BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY

'Bridgewater Township' is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 42,940.
Bridgewater Township was originally created by Royal Charter on April 4, 1749 from portions of the Northern precinct, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. During the nineteenth century, portions of the township were taken to form Warren Township (March 5, 1806), Branchburg Township (April 5, 1845), Somerville (March 25, 1863), Raritan (April 3, 1868) and Bound Brook (March 24, 1869)."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 222.

Contents

Locale and history

Communities

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state and county representation

Education

Emergency services

Transportation

Points of interest

Sports

Interesting facts

Notable residents

References

External links

Locale and history

Bridgewater Township's ZIP Code is 08807, with 08836 used in the section of Martinsville, and its area codes are 908 and 732. Bridgewater is a relatively large, mostly affluent suburban township located in the center of Somerset County, adjacent to and north of Somerville, the seat of Somerset County.
The thirty-three square mile area which is now the Township of Bridgewater was originally purchased from a local Lenape Native American tribe. Chartered by George II of Great Britain in 1749, and incorporated as one of New Jersey's 104 original townships in 1798, Bridgewater is a modern suburban municipality with a balance of residential and commercial uses.
Tradition holds that it was at the Middlebrook encampment that the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a Thirteen Star Flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater. Since 1889, the first hoisting of the flag is commemorated annually each July 4 with a changing of the flag, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and the delivery of an historical address.
In the early years, Bridgewater was known as a farming town, until around the 1970s when its population began to grow, and is now a more typical suburban town. What are now the boroughs of Somerville, Raritan and Bound Brook were once part of Bridgewater Township until they broke away years after the original chartering. Portions of Warren and Branchburg Townships also were originally part of Bridgewater Township.
Bridgewater is now Somerset County's second-most populous municipality, after Franklin Township.
Bridgewater borders 13 other municipalities. Its longest borders are with Branchburg Township, Bedminster, Bernards Towsnhip, Warren Township, Bound Brook, Somerville and Raritan. It also borders Green Brook (though connected only by Route 22), Middlesex (though connected only by one local street), South Bound Brook (a very short border in the middle of the Raritan River, Franklin Township (the only street connection is Interstate 287), Manville (the only street connection is Finderne Avenue, a county highway), and Hillsborough (no direct street connection.)

Communities

Bridgewater contains a number of communities and sections, many of which do not have officially defined boundaries. They include:

★ Bradley Gardens: Located in southwestern Bridgewater, bordered on the east by Raritan and on the north by Route 202. This is one of Bridgewater's older residential areas but also includes some newer developments as well as a commercial area along Old York Road.

★ Finderne: Located in southeastern Bridgewater between Bound Brook and Somerville. This is a diverse area with older neighborhoods, newer developments, multi-unit housing as well as commercial and industrial areas. The Middlebrook Crossing industrial park, the Promenade shopping center and Commerce Bank Ballpark (home of the Somerset Patriots) are located here. Finderne also has many restaurants ranging from Italian to Chinese.

★ Martinsville: Located in Northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township. This is a predominantly residential area, though it does have its own commercial center along Washington Valley Road, and its own post office and ZIP code. This also is a very hilly area as it is the portion of Bridgewater through which the Watchung Mountains pass. It has many large, pricey homes and is known for being the township's most affluent neighborhood.

★ Green Knoll: Located in central Bridgewater, this is a residential area with many major commercial developments and government facilities, including the Bridgewater Commons Mall at the intersection of U.S. Route 22 and U.S. Route 202-206, a large office park just west of the Commons across 202-206, the municipal building and police station, and Bridgewater-Raritan High School.

★ Northwestern Bridgewater: This area has no "official name" but is referred to by some as the "Country Club-Meadow Road area" or similar names, after the major north-south streets there. Some also refer to "the Van Holten area" after the elementary school located there. It borders Bedminster on the north and Branchburg on the west. It is Bridgewater's most "rural" section.

★ Milltown Road developments: Known to some as the "Milltown-Vanderveer" area, this is an area of Bridgewater just northeast of Bradley Gardens bordering Raritan and Branchburg. It is mainly made up of townhouses, condos and single family homes, built in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. A new school opened in September 2005 to accommodate portions of this development area.

★ North Branch: Most of the historic community of North Branch is in Branchburg Township, but a portion lies to the east of the North Branch of the Raritan River, in Bridgewater Township.

★ Sunset Lake: Built around a manmade lake in the extreme northern part of Bridgewater, near the interchange of Interstate 287 and Interstate 78. Some of the residents there have the Basking Ridge ZIP code 07920.

