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'Middletown Township' is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census had a total population of 66,327. Middletown is one of the oldest sites of European settlement in New Jersey.^[1]
Middletown Township was originally formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Atlantic Township (February 8, 1847, now Colts Neck Township), Raritan Township (February 25, 1848, now Hazlet Township), Atlantic Highlands (February 28, 1887), Highlands (March 22, 1900) and Keansburg (March 22, 1917)."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 182.
Belford (2000 Census population of 1,340), Fairview (3,942), Leonardo (2,823), Lincroft (6,255), Navesink (1,962), North Middletown (3,165) and Port Monmouth (3,742) are all Census-designated places and unincorporated areas located within Middletown Township. Other areas that are part of the township are New Monmouth and Sandy Hook.^[2]
In 2006, Middletown was voted 50th in CNN Money's Best Places to Live.^[3]
Middletown is part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline.

Contents

History

Geography and geology

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state, and county representation

Education

Transportation

Notable residents

References

External links

History

Though small communities of Lenape Native Americans were common throughout the area, the first known European landing in what would become Middletown Township occurred in 1609, when the English explorer Henry Hudson landed along the shores of the Sandy Hook Bay. Hudson was in search of the mythical Northwest Passage in the service of the Dutch West India Company. Middletown Township was established in 1664, after the English conquest of New Amsterdam, but there was unauthorized settlement before that. The long-standing tradition had Penelope Stout, one of the first settlers, hiding in a tree from hostile Native Americans.^[4]
During the American Revolution, Middletown and much of the rest of Eastern Monmouth County was held by the British. After the Battle of Monmouth, the British retreat from Freehold Township, New Jersey carried them down King's Highway in Middletown to their embarkation points in the bay.
Upon the completion of a railroad junction in 1875, the town grew more rapidly, eventually changing from a group of small and loosely connected fishing and agricultural villages into a wealthy and alarmingly fast-growing suburb at the turn of the 20th century. If Middletown ever had a recognizable town center or town square, it was lost in that rapid growth soon after World War II.
In May of 1958, several Nike Ajax missiles exploded at Battery NY-53 in Chapel Hill, killing ten Army and civilian personnel. The accident was one of the worst missile-related disasters of the Cold War.
Middletown was extremely hard hit during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, losing 37 of its residents, among the largest number for any municipality in New Jersey. A memorial to the victims stands next to the Middletown Train Station.
The planned Middletown Town Center is a major concern to the town, because of traffic issues, open space, etc.
A popular landmark in the community is the "Evil Clown of Middletown", a towering sign along Route 35 painted to resemble a circus clown that currently advertises a liquor store. The sign (and recent successful attempts from residents to save it from demolition) has been featured in the pages of ''Weird NJ'' magazine, on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', and in the Kevin Smith-directed film ''Clerks II''.

Geography and geology

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 153.7 km² (59.3 mi²). 106.5 km² (41.1 mi²) of it is land and 47.2 km² (18.2 mi²) of it (30.72%) is water.
Middletown borders Colts Neck Township, Holmdel Township, Red Bank, the Boro of Tinton Falls, Atlantic Highlands, Rumson, Sea Bright, Highlands, Fair Haven, Keansburg and Hazlet Township.
Poricy Creek (Poricy Park, Oak Hill Road) is locally well-known for its deposits of Cretaceous marine fossils, including belemnites.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 66,327 people, 23,236 households, and 18,100 families residing in the township. The population density was 622.8/km² (1,613.0/mi²). There were 23,841 housing units at an average density of 223.9/km² (579.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.71% White, 1.21% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.41% of the population.
There were 23,236 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $75,566, and the median income for a family was $86,124. Males had a median income of $60,755 versus $36,229 for females. The per capita income for the township was $34,196. About 1.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The Township Committee operates under a special charter approved on June 23, 1971, by the New Jersey Legislature. Middletown Township is governed by a five-member Township Committee. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each for a one-year term. The term for each Committee member is three years. The Township Committee supervises the operation of municipal government by establishing policies and programs and appropriating funds..
After the 2007 Township Reorganization, members of the Middletown Township Committee are Mayor Gerard P. Scharfenberger, Deputy Mayor Pamela M. Brightbill, Thomas G. Hall, Patrick Short and
Thomas P. Wilkens.Mayor & Township Committee, Middletown Township. Accessed March 13, 2007.

