Stillwater 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 Sussex 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 ...

. Situated in the

Kittatinny Valley The Kittatinny Valley is a section of the Great Appalachian Valley in Sussex and Warren counties in northwestern New Jersey that is bounded on the northwest by Kittatinny Mountain, and in the southeast by the New Jersey Highlands region. The val ...

, Stillwater is a rural farming community with a long history of

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 4,004, a decrease of 95 (−2.3%) from the 2010 census count of 4,099, which in turn reflected a decrease of 168 (−3.9%) from the 4,267 counted in the 2000 census. Stillwater was settled in the eighteenth century by Palatine German immigrants who entered through the port of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. In 1741, Casper Shafer, John George Wintermute (Windemuth), and their father-in-law Johan Peter Bernhardt settled along the

Paulins Kill The Paulins Kill (also known as Paulinskill River) is a tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States. With a long-term median flow rate of 76 cubic feet of water per second (2.15 m3/s), it is New Jers ...

.Schaeffer, Casper and Johnson, William M. ''Memoirs and reminiscences: together with sketches of the early history of Sussex County, New Jersey''. (Hackensack, N.J. : Privately printed, 1907), passim. For the next 50 years, the village of Stillwater was essentially German, centered on a union church shared by

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

and German Reformed (

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

) congregations. The German population assimilated by the early nineteenth century, but evidence of their settlement remains in the architecture of the

grist mills A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called ''quicklime'' (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is: CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2 This reaction can tak ...

s, and stone houses located throughout the valley. Stillwater was incorporated 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 December 27, 1824, from portions of Hardwick TownshipSnyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 232. Accessed May 30, 2024. when Sussex County was divided in half by the legislature a few weeks earlier to create Warren County. Portions of the township were taken to form Fredon Township on February 24, 1904. In 2008, ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United St ...

'' magazine ranked Stillwater Township as its 40th best place to live in its annual rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

History

The township was created on December 27, 1824, by an act passed by the

. A prominent structure in the area's history is the Shafer Grist Mill. Originally built by Casper Shafer in 1741, it was moved approximately a half mile to its present location in 1764. It was rebuilt in 1844 and powered by water from the

. Casper's son, Nathan Armstrong Shafer lived in Whitehall Manor, which he built near what is now the center of the village. The

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

operated commercially until 1955, making it one of the oldest, continuously operating, water-powered gristmills in the State of New Jersey.

Aline Murray Kilmer Aline Murray Kilmer (August 1, 1888 – October 1, 1941), was an American poet, children's book author, and essayist, and the wife and widow of poet and journalist Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918). The couple attendeRutgers College Preparatory School ...

, the widow of poet

Joyce Kilmer Alfred Joyce Kilmer (December 6, 1886 – July 30, 1918) was an American people, American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees (poem), Trees" (1913), which was published in the collection ''Trees and Other Poems'' in ...

, lived the last decade of her life at Whitehall, passing away there on October 1, 1941.Talbot, Francis X. "A Tribute to Aline Kilmer" in ''America.'' (October 18, 1941), 46.Staff
"KILMER CHILDREN GET $25,602 EACH; Soldier-Poet's Heirs Share in Estate Left by Their Grandfather in Jersey"
''

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 ...

'', January 31, 1937. Accessed January 20, 2013. "At Stillwater, N. J., today Mrs. Aline Kilmer, widow of the poet, said that her son, Kenton, in addition to his duties with the FHA, has been writing verse." In the early 1900s, Swartswood Lake became a major resort. Weekenders took the train into nearby Blairstown through the 1940s to stay at such places as the North Shore Inn, The Casino, and The Dove Island Inn (now a private home). Later, summer cabins became popular with Brooklyn weekenders. The Stillwater creamery was built in 1910.

