Moorestown, New Jersey


Moorestown is a township in Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia and geographically part of the South Jersey region of the state. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 21,355, its highest decennial census count ever and an increase of 629 from the 2010 census count of 20,726, which in turn had reflected an increase of 1,709 from the 19,017 counted at the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
Moorestown was authorized to be incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 11, 1922, from portions of Chester Township, subject to the approval of voters in the affected area in a referendum. Voters approved the creation on April 25, 1922. The township is named for a Thomas Moore who settled in the area in 1722 and constructed a hotel though other sources attribute the name to poet Thomas Moore.
Chester Township had banned all liquor sales in 1915, and Moorestown retained the restrictions for more than 70 years after Prohibition ended in 1933. Referendums aiming to repeal the ban failed in both 1935 and 1953. In 2007, the township council approved a referendum that would allow the sale by auction of six liquor licenses, with estimates that each license could sell over $1 million each. The referendum did not receive enough votes to pass. In 2011, voters repealed the liquor ban; however, liquor sales in the township will be restricted to the Moorestown Mall.
In 2005, Moorestown was ranked number one in Money magazine's list of the 100 best places to live in America. The magazine screened over a thousand small towns and created a list of the top 100 for its August 2005 issue, in which Moorestown earned the top spot.
WWW moorestown.nj.us

History

Main Street is located along a ridge historically occupied by the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. Two natural springs, one to the west and one to the east drew Native Americans and traders to the area.
In 1682, John and Sarah Roberts became the first English-speaking residents of Moorestown when they established their home. Their residence is now marked by the Roberts Monument at the intersection of County Route 537 and Route 73. In May 1686, three years after the founding of Philadelphia, John Rodman bought on the west side of Chester Township, and Thomas Rodman bought in the same area; this soon became known as the Village of Rodmantown. The growing area around the eastern spring was known as the Village of Chestertown.
In 1700, the first Society of Friends' Meeting House, built of logs, was erected on the King's Highway. Originally known as Meeting House Lane, Chester Avenue was laid out in 1720. The community at that time probably consisted of a few farmhouses along the King's Highway from Stanwick Road to Locust Street.
Thomas Moore and his wife Elizabeth settled here in 1722. In 1732, Moore purchased of land on the north side of the King's Highway. The land ran from the west side of the Friends' graveyard on the northwest corner of the King's Highway and Meeting House Lane on the east, and west to Locust Street on the western boundary of his property and north to Second Street. Moore set up a hotel on the northwest corner of the King's Highway and Union streets. Given Moore's extensive property ownership, the name Moorestown gradually replaced Chester informally in the center of town. Finally, Moorestown formerly split off from Chester and became a Township.
The Coles Hotel, east of the corner of Main and Chester, was a stop on the stagecoach route connecting Camden with Trenton and Philadelphia. Construction of the railroad in 1867 superseded the stagecoaches and connected Mount Holly and Camden.
A tavern built in 1745 by John Cox at what is now Main and Schooley streets was taken over in 1778 during the Revolutionary War by Hessian officers retreating from Philadelphia. In the years after the war, it was used for a town hall before 1812, when what is now called "Old Town Hall" was constructed.
A house constructed in 1742 by John Cowperthwaite at King's Highway and Lenola Road is listed in the Library of Congress with details of the house recorded in 1937 by the Historic American Buildings Survey of the United States Department of the Interior.
Quakers built Moorestown's first two schools in 1785. A brick schoolhouse was located near what is now the intersection of Route 73 and the Kings Highway overpass. A stone schoolhouse was located adjacent to the present Friends Meeting House at the intersection of Chester Avenue and Main Street. The first district school was opened in 1810. The first free Moorestown public school was established in 1873.
Vernon Hill's mansion Villa Collina—Italian for "Hill House"—the largest private residence in New Jersey, is located in Moorestown.
Moorestown's Quaker heritage is discussed in Moorestown resident and native historian William H. Kingston's book, Moorestown's Third Century: The Quaker Legacy.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 14.94 square miles, including 14.73 square miles of land and 0.21 square miles of water.
The township is located in southwest Burlington County and borders Maple Shade to the south, Cinnaminson, and Delran to the west, Willingboro on the north and Mount Laurel to the east. Moorestown is approximately east of Philadelphia.
Moorestown-Lenola is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Moorestown, which had a 2020 population of 14,240.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Bortons Landing, North Bend, Stanwick and West Moorestown.

