Harrison Township, New Jersey


Harrison Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 12,417, reflecting an increase of 3,629 from the 8,788 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 4,073 from the 4,715 counted in the 1990 Census.
Harrison Township was originally formed as Spicer Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1844, from portions of Greenwich Township and Woolwich Township. That name lasted for less than a year, with Harrison Township adopted as of April 1, 1845. The township was named for President William Henry Harrison.
Since the institution of Prohibition, Harrison had been a dry township, where alcohol could not be sold. The township's voters passed a referendum in 2009 permitting alcohol by consumption. A second referendum was passed by the voters in 2015 allowing package goods sales. The first liquor store opened in November 2018 and the first bar opened in July 2019.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 19.228 square miles, including 19.141 square miles of land and 0.087 square miles of water.
Mullica Hill is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Harrison Township that had a 2010 Census population of 3,982. Richwood is a CDP that is in portions of both Harrison Township and Mantua Township, which had a 2010 population of 3,459, of which 3,400 were in Harrison Township and 59 in Mantua Township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Ewan, Ewans Mills, Heritage, Jefferson and Sherwin.
The township borders the Gloucester County municipalities of East Greenwich Township, Elk Township, Glassboro, Mantua Township and South Harrison Township and Woolwich Township.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $102,162 and the median family income was $121,366. Males had a median income of $88,157 versus $47,857 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,354. About 5.0% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 8,788 people, 2,848 households, and 2,323 families residing in the township. The population density was 459.3 people per square mile. There were 2,939 housing units at an average density of 153.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 95.16% White, 2.96% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.78% of the population.
There were 2,848 households out of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.8% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the township the population was spread out with 33.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $77,143, and the median income for a family was $84,379. Males had a median income of $61,770 versus $39,583 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,645. About 2.1% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Harrison 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 each January, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each serving a one-year term.
, the members of the Harrison Township Committee are Mayor Louis Manzo, Deputy Mayor Don Heim, Julie DeLaurentis, John Williams and Adam Wingate.
In December 2018, Vincent Gangemi vacated his seat expiring in December 2019 and was replaced by John Williams.

Federal, state and county representation

Harrison Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Harrison Township had been in the 3rd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 7,889 registered voters in Harrison Township, of which 1,903 were registered as Democrats, 2,533 were registered as Republicans and 3,447 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 56.9% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 41.8%, and other candidates with 1.3%, among the 6,292 ballots cast by the township's 8,439 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 52.3% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.7% and other candidates with 1.1%, among the 6,273 ballots cast by the township's 7,975 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.7%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 58.0% of the vote, outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 40.7% and other candidates with 0.6%, among the 5,236 ballots cast by the township's 6,540 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 80.1.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 73.8% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.6%, and other candidates with 1.5%, among the 3,454 ballots cast by the township's 8,407 registered voters, for a turnout of 41.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.5% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 31.7%, Independent Chris Daggett with 7.1% and other candidates with 0.6%, among the 3,718 ballots cast by the township's 7,900 registered voters, yielding a 47.1% turnout.

Education

The Harrison Township School District serves students in public school for pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district and its two schools had an enrollment of 1,408 students and 114.0 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. Schools in the district are
Harrison Township Elementary School and
Pleasant Valley School.
Public school students in seventh through twelfth grades attend the schools of the Clearview Regional High School District, which serves students from Harrison Township and Mantua Township. Schools in the district are
Clearview Regional Middle School with 828 students and
Clearview Regional High School with 1,494 students.
Students from across the county are eligible to apply to attend Gloucester County Institute of Technology, a four-year high school in Deptford Township that provides technical and vocational education. As a public school, students do not pay tuition to attend the school.
Friends School Mullica Hill is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational day school located in the Mullica Hill section of Harrison Township that was established in 1969 and now serves students pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Gloucester County, by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
The New Jersey Turnpike runs through the township for a tenth of a mile, but the nearest interchange is just over the border in neighboring Woolwich Township. U.S. Route 322 passes through the center of town. State routes include Route 45, Route 55 and Route 77. The major county road that goes through is CR 581.

Public transportation

bus service is available between Bridgeton and Philadelphia on the 410 route.

Wineries

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