Old Bridge Township, New Jersey


Old Bridge Township, commonly referred to as simply Old Bridge, is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 65,375, reflecting an increase of 4,919 from the 60,456 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 3,981 from the 56,475 counted in the 1990 Census. As of the 2010 Census, the township was the state's 18th largest municipality, after being the state's 21st most-populous municipality in 2000. Old Bridge is a bedroom suburb of New York City located across the Raritan Bay from Staten Island, and it is about from Manhattan, and about south of Newark.
What is now Old Bridge Township was originally incorporated as Madison Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1869, from portions of South Amboy Township. In a referendum held on November 5, 1975, voters approved changing the township's name to Old Bridge Township by a margin of 7,150 votes to 4,888. The township's name was changed to avoid confusion with the borough of Madison in Morris County. Use of the name Old Bridge for a location "on the Camden and Amboy Railroad, about eight miles beyond South Amboy" or "about seven miles from South Amboy" goes back, however, to at least 1853. Initially, the township was made up of farms and the population grew slowly. In 1880, the population was 1,662 and in 1950 it had reached 7,365. Over the next decade, a building boom started and farms gave way to developments, and the population grew to 22,772 by 1960. The 1980 census cited 51,406 people. The township saw major changes with the extension of Route 18 to the shore.
The township was named as a contender for the title of one of the best places to live in the United States by Money magazine in both 2005 and 2007.
In 2016, SafeWise named Old Bridge Township as the sixth-safest city in America to raise a child; the township was the second-highest ranked of the 12 communities in New Jersey included on the list.

History

The first inhabitants of the area known as Old Bridge, were the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. Those who settled in Old Bridge were known as the Unami, or "people down the river." They migrated to the shore along the Raritan each summer from their hunting grounds in the north. When the English gained control from the Dutch in 1664, the state was divided into two provinces, East Jersey and West Jersey. In 1683, the general assembly of East Jersey defined the boundaries of Middlesex County and the three other original counties as containing all plantations on both sides of the Raritan River, as far as Cheesequake Harbor to the east, then southwest to the Provincial line, with the southwest line being the border of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties and the Township's southern border.
Thomas Warne, one of the original 24 proprietors of East Jersey, was listed as a landowner of this area, and his son is said to have been the earliest European resident residing in the Cheesequake area in 1683. John and Susannah Brown were granted a land grant from the King of England in 1737. They called the area Brownville, and today this part of town is now known as Browntown.
In 1684, South Amboy Township was formed. At that time, it covered an area that now consists of the Townships of Monroe and Old Bridge, the Borough of Sayreville and the City of South Amboy. The Township covers that separated from South Amboy on March 2, 1869, and was originally called Madison Township. In 1975, the name was changed by referendum to the Township of Old Bridge. The purpose was to establish a single postal designation and ZIP code for the township and to differentiate the township from the Borough of Madison in Morris County. Old Bridge derives its name from the fact that the first bridge spanning the South River was built there, and as other bridges were built across the river the first one became known as "the Old Bridge." Prior to that, it was known as "South River Bridge."
On September 3, 1977, the Grateful Dead performed for a crowd of 100,000 at Raceway Park. The show was recorded and released in album form as part of "Dick's Picks", a series of live albums, in 1999.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 40.783 square miles, including 38.060 square miles of land and 2.723 square miles of water.
Brownville, Laurence Harbor, Madison Park and Old Bridge CDP are unincorporated communities and census-designated places located within Old Bridge Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names within Old Bridge Township include Browntown, Brunswick Gardens, Cheesequake, Cottrell Corners, East Spotswood, Matchaponix, Moerls Corner, Morristown, Parlin, Redshaw Corner, Runyon, Sayre Woods South, South Old Bridge and Texas.
Old Bridge Township borders the municipalities of East Brunswick, Monroe Township, Sayreville and Spotswood in Middlesex County; Aberdeen Township, Manalapan Township, Marlboro Township and Matawan in Monmouth County; and shares a border with the borough of Staten Island in New York City, across Raritan Bay.

