Morris Township, New Jersey


Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 22,306, reflecting an increase of 510 from the 21,796 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,844 from the 19,952 counted in the 1990 Census.
It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area, though near Morris Plains the width of Morris Township is less than a mile.
Morris Township is home to the Morris Museum which is the second largest museum in New Jersey and has been in operation since 1913. The township is also home to the Morristown National Historical Park which in 1933 became the country's first National Historical Park.
The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Morris Township had a per capita income of $65,335, compared to per capita income in Morris County of $47,342 and statewide of $34,858.

History

Incorporation

Morris Township was originally formed as of March 25, 1740. Portions of the township were taken on December 24, 1740, to form Roxbury Township and on March 29, 1749, to form Mendham Township. Morris Township was incorporated as a township by the Township Act of 1798 by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as part of the state's initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to create Chatham Township, Morristown and Passaic Township. The township was named for Lewis Morris, colonial governor of New Jersey.

Arthur Seale

In 1992, Arthur Seale and his wife kidnapped Exxon executive Sidney Reso, a township resident, from his home. The Seals sought a ransom of $18.5 million, but Reso died in captivity. The case received nationwide attention.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 15.762 square miles, including 15.618 square miles of land and 0.144 square miles of water.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Convent Station, Gillespie Hill, Loantaka Terrace, Normandy Heights, Normandy Park and Washington Valley.
Morris Township completely surrounds Morristown, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders the Morris County municipalities of Denville, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, Morris Plains and Hanover Township to the north, Harding Township to the south, Mendham Township and Randolph to the west and Florham Park and Madison to the east.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $132,191 and the median family income was $154,265. Males had a median income of $108,448 versus $64,753 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $65,335. About 1.0% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 21,796 people, 8,116 households, and 5,949 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,383.0 people per square mile. There were 8,298 housing units at an average density of 526.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 88.63% White, 5.46% African American, 0.15% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.81% of the population.
There were 8,116 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% 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 64.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $101,902, and the median income for a family was $116,866. Males had a median income of $80,946 versus $50,864 for females. The per capita income for the township was $54,782. About 2.1% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Culture and Tourism

Actively running since 1913, the Morris Museum is the second largest museum in New Jersey at 75,524 square feet. The museum is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Since 1972, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm has been a state protected living history park and museum in Morris Township. Buildings from the 1870s and 1920s once owned by the families of Caroline Rose Foster and Joseph Warren Revere are preserved. Activities such as educational programs, historical reenactments, storytellers and public concerts are open to the general public primarily in the spring and summer months.

Economy

had been headquartered in Morris Township.
Companies with offices and facilities in Morris Township include the Louis Berger Group and The Seeing Eye, a guide dog school.

Government

Local government

Morris Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-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. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are selected by the Township Committee from among its members at a reorganization meeting held in the first week of January each year.
, members of the Morris Township Council are Mayor Catherine J. "Cathy" Wilson, Deputy Mayor Jeffrey R. Grayzel, John D. Arvanites, Mark J. Gyorfy and Peter V. Mancuso.
In March 2015, the Township Committee selected Municipal Prosecutor Matheu D. Nunn from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2015 of H. Scott Rosenbush, who resigned earlier that month as he was moving outside the township.

Federal, state, and county representation

Morris Township is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.

Politics

As of October 26, 2017, there were a total of 17,566 registered voters in Morris Township, of which 5,458 were registered as Democrats, 5,694 were registered as Republicans and 6,353 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 61 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 51.4% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.6%, and other candidates with 0.9%, among the 11,990 ballots cast by the township's 16,497 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 50.9% of the vote, ahead of Republican John McCain with 47.9% and other candidates with 0.6%, among the 12,797 ballots cast by the township's 16,201 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 51.9% of the vote, outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 47.1% and other candidates with 0.5%, among the 12,503 ballots cast by the township's 16,466 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.9.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.7% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.5%, and other candidates with 1.8%, among the 7,674 ballots cast by the township's 16,239 registered voters, for a turnout of 47.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.1% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 36.0%, Independent Chris Daggett with 7.9% and other candidates with 0.3%, among the 9,185 ballots cast by the township's 15,846 registered voters, yielding a 58.0% turnout.

Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the schools of the Morris School District, which also serves public school students from the communities of Morristown and Morris Plains. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 5,216 students and 441.4 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. Schools in the district are
Lafayette Learning Center,
Alexander Hamilton School,
Hillcrest School,
Thomas Jefferson School,
Normandy Park School,
Sussex Avenue School,
Alfred Vail School,
Woodland School,
Frelinghuysen Middle School and
Morristown High School. The nine elected seats on the board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with five seats assigned to Morris Township.
The Academy of St. Elizabeth is a Catholic school for girls that admitted its first students in 1860, located in the Convent Station area, and operated independently of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. The school has an enrollment of 230 students and is the oldest school for girls in New Jersey.
The College of Saint Elizabeth is a private Roman Catholic, four-year, liberal arts college for women, located in Convent Station. The college was founded in 1899 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth of New Jersey.
The Rabbinical College of America, one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic yeshivas in the world is located in Morristown. The Rabbinical College of America has a Baal Teshuva yeshiva for students of diverse Jewish backgrounds, named Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim. The New Jersey Regional Headquarters for the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement is located on the campus.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Morris County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
A few major roads pass through the community. Those include Route 124, Route 24, CR 510, U.S. Route 202, and Interstate 287.

Public transportation

is a NJ Transit rail station located on the grounds of the College of Saint Elizabeth, offering service on the Morristown Line to Newark Broad Street Station, Secaucus Junction, Penn Station New York and Hoboken Terminal.
NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 872, 873, 875 and 880 routes, replacing service that had been offered on the MCM1, MCM2, MCM3, MCM4, MCM8 and MCM10 routes until 2010, when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts.
The Morris County Traction Company began trolley service in downtown Dover in July 1904, and expanded over the years until the system was completed in 1914 all the way to Newark, via Morristown and Summit, including service in Morris Township. The trolleys were replaced with buses in 1928.

Notable people

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