Warren County Cultural & Heritage Commission

Warren County, located in northwestern New Jersey, occupies an area of approximately 364 square miles, and is 32 miles long, with an average width of 13 miles. It ranks ninth in size among the State's 21 counties and 20th in population. Within the County is some of the most rugged and scenic terrain to be found in New Jersey. The landscape is characterized by a series of ridges and valleys in a northeasterly/southwesterly direction. Elevations range from 125 feet to 1,600 feet above sea level. The entire County is in the Delaware River watershed and is well watered by many streams and three of New Jersey's most scenic small rivers, all emptying into the Delaware. Among these are the Musconetcong, Paulins Kill and Pequest Rivers and the Pohatcong and Lopatcong Creeks.

In the northwestern part of the County, Kittatinny Mountain runs parallel with the Delaware River from the county line to the Delaware Water Gap. The Jenny Jump Mountain lies in a parallel but shorter range in the central part of the County. In the southwestern part of the County, Scott's Mountain and Pohatcong Mountain form the dividing ridges between the Pequest, Pohatcong and Musconetcong valleys. These fertile valleys have enabled the County to become an important agricultural district in the State.

The County is classified as a third-class county in the state and is divided into 23 municipalities, which include 18 townships, 3 towns (Belvidere, Hackettstown, and Phillipsburg), and 2 boroughs (Alpha and Washington). The Town of Belvidere is the county seat.

The County of Warren was separated from Sussex County by an act of the Legislature passed November 20, 1824. It was named for Dr. Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary War hero who fell in the Battle of Bunker Hill. The seat of justice for the new county was permanently established in Belvidere on April 20, 1825.

The townships or civil divisions at the time of its organization were Greenwich, Hardwick, Independence, Knowlton, Mansfield, Oxford and Pahaquarry. These were represented in the first Board of Chosen Freeholders, which met at Belvidere on May 11, 1825.

The first Europeans to come into the County were the Dutch, who came to Pahaquarry Township and dug for copper in the early 1600s. Already here were many temporary and permanent camp sites of territorial tribes of American Indians who relied on hunting and agriculture for their existence. During this period, the Dutch constructed a road from Pahaquarry to Kingston, New York, over which they transported the proceeds of their mining ventures. This road, the first commercial highway built in the United States, is known as "The Old Mine Road."

At Oxford are the ruins of an iron ore blast furnace which provided cannon balls for the Revolutionary War. It was constructed in 1741 and, except for a twenty year period, was active until 1884 when it was finally blown out. This furnace was the first in America to use the hot blast method.

The County operates under the freeholder form of county government. The Board of Chosen Freeholders consists of three members publicly elected for staggered terms of three years each.

The Freeholders supervise, direct and administer all county services and functions through the various departments, autonomous boards, agencies and commissions. Reporting to the Board of Chosen Freeholders is a County Administrator who manages and supervises day-to-day functions of the various departments.

In addition to the responsibility of linking the municipalities with state government, the Board of Chosen Freeholders has the following legislative responsibilities linked to its fiscal administration.

Formulating county policies; developing new county programs; appointing members of the various commissions and boards; and appropriating funds required from the 23 municipalities of the county to maintain all county services.

Services to the following areas are also provided:

General government; judiciary; regulations; roads and bridges; correctional and penal; solid waste management; health and welfare; and education.

The County is bounded by the Delaware River and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the west, by the Musconetcong River, Morris County and Hunterdon County to the east and southeast, and by Sussex County on the north. Even though the County is part of the New York/Newark Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area, it retains its predominantly rural character. In the mid-80's, rapid cyclical growth threatened to urbanize a large portion of the County; however, market forces subsided, returning the County to its traditional rate of steady but moderate growth.

The County has an excellent strategic location for reaching a large consumer market. Both New York and Philadelphia can be reached by express highways in 1 hours or less, and an area encompassing more than half the population of the U.S. and Canada are within a day's journey.

DEVELOPMENT TRENDS

The historic patterns of development for the County have been established by the geography of the area and the transportation system which developed in Colonial times. In general, the area north of Route 46, except for the Paulins Kill and Pequest valleys, is marked by rugged slopes and relatively shallow soils over bedrock which discouraged the early development of transportation, agriculture and economic development. South of Route 46, broader valleys exist between the ridges, and this landform encouraged development.