Borden, Inc. Borden, Inc., was an American producer of food and beverage products, consumer products, and industrial products. At one time, the company was the largest U.S. producer of dairy and pasta products. Its food division, Borden Foods, was based in C ...

later took control of the creamery. In the 1920s, the

was dammed to create Paulins Kill Lake and many summer residences sprang up. These summer cottages have grown into what is now a year-round community. The

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

is the most prominent feature in Stillwater village. Opposite the church is the former Academy, an old schoolhouse that is now home of the Historical Society of Stillwater Township. Stillwater was, and still is, primarily agricultural. The area is dotted with

s, which used to burn lime to enrich the soil, but are now obsolete, becoming lost to history and the overgrowth of vegetation. An intact kiln still exists on Millbrook Road, a little more than two miles (3 km) from Stillwater village. Roughly one-third of Stillwater Township's area was ceded to create Fredon Township in 1904.

Geography

Swartswood Lake Stillwater Township New Jersey

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 28.25 square miles (73.17 km²), including 26.92 square miles (69.73 km²) of land and 1.33 square miles (3.43 km²) of water (4.69%). The township borders the municipalities of Fredon Township, Hampton Township and Walpack Township in Sussex County; and both Frelinghuysen Township and Hardwick Township in Warren County.

Neighborhoods

Crandon Lakes (with a 2010 Census population of 496 in Stillwater Township, out of a CDP total of 1,178) 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) split between Hampton Township and Stillwater Township.New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)

, August 2012. Accessed February 25, 2013. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Catfish Pond, Duck Pond, Fairview Lake, Five Points, Lake Kathryn, Middleville, Mud Pond, Paulins Kill Lake, Quick Pond, Stillwater, Swartswood, Swartswood Lake and Wintermutes Foundry. Stillwater is a small one-street village in the area that was first settled by Johan Peter Bernhardt and his two sons-in-law, John George Wintermute and Casper Shafer. At the western terminus of end of Main Street where it meets County Route 521, the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater is the dominant feature. As Main Street travels east, the Garris's General Store (1876), "Whitehall" (built in 1785 by Abraham Shafer), Casper Shafer's stonehouse (), crossing the Paulins Kill near Shafer's grist mill (1764, 1844) and miller's house. An 1820 hostelry, the Stillwater Inn, recently was destroyed by fire. One half-mile (800 m) south of the Presbyterian church, is John George Wintermute's stonehouse (1755), his son Peter's stonehouse (1791). Located adjacent is Stillwater Cemetery—the site of the original Lutheran-Calvinist union church (1771–1838), the graves of the towns earliest settlers, and many eighteenth century ethnic German gravestones.

Geology

Flanked to the west by

Kittatinny Mountain Kittatinny Mountain (Unami language, Lenape: Kitahtëne) is a long ridge traversing primarily Sussex County, New Jersey, Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey, running in a northeast-southwest axis, a continuation across the Delaware Water G ...

, the Stillwater Township is located within the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province, and the entire township is within the

a region of rolling hills and flat valley floors that is a section of the larger

Great Appalachian Valley The Great Appalachian Valley, also called The Great Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough, including a chain of valley lowlands, and the central feature of the Appal ...

running from eastern Canada to northern Alabama. Elevations in this valley range from . According to Snell, "The surface of the country is generally uneven and hilly, and on the west exceedingly rugged and mountainous. Ponds and watercourses abound. Of the latter, the most important is the Paulinskill, a millstream of considerable consequence." All of Stillwater Township is located in the

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

which flows southwest through Sussex and Warren counties before joining the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

near

Columbia, New Jersey Columbia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Knowlton Township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. While the community has existed for over a century, the CDP was created as part of t ...

. The valley floor is part of the

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...

Martinsburg Formation (shale and slate) which make up most of the valley—and the Jacksonburg Formation (mostly limestone).

Climate

Stillwater Township is located in Northwestern New Jersey which has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

microthermal In climatology, the term microthermal is used to denote the continental climates of Eurasia and North America. Etymology The word ''microthermal'' is derived from two Greek words meaning "small" and "heat". This is misleading, however, since the ...

