Hammonton is a town in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, that has been referred to as the "Blueberry Capital of the World". As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 14,711, Geographically, the town, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

The first European settlement of Hammonton was in 1812. It was named for John Hammond Coffin, a son of one of the community's earliest settlers, William Coffin, with the "d" in what was originally Hammondton disappearing over time. It was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1866, from portions of Hamilton Township and Mullica Township.

The town is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad with Hammonton station directly in the downtown area. The route is now used by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line.

History

Little is known about the area of Hammonton prior to European contact. Archaeological evidence, including stone tools likely dating back to the Woodland period, suggests some form of prehistoric habitation, though the details remain unclear. At the time of European contact, the region was inhabited by the Unalachtigo Lenape people.

As European settlement progressed, the Lenape population in the area declined due to disease, loss of land to European settlers, and emigration. In 1748, the West Jersey Society was granted rights over a large tract of land within the English Province of New Jersey, which included the territory that would later become Hammonton. In 1805, the Society sold a parcel of what would eventually become Hammonton, with the land passing through several owners.

In 1812, William Coffin and his family migrated to the area, building a home and managing a sawmill for John R. Coates. Coffin purchased the land and the mill in 1814. The sawmill was situated adjacent to Hammonton Lake and extended north and east of the present-day town, rather than being located within the current downtown. Originally named "Hammondton" after Coffin's son, John Hammond Coffin, the name was later simplified to Hammonton.

In 1817, Coffin established a glass factory in the area, taking advantage of the abundance of cheap timber and bog iron that supported South Jersey's glass industry at the time. Finished products were transported via the Mullica River before the advent of railroads, with trading stores and workers' housing established nearby.

Hammonton briefly featured a major racing track, the Atlantic City Speedway. Races were held from 1926 to 1928 on the wooden track that was built, complete with a direct rail connection. The owners had hoped to compete with the major racetracks of the era, but were unable to continue. The track served as a test track for Studebaker from 1928 to 1933 before it was demolished, and the timber used in its construction was repurposed for other buildings.

The first Hammonton Blueberry Festival was held in 1953, embracing the area's identity as a major producer of blueberries.

The town borders Folsom borough, to the southwest, and both Hamilton and Mullica townships to the southeast in Atlantic County; Shamong Township and Washington Township in Burlington County to the northeast; and Waterford Township and Winslow Township in Camden County to the northwest. It is located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, so is largely flat, though the highest point in Atlantic County is located along the Pennsylvania Railroad within the borders of Hammonton. The town is located almost exactly halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located completely or partially within the town include Barnard, Bellhurst, Caldwell Crossing, Dacosta, Dutchtown, Great Swamp, Murphy, Rockford, Rockwood, Rosedale and West Mills.

Pine Barrens

The town 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 town is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

Due to its location in the Pine Barrens, the soil is largely sandy, making it ideal for growing blueberries. Low, marshy areas, often within the Pine Barrens are also used for cranberry cultivation.

On June 19, 2022, a fire broke out in the Wharton State Forest in a remote area in the northern part of Hammonton. The Mullica River Fire consumed more than 15,000 acres of protected land and became the largest wildfire in the state in 15 years. The cause of the fire is believed to be caused by an illegal campfire.

Climate

Hammonton lies in the northern reaches of the humid subtropical climate zone, and, similar to inland southern New Jersey, is characterized by brisk winters, hot summers, and plentiful precipitation spread evenly throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hammonton's climate is abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Hammonton had a population of 14,711. The median age was 41.4 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.

81.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 18.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 5,456 households in Hammonton, of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.4% were married-couple households, 17.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 12,604 people, 4,619 households, and 3,270 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 4,843 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 87.85% White, 1.74% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 7.83% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.88% of the population.

As of the 2000 Census, 45.9% of town residents were of Italian ancestry, the second-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States (behind Johnston, Rhode Island, at 46.7%), and highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry. News reports have said Hammonton leads the nation in Italian-Americans per capita.

There were 4,619 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.14.

Sports

In 1997, Gabriel Donio (founder and publisher of The Hammonton Gazette) proposed a minor-league baseball team called the Hammonton Blueberries, going so far as to create a team logo and a prototype uniform, as well as purchasing a 20-acre tract of land for $200,000. Donio planned to build on the site a 3,500-seat, six-million-dollar ballpark, which he described as "a rough miniature of the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field". In 1999, the Northern League announced that they would form a six-team developmental circuit and include Hammonton as one of the clubs; however, this did not happen, and the proposed ballpark was not built, putting an end to the Blueberries. (Since Hammonton is less than 75 miles from Philadelphia, any pro baseball team there would either need permission from the Phillies or play in an independent league, outside of MLB's jurisdiction.)

