LAMBERTVILLE, NEW JERSEY

'Lambertville' is a City in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 3,868.
Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township. The area was reincorporated as a city on March 26, 1872."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 156.
Lambertville is located on the Delaware River in the southwestern portion of Hunterdon County. During the 1700's, the City was named after various operators of ferries across the river to Pennsylvania, ultimately becoming known as Coryell's Ferry, after Emanuel Coryell who owned the Ferry. Coryell's Ferry was the western terminus of the New Jersey portion of the York Road (which is now known as U.S. Highway 202) connecting New York City and Philadelphia. The City was named Lambertville in 1814 when the post office was established, in honor of John Lambert, a local resident, who had served as United States Senator and Acting Governor of New Jersey.^[1]

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state and county representation

Education

Industry

Notable residents

References

External links

History

The Delaware River and the Delaware and Raritan Canal were instrumental in the prosperity of Lambertville. In June 1834, the opening of the canal was celebrated with a barge ride from Trenton to Lambertville. The canal's completion was not without hardship. 4,000 Irish immigrants were hired to dig the canal with pick and shovel. During the construction an epidemic of cholera broke out and dozens of men were buried along the banks of the canal and the Delaware River.
Since the 1800s, Lambertville, due to its proximity to the canal and the (now defunct) railroad, became a factory town where the range of products produced went from underwear to rubber bands. After the introduction of the automobile (and of course trucks) made the canals and, ultimately, the railroad obsolete, the factories shut down, one by one.

The town lagged for a long time, most definitely the poorer sibling to its sister city, New Hope, Pennsylvania, which lies across the Delaware River. In the 1970s, young people who had grown up in Lambertville but left to make their fortunes returned with a mission -- to re-energize their home town. Ultimately, pioneers like the Jonsdottir art gallery, Hamilton Grill (still the city's most renowned restaurant) and the Lambertville Station eatery (a hotel soon followed), the city began to attract artists and other creative types. These days, much of its 18th and 19th century flavor remains -- particularly in its houses, many of which have been restored. The town has become a tourist destination, with many shops, galleries, restaurants, and B&Bs. The canal path offers cyclists a place to ride for people of all skill levels.

Geography

Lambertville is located at (40.367881, -74.942860). The city borders Delaware Township and West Amwell Township.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²). 2.9 km² (1.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (9.60%) is water.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission operates two bridges over the Delaware River between Lambertville and New Hope, Pennsylvania. The New Hope-Lambertville Toll Bridge carries U.S. Route 202. The free New Hope-Lambertville Toll Supported Bridge connects PA 179 and NJ 179.
The Delaware and Raritan Canal flows through the western half of Lambertville, running parallel to the Delaware River. Sections of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park are also located in the city, which include trails and bridges.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,868 people, 1,860 households, and 939 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,321.6/km² (3,408.6/mi²). There were 1,961 housing units at an average density of 670.0/km² (1,728.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.65% White, 1.94% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.
There were 1,860 households out of which 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.5% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. 3.7% have unmarried partners. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,647, and the median income for a family was $80,669. Males had a median income of $47,313 versus $40,369 for females. The per capita income for the city was $36,267. About 4.5% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Lambertville is governed by the Faulkner Act (Small Municipality) form of government. The Faulkner Act allows municipalities to adopt a Small Municipality form of government only for municipalities with a population of under 12,000.
Voters select a Mayor and four Council members. Council members are elected at-large. Council serves three-year terms of office. The Mayor is elected by voters and serves a four-year term.
The Mayor exercises executive power of the municipality. The Mayor presides over Council with voice and vote, but has no veto powers; Exercises executive power of the municipality; Appoints Council committees; Appoints municipal clerk, attorney, tax assessor, tax collector and the treasurer, all with Council confirmation.
The Council exercises legislative power of the municipality and also approves Mayor's appointees for municipal clerk, attorney, tax assessor, tax collector and treasurer. Council members serve a term of three years, which are staggered so that one or two seats come up for election each year.
The Mayor of Lambertville is David M. DelVecchio. Members of the City Council are Council President Steven M. Stegman, Cynthia L. Ege, Frank Kramer and Ron Pittore.^[3]

Federal, state and county representation

Lambertville is the only city in Hunterdon County. It is in the Twelfth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd Legislative District.^[4]

Education

The Lambertville Public School serves students in grades kindergarten through grade six.
Students in public school for grade 7 - 12 attend the South Hunterdon Regional High School in Lambertville, part of the South Hunterdon Regional High School District, which serves over 300 students in southern Hunterdon County. Students from Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell Township attend South Hunterdon Regional High School.

Industry

The primary industry of Lambertville is tourism. On weekends the streets are crowded with tourists visiting the many restaurants, antique shops, art galleries, or just strolling along the river.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Lambertville include:

★ James Gould Cozzens, novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner.^[5]

★ Elsie Driggs (1898-1992), painter mostly known for her contributions to the Precisionism movement of the 1920s.^[6]

★ William Crane Gray, elected first Bishop of the Episcopal Missionary Jurisdiction of Southern Florida in 1892.^[7]

★ William Holcombe, first Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota.^[8]

★ John E. Hunt (1908-1989), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975.^[9]

★ Samuel Lilly (1816-1880), represented from 1853 to 1855. Lilly served as the first mayor of Lambertville, serving in office from 1849-1852.^[10]

★ James W. Marshall, discoverer of gold at Sutter's Mill in California in 1848.^[11]

★ John Runk (1791-1872), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1845-1847.^[12]

References

1. The City of Lambertville, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed August 21, 2007. "The City was named Lambertville in 1814 when the post office was established and honored the Honorable John Lambert, a local resident and United States Senator."
2. A. H. Holcombe House/Lambertville City Hall
3. Mayor and City Council Members, Borough of Lambertville. Accessed March 17, 2007.
4. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 59. Accessed August 30, 2006.
5. "The Hermit of Lambertville", ''Time (magazine)'', September 2, 1957, accessed April 29, 2007. "Army Air Corps during World War II, Cozzens has not stirred much beyond the neighborhood of his fieldstone house and 124-acre farm near Lambertville, N.J. (pop. 5,000)."
6. Elsie Driggs, James A. Michener Art Museum. Accessed August 9, 2007.
7. Cushman, Joseph D., Jr., ''A Goodly Heritage: The Episcopal Church in Florida, 1821-1892'', Gainesville: University of Florida Press (1965) pp. 199-200.
8. William Holcombe profile, Minnesota Historical Society, accessed April 29, 2007.
9. John Edmund Hunt, ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''. Accessed August 26, 2007.
10. Samuel Lilly, ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''. Accessed September 1, 2007.
11. James Wilson Marshall House, Lambertville Historical Society. Accessed May 30, 2007. "The Marshall House, on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places, was the boyhood home of James Wilson Marshall, discoverer of gold in California in 1848, and is now the headquarters of the Lambertville Historical Society."
12. John Runk, ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''. Accessed September 2, 2007.

External links

★ Official web page for the City of Lambertville

★ Hunterdon County web page for Lambertville

★ Lambertville Public School

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★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Lambertville Public School

★ Lambertville Chamber of Commerce

★ Lambertville Historical Society

★ New Hope-Lambertville Route 202 Toll Bridge article at the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission website

★ New Hope-Lambertville Toll Supported Bridge article at the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission website

★ Art Chatter - Local artists and galleries in the New Hope-Lambertville areas

★ Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance