Location of Readington Township inHunterdon County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County inNew Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Readington Township, New Jersey
Created byRoyal charter ofKing George II, "Reading" Township was formed on July 15, 1730, from portions ofAmwell Township. It was the first new township created after Hunterdon was established as an independent county.[22] The township was incorporated as Readingtown Township, one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships, on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were annexed byTewksbury Township in 1832 and 1861.[23] The township was named forJohn Reading, the first native-born governor of the BritishProvince of New Jersey.[24][25]
Covering more than 48 square miles (120 km2), it is the largest township in the county,[22] covering almost 11% of the county's area.[26] More than 8,000 acres (32 km2) of land have been preserved from development. Readington Township is bounded on the north by theLamington River andRockaway Creek; to the east bySomerset County, which existed as the boundary between East and West Jersey from 1688 to 1695;[27] to the south, theSouth Branch of the Raritan River; and to the west by the oldWest Jersey Society's line which crosses the Cushetunk Mountains.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 47.83 square miles (123.88 km2), including 47.56 square miles (123.17 km2) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km2) of water (0.57%).[1][2]
Cushetunk Mountain is a ring-shaped mountain located inClinton Township. Thediabase mountain was formed 160 million years ago. TheLenape called the mountain "Cushetunk" meaning "place of hogs".[28] In the 1960s, the valley was filled with water to createRound Valley Reservoir, at 180 feet (55 m) in depth the second-deepest in the state.[29]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Backers Island, Higginsville,McCrea Mills,Riverside, Rockfellows Mills, Round Mountain, Stovers Mills and Wood Church, as well as the following:[35]
Barley Sheaf, a former hamlet within Readington Township, also known as Campbellsville and Farmersville
Centerville, a hamlet that was located on the halfway point on the Swift Sure Stage route between New York City and Philadelphia
Cushetunk was a settlement near Cushetunk Mountain and the railroad line
Dreahook, a former community near Readington Road and Main Street that was taken from the Dutch word for triangle because of the configuration of the roads at the time
Of the 5,971 households, 35.1% had children under the age of 18; 66.0% were married couples living together; 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.7% were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.15.[19]
25.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 35.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.1 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $120,821 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,180) and the median family income was $138,171 (+/− $10,232). Males had a median income of $100,647 (+/− $11,576) versus $61,372 (+/− $6,196) for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $55,493 (+/− $4,019). About 1.3% of families and 1.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.[47]
As of the2000 United States census[16] there were 15,803 people, 5,676 households, and 4,410 families residing in the township. The population density was 331.4 inhabitants per square mile (128.0/km2). There were 5,794 housing units at an average density of 121.5 per square mile (46.9/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 95.14%White, 0.76%African American, 0.06%Native American, 2.56%Asian, 0.53% fromother races, and 0.94% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.05% of the population.[45][46]
There were 5,676 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.3% weremarried couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.18.[45][46]
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.[45][46]
The median income for a household in the township was $95,356, and the median income for a family was $106,343. Males had a median income of $66,778 versus $48,385 for females. Theper capita income for the township was $41,000. About 0.7% of families and 1.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.[45][46]
Readington Township is home to the personal and commercial lines of insurance ofChubb Corp.,[48] and theQuickChek Corporation, which operates over 100 convenience stores throughout New Jersey and New York.[49]
Readington was once also home to the global headquarters ofMerck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, but the company has since relocated to nearbyKenilworth, New Jersey.[50]
Readington is home to several museums and offers many programs for adults and children. The Bouman-Stickney Homestead is located off of Dreahook Road in the hamlet of Stanton. Coldbrook School, the site of living history programs for the township's elementary school children, is in the northern section of town, and theEversole-Hall House is located on Route 523, next to the Municipal building.[51]Taylor's Mill, listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, was built around 1760 by John Taylor. It is the only remaining pre-revolutionary mill in the township and was used to provide troops with food during theRevolutionary War. The township plans to make Taylor's Mill a fourth township museum.[52]
Readington Township is governed under theTownship form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.[53] The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the votersat-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[6][54] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. The Mayor serves as chair of the Township Committee and has the powers vested in the mayor's office by general law.[55]
As of 2023[update], members of the Readington Township Committee areMayor Adam Mueller (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Vincent Panico (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy member ends 2024), John Albanese (R, 2026), Jonathan Heller (R, 2026) and R. Juergen Huelsebusch (R, 2024).[3][56][57][58][59][60][61]
In the 2017 general election,Republicans John Albanese (3887 votes) and Jonathan Heller (3738 votes) prevailed againstDemocratic challenger Alan Harwick (2027 votes) The all-Republican Committee was unanimous on the leadership roles at the 2018 reorganization meeting, choosing Benjamin Smith as mayor and Betty Ann Fort as deputy mayor.[62]
In December 2014, the Township Council selected M. Elizabeth Duffy from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat of Beatrice Muir, who had resigned the previous month from a term of office ending in December 2015.[63]
Hunterdon County is governed by aBoard of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are electedat-large on a partisan basis to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as the board's Director and another to serve as Deputy Director, each for a one-year term.[71] As of 2025[update], Hunterdon County's Commissioners are Director John E. Lanza (R; Raritan Township, 2025),[72]Deputy Director Shaun C. Van Doren (R;Tewksbury Township, 2026),[73]Jeff Kuhl (R;Raritan Township, 2027),[74] Zachary T. Rich (R;West Amwell Township, 2025)[75] and Susan Soloway (R;Franklin Township, 2027).[76][77]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 11,223 registered voters in Readington Township, of which 1,745 (15.5%) were registered asDemocrats, 5,118 (45.6%) were registered asRepublicans and 4,354 (38.8%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered asLibertarians orGreens.[84]
United States Gubernatorial election results for Readington Township[85]
In the2012 presidential election, RepublicanMitt Romney received 63.8% of the vote (5,537 cast), ahead of DemocratBarack Obama with 35.0% (3,039 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (103 votes), among the 8,730 ballots cast by the township's 11,700 registered voters (51 ballots werespoiled), for a turnout of 74.6%.[86][87] In the2008 presidential election, RepublicanJohn McCain received 61.1% of the vote (5,646 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.0% (3,425 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (100 votes), among the 9,245 ballots cast by the township's 11,302 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.8%.[88] In the2004 presidential election, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush received 63.5% of the vote (5,566 ballots cast), outperforming DemocratJohn Kerry with 35.7% (3,127 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (91 votes), among the 8,767 ballots cast by the township's 10,679 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 82.1.[89]
United States presidential election results for Readington Township[90]
In the2013 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 79.1% of the vote (4,524 cast), ahead of DemocratBarbara Buono with 19.5% (1,114 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (83 votes), among the 5,812 ballots cast by the township's 11,669 registered voters (91 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.8%.[91][92] In the2009 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 70.4% of the vote (4,771 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 20.6% (1,395 votes), IndependentChris Daggett with 7.3% (495 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (46 votes), among the 6,777 ballots cast by the township's 11,169 registered voters, yielding a 60.7% turnout.[93]
United States Senate election results for Readington Township1[94]
Students in public school forninth throughtwelfth grades attend theHunterdon Central Regional High School, part of the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, which also serves students in central Hunterdon County fromDelaware Township,East Amwell Township,Flemington Borough andRaritan Township.[106][107] As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 2,408 students and 226.7 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 10.6:1.[108] Seats on the high school district's nine-memberboard of education are allocated based on the population of the five constituent municipalities who participate in the school district, with two seats allocated to Readington Township, a decrease of one seat based on the results of the 2020 Census.[109][110]
Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by theHunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.[111]
Readington Township is served by a full-time Police Department, two ambulances staffed by the Whitehouse Rescue Squad, and four volunteer Fire Companies.
The Whitehouse First Aid & Rescue Squad Station 22 Rescue was formed in 1950 and provides the lead EMS & Rescue coordination for the Township under the leadership of Chief Jeff Herzog. They are a blended department with career and volunteer members, and a roster of over 50 EMTs. The squad responds to over 2200 calls per year in Readington and Tewksbury Townships. The squad has a rescue services division led by volunteers for rescue operations such as automobile extrication, confined space and water rescue. 22 Rescue is located on Main Street in Whitehouse Station.[112]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 178.01 miles (286.48 km) of roadways, of which 145.39 miles (233.98 km) were maintained by the municipality, 19.33 miles (31.11 km) by Hunterdon County and 13.29 miles (21.39 km) by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation.[118]
On April 5, 2007, a shootout during the attempt to arrest serial bank robbers near aPNC Bank branch onU.S. Route 22 in Readington resulted in the death ofFBI agent Barry Lee Bush. Bush was the first FBI agent to be killed in the line of duty in New Jersey and the second FBI agent to be killed by a fellow agent since the bureau was established in 1908.[132][133]
^abAbout Us, Readington Township. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Created by Royal Charter of King George II 'Readings' Township was formed July 15, 1730. It was the first new township created after Hunterdon became a county. Containing almost forty-eight square miles, it remains the largest township in the County."