Government

Local government

Hammonton is governed under the Town form of New Jersey 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 Town Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected to a four-year term. The Town Council includes six members elected to serve two-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year.

, the Mayor of Hammonton is Republican Steve Furgione, whose term of office ends December 31, 2029. Members of the Hammonton Town Council are Deputy Mayor Sam Rodio (I, 2026), J.D. Calderone (R, 2027), Anthony Marino (R, 2027), James Matro (I, 2026), Renee Rodio (R, 2026), and Ray Scipione (R, 2027).

Previous mayor Steve DiDonato and many council members, including current deputy mayor Sam Rodio, are affiliated with Hammonton First, an independent third-party political organization that was established in 2005.

Federal, state and county representation

Hammonton is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 8,556 registered voters in Hammonton, of which 1,851 (21.6% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,627 (30.7% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 4,076 (47.6% vs. 44.3%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the town's 2010 Census population, 57.8% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 75.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

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In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 3,859 votes (60.08% vs 44.64% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,366 votes (36.84% vs 51.61%) and other candidates with 198 votes (3.08% vs 3.76%). A total of 6,423 ballots were cast. In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 3,420 votes here (54.4% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,777 votes (44.1% vs. 57.9%) and other candidates with 57 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 6,290 ballots cast by the town's 8,951 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.3% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 3,509 votes here (54.0% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,894 votes (44.5% vs. 56.5%) and other candidates with 89 votes (1.4% vs. 1.1%), among the 6,502 ballots cast by the town's 9,090 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.5% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 3,218 votes here (54.1% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,600 votes (43.7% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 47 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,947 ballots cast by the town's 7,913 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.2% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Presidential elections results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

!Republican

!Democratic

!Third Parties

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2024

| style="text-align:center;" |63.3% 4,697

| style="text-align:center;" |35.1% 2,609

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.6% 96

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2020

| style="text-align:center;" |59.9% 4,560

| style="text-align:center;" |38.9% 2,957

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.2% 94

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2016

| style="text-align:center;" |60.1% 3,859

| style="text-align:center;" |36.8% 2,366

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |3.1% 198

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2012

| style="text-align:center;" |54.4% 3,420

| style="text-align:center;" |44.1% 2,777

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.9% 57

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2008

| style="text-align:center;" |54.0% 3,509

| style="text-align:center;" |44.5% 2,894

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.4% 89

|-

| style="text-align:center;" |2004

| style="text-align:center;" |54.1% 3,218

| style="text-align:center;" |43.7% 2,600

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.8% 47

|}

In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican Kim Guadagno received 2,425 votes (56.38% vs 42.46% countywide) ahead of Democrat Phillip Murphy with 1,726 votes (40.13% vs 55.14%), and other candidates with 150 votes (3.49% vs 2.41%). There were a total of 4,301 votes cast. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,234 votes here (68.7% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 1,229 votes (26.1% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 60 votes (1.3% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,709 ballots cast by the town's 9,033 registered voters, yielding a 52.1% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,588 votes here (53.7% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,773 votes (36.8% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 204 votes (4.2% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 93 votes (1.9% vs. 1.2%), among the 4,822 ballots cast by the town's 8,724 registered voters, yielding a 55.3% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

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Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hammonton Public Schools. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 3,326 students and 255.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Early Childhood Education Center with 387 students in grades PreK–1,

Warren E. Sooy Elementary School with 719 students in grades 2–5,

Hammonton Middle School with 834 students in grades 6–8 and

Hammonton High School with 1,318 students in grades 9–12.

Students from Folsom Borough (grades 9–12) and Waterford Township in Camden County (7–12) attend the Hammonton schools as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Folsom Borough School District and the Waterford Township School District.

In the wake of the dissolution of the Lower Camden County Regional School District, the Hammonton board of education voted in 1999 to begin accepting an estimated 800 students from Waterford Township for grades 7–12 starting as of 2002, with the tuition paid by students from Waterford helping to lower overall costs to Hammonton taxpayers.

Borough public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

Hammonton was home of the Catholic schools St. Joseph Regional Elementary School (for Pre-K–8) and St. Joseph High School (for grades 9–12) which operated under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden. In April 2020, the Diocese of Camden announced that despite its status as a football powerhouse, St. Joseph was one of five Catholic schools in New Jersey which would close permanently at the end of the school year on June 30, 2020. St. Joseph Regional Elementary was to permanently close at the end of the school year as well.

Media

Television stations

  • WPSJ-CD Channel 8 Hammonton (Independent)

Newspapers

  • Hammonton Gazette
  • Hammonton News

Hammonton is served by other newspapers:

  • The Press of Atlantic City a major daily newspaper in South New Jersey.
  • Philadelphia Daily News a major daily newspaper based in Philadelphia.
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer a major daily newspaper based in Philadelphia.

Transportation

thumb|right|The eastbound [[Atlantic City Expressway in Hammonton]]

Roads and highways

, the town had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Atlantic County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

The Atlantic City Expressway, U.S. Route 30, U.S. Route 206 and Route 54 all pass through Hammonton, as do County Route 536, County Route 542, County Route 559 and County Route 561.

Public transportation

thumb|right|Hammonton station, which is served by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line

The Hammonton station of NJ Transit provides passenger rail service between the Atlantic City Rail Terminal in Atlantic City and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and intermediate points on the Atlantic City Line.

NJ Transit provides bus service in Hammonton on the 554 route between Lindenwold station and Atlantic City.

Airport

Hammonton Municipal Airport is located northeast of the central business district.

Community

Blueberry capital

Hammonton is known as the "Blueberry Capital of the World".

Since the 1987, the Red, White and Blueberry Festival has celebrated Hammonton's status as the nation's blueberry capital. A farm in the town is Northeast's largest blueberry grower and the Hammonton area has over 50 farms that produce over 80% of New Jersey's blueberry crop.

Hammonton and the surrounding Atlantic County produce upwards of of blueberries each year using traveling bands of labor from outside of the United States, though often the farms employing these undocumented workers are largely supportive of stricter border policies.

Presidential visits

Ronald Reagan visited Hammonton during his 1984 re-election campaign. Reagan's speech highlighted Hammonton's status as "Blueberry Capital of the World" and then extolled the virtues of New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce soon disassociated himself from the politics and the use of his song "Born in The U.S.A."

Hammonton has also been visited by Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, who made whistle stops in the town.

Festivals

Every year Hammonton hosts the Red, White and Blueberry festival, Our Lady of Mount Carmel festival and the Hammonton wine festival. Mount Carmel's Italian Festival dates back to 1875 and is considered the oldest such continuously run festival in the United States. Other festivals include; Hammonton Fall Beer Festival, Teen Arts Festival, Hammonton Food Truck Festival, Hammonton Green Day Festival, and Crusin Main Street.

Downtown

thumb|Aerial view of Hammonton, New Jersey (1926)

Hammonton's downtown district has been growing for the past 20 years. The downtown area includes Bellevue Avenue, Central Avenue, Vine street, Second Street, Third Street, Twelfth Street, Egg Harbor Road, Front Street, West End Avenue, Railroad Avenue and Washington Street. The downtown includes art galleries, restaurants, wine and sports bars, banks, clothing stores, offices, a theatre, a park, and a college satellite campus, attracting shoppers from South Jersey.

Every year the downtown has three parades. The Halloween and Christmas parades are the two major parades that happen in downtown. In May, there is a smaller Memorial Day parade. The Downtown also hosts the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, which is a large celebration that includes the lighting of a large tree on the corner of Bellevue and Central Avenue, Christmas carolers, a music show, carriage rides, a live nativity and the arrival of Santa. During these events the downtown stores are open late.

In the past, on the third Thursday of every month, the downtown would host the "Third Thursday Events", with a different theme each month. Stores offered discounts, and people performed on the street. This was discontinued at the end of 2024.

The downtown was one of the finalist for the Great American Main Street Award in 2013. The award recognizes three communities each year for their successful revitalization efforts, based on documented economic impact, small-business development, historic preservation, volunteer involvement, public/private cooperation and success over time.

Events

In 1949, Hammonton was the winner of the Little League World Series, after finishing third in the tournament in both 1947 and 1948. The Hammonton team was the first official team located outside of Pennsylvania.

thumb|Longest Line of Cakes Guinness Record in Hammonton New Jersey

On July 24, 2011, Ricca's Italian Bakery set a Guinness World Record for the Longest Line of Cakes topped with fresh blueberries donated by local farmers. This received recognition from the Mayor Steve DiDonato and all members of the Hammonton Town Council. The Hammonton Town Council Deputy Mayor Tom Gribbin announced the recognition during a town council meeting on local TV in 2011 August.

