Bedminster, New Jersey


Bedminster is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 8,165, reflecting a decline of 137 from the 8,302 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,216 from the 7,086 counted in the 1990 Census.
Bedminster was settled in 1710 by Dutch, Germans, and Scots-Irish immigrants. It was named after Bedminster, then in Somerset, England, and now a district of Bristol. Bedminster Township was created by Royal charter on April 4, 1749, from portions of the Northern precinct. It was incorporated formally by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken on March 28, 1912, to form Peapack-Gladstone.
Bedminster was the corporate headquarters of AT&T Corporation, prior to its merger with SBC Communications. AT&T's Global Network Operations Center, which monitors traffic worldwide on AT&T's network, is currently located in Bedminster. It was also the corporate headquarters for Verizon Wireless before relocation to nearby Basking Ridge in 2006.
Bedminster Township is noted for having one of the most historic revolutionary war sites in the United States at what is known as the Pluckemin Continental Artillery Cantonment Site, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. General Henry Knox, chief of the Continental Army artillery, was the leader responsible for building what was the country's first military artillery training academy, the forerunner to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 26.301 square miles, including 26.080 square miles of land and 0.221 square miles of water.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Burnt Mills, Greater Cross Roads, Lamington, Pluckemin, Pottersville, Union Grove and Vliettown.
The township borders Peapack-Gladstone and Far Hills to the northeast, Bernards Township to the east, and Branchburg and Bridgewater Township to the south in Somerset County, Readington Township to the southeast and Tewksbury Township to the west in Hunterdon County, and Chester Township to the north in Morris County.

Demographics

2010 census

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $93,103 and the median family income was $124,057. Males had a median income of $76,047 versus $61,650 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $66,422. About 0.9% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 8,302 people, 4,235 households, and 2,100 families residing in the township. The population density was 313.6 people per square mile. There were 4,467 housing units at an average density of 168.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 1.75% African American, 0.11% Native American, 6.41% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.
There were 4,235 households out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.4% were non-families. 44.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.96 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the township the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $71,550, and the median income for a family was $96,890. Males had a median income of $71,136 versus $48,589 for females. The per capita income for the township was $53,549. About 1.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

- owned by Donald Trump, the course features 36 holes designed by Tom Fazio, with fees to join of $350,000.

Government

Local government

Bedminster Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. 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. At an annual reorganization meeting held during the first week of January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as mayor.
, members of the Bedminster Township Committee are Mayor Lawrence F. Jacobs, R. Colin Hickey, Gina Lisa-Fernandez, Renee Mareski and Douglas A. Stevinson.
In 2018, the township had an average property tax bill of $6,182, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $9,975 in Somerset County and $8,767 statewide.

Federal, state and county representation

Bedminster Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Bedminster Township had been in the 16th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,183 registered voters in Bedminster Township, of which 1,258 were registered as Democrats, 2,238 were registered as Republicans and 2,683 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 75.7% were registered to vote, including 92.0% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 55.4% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.3%, and other candidates with 1.2%, among the 4,406 ballots cast by the township's 6,514 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,431 votes, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,203 votes and other candidates with 44 votes, among the 4,702 ballots cast by the township's 6,102 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,674 votes, ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,798 votes and other candidates with 42 votes, among the 4,529 ballots cast by the township's 5,736 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.0%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.1% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.2%, and other candidates with 1.6%, among the 2,752 ballots cast by the township's 6,580 registered voters, for a turnout of 41.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,977 votes, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 928 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 280 votes and other candidates with 26 votes, among the 3,228 ballots cast by the township's 6,266 registered voters, yielding a 51.5% turnout.

Education

The Bedminster Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Bedminster Township Public School. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district and its one school had an enrollment of 526 students and 54.9 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 9.6:1.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Bernards High School, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a K - 12 district that also serves students from Bernardsville, Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone. As of the 2017–18 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 852 students and 67.8 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Somerset County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Bedminster is traversed by Interstate 287, which runs through the eastern section, while Interstate 78 runs mostly through the center of the township. U.S. Route 202 and U.S. Route 206 also pass through running parallel to I-287 from the Bridgewater area to Pluckemin.
Major county roads that pass through include CR 512 and CR 523.

Public transportation

The closest NJ Transit service offered is at the Far Hills station on the Morris & Essex Lines.
Somserset County operates bus service along Route 206, connecting to nearby areas including Bridgewater, Somerville, Raritan, and Hillsborough.
Lakeland Bus Lines provides Route 78 rush-hour service from Bedminster to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

"The Summer White House"

bought the property known as Lamington Farm along with the Lamington House from National Fairways in 2000, a minority partner of Lamington Farm Club LLC, a Connecticut-based golf course developer that had acquired it at a bankruptcy auction in early 2000. The property had previously been the estate of John DeLorean. Bedminster Township in August 2001 approved Donald Trump's property for use as a golf course and country club.
Trump's red brick Lamington House became Trump National's clubhouse and 11 single-family cottages were planned for development around the club area. The Tom Fazio designed golf course was opened in 2004. Located a short distance from the clubhouse in a separate "village", there's a 25-yard long swimming pool, spa, tennis courts, equestrian riding trails and of course, a heliport. Located next to the clubhouse and across from the pro shop, the men's locker area is situated in a two-story finished carriage house. In 2007, permits and plans were submitted to the Bedminster Land Use Board for a cemetery on the property just off the 1st hole on the golf course along with 10 family plots. The Bedminster Land Use Board Resolution was approved in 2013 via Resolution 2013–16.
The summer of 2017 was President Trump's first year at what is now referred to as "The Summer White House" in the Lamington section of Bedminster Township, New Jersey. While President Trump has had numerous visits to his Bedminster estate, Aug 5-17, 2017 was designated his first summer working vacation. Based on all reporting, what was once named Lamington House is now coined the "Summer White House" of the 45th President of the United States.

Points of interest

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Bedminster Township include: