South Harrison 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 Gloucester 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 ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,395, an increase of 233 (+7.4%) from the 2010 census count of 3,162, which in turn reflected an increase of 745 (+30.8%) from the 2,417 counted in the 2000 census. South Harrison 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 March 2, 1883, from portions of Harrison Township. Elk Township was formed from portions of South Harrison Township on April 17, 1891.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 140. Accessed May 30, 2024. It is a

dry town In the United States, a dry county is a county whose local government forbids the sale of any kind of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. The vast majority of counties no ...

, where alcohol cannot be sold, though alcohol is available at the winery in the township.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the township had a total area of 15.96 square miles (41.32 km²), including 15.90 square miles (41.17 km²) of land and 0.06 square miles (0.15 km²) of water (0.38%). Unincorporated communities, localities, and places located partially or completely within the township include Cedar Grove, Harrisonville (served as ZIP Code 08039), Jessups Mills, and Lincoln. The township borders the municipalities of Elk Township, Harrison Township, and Woolwich Township in Gloucester County; and Pilesgrove Township and Upper Pittsgrove Township in Salem County.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 3,162 people, 1,020 households, and 862 families in the township. The population density was . There were 1,056 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 91.59% (2,896)

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 ...

, 5.06% (160) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.20% (38) Asian, 0.03% (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 ...

, 0.95% (30) from other races, and 1.17% (37) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% (98) of the population. Of the 1,020 households, 42.1% had children under the age of 18; 73.1% were married couples living together; 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 15.5% were non-families. Of all households, 11.5% were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.36. 28.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 97.5 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 $106,667 (with a margin of error of +/− $12,029) and the median family income was $113,875 (+/− $14,397). Males had a median income of $84,408 (+/− $4,334) versus $55,750 (+/− $10,554) 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 $34,515 (+/− $3,976). About 2.0% of families and 10.4% 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 3.8% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 2,417 people, 800 households, and 663 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 829 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 93.09%

, 3.76%

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 ...

, 0.04% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.04%

, 2.19% from other races, and 0.58% 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 3.43% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for South Harrison township, Gloucester County, New Jersey
,

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 ...

. Accessed November 8, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for South Harrison township, Gloucester County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed November 8, 2012. There were 800 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.1% were non-families. 13.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.25. In the township, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males. The median income for a household in the township was $68,491, and the median income for a family was $76,390. Males had a median income of $55,313 versus $32,337 for females. The

for the township was $25,968. About 4.1% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the

, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

South Harrison 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. 19. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. , members of the South Harrison Township Committee are Mayor Joseph Marino ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2027; term as mayor ends 2025), Deputy Mayor Robert J. Diaz (R, term on committee ends 2026; term as deputy mayor ends 2025), John Horner (R, 2027), Robert L. Richardson (R, 2025) and Robert Schenk (R, 2026).Township Committee
South Harrison Township. Accessed January 25, 2025.''Gloucester County 2024 Official Directory''

Gloucester County, New Jersey Gloucester County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, 14th-most populous county

. Accessed January 1, 2025.General Election November 5, 2024 Unofficial Results

, updated November 18, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.General Election November 7, 2023 Unofficial Results

, November 20, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.General Election November 8, 2022 Summary Report Unofficial Results

Clerk, November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023. In 2007, Charles Tyson was elected Mayor, the first

to hold the post."Former South Harrison mayor who endured death threats steps down from council"

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 ...

via

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, November 10, 2009. He was re-elected in 2008. In 2009, however, he declined to seek re-election to a third term, citing the death threats and racist

vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The t ...

that had arisen. He had received threatening phone calls and emails, his tires were slashed, and " KKK" was written on a sign on his lawn. A federal

indictment An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offense is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use that concept often use that of an ind ...

has charged a

white supremacist White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White supremacy has roots in the now-discredited doctrine ...

from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, Bill White, with "communicating threats in interstate commerce", based on White's emails to Tyson and phone calls to Tyson's wife in 2008."Obama Signs Order to Fund Abortion Education Abroad; Obama Plan to Close GITMO Sparks Debate"