The County has remained largely rural except for the urban town centers of Phillipsburg, Hackettstown and Washington. These towns, plus the suburban municipalities adjoining them, are the major centers of population, business and industry in the County. These town centers are located along New Jersey Route 57, originally the Morris Turnpike, which serves as a link between the Lehigh Valley to the west and Morris County and Essex County to the east. In the early 1800's, the Morris Canal was built within this transportation corridor and was a major force in the economic development of the area. The canal, which was replaced by the railroads in the late 1800's, connected the agricultural areas of Warren County to the markets for farm products in the Newark and New York metropolitan area. The population centers of Phillipsburg, Hackettstown, Washington and Belvidere developed because they contained the commercial support services for the farmers in the region. Agriculture continues to play a strong part in the development of Warren County. The County continues to lead the state in production of milk, dairy cattle, feed corn and eggs.

During the 19th century, industrial development began in the population centers and a sizable employment base developed. Nonagricultural employment now represents approximately 96 percent of the County's total employment, and manufacturing employment represents nearly 27 percent of non-farm payroll employment. This percentile involved in manufacturing is currently the highest in the state.

Until the mid 1960's, most of the population growth in the County took place within areas close to the population centers of Phillipsburg, Hackettstown and Washington, with in-migration caused by increased commercial and industrial development.

In the 1960's, there was a noticeable increase in development activity when marginal farms were sold to land developers. New residents maintained their jobs in metropolitan areas and commuted great distances. Except for a short time in the 1970s when gasoline was rationed, this development pattern has generally continued through the 1980's to the present time.

COUNTY BUSINESS PATTERNS

Warren County demonstrated dramatic increases in business segments throughout the decade of the 1980's. Following are some examples derived from available statistics from the New Jersey Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Commerce:

In 1983, retail sales totaled $428,481,000, while the most recent total available (1987) was $627,703,000, an increase of 46.5 percent. The Census of Retail Trade, taken in 1992 and available in 1993, is expected to show dramatic increases in the retail area. Since 1987 a regional mall totaling 817,000 square feet with 95 stores has opened in Phillipsburg, and the Hackettstown Mall has been expanded to 23 stores and two movie theaters. A number of strip malls have opened in townships throughout the County.

In the area of per capita income, from 1983 to 1990, there was an increase from $12,248 to $21,656, an increase of 77 percent.

From 1980 to 1990, annual payroll for all businesses in the County increased from $370,148,000 to $710,591,000, an increase of 92 percent.

Warren County's intent in the field of economic development is to "attract positive tax ratables, improve job opportunities and to strengthen the County's economic base" while respecting the time-honored tradition of community home rule.

County goals take a balanced approach: To help those communities most in need or supportive of economic development, while helping retain the character and charm of the area as much as possible; and to not allow economic development to unduly strain the infrastructure, while not holding back sound evolutionary progress.

Warren County's quality of life attributes are inviting to managers and owners of companies looking for an ideal location for both growing a family and growing a business.

For family life, some of the things the County offers include traditional values; open space and outdoor recreation; living costs lower than suburban/urban areas; quaint villages along with new housing stock; good schools, and a low crime rate.

The County is serviced by the Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg, with a total of 248 beds, and the Hackettstown Community Hospital, with a total of 106 beds. Each facility has recently completed expansion projects.

Warren County has eight high schools, six of which are public, one is private and one is parochial. The secondary schools include North Warren Regional, Warren Hills Regional, Hackettstown High, Phillipsburg High, Belvidere High, Blair Academy, All-Saints Regional High and Warren County Vocational-Technical High School.

Colleges

There are two institutions of higher learning in the County: Centenary College, a four-year, private, co-educational college, and Warren County Community College, a two-year school.

Centenary College, the only full four year college in northwest New Jersey, has been serving this region since 1867 when it was founded as a Methodist-affiliated school. Historically a college for women, Centenary opened its doors to full-time co-ed classes in 1988. Co-ed housing became available in 1989. Seventy-six percent of the student body is from New Jersey, 10 percent are foreign and the remaining 14 percent are from all across the country. Twenty-eight percent are minorities and 30 percent are male.