^Reading, David R."Gov. John Reading (1686-1767)", The Mount Amwell Project. Accessed September 21, 2015. "On July 15, 1730, Reading Township (present Readington, N.J.) was named in his honor."
^Raum, John O.The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 267, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed July 18, 2013. "Readington Township was formed in 1798. Its population in 1850 was 2,836; in 1860, 3,074; and in 1870, 3,070. The New Jersey Central Railroad runs through the township near its centre. Whitehouse, Potterstown, White House Station, Readington, Pleasant Run, Stanton, Rowland Mills and Centreville are post villages."
^Cold Brook School and Taylor's Mill, Readington Township. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Taylor's Mill is a stone gristmill built c. 1760 by Colonel John Taylor. The mill is located at the southwest corner of Taylor's Mill Road and Rockaway Road on the Readington/Tewksbury border. Taylor's Mill is the last surviving pre-Revolutionary mill in Readington Township and eastern Hunterdon County. It played a significant role in the Revolution by providing grain for the troops."
^Local Form of Government, Readington Township, updated September 7, 2018. Accessed June 1, 2024. "Under the current township government laws, the township committee remains the backbone of the municipality's government. Voters elect, at-large, the township committee comprising of five members. The elections are partisan and the committee members serve staggered three-year terms. The Township Committee elects the mayor and deputy mayor each January from its members for a one-year term."
^Kiriluk-Hill, Renée."Betty Ann Fort new Readington mayor in split vote at reorganization",Hunterdon County Democrat, January 6, 2015. Accessed March 12, 2015. "Betty Ann Fort was elected mayor in a split vote by her fellow Township Committee members on Jan. 5. Tom Auriemma will serve as deputy mayor.... The Township Committee remains all-Republican, but Tropella and Broten in the June primary had defeated incumbents Julia Allen and Frank Gatti, and then prevailed again in November after the incumbents launched a write-in campaign."
^Elected and Appointed Officials, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2025. "As top governing officials of Hunterdon County, the five Commissioners are chosen by popular vote in the November general elections. The term of office is for three years and the current compensation is $16,000 a year, with an extra $1,000 for the Director. One or two of the five members is elected each year."
^John E. Lanza, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2025.
^Shaun C. Van Doren, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2025.
^Jeff Kuhl, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2025.
^Zachary T. Rich, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2025.
^Susan Soloway, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2025.
^Readington Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Readington Township Public Schools, adopted March 22, 2005. Accessed January 12, 2025. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Readington Township School District. Composition: The Readington Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Readington Township."
^Hunterdon Central Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, adopted February 17, 1998. Accessed January 12, 2025. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District. Composition: The Hunterdon Central Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of, Delaware Township, East Amwell, Flemington Boro, Raritan Township, and Readington Township."
^About, Hunterdon Central Regional High School. Accessed January 12, 2025. "Located in beautiful, historic Hunterdon County in central New Jersey, Hunterdon Central Regional High School serves the five municipalities of Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Readington Township. The District is comprised of 152.5 square miles and has a population of approximately 48,680 residents. Student enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is approximately 2,300."
^Board of Education, Hunterdon Central Regional High School. Accessed January 12, 2025.
^Massand, Rikki."Hunterdon Central District to See Reapportionment of School Board Makeup Due to Census",TAPinto Flemington / Raritan, May 4, 2022. Accessed January 12, 2025. "Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeffrey Moore announced April 25 that there will be a reapportionment of seats on the nine-member school board due to results from the 2020 U.S. Census.... 'Beginning with board terms Jan. 1 of next year, the district will have two board members from Readington Township and four seats from Raritan Township instead of three from each of those municipalities.'"
^Heyboer, Kelly."How to get your kid a seat in one of N.J.'s hardest-to-get-into high schools", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, May 2017. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Hunterdon County's vo-tech district has three academies for high-achieving students, all operating in partnerships with local high schools.... The academies are open to all students in the county. Students in the 8th grade are required to submit an application, schedule an interview and take a placement exam."
^About Us, Whitehouse Rescue Squad. Accessed July 14, 2012.
^Fire Departments, Hunterdon County Department of Public Safety. Accessed February 23, 2025.
^Home Page, Whitehouse Station Volunteer Fire Co. #1. Accessed February 23, 2025.
^About Us, Readington Volunteer Fire Company. Accessed February 23, 2025.
^About Us, Three Bridges Volunteer Fire Company. Accessed February 23, 2025.
^Home Page, East Whitehouse Fire Department. Accessed February 23, 2025.
