Lumberton is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 12,803,
Lumberton was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1860, from portions of Medford, Southampton and Eastampton townships. Portions of Lumberton were taken on March 12, 1924, to form Hainesport Township. Named for its early lumber industry, the township supplied Philadelphia with wood from harvested pitch pines.
In March 2007, Lumberton was identified as having the most active community of eBay buyers and sellers on a per-capita basis in the United States, with 46,000 items posted on the site over a three-week period by members based in the Lumberton ZIP code 08048.
History
The Lenape Native Americans were the earliest inhabitants in what is now known as Lumberton. By the 17th century, European colonists began to settle the southwestern part of the township. They cleared wooded areas and established farms centered around Fostertown, an unincorporated community. Eayrestown was founded by Richard and Elizabeth Eayres in the late 1600s and became the first significant settlement in the area. It also served as the center of commerce, thanks to its sawmill. The village of Lumberton emerged from these two neighboring communities.
The history of some homes in Lumberton can be traced back to the times of slavery. The township's earliest settlers and their descendants held various views on slavery. These perspectives varied from supporting and tolerating it to passive and active opposition. Over the years, many locals became advocates for the abolition of slavery, first in New Jersey, and then across the entire nation.
One notable historical site is a house on Creek Road. Built in 1824 by D.B. Cole, a descendant of the founders of Old Colestown, New Jersey, this house played a crucial part in the Underground Railroad. The property's deed dates back to 1806 when the Coles bought it from the Moores of Moorestown. Charles Blockson's Hippocrene Guide to the Underground Railroad documents that a fake well in the backyard once served as a refuge for enslaved people. They would slide down into it to evade slave catchers as they made their way north toward Canada.
During the Cold War, the town served as a site for Project Nike. In the event of a nuclear war, Nike Ajax and Hercules missiles would have been deployed from bases in Lumberton and other neighboring bases. This strategy aimed to deter the Soviet Union from bombing the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 13.01 square miles (33.71 km<sup>2</sup>), including 12.88 square miles (33.37 km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km<sup>2</sup>) of water (1.01%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Brown, Eayrestown, Fostertown and Newbolds Corner.