Major streams/rivers

Old mill streams

Madison Township had many mill streams that were used to generate water power. The Warne family owned fulling mills in the area. Fulling was used as a finishing process used on woolen cloth that would remove the dirt and grease and to compact the wool fibers. The mill is said to have been run behind Old Bridge High School and flows east into the Matawan Creek. The area of Old Bridge was also known for its many mills that manufactured snuff, a scented tobacco product that was used by men and women during that time. The Washington Snuff mill was established in 1801 and was located on Mount Pleasant and Old Bridge Turnpike.

Clay industry

The clay soil in the area surrounding Old Bridge was used for pottery and bricks way before the first European settlers. "Fine clay had surrounded Cheesequake Creek when the Lenni Lenape Native Americans lived there. The early discoveries of clay along the banks opened the clay industry to Middlesex County as well as the state of New Jersey. By the 1800s clay was a major industry. The clay deposits found along Cheesequake Creek are reported to be some of the finest stoneware clays in the United States." The clay supplied local potters as well as those in Hudson Valley, Norwalk, Connecticut, other New England states, and parts of Canada. The earliest use of clay from this area was used by Captain James Morgan before the Revolution. The Perrine clay pit was located near U.S. Route 9 and Ernston Road.

Apple farms

The Cottrell homestead is a landmark in Old Bridge. It was built in 1831 and still stands today on the northeast corner of County Route 516 and Cottrell Road. The Cottrells owned a apple orchard that was located across the street from their home. Apples that could not be used because of their size or quality did not go to waste. Across from the cold-storage building on the southwest corner of Cottrell Road and Route 516, the family built the New Jersey Apple Growers Inc. distillery. It was at this distillery that they pressed the apples into cider and distilled the brandy in large vats. The brandy would age in barrels in a government warehouse that was located on the Cottrells' property. The Cottrells produced apple brandy for twenty years on the farm and sold it wholesale to distributors under the name Browntown.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $82,640 and the median family income was $98,634. Males had a median income of $67,487 versus $48,856 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,666. About 3.1% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 60,456 people, 21,438 households, and 15,949 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,587.4 people per square mile. There were 21,896 housing units at an average density of 574.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 79.48% White, 10.82% Asian, 5.30% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.87% from other races and 2.32% from two or more races. 7.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 21,438 households out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $64,707, and the median income for a family was $74,045. Males had a median income of $51,978 versus $35,462 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,814. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Old Bridge Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Faulkner Act system of municipal government. The township is one of 71 municipalities statewide governed under this form. The Township Council is comprised of nine members, with six elected to represent wards and three elected at-large from the Township as a whole in partisan elections held as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years. All elected officials serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with the six ward seats up for election together and the three at-large seats and the mayoral seat up for vote together two years later.
, the Mayor of Old Bridge Township is Republican Owen Henry, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. The members of the Township Council are Council President Mary Rita Sohor, Council Vice-President Eleanor "Debbie" Walker, Edina Brown, Dr. Anita Greenberg-Belli, David W. Merwin, John E. Murphy III, Anthony Paskitti and Mark Razzoli.
In January 2020, the Township Council selected Erik DePalma from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the Second Ward seat expiring in December 2021 that became vacant when Mary Sohor resigned to take office after taking office to an at-large seat.
In June 2016, the Township Council appointed June Dungee to fill the vacant Third Ward seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Reginald Butler until his death earlier that month; Dungee served until the November 2016 general election, when voters choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Old Bridge Township is split between the 6th and 12th Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 12th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Old Bridge Township had been in the 13th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Old Bridge Township had also been split between the 6th and 12th Congressional Districts, though with different boundaries, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections. The split that took effect in 2013 placed 22,050 residents in the township's northern and eastern portions in the 6th District, while 43,325 residents in the western and southern area of the township were placed in the 12th District.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 38,907 registered voters in Old Bridge Township, of which 10,946 were registered as Democrats, 6,363 were registered as Republicans and 21,577 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 21 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 54.1% of the vote, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 44.9%, and other candidates with 1.0%, among the 24,402 ballots cast by the township's 39,947 registered voters, for a turnout of 61.1%.
In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 51.0% of the vote, ahead of Republican John McCain with 47.4% and other candidates with 1.0%, among the 27,464 ballots cast by the township's 39,454 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.6%.
In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 51.0% of the vote, outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 47.7% and other candidates with 0.7%, among the 24,931 ballots cast by the township's 36,428 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 68.4.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.3% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 30.3%, and other candidates with 1.4%, among the 15,147 ballots cast by the township's 40,437 registered voters, for a turnout of 37.5%.
In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 57.8% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 35.9%, Independent Chris Daggett with 5.9% and other candidates with 1.0%, among the 16,444 ballots cast by the township's 38,430 registered voters, yielding a 42.8% turnout.