^Hunterdon County Short Line Rail StudyArchived January 20, 2022, at theWayback Machine, p. 9.Hunterdon County, New Jersey Planning Board, September 1998. Accessed November 15, 2019. "The Lehigh Line is a major regional line that connects the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (PA) metropolitan hub with the Newark (NJ) metropolitan area. The Lehigh Line enters the County at the Borough of Bloomsbury and passes through the Townships of Bethlehem, Union, Franklin, Clinton, and Raritan before exiting the County at the southern tip of Readington Township."
^Intersimone, Jenna."'It's time to just have fun': New Jersey balloon festival returns July 29-31",Courier News, July 15, 2022. Accessed August 8, 2022. "At the New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America that returns to Solberg Airport in Readington for the 39th time this July 29–31, it will almost seem that they can."
^Staff."Built Jersey Tough",Inside Jersey, February 2011, backed up by theInternet Archive as of March 10, 2011. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Bell, 24, hails from Stanton, a tiny community that neighbors the much larger and more business-oriented Flemington.... In 2002, she left Hunterdon Central High School midway through her sophomore year to enroll at Talent Unlimited, a performing arts school on Manhattan's Upper East Side."
^Resnick, Marin."Hundreds attend Cust's revised presentation for Union Hotel, downtown Flemington",Hunterdon Review, August 28, 2016. Accessed November 20, 2019. "Cust, a Whitehouse Station resident and founder of Diamond Nation baseball complex in Raritan Township, presented the renderings by Minno Wask Architects and Planners and Bohler Engineering."
^Webb, Harold W."Bergen Davis 1869-1958",National Academy of Sciences. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Bergen Davis was born on March 31, 1869, on a 125-acre farm near Whitehouse, New Jersey, the fourth son of John Davis and Catherine Dilts Davis."
^Seals, Bob."In Defense Of The Horse: Major General John K. Herr, Chief Of Cavalry", The Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation, May 7, 2009. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Born in 1878 in White House, New Jersey to Judge Henry Burdette Herr and Virginia Buford Large Herr, his family was what was commonly described in the 19th century as to be one of 'means'."
^Rule, Lucien V.Forerunners of Lincoln in the Ohio Valley: With Historic Summaries, p. 110. Press of Brandt & Fowler, 1927. Accessed June 16, 2020. "He was a student of medicine and practiced his profession in a little village near Elizabethtown, in Jersey State. He was a gifted and highly cultivated man and met with such success that he established himself for a number of years at Readington, Hunterdon county, in the same State. Here his son Jonathan was born in the year 1784."
^abBouman-Stickney HouseArchived 2016-06-23 at theWayback Machine, Readington Township. Accessed June 9, 2016. "In 1935, Broadway playwright and producer Howard Lindsay purchased the house and surrounding property as a gift for his wife, Broadway and movie actress Dorothy Stickney. Ms. Stickney and Mr. Lindsay used the house as a weekend and vacation retreat until Mr. Lindsay's death in 1968."
^"Tom Malloy; A Prominent Figure in the Indie Film Scene", Talker of the Town, April 22, 2017. Accessed July 2, 2018. "I was born in Red Bank, NJ, and grew up in farm country NJ, in Hunterdon county in a little town called Whitehouse Station."
^Gussow, Mel."William Marchant, 72,Desk Set Playwright",The New York Times, December 20, 1995. Accessed November 15, 2012. "Mr. Marchant had been a resident of the Actors Fund of America Nursing and Retirement Home in Englewood, N.J., before moving to the hospital last year. Before that, he lived in Stanton, N.J., in a house owned by the actress Dorothy Stickney, said Kenneth Stadnik, a neighbor."
^Wagman, Jake."Chris Christie hears it — from Ed Martin's mom",St. Louis Post Dispatch, October 6, 2011. Accessed July 9, 2018. "She questioned why Christie would support Wagner when 'Ed is a native born New Jerseyan,' the product of Readington Township Public Schools and St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City."
^Capitani, Cindy."Hundreds turn out in rain to support Tim Piazza Foundation", NJ Advance Media forNJ.com, August 16, 2017. Accessed November 4, 2017. "Piazza, a 19-year-old engineering student at Penn State University who grew up in Readington Township in Hunterdon County, died on Feb. 4 after falling face-first down a set of basement stairs on Feb. 2 at the fraternity house where he was pledging."
^Taylor, Troy."Women Who Sat In 'Old Sparky'", American Hauntings, March 20, 2014. Accessed September 21, 2015. "Born Martha 'Mattie' Garretson on September 18, 1849 in Readington Township, New Jersey, her early life was uneventful."
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