thumb|right|Alloway Creek

Quinton Township is a township in Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 2,580,

Quinton was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1873, from portions of Upper Alloways Creek Township (now Alloway Township). The township's name is said to derive from the name of an early settler, with both Tobias Quinton and Edward Quinton mentioned as possible namesakes. In March 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, a minor battle was fought between British forces and local militia at Quinton's Bridge.

It is a dry township, where alcohol cannot legally be sold.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 24.27 square miles (62.87&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), including 23.79 square miles (61.62&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of land and 0.48 square miles (1.25&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of water (1.98%).

Unincorporated communities located partially or completely within the township Berrys Chapel, Harmony, Mickles Mill, Pecks Corner, Woodmere and Woods Upper Mill.

The township borders the municipalities of Alloway Township, Lower Alloways Creek Township, Mannington Township and Salem in Salem County; and Stow Creek Township in Cumberland County.

History

April 1963 fire

Heavy winds from Delaware Bay through Salem and Cumberland counties set fires in multiple communities on April&nbsp;4, 1963. One fire was in the bayshore community of Fortescue in Downe Township that destroyed 15 houses, damaged 6 houes and destroyed a restaurant and the local hotel. The second fire began in Quinton around 2:30&nbsp;p.m., where it started in Smick Lumber Company on Route&nbsp;49. Embers from the fire reached lumber and escalated, creating heavier fireballs. The gusts were fueling the fires along Route&nbsp;49 as embers and smoked enveloped the area. Fire companies from bigger communities such as Millville, Bridgeton and Vineland were called into Quinton to handle the flames. Local farmers also provided equipment to help fight the fires. With the spontaneous direction changes of flames and embers, it became tough for the firemen to work on centering their efforts on a few buildings and it would not be until after dark before the winds abated enough to help control the fire. 23 people were taken to Salem Memorial Hospital due to eye issues and smoke inhalation.

The post office in Quinton, operated by Mary Myers, was destroyed in the fire. Myers stayed in the post office and did her job until the fire reached the building and she fled with everything that she could grab from the office before it was engulfed. Myers put all the mail, records, cash and stamps in the post office in her bag to get it out. She left the engulfed post office and took the contents of her large bag to the post office in Alloway. The fire ate a local market and Quinton's sewing factory along with numerous houses in the area. Nine families along Route&nbsp;49 were displaced along with a house on East Fourth Street. The home of the Township Clerk, Kenneth Patrick, was also destroyed in the blaze.

Fire Chief Myron Henderson and Mayor Albert Blades told the press that the damages in Quinton reached about $350,000 (1963&nbsp;USD). They stated that this would be a major financial strain on the township with the loss of major taxed properties in the fire. Along with the 13 houses leveled by flames, the sewing factory employed 22 people and the only grocery store in the area burned in the blaze. Blades added that the they did not believe that the massive fire would not qualify them for disaster aid from the state or federal governments, but added that the local response was already making up for it. Blades noted that a monetary fund had been started and that new clothing was being brought in for the 53 people who lost everything in the fires. However, onlookers caused issues as nine people were arrested in Quinton fire looting the houses while walking along Route&nbsp;49. At least one person stole a pocketbook from a burned out home and was surprised by the homeowner, who took a piece of wood and broke the thief's shoulder.

Destruction equipment had been moved into Quinton in the days after the fire. They started leveling the fire ridden homes and businesses with various cranes, dump trucks and bulldozers. By April&nbsp;11, much of the debris had been eliminated and the sites had been filled in. Over the weekend the officials stated that the women's auxiliaries in the area acquired $5,556 in donations along with furniture and clothes for the families. By Saturday enough donations had been made that newer donations were to be moved to other organizations to use for other people. The Quinton Township Fire Department also operated their own fundraising campaign for the community.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,666 people, 1,036 households, and 756 families in the township. The population density was . There were 1,099 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 81.58% (2,175) White, 12.90% (344) Black or African American, 0.56% (15) Native American, 0.38% (10) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.20% (32) from other races, and 3.38% (90) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.01% (107) of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 1,074 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02. The governing body is comprised of a three-member Township Committee, whose members are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.

, members of the Quinton Township Committee are Mayor Marjorie L. Sperry (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2023; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Joseph J. Hannagan Jr. (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2022) and Raymond C. Owens (R, 2022).

Joseph Donelson, a former councilmember and mayor, was selected in October 2013 by the Township Council from among three candidates recommended by the municipal Democratic committee to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2015 of Carl E. Schrier, who had resigned earlier that month. In November 2014, Joseph J. Hannagan Jr., was elected to serve the balance of the term.

Federal, state and county representation

Quinton Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 3rd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,701 registered voters in Quinton Township, of which 533 (31.3% vs. 30.6% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 388 (22.8% vs. 21.0%) were registered as Republicans and 778 (45.7% vs. 48.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were two voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 63.8% (vs. 64.6% in Salem County) were registered to vote, including 83.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 84.4% countywide).

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In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 55.6% of the vote (673 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.1% (522 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (15 votes), among the 1,215 ballots cast by the township's 1,763 registered voters (5 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 679 votes (52.6% vs. 46.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 587 votes (45.5% vs. 50.4%) and other candidates with 11 votes (0.9% vs. 1.6%), among the 1,291 ballots cast by the township's 1,710 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.5% (vs. 71.8% in Salem County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 694 votes (57.3% vs. 52.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 495 votes (40.8% vs. 45.9%) and other candidates with 16 votes (1.3% vs. 1.0%), among the 1,212 ballots cast by the township's 1,662 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.9% (vs. 71.0% in the whole county).

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In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 71.4% of the vote (546 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 25.9% (198 votes), and other candidates with 2.7% (21 votes), among the 774 ballots cast by the township's 1,733 registered voters (9 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 438 votes (47.9% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 338 votes (37.0% vs. 39.9%), Independent Chris Daggett with 94 votes (10.3% vs. 9.7%) and other candidates with 33 votes (3.6% vs. 2.0%), among the 914 ballots cast by the township's 1,738 registered voters, yielding a 52.6% turnout (vs. 47.3% in the county).

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Education

The Quinton Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Quinton Township Elementary School. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 286 students and 30.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.4:1.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Salem High School in Salem City, together with students from Elsinboro Township, Lower Alloways Creek Township and Mannington Township, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Salem City School District. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 387 students and 40.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.7:1.

Transportation

thumb|right|[[New Jersey Route 49|Route 49 westbound in Quinton Township]]

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Salem County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Roads that pass through the township include Route 49 (Quinton&ndash;Marlboro Road, which traverses the township northwest to southeast), County Route 540 and County Route 581 (including its southern terminus at Route 49).

Notable people

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

  • George Agnew Chamberlain (1879–1966), novelist and former diplomat
  • Shameka Marshall (born 1983), long jumper who won the gold medal at the 2007 NACAC Championships in Athletics

References

  • Historic Quinton Township Home page
  • Quinton Township Elementary School
  • School Data for the Quinton Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics