encouraged to begin acting by her sister ...

(born 1994), actress * J. C. Furnas (1906–2001), freelance writer and social historian * Robert Greifeld (born 1957), CEO

NASDAQ The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...

OMX Group * John Knowles Herr (1878–1955), Major General and career American soldier who served for 40 years in the United States Cavalry *

Jonathan Jennings Jonathan Jennings (March 27, 1784 – July 26, 1834) was an American politician who was the first governor of the State of Indiana and a nine-term congressman from Indiana. Born in either Hunterdon County, New Jersey, or Rockbridge County, Vi ...

(1784–1834), first

Governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state gover ...

, serving from 1816 to 1822 * Robyn Kenney (born 1979), field hockey player * George H. Large (1850–1939), President of the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is 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 232,225 (2020 figure ...

who was the last survivor of the first collegiate football game, played in 1869 * Howard Lindsay (1889–1968), theatrical producer, playwright, librettist, director and actor * Tom Malloy (born 1974), actor and filmmaker * William Marchant (1923–1995),

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, best known for writing the play that served as the basis for the 1957

Walter Lang Walter Lang (August 10, 1896 – February 7, 1972) was an American film director. Early life Walter Lang was born in Tennessee. As a young man he went to New York City where he found clerical work at a film production company. The business p ...

movie, '' The Desk Set'' * Ed Martin, politician who served as Chair of the Missouri Republican Party *

Timothy Piazza The Penn State fraternity hazing scandal is an ongoing issue within the Fraternities and sororities, Greek life system at Pennsylvania State University. The scandal encompasses hazing, binge drinking, and secretive ritualistic behavior. The scan ...

(1997–2017),

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

student who was killed as a result of

hazing Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...

taken place at

Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, , it consist ...

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

* James N. Pidcock (1836–1899), politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the

from 1885 to 1889 * Martha M. Place (1849–1899), first woman to die in the electric chair * Donna Simon (born 1960), politician who has 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 ...

since 2012, representing the 16th Legislative Districtvia

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

"Donna Simon sworn in to New Jersey Assembly seat"
''

The Express-Times Founded in 1885, ''The Express-Times'' began as The Easton Daily Express, a daily newspaper based in Easton, Pennsylvania. The newspaper provided national news and extensive local news coverage of the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. ...

'', January 30, 2012. Accessed January 4, 2015. "Donna Simon, of Readington Township, was sworn in today as the newest member of the state Assembly." *

Dorothy Stickney Dorothy Stickney (June 21, 1896 – June 2, 1998) was an American film, stage, and television actress, best known for appearing in the long-running Broadway hit '' Life with Father''. Early years Stickney was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, b ...

(1896–1998), Broadway actressBouman-Stickney House
, Readington Township. Accessed June 9, 2016. "In 1935, Broadway playwright and producer Howard Lindsay purchased the house and surrounding property as a gift for his wife, Broadway and movie actress Dorothy Stickney. Ms. Stickney and Mr. Lindsay used the house as a weekend and vacation retreat until Mr. Lindsay's death in 1968."

References

External links

Readington Township websiteReadington Township Public Schools
*
Data for the Readington Township Public Schools

Hunterdon Central Regional High School District
*
Data for Hunterdon Central Regional High School

Hunterdon Land Trust AllianceWhitehouse Fire Co.Whitehouse First Aid & Rescue Squad
{{Raritan River 1798 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1798 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in New Jersey Townships in Hunterdon County, New Jersey