)—a cooler climate due to its higher elevations.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 4,099 people, 1,553 households, and 1,141 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 151.5 per square mile (58.5/km²). There were 1,930 housing units at an average density of 71.3 per square mile (27.5/km²). The racial makeup was 97.07% (3,979)

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 ...

, 0.66% (27) Black or African American, 0.05% (2) Native American, 0.71% (29) Asian, 0.02% (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 ...

, 0.20% (8) from other races, and 1.29% (53) from two or more races.

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

of any race were 2.20% (90) of the population. Of the 1,553 households, 30.0% had children under the age of 18; 61.4% were married couples living together; 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.5% were non-families. Of all households, 21.6% were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.09. 21.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 36.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 100.1 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 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)

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 $79,367 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,830) and the median family income was $94,900 (+/− $17,365). Males had a median income of $50,600 (+/− $10,895) versus $52,587 (+/− $7,700) 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 $32,147 (+/− $2,398). About 7.0% of families and 7.2% 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 12.2% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 4,267 people, 1,494 households, and 1,154 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 2,030 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.96%

, 0.16%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.96% 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 2.09% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Stillwater township, Sussex County, New Jersey

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

. Accessed February 25, 2013. There were 1,494 households, out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.3% 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 2.85 and the average family size was 3.27. In the township the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males. The median income for a household in the township was $63,750, and the median income for a family was $71,563. Males had a median income of $48,580 versus $35,505 for females. The

for the township was $24,933. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the

, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Stillwater 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. 110. 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. , members of the Stillwater 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 ...

Lisa Chammings ( R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2023), Deputy Mayor Vera A. Rumsey (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Paul Barta (R, 2024), Dawn A. Delaney (R, 2025) and George E. Scott (R, 2024).Township Committee
Stillwater Township. Accessed January 15, 2023. "Stillwater is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor."
Stillwater Township, New Jersey. Accessed January 15, 2023.Sussex County, New Jersey General Election November 8, 2022, Official Results Summary Report

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County () is the northernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.Summary Results Report November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County () is the northernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.Election Summary November 3, 2020 General Election Official Amended Results

Sussex County, New Jersey Sussex County () is the northernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton.New Jersey State Police The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors. History The legislation for the creation o ...

assumed police coverage on a full-time basis. The township estimated savings of $482,000 by having State Police coverage; as a rural community, the township would not pay a fee to the State Police. The Stillwater Area Volunteer Fire Company provide fire and rescue services to the township Stillwater station houses CAFS Pumper 42–62, Rescue-Pumper 42–61, Tanker/Pumper 42–71, Tanker 42–72, Rescue 42–75 and utility and special operations 42–81. In February 2016, the township disbanded the Swartswood Volunteer Fire Department and reclaimed township-owned vehicles and other property. In 2020 The Stillwater Emergency Rescue Squad combined with the Stillwater Area Volunteer Fire Department. The Fire department took ownership of both ambulances, personnel and equipment. The Fire Department now provides emergency medical services to the township, utilizing two full-size ambulances.

Federal, state, and county representation

Stillwater Township is located in the 7th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan

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 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing 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 3,009 registered voters in Stillwater Township, of which 468 (15.6% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,384 (46.0% vs. 39.3%) 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 1,153 (38.3% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 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.Voter Registration Summary - Sussex

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 25, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 73.4% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 94.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide). 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 1,283 votes (61.9% vs. 59.4% countywide), 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 735 votes (35.5% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 49 votes (2.4% vs. 2.1%), among the 2,073 ballots cast by the township's 3,079 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.3% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American 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 1,389 votes (59.7% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 872 votes (37.5% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 52 votes (2.2% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,328 ballots cast by the township's 2,978 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). 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 1,473 votes (65.0% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of 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 754 votes (33.3% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 35 votes (1.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 2,267 ballots cast by the township's 2,832 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.0% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician 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 71.5% of the vote (844 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% (294 votes), and other candidates with 3.6% (43 votes), among the 1,193 ballots cast by the township's 3,075 registered voters (12 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,036 votes (63.3% vs. 63.3% countywide), 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 406 votes (24.8% vs. 25.7%), 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 157 votes (9.6% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,637 ballots cast by the township's 2,991 registered voters, yielding a 54.7% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).