In November 2014, in a study conducted by CreditDonkey.com, Hammonton was ranked second-happiest city in New Jersey. The ranking was based on restaurants, crime rate, commute, departure time, income, divorce rate, and housing.

Wineries and alcohol consumption

Hammonton has three active wineries – DiMatteo Vineyards, Plagido's Winery, and Tomasello Winery.

Hammonton has also seen a growth in the craft beer industry. Since 2015, three breweries have opened in town, Tomfoolery Brewing Company, Three 3's Brewing Company, and Vinyl Brewing.

The 2002 direct-to-video horror film 13th Child, about the hunt for the Jersey Devil, was filmed in Hammonton.

A 2011 episode of Supernatural, "How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters" about the Jersey Devil, is set in Hammonton, though it wasn't filmed there.

Hammonton made a cameo appearance in the first two episodes of the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, with a scene towards the end of both episodes showing the town sign "Welcome to Hammonton, The Blueberry Capital of the World".

The Fox TV show American Idol aired its first episode of its 12th season in January 2013 with a performance by Sarah Restuccio, a seventeen-year-old girl from Hammonton. The judges enjoyed her rendition of "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood, but she impressed them when they asked her to sing something else and she rapped "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj. The show featured a short clip about Sarah's life, which included showing her everyday life in Hammonton.

In October 2013 the MTV reality show True Life, featured the episode "True Life Presents: My Dad Is A Bro" about a girl in her twenties and her father in his fifties, who both party. The episode takes place throughout Hammonton.

In the summer of 2013, scenes from the independent film The Honour were filmed in Hammonton.

In May 2015, a commercial for the male clothing brand, Chubbies Shorts, was filmed on South Second Street in Hammonton.

Notable people

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

  • Ashante "Thee" Adonis (born 1990), professional wrestler with SmackDown
  • Tyler Bellamy (born 1988), soccer player
  • Jill Biden (born 1951), educator and First Lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025.
  • Ray Blanchard (born 1945), sexologist
  • Reverend Gary Davis (1896–1972), blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica
  • J. D. DiRenzo (born 1988), American football offensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers
  • Anthony Durante (1967–2003), professional wrestler
  • Ace Enders (born 1982), musician
  • Marie Howland (1836–1921), feminist writer
  • Johnnie O. Jackson (born 1971), professional bodybuilder and powerlifter
  • Nelson Johnson (born 1948), former Atlantic County Superior Court Judge and author of Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City, a chapter of which about Enoch L. "Nucky" Johnson—"Atlantic City's Godfather"—became the basis for the series Boardwalk Empire
  • Margaret Mead (1901–1978), cultural anthropologist who did some of her first research in Hammonton
  • Victor Moore (1876–1962), actor
  • Rita Myers (born 1947), video installation artist.
  • George Washington Nicholson (1832–1912), landscape painter who retired to Hammonton around 1902 and lived there until his death in 1912
  • Ron Previte (born 1943), former member of the Philadelphia crime family
  • Thomas Ricca (Tom Ricca, born 1968) former professional WWE wrestler
  • Andrew Rider (1866–1898), founder of Rider University, who lived and was buried in Hammonton
  • Nicodemo Scarfo (born 1929), member of the American Mafia who was Boss of the Philadelphia crime family, who spent summers working in Hammonton as blueberry picker
  • Tony Siscone (born 1949), professional race car driver
  • Alma Joslyn Whiffen-Barksdale (1916–1981), mycologist who discovered cycloheximide
  • Gary Wolfe (born 1967), professional wrestler

References

  • Hammonton Town website
  • Hammonton Public Schools
  • Data for the Hammonton Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
  • Hammonton Lions Club
  • Hammonton United Services Association
  • Hammonton Area Ministerium
  • MainStreet Hammonton
  • St. Joseph Regional High School
  • Hammonton First
  • Hammonton Republican Club
  • Hammonton Democratic Club
  • The Hammonton Gazette – Hammonton's local newspaper. The print edition is published on Wednesdays. Website updated weekly with selected content from print edition.
  • The Hammonton News – The print edition is published on Wednesdays. Website updated Wednesday mornings, with full stories from paper edition.