See also: Washington Township, New Jersey

Washington is a borough in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 6,712. The borough is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley.

Washington was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 20, 1868, from portions of Washington Township.

Geography

Washington is located at (40.760532, -74.979231).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.1 km²), all of it land.

Pohatcong Mountain is a ridge, approximately 6 mi (10 km) long, in the Appalachian Mountains that extends from west Phillipsburg northeast approximately to Washington. Upper Pohatcong Mountain extends northeast of Washington approximately 6 mi (10 km) to the vicinity of Hackettstown. The two ridges are sometimes called "Pohatcong Mountain" collectively.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,712 people, 2,724 households, and 1,686 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,429.9 people per square mile (1,322.2/km²). There were 2,876 housing units at an average density of 1,469.6/sq mi (566.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.45% White, 3.89% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.61% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.17% of the population.

There were 2,724 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the borough the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $47,000, and the median income for a family was $61,379. Males had a median income of $41,436 versus $31,880 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,166. About 5.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Washington operates under the Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) form of municipal government.

Members of the Washington Borough Council are Mayor Marianne Van Deursen (R, term ends December 31, 2008), Deputy Mayor David Higgins (R, 2008), Andrew Turner (R, 2008), Charles T. Housel (R, 2010), Victor Cioni (R, 2010), Heather Oakley (R, 2008) and Christina Woykowski (R, 2010).

Federal, state and county representation

Washington Township is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd Legislative District.

History

Washington Borough separated from Washington Township, which completely surrounds it, in 1868. The community grew during the 19th century as a result of the transportation routes that ran through or near the borough. The Morris Canal ran along the north end of town, the Morris & Essex Railroad along the southern end. Intersecting in the center of the borough are two major roadways, which today are Route 31 and Route 57. The borough also served as a center for the farmers of the surrounding townships.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the borough became a mecca of musical instruments manufacturers, the manufacture of organs in particular. A bustling downtown developed around these businesses. Many of the Victorian style houses in the borough, as well as Taylor Street School and Warren Hills Middle School (formerly Washington High School) were built during this period.

The advent of the automobile brought Washington closer to both the nearby Lehigh Valley and the not so nearby New York City area. In the years following World War II, an increasing number of Washington residents would commute to work in those two areas. In addition, people from those areas began to settle in Washington, and there were many new houses and apartment complexes built during the late 20th century. As was the case in many similar towns, the downtown area struggled to remain vibrant during this time, and a major fire did not help matters. Education at the Middle and High School level was regionalized in 1968, and a new elementary school was also built (Memorial School).

The 1990s saw a population boom in Warren County, which continues today, as high real estate prices and property taxes in New Jersey’s northeastern counties push buyers to look further west. Although the borough itself does not have much room to grow, it has benefited from the growth of the nearby townships. Efforts are underway to revitalize the downtown with new residential and retail properties.

Education

Students in grades K - 6 attend the schools of the Washington Borough Public Schools. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Taylor Street School with 226 students in grades K - 2 and Memorial School, with 280 students in grades 3 - 6.

Students in public school for grades 7 and up attend the schools of the Warren Hills Regional School District. Warren Hills is a Grade 7-12 district that serves approximately 2,100 students from the municipalities of Washington Borough, Washington Township, Mansfield Township, Franklin Township and Oxford Township (for 9-12 only). Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics are Warren Hills Regional Middle School (grades 7 and 8; 711 students) located in Washington Borough and Warren Hills Regional High School (grades 9 - 12; 1,403 students) located in Washington Township.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Washington include:

• Johnston Cornish (1858-1920), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1893-1895, and was elected as the Mayor of Washington in 1884, 1885 and 1886.
• Riley Martin, current member of Howard Stern's wackpack. Claims to have been abducted by aliens. Has a radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 101.

References

External links

• Washington Borough website
• Warren County page for Washington Borough
• Washington Borough Public Schools
• Data for the Washington Borough Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• Warren Hills Regional School District
• Warren County Technical School
• Warren County Community College