Climate

The climate in the Moorestown area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cooler winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Moorestown has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 20,726 people, 7,450 households, and 5,625 families in the township. The population density was. There were 7,862 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 84.50% White, 6.42% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 6.00% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.48% of the population.
Of the 7,450 households, 38.1% had children under the age of 18; 61.7% were married couples living together; 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.5% were non-families. Of all households, 21.8% were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.21.
27.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.1 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $108,655 and the median family income was $129,217. Males had a median income of $100,266 versus $60,057 for females. The per capita income for the township was $58,458. About 1.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 19,017 people, 6,971 households, and 5,270 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 7,211 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 89.19% White, 5.69% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.27% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population.
There were 6,971 households, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.13.
Age distribution was 27.4% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median household income was $78,826, and the median family income was $94,844. Males had a median income of $74,773 versus $39,148 for females. The per capita income for the township was $42,154. About 2.4% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Several notable businesses house offices and operations in Moorestown. National and international corporations located in Moorestown Township include Destination Maternity, Lockheed Martin, Comcast Cable, Coca-Cola, and the United States Navy.
Otis Elevator has its largest U.S. branch in Moorestown outside of the Otis Elevator headquarters located in Farmington, Connecticut.
BAYADA Home Health Care, which employs over 18,000 nursing support staff in 250 offices throughout the United States and India, has its international headquarters in Moorestown.

Government

Local government

Moorestown's municipal government operates within the Faulkner Act under Council-Manager plan E, which was implemented as of January 1, 1967, based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission. This form of government is used in 42 municipalities statewide. The Township Council is comprised of five members, who are elected at-large in partisan elections to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the council selects a mayor and a deputy mayor from among its members. The township manager, a full-time professional administrator, is appointed by the council. Under the township's administrative code and the Faulkner Act, the manager has the township's executive and administrative authority and responsibility. The township manager is Kevin Aberant.
, the Moorestown Township Council includes Mayor Quinton Law, Deputy mayor Sue Mammarella, James A. Barry, Nicole Gillespie and Christopher Keating.
In 2004, Moorestown elected a majority Democratic council for the first time in its history. In 2008, the Moorestown Republicans won back three seats, giving them a 4–1 majority starting in 2009. On Election Day 2012, Republicans Victoria Napolitano, and Phil Garwood, along with Democrat J. Greg Newcomer, won election to the three open seats on the township council, outpacing Republican Pete Palko and Democrats Brian Sattinger and Mark Hines. Republicans maintained a 4–1 majority, and Stacey Jordan was sworn in as Moorestown's first female mayor on January 7, 2013.
During summer 2007, the township hall suffered smoke and water damage caused by an electrical fire. The township offices were temporarily located at 2 Executive Place, Moorestown Township with council meetings held during that time at the William Allen Middle School Auditorium and court sessions are conducted in Maple Shade. On December 10, 2012, Town Council members John Button, Greg Gallo, Stacey Jordan, Chris Chiacchio, and Mike Testa, along with Councilmembers-elect Victoria Napolitano and Greg Newcomer, broke ground on the new Town Hall, which was completed in 2014
In the 2014 elections, Stacey Jordan was re-elected to council along with her Republican running mate, Manny Delgado, who made history by becoming Moorestown's first Hispanic Councilman when he took office in January 2015. During the same reorganization meeting, Victoria Napolitano became Moorestown's youngest mayor ever at the age of 26, and may also be the youngest female to ever hold the office of mayor statewide.
In December 2015, the township council selected Lisa Petriello from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in 2016 that was vacated by Greg Newcomer when he left office the previous month.
In November 2016, Republican incumbent Victoria Napolitano won re-election along with her Republican running mate Mike Locatell and Democrat Lisa Petriello, continuing the Republican Party's 4-to-1 majority. At the township's January 2017 reorganization meeting, Manny Delgado was elected by his peers as Moorestown's first Hispanic mayor.
In 2018, the township had an average property tax bill of $11,241, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide. That year, Democrats Nicole Gillespie and Brian Donnelly defeated Republican incumbent Manny Delgado and Jamie Boren, giving Democrats control of council for the second time in history. At the council's reorganization meeting in January, 2019 Lisa Petriello was elected by her peers as mayor, with Nicole Gillespie serving as deputy mayor.
In January 2020, Nicole Gillespie was elected mayor and Brian Donnelly as deputy mayor. On November 3, 2020 Democrats Sue Mammarella, Dave Zipin and Jake VanDyken made history by defeating three Republican opponents to give Democrats the first ever 5-0 majority on Moorestown council beginning in January, 2021.
In January 2021, the Township Council unanimously elected Nicole Gillespie as mayor for a 2-year term, Sue Mammarella as deputy mayor, and selected Quinton Law to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Brian Donnelly until he resigned from office. The appointment made Law the youngest and the first Black councilmember in township history. Law served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.
In January 2022, Nicole Gillespie was re-elected to a second term on council and Quinton Law was elected to a full term, retaining the Democrats' 5-0 majority. In January 2023, Nicole Gillespie and Quinton Law were unanimously elected as mayor and deputy mayor by their peers. In December 2023, Jake Van Dyken resigned from the Moorestown council for personal reasons, and the remaining councilmembers unanimously appointed Christopher Keating to fill the unexpired term until December 2024.

