Tabernacle Township, New Jersey


Tabernacle Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 6,949 reflecting a decline of 221 from the 7,170 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 190 from the 7,360 counted in the 1990 Census.
Tabernacle was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 22, 1901, from portions of Shamong Township, Southampton Township and Woodland Township. The township was named for a tabernacle constructed by missionaries David and John Brainerd.
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Tabernacle Township as its 23rd best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Tabernacle Township as its sixth best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. In 2009, it was rated the #1 small town by South Jersey Magazine.

History

Before 1900

The area that is now Tabernacle was inhabited by Lenni Lenape Native Americans. In 1778, John and David Brainerd came to the area and erected a church to convert the local Native Americans to Christianity. The church was called Tabernacle In The Wilderness. In 1803, William Wilkins acquired land from Hosea Moore to build Tabernacle Cemetery, next to the church.
The church was originally used as a schoolhouse but in 1856, the one-room Union School was built on the future site of Tabernacle Town Hall to serve the children of the community. As the community grew, a second schoolhouse was built in the vicinity of the other school.
In 1860, Gilbert Knight built the Pepper-Knight House next to the Union Schoolhouse. It was later sold to the Pepper family who turned the property over to the Tabernacle Historic District following Clara Pepper's death in 1987. In the 1880s there were problems at the Tabernacle, so a new church was built on the spot. It was called the Tabernacle Methodist Episcopal Church, which still stands today.

After 1900

On March 22, 1901, Tabernacle was incorporated as a township by an act of New Jersey State Legislature from portions of Shamong Township, Southampton Township and Woodland Township.
During the early 1900s, parts of Tabernacle were used as a logging mill at Burrs Mill Brook.
On July 13, 1928, Emilio Carranza was flying his plane from New York City to Mexico when he crashed in the middle of a storm over Tabernacle. The Carranza Monument was built with funds from Mexican schoolchildren, Hampton Gates Road was renamed Carranza Road for the pilot.
In 1910, the Union Schoolhouse was demolished and Tabernacle Town Hall was erected on the site. 1917 was the last year for the Friendship Schoolhouse, as enrollment dwindled to four pupils with more students attending the Sequoia School, further south on Carranza Road. In 1936 it was moved down the road next to the Sequoia School. In the 1950s, Tabernacle Elementary School was built on New Road and Olson Middle School was built across the road in 1968. Tabernacle School District renamed its school after Kenneth R. Olson following his death in 1990. In 2003, Seneca High School was built to serve high school students from Tabernacle, Shamong, Southampton and Woodland Townships.

Suburbanization

In 1970, Tabernacle's population was 2,103, but by 1980, it had almost tripled to 6,236, reflecting rapid suburbanization of Philadelphia in South Jersey. Around the same time, the population of many other nearby towns boomed. Tabernacle's population reached a high in 1990 at 7,362 inhabitants and has continued to drop gradually. In 2000 there were 7,170 residents in the township and the population dropped to 6,949 in the 2010 Census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 49.614 square miles, including 49.120 square miles of land and 0.494 square miles of water.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Apple Pie Hill, Bozuretown, Carranza Monument, Eagle, Fairview, Fox Chase, Friendship, Hampton Gate, Harris, Oriental, Paisley, Pine Crest, Sandy Ridge, Sooy Place, South Park, Speedwell and White Horse Station.
The township borders the Burlington County municipalities of Medford Township, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Washington Township and Woodland Township.
The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering, that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the township is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $101,053 and the median family income was $107,179. Males had a median income of $47,947 versus $40,231 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,726. About 1.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 7,170 people, 2,346 households, and 2,010 families residing in the township. The population density was 145.0 people per square mile. There were 2,385 housing units at an average density of 48.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 96.29% White, 2.09% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 2,346 households out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.6% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.3% were non-families. 11.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $76,432, and the median income for a family was $86,729. Males had a median income of $58,148 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,874. About 1.1% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Local government

Tabernacle 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 after each election, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
, members of the Tabernacle Township Committee are Mayor Kimberly A. "Kim" Brown, Deputy Mayor Joseph W. Barton, Nancy K. McGinnis, Samuel R. Moore III and Robert C. Sunbury Jr..
The township is patrolled by Troop C of the New Jersey State Police at the Red Lion Barracks in Southampton Township.

Federal, state, and county representation

Tabernacle Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 9th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Tabernacle Township had been in the 8th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 5,022 registered voters in Tabernacle Township, of which 981 were registered as Democrats, 1,916 were registered as Republicans and 2,122 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 72.3% were registered to vote, including 95.2% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 2,247 votes here, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,525 votes and other candidates with 49 votes, among the 3,848 ballots cast by the township's 5,202 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,216 votes here, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,635 votes and other candidates with 53 votes, among the 3,926 ballots cast by the township's 4,978 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.9%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,345 votes here, ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,544 votes and other candidates with 45 votes, among the 3,950 ballots cast by the township's 4,991 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.1%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,850 votes here, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 557 votes and other candidates with 36 votes, among the 2,484 ballots cast by the township's 5,150 registered voters, yielding a 48.2% turnout. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,682 votes here, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 778 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 127 votes and other candidates with 27 votes, among the 2,636 ballots cast by the township's 5,009 registered voters, yielding a 52.6% turnout.

Education

The Tabernacle School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 698 students and 61.8 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1. Schools in the district are
Tabernacle Elementary School with 373 students in PreK-4 and
Kenneth R. Olson Middle School with 323 students in grades 5-8.
Public school students in Tabernacle Township in ninth through twelfth grades attend Seneca High School located in Tabernacle Township, which serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Shamong, Southampton, Tabernacle and Woodland Townships. The school is part of the Lenape Regional High School District, which also serves students from Evesham Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township and Woodland Township. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,137 students and 109.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1.
Students from Tabernacle Township, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton Township.

Transportation

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Burlington County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
The only two major roads that pass through are CR 532 thru the central part and U.S. Route 206 in the west.
The Atlantic City Expressway, Garden State Parkway, Interstate 295 and New Jersey Turnpike are all two towns away.
As of 2012, there were only two traffic lights in Tabernacle, both on U.S. Route 206.

Notable people

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