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, February 3, 2009. Accessed November 10, 2019. "One year before Barack Obama's historic inauguration, Charles Tyson was making some history of his own. He was quietly sworn in as the first African American mayor of tiny South Harrison, New Jersey, a big moment in a very white small town.... Then things got worse. Bill White, one of the country's most notorious white supremacist, whose Web site once displayed a picture of Barack Obama in the crosshairs allegedly contacted Tyson." No arrests have been made, however, in connection with the incidents in 2007, even though the town posted a $24,000 reward.

Federal, state, and county representation

South Harrison Township is located in the 2nd 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 3rd 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 2,146 registered voters in South Harrison, of which 733 (34.2%) were registered as Democrats, 626 (29.2%) were registered as Republicans and 785 (36.6%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either

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 ...

as 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 60.9% of the vote (1,008 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 37.8% (625 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (21 votes), among the 1,666 ballots cast by the township's 2,238 registered voters (12 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 74.4%. 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 56.2% of the vote (979 cast), ahead of Democrat

with 41.2% (717 votes) and other candidates with 1.9% (33 votes), among the 1,741 ballots cast by the township's 2,168 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.3%. 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 60.8% of the vote (869 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 38.3% (548 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (8 votes), among the 1,429 ballots cast by the township's 1,792 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 79.7. 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 72.6% of the vote (709 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 24.9% (243 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (25 votes), among the 996 ballots cast by the township's 2,218 registered voters (19 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.7% of the vote (666 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 31.4% (356 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.8% (89 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (9 votes), among the 1,134 ballots cast by the township's 2,175 registered voters, yielding a 52.1% turnout.

Education

The South Harrison Township School District 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

sixth grade Sixth grade (also 6th grade or grade 6) is the sixth year of formal or compulsory education. Students in sixth grade are usually 11-12 years old. It is commonly the first or second grade of middle school or the last grade of elementary school, an ...

at South Harrison Township Elementary School. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 315 students and 32.0 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 9.8:1.District information for South Harrison 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 February 15, 2022. Public school students in seventh 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 are educated by the Kingsway Regional School District, which also serves students from East Greenwich Township, Swedesboro and Woolwich Township, with the addition of students from Logan Township who attend the district's high school 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 ...

in which tuition is paid on a per-pupil basis by the Logan Township School District. South Harrison Township accounted for 13% of district enrollment. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 2,868 students and 207.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 13.8:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the

) are Kingsway Regional Middle School with 1,023 students in grades 7–8, and Kingsway Regional High School with 1,802 students in grades 9–12. Under a 2011 proposal, Kingsway would have merged with its constituent member's K–6 districts to become a full K–12 district, with various options for including Logan Township as part of the consolidated district. Students from across the county are eligible to apply to attend Gloucester County Institute of Technology, a four-year high school in Deptford Township that provides technical and vocational education. As a public school, students do not pay tuition to attend the school.

Transportation

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

. South Harrison Township is crisscrossed by several major roadways.

Route 45 The following highways are numbered 45: International * AH45, Asian Highway 45 * European route E45 Burma *National Road 45 (Burma) Canada * Alberta Highway 45 * Manitoba Highway 45 * Ontario Highway 45 * Saskatchewan Highway 45 China * ...

, also known as Woodstown-Mullica Hill Road, traverses the township southwest-to-northeast, from the border with Pilesgrove Township to Harrison Township. County Route 538, also known as Swedesboro Road, crosses the northern portion of the township from Woolwich Township in the northwest to Elk Township to the southeast. County Route 581 (Commissioners Pike) crosses from Upper Pittsgrove Township in the south to Harrison Township in the north.County Route 581 Straight Line Diagram

, June 2012. Accessed February 27, 2023.

Wineries

* Wagonhouse Winery

References

External links

Official township website
{{Authority control 1883 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1883 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in New Jersey Townships in Gloucester County, New Jersey