Education

The Stillwater 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 Stillwater Township School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 254 students and 29.3 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 8.7:1.District information for Stillwater 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 April 1, 2020. 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 ...

for public school attend Kittatinny Regional High School located in Hampton Township, which serves students who reside in Fredon Township, Hampton Township, Sandyston Township and Walpack Township. The high school is located on a campus in Hampton Township, about seven minutes outside of the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...

. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 941 students and 97.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 9.7:1. Kittatinny Regional High School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1997–1998.Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF)

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a cabinet-level department of the United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and ...

. Accessed September 2, 2020.

Transportation

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Sussex County. No Interstate, U.S. or state highways cross Stillwater Township. The most significant roadway within the township is County Route 521.

Local attractions

Parks and recreation

Stillwater is the home of Swartswood State Park, established in 1914 as the first

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...

established by the state of New Jersey. In the center of the park lies the Little Swartswood and Swartswood Lake. The park is operated and maintained by the

New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry In the state of New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry is an administrative division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In its most visible role, the Division is directly responsible for the management an ...

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Stillwater Township include: * Rev. Elbert Nevius Condit (1846–1900), son of Rev. T.B. Condit (1804–1888), Presbyterian minister, third president of Occidental College *

Louis Finkelstein Louis Finkelstein (June 14, 1895, in Cincinnati, Ohio – 29 November 1991) was a Talmud scholar, an expert in Jewish law, and a leader of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) and Conservative Judaism. Biography Louis (Eliezer) Finkel ...

(1923–2000), painter, art critic and Queens College professorSussex County Clerk's Office (Newton, NJ) Deed between Louis Finkelstein and Jane Culp Finklestein (grantor) to Sherry Jenkins (grantee). (12 June/24 July 2000). Deed Book 2475, page 305&c.; Deed between Marjorie V. Hendershot and Richard C. Hendershot (grantors) and Louis Finkelstein and Gretna Campbell Finkelstein (grantees) (6 October 1978), Deed Book 1015, page 355&c.; Deed between Frederick Fuchs and Jacqueline Fuchs (grantors) and Louis Finkelstein and Gretna Campbell Finkelstein (grantees) (13/15 May 1980), Deed Book 1051, page 737&c. Sussex County Clerk's Office deed records are available online searchable by name, record number, or lot number
http://www.sussexcountyclerk.com/recording%20pages/real_estate-property_records.html
. Stillwater Township Tax Assessor's office, Stillwater Township, New Jersey, property records for Block 3202, Lot 4B, 4C now renumbered as Block 3202 Lot 4, 4.01, 4.02, 4.03. * Gretna Campbell Finkelstein (1922–1987), artist affiliated with the New York School, wife of Louis Finkelstein * Aaron Hankinson (1735–1806), Revolutionary War brigadier general (''Sussex County Militia''), New Jersey state assemblyman *

(1888–1941), poet and author, widow of

(1886–1918) * Casper Shafer (–1784), first settler, colonial politician * Matt Valenti (born 1984), two-time NCAA Division I national champion wrestler from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

References

External links

Stillwater TownshipThe Township Journal
community newspaper
Stillwater Township SchoolKittatinny Regional High SchoolHistorical Society of Stillwater Township
{{Authority control 1824 establishments in New Jersey Palatine German settlement in New Jersey Populated places established in 1824 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in New Jersey Townships in Sussex County, New Jersey Lime kilns in the United States