Federal, state, and county representation

Middletown Township is split between the Sixth and Twelfth Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 13th Legislative District.^[5]

Education

The Middletown Township Public School District consists of seventeen public schools, with a student population of more than 10,000. There are twelve K-5 Elementary Schools
(Bayview,
Fairview,
Harmony,
Leonardo,
Lincroft,
Middletown Village,
Navesink,
New Monmouth,
Nut Swamp,
Ocean Avenue,
Port Monmouth and
River Plaza),
three grade 6-8 middle schools
(Bayshore,
Thompson and
Thorne), and
two high schools for grades 9-12,
Middletown High School North and
Middletown High School South. Four elementary schools feed into each of the three middle schools. The facilities vary in age, architecture, size, and student population.
Along with public education, Middletown Township is home to two private high schools. Christian Brothers Academy is an all boys College preparatory school with a focus on Christian education run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, located in Lincroft. Mater Dei High School is a four-year Catholic coeducational high school located in the New Monmouth section.
There are also two parochial grammar schools, Saint Mary in New Monmouth and Saint Leo the Great School in Lincroft.

Transportation

Exits 109 and 114 of the Garden State Parkway's are located in Middletown Township, which provides easy access to the New Jersey Turnpike, New York City and the state of New York. Routes 35 and 36 pass through Middletown. Three toll gates are located in Middletown. Two of them are at Exit 109 (northbound entry, southbound exit), and one at Exit 114 (northbound entry).
CR 520 passes through Middletown. 520 turns into CR 612 (at its western end), which then leads to Exit 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike. This makes CR 520 a connector between Shore Points/Garden State Parkway (Exit 109 in Middletown Township) and the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 8A in Monroe Township.
The North Jersey Coast Line is a major commuter rail line into and out of the New York metropolitan area, operating on routes under the shared operation of CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Middletown Township include:

★ Mary Kay Adams (1962-), actress on ''Babylon 5''.^[6]

★ Sebastian Bach (1968-), heavy metal singer.^[7]

★ Jon Bon Jovi (1962-), musician.^[8]

★ Connie Chung (1946-), TV journalist.From working-class to wealthy, distinct neighborhoods make Middletown, ''Asbury Park Press, October 14, 2004.

★ Siobhan Fallon (1961-), former SNL cast member

★ Amy Handlin (1956-) represents the 13th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly.^[9]

★ Judith Rich Harris (1938-), psychologist and author of ''The Nurture Assumption''.^[10]

★ Debbie Harry (1945-), rock and roll musician who led the new wave band Blondie.

★ Jerry Holbert, editorial cartoonist.^[11]

★ Brian Lynch, writer and director of films including ''Big Helium Dog''.^[12]

★ Melanie McGuire (née, Slate), convicted murderer.^[13]

★ Christian Peter (1972-), American football defensive tackle.^[14]

★ Jason Peter (1974-), former NFL football player.^[15]

★ Maury Povich (1939-), talk show personality.^[16]

★ Geraldo Rivera (1943-), television journalist.^[17]

★ Kevin Smith (1970-), filmmaker (''Clerks'', ''Chasing Amy'', ''Jersey Girl'', etc.), wrote and filmed ''Clerks'' at a Quick Stop in the Leonardo section of Middletown.^[18]

★ E. W. Swackhamer (1927-1994), birthplace of the television director

★ James vanRiemsdyk (1989-), hockey player on USA Hockey's NTDP.^[19]

★ Billy Van Zandt (1957-), actor/playwright.^[20]

★ Steven Van Zandt (1950-), solo rocker, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and actor on ''The Sopranos''.^[21]

★ Max Weinberg (1951-), ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' band leader and drummer of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.^[22]

★ Bill Weber (1957-), NBC sports broadcaster.^[23]

★ Tom Wilkens (1975-), Olympic medalist.^[24]

★ Brian Williams (1959-), NBC News anchorman.^[25]

