Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey

Cherry Hill Township is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. In the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 69,965, making it the 13th-largest municipality in New Jersey. As of 2006, the township had an estimated population of 71,586. Cherry Hill is in the Delaware Valley coastal plain about five miles outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cherry Hill is considered an edge city of Philadelphia.

History

The area now known as Cherry Hill was originally settled by the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans who coexisted peacefully with the first settlers from England, Quaker followers of William Penn who arrived in the late 1600s. The first settlement was a small cluster of homes named Colestown, in the perimeters of what is now the Colestown Cemetery on the corner of Route 41 (King's Highway) and Church Road. The municipality was founded on February 25, 1844, in Gloucester County as Delaware Township from half of the area of Waterford Township, and became part of Camden County at its creation some two weeks later on March 13, 1844.

The township underwent explosive growth in the post-World War II era, with continued population growth until the 1980s. Today, the municipality's population remains stable with new development generally occurring in small pockets of custom luxury homes or through the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing commercial and industrial areas.

Origin of the name Cherry Hill

The name Cherry Hill was chosen by the township's citizens in a non-binding referendum in 1961, and was officially adopted November 7, 1961. Cherry Hill had been the name of Abraham Browning's farm on Kaighn Avenue (now called Route 38) opposite the site where the Cherry Hill Mall would be built. The farm property was approximately what became Eugene Mori's Cherry Hill Inn, the RCA-Cherry Hill campus, and Cherry Hill Estates; and is now an AMC-Loews movie theater complex.

Mori, the largest developer in the town from the 1940s to the '60s, used the Cherry Hill name on many of his properties, including the Cherry Hill Inn, Cherry Hill Lodge (now a nursing home), Cherry Hill Apartments (now renovated as the Cherry Hill Towers), and the Cherry Hill Estates housing development, where all but two of the streets are named after thoroughbred race courses. Thus, it has been suggested he (Mori) had a vested interest in getting the town named Cherry Hill.

Another motivation for the name change was a desire for the township to have its own post office. However, there were other places in New Jersey named Delaware, New Jersey. The postal service suggested a name change, and Mayors Christian Weber and John Gilmour, whose administrations came during the renaming decision, agreed.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 24.4 square miles (63.1 km²), of which, 24.2 square miles (62.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.

Seven census-designated places or unincorporated areas are located within the township: Ashland, Barclay-Kingston, Cherry Hill Mall, Erlton-Ellisburg, Golden Triangle, Greentree and Springdale.

Cherry Hill's eastern border with Burlington County is defined by the Pennsauken Creek. The creek separates Cherry Hill from the communities of Maple Shade Township, Evesham Township (or colloquially, 'Marlton'), and Mount Laurel Township.

The Cooper River forms the southern border with Haddon Township, Haddonfield Borough, and Lawnside Borough, through the Maria Barnaby Greenwald Park and parallel to the east-west Route 70.

To the north, Cherry Hill borders Merchantville Borough and Pennsauken Township, while Voorhees Township shares its southern border along County Route 544 (Evesham Road).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 69,965 people, 26,227 households, and 19,407 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,884.9 people per square mile (1,114.0/km²). There were 27,074 housing units at an average density of 1,116.4/sq mi (431.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 84.67% White, 8.87% Asian, 4.46% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.

There were 26,227 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the township the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

According to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the township was $81,289, and the median income for a family was $95,559. Males had a median income of $62,577 versus $51,991 for females. The per capita income for the township was $38,284. About 2.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Created as Delaware Township in 1844, the community was first governed by a Township Committee. On May 19, 1951, the citizens adopted, in a special election, a Walsh Act Commission form of government, consisting of a three-member Board of Commissioners. In 1962, the Township's population passed the 30,000 mark and two additional Commissioners were elected. Following a study made by a Citizen's Advisory Committee, a special election was held in 1962.

The Township voted to change its form of government to the Council-Manager Plan A under the Faulkner Act. Five Council members were elected at-large in a May election to serve concurrent four-year terms. The Council members elected one of their own as Mayor, but a Township Manager served as the Chief Administrator of the Township.

By 1975, after a Charter Study Commission report, Cherry Hill was ready for another change. After a ballot referendum, the citizens adopted the Council-Manager Plan B form of government. Two features of the government were changed: council members were to be elected every two years for overlapping terms of four years and the number of Council members would increase from five to seven.

After a 1981 referendum, the government changed yet again, this time to a Mayor-Council Plan B form of government. A full-time 'strong' mayor was elected directly by the people and seven Council members were elected at-large for staggered four-year terms.

The most recent change, resulting from a ballot referendum in November 1986, changed the elections from a non-partisan May election to a partisan November election.

The current Mayor of Cherry Hill is Bernard A. Platt (D). Members of the Township Council are (all Democrats) Council President Frank Falcone (term ends 2010), Council Vice President N. John Amato (term ends 2012), Shelley Adler (2010, married to State Senator John H. Adler), Dennis Garbowski (2012), Joyce Kurzweil (2010), Sara Lipsett (2012) and Steve Polansky (2010).

Former mayors include Arthur Simons, Susan Bass Levin, Maria Barnaby Greenwald, Howard Gall, John Gilmour, and John Holden.

Federal, state and county representation

Cherry Hill Township is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 6th Legislative District.

Education

Public Schools

The Cherry Hill Public Schools system is made up of 19 schools: an early childhood center, twelve elementary schools, three middle schools, two traditional high schools, and an alternative high school program. It is the twelfth-largest school district in the state of New Jersey and one of the largest suburban districts. This year, the district will top 11,800 students and enrollments continue to grow. The district has grown by about 2,000 students in the last 12 years. The system has 1,400 employees, including 1,000+ teachers.

