Washington Township, New Jersey | ||
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Township | ||
Township of Washington | ||
House in Olde Stone Village
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Nickname(s): Township | ||
Washington Township highlighted in Gloucester County. Inset map: Gloucester County highlighted in the State of New Jersey |
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Census Bureau map of Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey |
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Coordinates: 39°44′54″N 75°04′09″W / 39.748424°N 75.069092°WCoordinates: 39°44′54″N 75°04′09″W / 39.748424°N 75.069092°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | New Jersey | |
County | Gloucester | |
Incorporated | February 17, 1836 | |
Named for | George Washington | |
Government | ||
• Type | Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) | |
• Body | Township Council | |
• Mayor | Barbara A. Wallace (D, term ends December 31, 2016) | |
• Administrator | Robert Smith | |
• Clerk | Jill S. McCrea | |
Area | ||
• Total | 21.600 sq mi (55.944 km2) | |
• Land | 21.382 sq mi (55.379 km2) | |
• Water | 0.218 sq mi (0.565 km2) 1.01% | |
Area rank | 130th of 566 in state 4th of 24 in county |
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Elevation | 115 ft (35 m) | |
Population (2010 Census) | ||
• Total | 48,559 | |
• Estimate (2015) | 47,862 | |
• Rank | 37th of 566 in state 1st of 24 in county |
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• Density | 2,271.0/sq mi (876.8/km2) | |
• Density rank | 268th of 566 in state 9th of 24 in county |
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Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | |
• Summer (DST) | Eastern (EDT) (UTC-5) | |
ZIP codes | Blackwood - 08012 Glassboro - 08028 Grenloch - 08032 Pitman - 08071 Sicklerville - 08081 Sewell - 08080 |
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Area code(s) | 856 | |
FIPS code | 3401577180 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0882140 | |
Website | www |
Washington Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. In the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 48,559, reflecting an increase of 1,445 (+3.1%) from the 47,114 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 5,154 (+12.3%) from the 41,960 counted in the 1990 Census.
Washington Township was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 17, 1836, from portions of Deptford Township. The Township officially moved to the newly created Camden County on March 13, 1844. Monroe Township was created on March 3, 1859, from part of the township. Most of Washington Township, along with all of Monroe Township, was moved back into Gloucester County on February 28, 1871, with the remaining portions of Washington Township that were still in Camden County being transferred to Gloucester Township. Additional transfers to Gloucester Township were made in 1926 and 1931. The township was named for George Washington, one of more than ten communities statewide named for the first president. It is one of five municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name "". Another municipality, Washington Borough, is completely surrounded by Washington Township, Warren County.
In 2008, CNN/Money and Money Magazine ranked Washington Township 58th on its list of the 100 Best Cities to Live in the United States.
The oldest community in Washington Township, Grenloch Terrace, was a thriving Lenape Native American village called Tetamekon. Some of the early settlers to the area were the Collins family of Chestnut Ridge Farm, for whom Chestnut Ridge Middle School is named; the Turner family, for whom Turnersville was named; the Hurff family, for whom Hurffville and Hurffville Elementary School are named; the Heritage family, whose family began the Heritage's Dairy Farm Stores, and for whom the community Heritage Valley is named; the Morgan family, who were the first residents of the Olde Stone House, a landmark for residents of the Township; and the Bell Family, who arrived in 1899 and for whom Bells Lake Park and Bells Elementary School are named. Sewell is named after General William Joyce Sewell, who was elected to the United States Senate in 1881 and 1895, and served as President of the New Jersey Senate in 1876, 1879 and 1880.