Belvidere, New Jersey

Belvidere is a town in and the county seat of Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 2,520,

Belvidere was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1845, from portions of Oxford Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The town's name means "beautiful to see" in Italian.

Geography and climate

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 1.48 square miles (3.84 km2), including 1.45 square miles (3.75 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km2) of water (2.36%).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Belvidere had a population of 2,520. The median age was 41.7 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,031 households in Belvidere, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.2% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 U.S. census,

There were 1,088 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.17.

Holidays

Belvidere, once every year, on the first Saturday after Labor Day, celebrates their founding and legacy with the "Victorian Days" event, where people dress in a similar style to the 1800s. The location, Garret Wall, usually contains fun facts about Belvidere, prize games, timed events, horse rides, etc. It is a day where the county seat of Belvidere unites together as one.

Government

Local government

Belvidere is governed under the town form of municipal government. The town is one of nine municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this traditional form of government. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the six-member Town Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The town council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.

, the Mayor of Belvidere is Republican Kathleen B. Miers, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Town Council are Council President Joseph Roth (R, 2027), Christopher Allen (R, 2026), John Johnson III (D, 2028), Peter Koop (R, 2027), Tammy Koop (R, 2026) and Donald Mitchell (R, 2028).

Federal, state, and county representation

Belvidere is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,687 registered voters in Belvidere, of which 380 (22.5% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 611 (36.2% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 694 (41.1% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens. Among the town's 2010 Census population, 62.9% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 84.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 656 votes (53.8% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 521 votes (42.7% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 24 votes (2.0% vs. 1.7%), among the 1,220 ballots cast by the town's 1,724 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.8% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 693 votes (55.0% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 514 votes (40.8% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 27 votes (2.1% vs. 1.6%), among the 1,260 ballots cast by the town's 1,684 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.8% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 779 votes (61.9% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 452 votes (35.9% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 21 votes (1.7% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,259 ballots cast by the town's 1,640 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.8% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.3% of the vote (494 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 27.0% (195 votes), and other candidates with 4.7% (34 votes), among the 740 ballots cast by the town's 1,758 registered voters (17 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 480 votes (56.7% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 221 votes (26.1% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 116 votes (13.7% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 18 votes (2.1% vs. 1.5%), among the 847 ballots cast by the town's 1,642 registered voters, yielding a 51.6% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).

Education

The Belvidere School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 580 students and 55.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Belvidere Elementary School with 259 students in grades PreK–8 and

Belvidere High School with 318 students in grades 9–12. Students from Harmony Township, Hope Township and White Township attend the district's high school as part of sending/receiving relationships with the respective districts.

Students from the town and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Blairstown (for grades K–8) or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9–12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for Pre-K–12).

In 2018, Belvidere was rated one of the Top 5 Schools in each county with the highest rate of drug/violence/bullying incidents, based on the number of incidents per every 100 enrolled students.

Transportation

thumb|[[County Route 620 (Warren County, New Jersey)|County Route 620 in Belvidere]]

, the town had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Warren County.

The most prominent highway is County Route 620.

The Riverton–Belvidere Bridge crosses the Delaware River, connecting Belvidere with Riverton, Pennsylvania, operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. There is no toll for crossing on either side, after tolls were abolished by the Joint Commission for the Elimination of Toll Bridges in 1929. The bridge is long, connecting County Route 620 Spur (Water Street) in Belvidere to former Pennsylvania Route 709 on the Riverton side.

Notable people

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

Donald J. Albanese (born 1937), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1976 to 1982
C. Ledyard Blair (1867–1949), investment banker and yachtsman
DeWitt Clinton Blair (1833–1915), philanthropist and industrialist
Charles W. Buttz (1837–1913), member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina
Dan Gray (born 1956), former NFL defensive tackle who played for the Detroit Lions in 1978
Henry S. Harris (1850–1902), former U.S. Member of Congress
Don Hume (born 1938), former NASCAR driver who competed in 15 Winston Cup events
Joseph Johnson (1785–1877), former member of Congress and Governor of Virginia
John Patterson Bryan Maxwell (1804–1845), politician who represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from 1837 to 1839 and again from 1841 to 1843
William McMurtrie (1851–1913), chemist who served as president of the American Chemical Society
Don Reitz (1929–2014), ceramic artist, recognized for inspiring a reemergence of salt glaze pottery in the United States
Ernest Schelling (1876–1939), pianist, composer, conductor and music director who was the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1935 to 1937
Melville Amasa Scovell (1855–1912), chemist
George W. Scranton (1811–1861), former member of Congress and founder of the city of Scranton
Chris Wylde (born 1976), actor and comedian

Places of interest

thumb|upright=1.2|[[Warren County Courthouse (New Jersey)|Warren County Courthouse]]

Belvidere Cemetery – Dating back to 1834, the cemetery is the burial site of several historical figures, many associated with the Civil War, and has been included in tours conducted as part of the town's annual Victorian Days celebration.
Foul Rift is a Class II rapids on the Delaware River located south of Belvidere, in which a drop of in elevation in a span of creates one of the river's most dangerous stretches.
Four Sisters Winery – Established in 1984, the winery was named for the four daughters of the founders.
Robert Morris House – Built by Robert Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the house is one of the town's oldest homes.
Warren County Courthouse – Future New Jersey governor-elect Garret D. Wall (who declined to serve as governor after being elected in 1829) donated the land in 1825 and the courthouse was completed in 1826 at a cost of $10,000. In 1892, the courthouse was the site of the county's most recent public hanging.
Warren County Museum – Now the home of the Warren County Historical and Genealogical Society, the museum is located on Garret D. Wall county square in a townhome constructed and purchased in 1980, which houses many items related to the history of Warren County.

References

External links

Belvidere Town website
History of Belvidere, New Jersey

https://belvidereheritage.com/victorian-days/