Location of Knowlton Township in
Warren County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Warren County in
New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Knowlton Township, New Jersey
Knowlton Township was created as a precinct by
Royal charter from portions of
Oxford Township on February 23, 1763,[22][23] while the area was still part of
Sussex County, and was incorporated as a township by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, and then became part of the newly created Warren County on November 20, 1824. Portions of the township were taken to form
Hope Township (April 8, 1839) and
Blairstown Township (April 14, 1845).[22]
The township is served by postal
ZIP Codes in Columbia (07832) and Delaware (07833), although a small number of Knowlton residents receive postal deliveries via the Blairstown (07825) post office. Within the township are several small hamlets, including Browning, Deckers Ferry, Mount Pleasant, Polkville, Ramseyburg,
Warrington and Knowlton itself.[27]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 25.33 square miles (65.60 km2), including 24.72 square miles (64.03 km2) of land and 0.60 square miles (1.56 km2) of water (2.38%).[1][2] The township is located in the
Kittatinny Valley which is a section of the
Great Appalachian Valley that stretches 700 miles (1,100 km) from Canada to Alabama.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Browning, Deckers Ferry, Mount Pleasant, Polkville, Ramseyburg and
Warrington.[34]
The
2010 United States census counted 3,055 people, 1,097 households, and 864 families in the township. The population density was 123.4 inhabitants per square mile (47.6/km2). There were 1,212 housing units at an average density of 49.0 per square mile (18.9/km2). The racial makeup was 96.07% (2,935)
White, 0.92% (28)
Black or African American, 0.29% (9)
Native American, 0.92% (28)
Asian, 0.00% (0)
Pacific Islander, 0.75% (23) from
other races, and 1.05% (32) from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.63% (111) of the population.[19]
Of the 1,097 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18; 66.5% were married couples living together; 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 21.2% were non-families. Of all households, 16.3% were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.10.[19]
23.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 20.2% from 25 to 44, 36.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 101.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 98.1 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $81,346 (with a margin of error of +/− $11,792) and the median family income was $86,708 (+/− $13,339). Males had a median income of $76,733 (+/− $8,158) versus $51,757 (+/− $3,961) for females. The
per capita income for the Township was $35,440 (+/− $4,605). About 1.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.[50]
2000 census
As of the
2000 U.S. census,[16] there were 2,977 people, 1,028 households, and 816 families residing in the township. The population density was 120.1 inhabitants per square mile (46.4/km2). There were 1,135 housing units at an average density of 45.8 per square mile (17.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.45%
White, 0.40%
African American, 0.07%
Native American, 0.64%
Asian, 0.47% from
other races, and 0.97% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.[46][47]
There were 1,028 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were
married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.21.[46][47]
In the township the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.[46][47]
The median income for a household in the township was $63,409, and the median income for a family was $72,130. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $35,326 for females. The
per capita income for the township was $24,631. About 1.5% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.[46][47]
Government
Local government
Knowlton Township is governed under the
Township 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.[51] The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters
at-large 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.[7][52] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.[3]
As of 2022[update], the Knowlton Township Committee is comprised of
Mayor M. Adele Starrs (
R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2022),
Deputy Mayor Debra L. Shipps (R, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Kathy Cuntala (R, 2024), James Mazza (R, 2023), and Frank Van Horn (R, 2022).[3][6][53][54][55]
Federal, state, and county representation
Knowlton Township is located in the 7th Congressional District[56] and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.[57]
Warren County is governed by a three-member
Board of County Commissioners, who are chosen
at-large on a staggered basis in partisan elections with one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as Commissioner Director and other as Deputy Director.[63] As of 2024[update], Warren County's Commissioners are:
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,008 registered voters in Knowlton Township, of which 418 (20.8% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as
Democrats, 694 (34.6% vs. 35.3%) were registered as
Republicans and 895 (44.6% vs. 43.1%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There as one voter registered to another party.[75] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.7% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 85.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide).[75][76]
In the
2012 presidential election, Republican
Mitt Romney received 833 votes (63.1% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama with 441 votes (33.4% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 19 votes (1.4% vs. 1.7%), among the 1,320 ballots cast by the township's 2,027 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.1% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County).[77][78] In the
2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain received 918 votes (63.0% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 491 votes (33.7% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 25 votes (1.7% vs. 1.6%), among the 1,457 ballots cast by the township's 2,045 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.2% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County).[79] In the
2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush received 948 votes (65.8% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat
John Kerry with 469 votes (32.5% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 17 votes (1.2% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,441 ballots cast by the township's 1,899 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.9% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county).[80]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 74.6% of the vote (671 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 22.8% (205 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (23 votes), among the 915 ballots cast by the township's 2,040 registered voters (16 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.9%.[81][82] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 595 votes (63.8% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine with 203 votes (21.8% vs. 25.7%), Independent
Chris Daggett with 102 votes (10.9% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 13 votes (1.4% vs. 1.5%), among the 932 ballots cast by the township's 1,987 registered voters, yielding a 46.9% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).[83]
Education
Children in
pre-kindergarten through
sixth grade for public school attend Knowlton Township Elementary School as part of the
Knowlton Township School District.[84] As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 155 students and 23.0 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 6.7:1.[85] In the 2016–17 school year, Knowlton had the 41st smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 192 students.[86]
Students in public school for
seventh through
twelfth grades attend the
North Warren Regional High School in
Blairstown, a public secondary high school, serving students from the townships of Blairstown,
Frelinghuysen,
Hardwick and Knowlton.[84][87][88] As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 752 students and 69.0 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.[89] The seats on the district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with two seats assigned to Knowlton Township.[90]
Tunnel Field is the primary recreational site in the township with several baseball and softball diamonds and soccer fields. Tunnel also has a play area (including swings and play area), a basketball court, tennis court, paved walking track, and concession stand. The field is located by Route 94 and is divided by the Lackawanna Cut-Off and is connected through an old tunnel (hence the name).