★ Thomae Park: In the extreme eastern portion of Bridgewater, bordering Bound Brook and Middlesex. Residents there have a Bound Brook ZIP code. One of their main attractions is Thomae Park, which has a playground, basketball court, baseball field, and hiking trail.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 84.3 km² (32.5 mi²). 84.0 km² (32.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.28%) is water.
While much of Bridgewater has relatively flat terrain, the northeastern portion of the township is very hilly, with the First Ridge of the Watchung Mountains (sometimes known as the First Watchung Mountain) passing through the township. Additionally the Second Ridge (Second Mountain) passes just north of the township border.
The Raritan River and its branches and tributaries form much of Bridgewater's borders with other municipalities and a number of smaller rivers and streams run through Bridgewater. The Raritan itself runs along Bridgewater's southern border (except where Somerville and Raritan were carved out as separate boroughs) and the North Branch of the Raritan River forms the township's western border with Branchburg. The North Branch and South Branch of the Raritan River meet at the extreme southwestern corner of Bridgewater at the border with both Branchburg Township and Hillsborough Township, and this point known as the Raritan River Confluence was once intended to be a major reservoir.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 42,940 people, 15,561 households, and 11,888 families residing in the township. The population density was 510.9/km² (1,323.4/mi²). There were 15,879 housing units at an average density of 188.9/km² (489.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 83.07% White, 2.17% African American, 0.08% Native American, 11.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.79% of the population.
There were 15,561 households out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $88,308, and the median income for a family was $99,832. Males had a median income of $67,089 versus $49,096 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,555. About 1.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
According to ''National Geographic'' magazine, Bridgewater has an unusually high number of twins and triplets.^[2]

Government

Local government

Bridgewater Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government. The Mayor of Bridgewater Township is Patricia Flannery. Members of the Bridgewater Township Committee are Council President Robert Albano, Michael Hsing, Allen Kurdyla, Howard Norgalis and Patrick Scaglione.^[3]

Federal, state and county representation

Bridgewater Township is split between the Seventh and Eleventh Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.^[4]

Fontana is a Bridgewater Township resident and former councilman.

Education

Bridgewater is part of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District. All of the schools are in Bridgewater except for Kennedy, which is in Raritan Borough.
Schools in the district (with 2004-05 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[5]) are:
'Primary Schools' (grades pre-K through 4):

★ Adamsville School (405 students)

★ Bradley Gardens School (380 students)

★ Crim School (448 students)

★ Hamilton School (405 students)

★ John F. Kennedy School (565 Students)

★ Milltown School (opened September 2005; 500 student capacity)

★ Van Holten School (570 students)
'Intermediate Schools' (grades 5-6):

★ Eisenhower Intermediate School (765 Students)

★ Hillside Intermediate School (647 students)
'Middle School'

★ Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School (2,140 students)
'High School'

★ Bridgewater-Raritan High School (2,459 students) - During the 1999-2000 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education^[6], the highest award an American school can receive.^[7][8]
Bridgewater is the home of the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School, a four-year public high school that provides occupational and academic training to students from all of Somerset County.
The headquarters of the Somerset County Library is also located in Bridgewater. The other branches of the Somerset County Library are located in Bound Brook, Hillsborough, North Plainfield, Peapack-Gladstone, Rocky Hill, Warren Township, and Watchung.

Emergency services

'Police'
Bridgewater is primarily protected by the Bridgewater Police Department. This large department boasts a detective unit, a traffic unit, a patrol unit, and many other divisions.
'Fire'
Bridgewater is served by six all-volunteer fire companies. They provide fire suppression and assist in vehicle extrication and rescue attempts.

★ North Branch Fire Company (District 3)

★ Green Knoll Fire Company (District 3)

★ Country Hills Fire Company (District 3)

★ Bradley Gardens Fire Company (District 2)

★ Finderne Fire Company (District 4)

★ Martinsville Fire Company (District 1)
'EMS/Rescue'
Bridgewater is served by five BLS rescue squads and one municipal EMS brigade to assist during the days. They provide EMS coverage as well as vehicle extrication, water rescue, and other rescue services. ALS (paramedics) is dispatched from Somerset Medical Center.