Federal, state, and county representation

Moorestown is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 7th state legislative district.

Historic district

The Moorestown Historic District is a historic district encompassing the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1990, for its significance in architecture, commerce, community development, and exploration/settlement from 1720 to 1940. The district includes 351 contributing buildings and four contributing sites. Breidenhart, Moorestown Friends School and Meetinghouse, Smith Mansion, and Town Hall, which were previously listed individually on the NRHP, contribute to the district.

Education

The Moorestown Township Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,884 students and 345.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.2:1. Schools in the district are
George C. Baker Elementary School with 397 students in grades PreK-3,
Mary E. Roberts Elementary School with 313 students in grades PreK-3,
South Valley Elementary School with 392 students in grades PreK-3,
Moorestown Upper Elementary School with 853 students in grades 4-6,
William Allen Middle School with 616 students in grades 7-8 and
Moorestown High School with 1,267 students in grades 9-12.
Students from Moorestown, 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.
Moorestown Friends School is a private Quaker school located at East Main Street and Chester Avenue. The school serves approximately 700 students from preschool through twelfth grade.
Our Lady of Good Counsel School, which operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, is attached to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish; located behind the church on Prospect Avenue, it was founded in 1927 and has about 480 students from nursery through eighth grade. In 2015, the school was one of 15 schools in New Jersey, and one of six private schools, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the exemplary high performing category by the United States Department of Education.
Additionally there are students from Moorestown who attend Resurrection Catholic School in Cherry Hill. This school is under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, 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.
The most prominent highway serving Moorestown is Route 38. CR 537 also passes through the town. Both roads run east–west and parallel to each other with no intersection.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia on routes 317, and during rush hours weekdays, on the 414. Other buses such as the 407, 413 and 457 run between the Moorestown Mall and the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden, from which there are connecting buses into Philadelphia and a station on the PATCO Speedline with service between Center City Philadelphia and Lindenwold. Burlington County provides rush hour public transit van service on the Burlink B9 route on weekdays from the Palmyra River Line station to the Moorestown Mall and some intermediate points.
Moorestown does not have its own train station, though the original plan of the PATCO line had a station in Moorestown. Residents can drive to train stations in the nearby communities of Haddonfield and Lindenwold for access to the PATCO Speedline, and to Palmyra for NJ Transit's River Line service which connects to New York Penn Station through Trenton. NJ Transit Rail Operations still owns the single-track railway in the township, running from Pennsauken to Mount Holly, as a rail trail.

Miracle on the Hudson

On June 5, 2011, J. Supor & Son transported the fuselage of US Airways Flight 1549 through Moorestown en route to the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The convoy spent over 1.5 hours working to negotiate a single right turn in the center of the town. This was the most difficult maneuver on the entire seven-day, 788-mile journey. The difficulty of this one turn was known in advance. In order to negotiate the turn the team had to temporarily remove a street light and the corner of a grave yard fence.

Notable people

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

Moorestown in fiction

  • The song "Moorestown" by Sun Kil Moon is set in Moorestown.