For the 2001-02 school year, Cherry Hill High School East received the Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education. Three of the district's schools have been named as "Star Schools" by the New Jersey Department of Education: Cherry Hill High School East (1999-2000), Thomas Paine Elementary School (2002-03) and Clara Barton Elementary School (2003-04). Also, Cherry Hill High School West began offering the International Baccalaureate Program in 2001. This program remained in Cherry Hill High School West until it was phased out after the 2007-2008 school year. The district has five Best Practices Award Winners. SAT scores far exceed state and national averages, with Cherry Hill High School East's average SAT score of 1668, ranking 41st in the state, and West's 1,529 average ranking 124th in New Jersey, out of 349 schools with students taking the test that year. In 2005, the graduation rate approached 100% (99.0% for East, and 97.5% for West, in 2005-06) and approximately 95% of graduates are continuing their education at two- or four-year colleges (93.7% for East and 96.7% for West in 2005-06.

Cherry Hill's school district offered the certificate and diploma program at Cherry Hill West which ended at the conclusion of the 2007-2008 school year. The IB Primary Years Programme is offered at Bret Harte, Joseph D. Sharp, James F. Cooper and Thomas Paine Elementary Schools. This program is also a part of the Middle Years Programme|Middle Years Program] (MYP) offered for grades 6-8 at Rosa International Middle School (RIMS).

Private Schools

Camden Catholic High School is run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. St. Peter Celestine (Pre-K to 8) and Queen of Heaven School (K-8) are elementary schools run by the Diocese.

The King's Christian School is a private Christian fully-accredited PreK-12 institution founded as the Christian Day School of Camden County in 1946.

Kellman Academy is a private Jewish day school serving children aged 3 through 8th grade. The school was founded in 1959 in association with Congregation Beth El at Parkside in Camden.

Politz Day School is a private Jewish day school serving early childhood through middle school students. The school is co-located with and supported by Congregation Sons of Israel.

Baptist Regional School is a private Christian school on two campuses, grades K-6 in Cherry Hill, and grades 7-12 in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. The schools were founded and supported by Bethel Baptist Church (Cherry Hill) and Haddon Heights Baptist Church.

Colleges and universities

Camden County College operates one of its three campuses at the William G. Rohrer Center at Route 70 East and Springdale Road.

Public Library

The Cherry Hill Public Library is an agency of the Township's municipal government. Originally called The Cherry Hill Free Public Library, the word "Free" was dropped from the title in 2003. The current library building was completed in December 2004 to replace a 1966 structure at approximately the same location: 1100 Kings Highway North. At 72,000 square feet, Cherry Hill's library is among the largest municipal libraries in New Jersey.

Transportation

The New Jersey Turnpike passes through Cherry Hill Township. The Walt Whitman rest area (southbound at milepost 30.2) is located in the township.

Interstate 295 has three exits in the township. Exit 34A/B is Route 70 (Marlton Pike); exit 32 is CR 561 (Haddonfield-Berlin Rd.); and exit 31 goes directly to the Woodcrest station of the PATCO high-speed commuter rail line, which travels from 15-16th & Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Lindenwold.

Several New Jersey Transit bus routes also pass through or stop in the township. The NJT Atlantic City Line, traveling on the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line route, stops at the Cherry Hill station, located on the west side of the tracks between the Garden State Pavilion shopping center and the newer development on the grounds of the former Garden State Racetrack.

Notable residents and natives

Miscellaneous information

• In 2006, Cherry Hill was named among the 'Best Places to Live' in the United States by Money Magazine and was ranked eighth safest place to live in the same survey.
• Cherry Hill was also named among the Best Places to Live in the Philadelphia region for 2006 by Philadelphia Magazine (see magazine print edition, October 2006).
• Subaru of America, Pinnacle Foods, and Commerce Bancorp are headquartered in Cherry Hill.
• Cherry Hill Mall, a principal shopping center in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania metropolitan area, was the first enclosed shopping mall in the eastern United States, opening in October 1961.
• The Neulander murder occurred in Cherry Hill.
• In the movie Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Cherry Hill is the location of the White Castle franchise Harold and Kumar ultimately visit. There are, in fact, no White Castle locations in Cherry Hill, nor does the movie's representation of Cherry Hill accurately reflect the dense, suburban nature of the town or its proximity to Philadelphia. Rather, it depicts Cherry Hill as rural farmland.
• In the movie The Freshman, Clark Kellogg (Matthew Broderick) is sent to Cherry Hill to deliver a Komodo dragon.
• In 1973-1974, Cherry Hill briefly had a WHA hockey team, the New Jersey Knights, and from 1964 to 1971, an Eastern Hockey League team, the Jersey Devils (unrelated to the present NHL New Jersey Devils). Both teams played at the Cherry Hill Arena.
• Muhammad Ali purchased a house on Barbara Drive in Cherry Hill's Voken Tract in 1971.
• Mentioned in Nerf Herder's "New Jersey Girl", the girl in question is from Cherry Hill.

References

External links

• Cherry Hill Township site
• Cherry Hill Public Schools
• Cherry Hill Public Library Official Website
• Data for the Cherry Hill Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• Cherry Hill Fire Department
• Cherry Hill Police Department
• Cherry Hill Fire Police
• Garden State Rotary of Cherry Hill, NJ
• Cherry Hill Online Newspaper (private)
• Topographic map at TopoQuest
• Cherry Hill Jewish Community Information Center