★ Martinsville Rescue Squad

★ Green Knoll Rescue Squad

★ Finderne First Aid & Rescue Squad

★ Bradley Gardens First Aid & Rescue Squad

★ Bound Brook Rescue Squad

★ Unit 500 (Day EMS Brigade)

Transportation

Bridgewater is criss-crossed by several major highways, including Interstate 287, Interstate 78, U.S. 22, Route 202-206 and Route 28. Main Street, designated as a county highway, connects Bridgewater with Bound Brook and Somerville.
The Raritan Valley Line of NJ Transit also passes through Bridgewater. There are two stations in the Finderne area, the now-closed Finderne off Finderne Avenue and the Bridgewater station on the old American Cyanamid property.
NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 114 route to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, to Newark on the 65 line (Limited) and local Wheels service on the 884 and 989 bus routes.^[9]
Scheduled passenger service is provided by Newark Liberty International Airport, located approximately 32 miles away in Newark / Elizabeth.

Points of interest

★ Places of worship in Bridgewater include churches for a number of Christian denominations, a Jewish synagogue, and temples for the Hindu and Sikh religions.

★ Bridgewater Commons, a large regional shopping mall.

★ Commerce Bank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots.

★ Washington Camp Ground (also known as Middlebrook encampment), just north of Bound Brook, a preserved portion of the land on which the army of George Washington encamped during the winter of 1778-79. (The general himself stayed in an actual house in Somerville.)

★ Somerset County library headquarters

★ The United States Bicycling Hall of Fame, a private organization formed to preserve and promote the sport of cycling.

★ The area also offers many parks and other recreational facilities.

Sports

'Club'	'Sport'	'League'	'Venue'	'Logo'
Somerset Patriots	Baseball	Atlantic League of Professional Baseball';' South Division	Commerce Bank Ballpark

Interesting facts

★ Bridgewater is the setting for a concept album by the band The World/Inferno Friendship Society. Titled ''The True Story of the Bridgewater Astral League'', the album talks about a gang of young people who like to get together and create all sorts of mischief.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Bridgewater Township include:

★ Mary Baxter, novelist, author of books including ''Erasing Mrs. Loomis'', ''Dearly Departed'', ''The Arrow Flies by Night'', and ''A Distant Echo''.

★ Swizz Beatz, rapper and producer owns a home on Strawberry Lane in Bridgewater.

★ Hank Beenders, early professional basketball player.^[10]

★ Rob Bunker, professional racecar driver currently competing in the Automobile Racing Club of America's ARCA RE/MAX Series.^[11]

★ Eric Murdock, former professional basketball player. Star point guard at Bridgewater-Raritan High School West, and later Providence College. Played 9 seasons in the NBA.^[12]

★ Dan Perea and Whit Maull, who attended attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School, toured and release albums internationally with the band For Felix.

★ Scott Schwartz, former child actor. Appeared in popular 1980s films ''The Toy'' and ''A Christmas Story'', the latter as Flick, the boy who gets his tongue stuck to a telephone pole. Attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School West.

★ Jack Terricloth, pseudonym of Pete Ventantonio, frontman of the band The World/Inferno Friendship Society.

★ David Wiesner, author and illustrator of children's books and publications. His work has won several honors, including two Caldecott Medals.^[13]

References

1. , Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 16, 2007.
2. 08730 Triplet Epidemic, ''National Geographic'', October 2005.
3. Bridgewater Township Mayor and Council Members, Township of Bridgewater. Accessed March 26, 2007.
4. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
5. Bridgewater-Raritan regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 15, 2007.
6. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
7. CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, ''Journal Inquirer'', November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. 'It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve'."
8. Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; ''The Washington Post''. September 29, 2005 '"For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."'
9. Somerset County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed July 15, 2007.
10. "Former Philadelphia Warriors player Hank Beenders dies at 87", ''Burlington County Times'', October 27, 2003. "born in Haarlem, Holland, he lived in Brooklyn, and in Scotch Plains before before moving to Bridgewater 36 years ago."
11. Kentucky II: Rob Bunker preview, motorsport.com. Accessed July 18, 2007. "Rob Bunker hopes Friday the 13th will bring good luck, as he starts his fifth of seven ARCA RE/MAX Series races this season. The Bridgewater, N.J., driver will be behind the wheel of the No. 4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Charger prepared by Cunningham Motorsports."
12. "Murdock Regrets a Gesture In Emotion of the Moment", ''The New York Times'' May 3, 1998. p. SP6. "While he was growing up in Bridgewater, N.J., sports gave Eric Murdock a chance to forget that his father abandoned him..."
13. David Wiesner, accessed April 16, 2007. "David Wiesner was born and raised in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration."

External links

★ Bridgewater official web site

★ Bradley Gardens Volunteer Fire Company

★ Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District