Eastampton Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,191, The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

History

Eastampton Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 11, 1880, from portions of Westampton. Portions of both Lumberton and Southampton townships were annexed in 1882.}

Eastampton is the location of Smithville, an industrial community created by Hezekiah Bradley Smith for his machine company, which produced the American Star Bicycle. It is now a county park.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 5.82 square miles (15.06&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 5.73 square miles (14.84&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.09 square miles (0.22&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (1.48%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Smithville and Turpentine.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 6,069 people, 2,281 households, and 1,640 families in the township. The population density was . There were 2,380 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 73.11% (4,437) White, 16.97% (1,030) Black or African American, 0.35% (21) Native American, 4.48% (272) Asian, 0.07% (4) Pacific Islander, 1.65% (100) from other races, and 3.38% (205) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.29% (503) of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 2,226 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.29. The residents of Eastampton adopted the council–manager form of New Jersey municipal government based on a referendum passed in 1982. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The Eastampton Township Council is comprised of five members elected at-large in partisan elections to staggered four-year terms of office, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years as part of the November general election. The mayor and deputy mayor are selected by the council from among its members at a reorganization meeting held each year during the first week of January. The mayor coordinates the work of the council, chairs council meetings and is the township's public representative. The mayor also signs all contracts and obligations of the Township and is empowered to perform marriages.

, members of the Eastampton Township Council are Mayor Robert Apgar (D, term on council ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends December 31, 2023), Deputy Mayor Dominic F. Santillo (D, term on council ends 2026; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Ricardo J. Rodriguez (D, 2026), Gerald "Jay" Springer (D, 2024) and Anthony Zeno (D, 2024).

Federal, state and county representation

Eastampton Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district.

Politics

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As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,610 registered voters in Eastampton Township, of which 1,160 (32.1% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 772 (21.4% vs. 23.9%) were registered as Republicans and 1,678 (46.5% vs. 42.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 59.5% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 78.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide).

n the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,651 votes (59.7% vs. 58.1% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,069 votes (38.6% vs. 40.2%) and other candidates with 29 votes (1.0% vs. 1.0%), among the 2,766 ballots cast by the township's 3,802 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.8% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,754 votes (58.8% vs. 58.4% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,172 votes (39.3% vs. 39.9%) and other candidates with 36 votes (1.2% vs. 1.0%), among the 2,981 ballots cast by the township's 3,786 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.7% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 1,442 votes (52.6% vs. 52.9% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,269 votes (46.3% vs. 46.0%) and other candidates with 15 votes (0.5% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,741 ballots cast by the township's 3,458 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.3% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county).

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 945 votes (58.4% vs. 61.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 637 votes (39.4% vs. 35.8%) and other candidates with 16 votes (1.0% vs. 1.2%), among the 1,617 ballots cast by the township's 3,796 registered voters, yielding a 42.6% turnout (vs. 44.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 886 votes (48.2% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 818 votes (44.5% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 99 votes (5.4% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 29 votes (1.6% vs. 1.2%), among the 1,840 ballots cast by the township's 3,760 registered voters, yielding a 48.9% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

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Education

For kindergarten through eighth grade, public school students are served by the Eastampton Township School District at Eastampton Community School. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprising one school, had an enrollment of 584 students and 50.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Rancocas Valley Regional High School, a regional public high school serving students from five communities encompassing approximately , including Eastampton Township, Hainesport Township, Lumberton, Mount Holly and Westampton. As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,981 students and 144.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.8:1. The school is located in Mount Holly. The district's board of education is comprised of nine members who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. Seats on the board are allocated based on the population of the five constituent municipalities, with one seat assigned to Eastampton.

Students from Eastampton 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

thumb|right|[[U.S. Route 206 on the east edge of Eastampton]]

, 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.

U.S. Route 206 is the most prominent highway serving Eastampton, running north–south along the township's border with Pemberton Township. County Route 537 also crosses the township with an east–west orientation.

Notable people

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

  • Charles R. Chickering (1891–1970), freelance artist who designed 77 U.S. postage stamps while working at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
  • Hezekiah Bradley Smith (1816–1887), inventor and a Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1879 to 1881

References

  • Eastampton Township website