In more recent years, development within Knowlton has been tied to the presence of
U.S. Route 46 and, since the early 1970s,
Interstate 80. Many Knowlton residents use Route 80 to commute to their jobs either further east in New Jersey or further west in
Pennsylvania.
Route 94 crosses through the township. Two bridges cross the
Delaware River, connecting the township to Pennsylvania; the
Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge, opened in 1953, connects Route 94 to
Pennsylvania Route 611 in
Portland, Pennsylvania.[100] The two places are also connected by the
Portland–Columbia Pedestrian Bridge, which dates back to a structure constructed in 1869 and was dedicated for pedestrian use when the vehicular toll bridge was completed in 1953.[101]
^
abcTownship Committee, Township of Knowlton. Accessed March 2, 2022. "Knowlton is organized under the township form of government with a five-member Township Committee.... Voters directly choose Committee members 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 as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as mayor and another as deputy mayor for that year."
^Home Page, Knowlton Township Historic Commission. Accessed May 24, 2017. "'Knoll town' so called for the prevalent hills and limestone knobs, was sectioned off from Oxford Township in 1768." Note that this 1768 date conflicts with the state source.
^Snell, James P. (1881) History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Centennial ed., Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press, 1981) pp. 623, 625
^Home Page, Knowlton Township Historic Commission. Accessed September 2, 2015. "'Knoll town' so called for the prevalent hills and limestone knobs, was sectioned off from Oxford Township in 1768."
^Biography of Bob Menendez,
United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Governmental Structure, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022. "Warren County operates under the County Commissioner form of county government. The Board of County Commissioners consists of three Commissioners each elected at large for staggered terms of three years. The Commissioner Director is chosen by the full board at the board's annual reorganization meeting in January. The Commissioners supervise, direct and administer all county services and functions through the various departments, autonomous boards, agencies, and commissions. Reporting to the Board of County Commissioners is an appointed County Administrator."
^Jason J. Sarnoski, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022.
^Lori Ciesla, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022.
^James R. Kern III, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022.
^Guion, Payton.
"These 43 N.J. school districts have fewer than 200 students", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, September 2017. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Based on data from the state Department of Education from the last school year and the Census Bureau, NJ Advance Media made a list of the smallest of the small school districts in the state, excluding charter schools and specialty institutions.... 41. Knowlton Township; Enrollment: 192; Grades: Pre-K-8; County: Warren; Town population: 3,055"
^Home Page, North Warren Regional School District. Accessed June 2, 2020. "North Warren Regional is a public secondary school district, serving students in grades 7-12 in the townships of Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, and Knowlton. The district covers 96.8 square miles bordering the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in scenic Warren County."
^Board of Education,
North Warren Regional High School. Accessed June 2, 2020. "The Board of Education is an elected council who, in compliance with State, and Federal laws, establish the policies, and regulations, by which the school is governed. The Board of Education is comprised of nine residents, each elected for a three-year term."
^F.A.Q., Ridge and Valley Charter School. Accessed January 8, 2017. "Enrollment is open, on a space available basis, to all K-8 students residing in N.J. with priority given to students residing in the districts of Blairstown, Hardwick, Knowlton, Frelinghuysen, and North Warren Regional School."
^Lyman, William Denison.
History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Volume II, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919. Accessed December 10, 2017. "Charles H. Flummerfelt, a prominent figure in insurance and real estate circles in Ellensburg, having now an extensive clientage, was born in Delaware, Warren county, New Jersey, on the 31st of July, 1863, a son of Daniel A. and Macrina H. (Hoagland) Flummerfelt, both of whom were representatives of old colonial families."