References

1. "Welcome to the Throckmorton-Lippit-Taylor Burying Ground On Penelope Lane in Middletown, New Jersey", ''Atlantic Highlands Herald'', Spring 2003
2. Map of Middletown township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 5, 2007.
3. CNNMoney.com: Best places to live 2006: New Jersey, accessed October 17, 2006.
4. Stockton, Frank R. Story of Penelope Stout. Accessed June 5, 2007.
5. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New jersey League of Women Voters, p. 60. Accessed August 30, 2006.
6. Profile of Mary Kay Adams, accessed December 30, 2006.
7. Considine, Bob. "Springing Bach to life", ''Asbury Park Press'', May 19, 2006. Accessed July 30, 2007. "The 38-year-old Middletown resident is as excitable as ever, discussing the past, present and future with his typical hyperactivity."
8. Jersey boy does good, ''USA Weekend'', July 31, 2005.
9. Assembly Member Amy H. Handlin, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 10, 2007.
10. Gladwell, Malcolm. "Do Parents Matter?", ''the New Yorker'', August 17, 1998. Accessed July 3, 2007. "But her article was accepted, and in the space below her name, where authors typically put 'Princeton University' or 'Yale University' or 'Oxford University,' Harris proudly put 'Middletown, New Jersey.'"
11. Jerry Holbert Editorial Cartoons, United Feature Syndicate. Accessed August 2, 2007. "Born in Middletown, N.J., in 1958, Holbert aspired to cartooning as a young child"
12. O'Sullivan, Eleanor. "Crude dudes in Red Bank", ''Asbury Park Press'', January 6, 2002. Accessed August 2, 2007. "In addition to ''Vulgar'' from Johnson, Atlantic Highlands, the comedy ''Big Helium Dog,'' from Middletown's Brian Lynch, also will be shown. "
13. About Melanie. MelanieMcGuire.com. Accessed July 22, 2007.
14. Christian Peter profile, database Football. Accessed August 1, 2007.
15. Ginley, Bill. "When the Cheers Aren't Enough", ''The New York Times'', February 12, 2006. Accessed August 1, 2007. "Peter, who grew up in the Locust section of Middletown and played at Middletown South before moving on to the University of Nebraska and then to the Carolina Panthers, saw his life crumble."
16. 2007 Spring Invitational on May 16 at Hollywood Golf Course, accessed May 9, 2007. "Player registration and business sponsorship opportunities are underway for one of Monmouth County's most prominent golf tournaments -- the CPC Spring Invitational hosted by Honorary Chairman Maury Povich of Middletown."
17. Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In: Middletown Township, N.J.;A Historic Community on Raritan Bay", ''The New York Times'', December 24, 1995. Accessed May 10, 2007. "The most expensive area is along the Shrewsbury River, where an eight-bedroom colonial on five acres is listed at .9 million. Among the residents of that area are Geraldo Rivera, the television personality, and members of the Hovnanian home-building family."
18. Wasserstein, Ben. "The Man with 50,000 Friends: How Kevin Smith accidentally invented the future of movie marketing., ''New York (magazine)'', July 24, 2006. Accessed July 3, 2007. "Smith’s is the great Horatio Alger story of nineties independent film. A New School and film-school dropout, he wrote the screenplay for Clerks while working at a Quick Stop in Leonardo, New Jersey. He shot in the store at night with ,000 he raised in part by selling his comic-book collection."
19. NTDP Notebook - Oct. 14, 2005, accessed April 15, 2007. "In Saturday’s game, Josh Unice (Toledo, Ohio) made 22 saves to pick up his first win of the season, and Team USA received goals in the first period from Richard Manley (South Buffalo, N.Y.), Justin Vaive (Buffalo, N.Y.), Ryan Hayes (Syracuse, N.Y.) and James van Riemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.). A.J. Sturges (Madison, Wis.) and Van Riemsdyk scored third-period goals to round out the scoring."
20. Strauss, Robert. "IN PERSON; These Two People Are a Riot", ''The New York Times'', April 14, 2002. Accessed May 10, 2007. "ABSTRACT - Article on Hollywood actors and television writers Billy Van Zandt, native of Middletown, and Jane Milmore, who grew up in nearby Keansburg; duo has been returning to Jersey Shore each spring for two decades for spring comedy productions."
21. Fricke, David. "The Garage Crusade: Steven Van Zandt preaches the gospel of rock on the radio", ''Rolling Stone'', February 25, 2004. Accessed May 9, 2007. "Indeed, Van Zandt -- a native of Boston who grew up in Middletown, New Jersey -- is a true child of garage rock, along with Springsteen."
22. DeMasters, Karen. "MUSIC; For Springsteen, Bar Mitzvahs and Conan, This Drummer Sets the Beat", ''The New York Times'', January 28, 2001. Accessed May 10, 2007. "ABSTRACT - Profile of and interview with former E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg of Middletown Township, NJ."
23. Bill Weber biography, accessed May 10, 2007. "I grew upin Middletown, NJ, graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis."
24. Schoonejongen, John. "Middletown North graduate killed in Virginia Tech shooting", ''Asbury Park Press'', April 17, 2007. Accessed May 10, 2007. "The committeeman, a former competitive swimmer who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, said he was an older swimmer at the Middletown club when Pryde was one of the younger swimmers there."
25. Why parenting is like TV news: "Hard work pays off," says MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, who balances family and a demanding job., ''USA Weekend'', December 26, 1999. "Former fireman: Before working in TV news, Williams was a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Middletown, N.J., he visits today's crew in Middletown."

External links

★ Middletown Township website

★ Middletown Township Public School District

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Middletown Township Public School District

★ Middletown Township Public Library

★ The Courier: Official newspaper of the township

★ Life in Middletown

★ Former Middletown Nike Missile Site