Education

The Old Bridge Township Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprising 15 schools, had an enrollment of 8,734 students and 717.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.2:1. Schools in the district are
M. Scott Carpenter Elementary School,
Cheesequake Elementary School,
Leroy Gordon Cooper Elementary School,
Virgil I. Grissom Elementary School,
Madison Park Elementary School,
James A. McDivitt Elementary School,
Memorial Elementary School,
William A. Miller Elementary School,
Walter M. Schirra Elementary School,
Alan B. Shepard Elementary School,
Southwood Elementary School,
Raymond E. Voorhees Elementary School,
Jonas Salk Middle School and
Carl Sandburg Middle School and
Old Bridge High School.
Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at Middlesex County Academy in Edison, the Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge Township and at its East Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Piscataway technical high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.
Multiple private schools operate in the township. Calvary Christian School serves students in grades K-10, operating within Calvary Chapel Old Bridge. St. Ambrose School and St. Thomas the Apostle School are PreK-8 Catholic elementary schools that operate under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. St. Thomas the Apsotle School was recognized in 2018 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program of the United States Department of Education.

Infrastructure

Transportation

is located south of the central business district.

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Middlesex County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
The township is crisscrossed by many many major roads and highways.
The Garden State Parkway passes through Old Bridge for about, connecting Aberdeen Township in Monmouth County in the south to Sayreville in the north and houses Interchange 120, which is signed for Laurence Harbor / Matawan.
Other routes, such as U.S. Route 9, Route 18, Route 34 and Route 35 also pass through the township. Major county routes that pass through are County Route 516, County Route 520, County Route 527 and County Route 615.
The New Jersey Turnpike is minutes north along Route 18 outside the township in bordering East Brunswick and not too far also in bordering Monroe Township.

Public transportation

Old Bridge borders Matawan on Route 34, and the Aberdeen-Matawan train station. Old Bridge Park and Ride is located along Route 9 northbound, close to Ernston Road.
NJ Transit Bus Operations provides route 131, 133, 134, 135, 138, and 139 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, service to Newark on the 67, on the 68 to Jersey City and local service on the 817 and 818 routes.
Middlesex County Area Transit shuttles provide service on routes operating across the county, including the M3 route, which operates between Brunswick Square and Old Bridge Township and the M7 route between Brunswick Square and South Amboy.

Health care

has two hospitals in the area. Old Bridge division and Perth Amboy division. The Old Bridge Division, which handles all but trauma cases is located at the intersection of, Route 18 and Ferry Road. Most trauma cases are handled by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in close by New Brunswick.
Old Bridge has many long-term care facilities and nursing homes.

Emergency services

Police department

Old Bridge maintains a full-time police department consisting of 90 sworn personnel divided into multiple bureaus. The police department handles approximately 50,000 to 55,000 calls for service each year.
Old Bridge is divided into four fire districts:
Each of the above have several different fire houses with adequate equipment and trucks to handle any and all situations that arise within the township or surrounding towns.
Old Bridge is equipped for:
Old Bridge is divided into five districts each with a volunteer first aid squad. Numerous ambulances are in service for the community. A paid squad is employed between the hours of 6am to 6pm.
Old Bridge Township Emergency Medical Services is an all-paid squad which covers daytime hours 6AM-6PM.
Advanced Life support or "ALS" for short, also known as medics, are paid personnel dispatched to all township calls based on the requirements of assistance. Medics respond to all life/death situations due to a traumatic injury, industrial accident, heart problems, strokes, serious vehicle crashes, etc. The medics are housed by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Saint Peter's University Hospital and Raritan Bay Medical Center. Each are assigned their own ambulance.

Township attractions

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