Centenary College offers four-year degree programs in seven divisions, including Liberal Arts, Business, Fine Arts, Education, Fashion, Equine Studies and International Studies, and offers associate degree programs in some of those divisions.

The beautiful campus is situated on 42 acres in the heart of Hackettstown and is comprised of six residence halls, a large student center, fully equipped laboratories, art and athletic facilities, a nursery school and a fashion boutique. Within a short 20 minute drive is its 65-acre Equestrian Center.

Warren County Community College offers a wide range of associate degrees and certificate programs. Ancillary operations at the school include a Small Business Development Center encompassing five counties, a Human Resources Development Institute which works with area individuals and industries in customized training programs, and the Sussex/Warren Challenge Grant dealing with job training and retraining programs.

WC FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM

Founded in 1931, the Warren County Library provides free service to 55,345 (1990 census) area residents who live in 18 of the County's municipalities. (Residents of five municipalities are serviced by libraries in their own communities.) The Library services these residents through headquarters service in Belvidere, 15 weekly and semi-weekly Bookmobile stops, public and private school deposit collections, two associated community libraries, branch libraries in Franklin and Independence Townships, and a Federation with the Phillipsburg Free Public Library. The federation is the only one of its kind in New Jersey. Also, an additional branch library is presently being designed for location in Blairstown Township. It is anticipated that the Phillipsburg Library will be expanded and the headquarters library replaced in future years. The County Library is experiencing dramatic growth with almost 400,000 items loaned in 1992.

Some of the services that are offered by the County Library include: books, newspapers, periodicals, new book display areas, microforms, video tapes, audio cassettes, recordings, reference assistance, photocopy services, interlibrary loans, displays, New Jersey history collection, large-type books, CD-ROM indexing services and database searches.

The primary purpose of the County Library is to provide in an organized setting, the materials needed by residents to discharge their civic, informational, educational, and recreational responsibilities and to assist in the area of personal growth. The County Library serves people of all ages and walks of life throughout the County, and its collections reflect the needs of this diversified population.

Funding of the County Library is provided through a tax appropriation levied on the townships in the Library's service area (known as a dedicated tax) and through an annual State Aid appropriation by New Jersey.

The Pollution Control Financing Authority of Warren County was created in 1974 to assist in planning and carrying out the reduction, abatement, and prevention of environmental pollution and to construct pollution control facilities within the County.

In 1988, Warren County became the first county in New Jersey to erect a publicly-sponsored resource recovery plant. The $69 million energy-from-refuse plant located in Oxford Township has a capacity of burning 400 tons of refuse a day and produces 10 mw of electricity for sale to Jersey Central Power & Light Company. The plant, designed and built by Blount Energy Corp. of Montgomery, AL, is now operated by Ogden Martin, a New Jersey company, under an agreement with PCFA.

Warren County has also negotiated with other nearby counties to dispose of non-hazardous municipal solid waste. Located near the mass burning unit is a newly-constructed state of the art landfill.

County recycling activities are also the responsibility of the Pollution Control Financing Authority. The recycling office, located in the PCFA building in Oxford, acts as a regionalized materials marketer, coordinates recycling activities with the County's municipalities, distributes information to municipal recycling coordinators, and serves the role of recycling educator for the County.

The State of New Jersey has mandated a recycling goal of 25% of the waste stream; however, in 1990, The Governor's Solid Waste Task Force recommended a recycling goal of 60%. PCFA embraces the 60% goal, and the Warren County Recycling Plan for implementation is being rewritten to reflect the new goal.

The County's interim recycling center is located at the County Garage on Rt. 519. There, aluminum cans, tin and bi-metal cans, clear, brown and green glass, empty aerosol cans (excluding pesticide), corrugated cardboard, white office paper, computer paper, newspapers, magazines, PET plastic bottles, clear and colored HDPE plastic bottles, clear or colored PVC plastic bottles, clear or colored polypropylene plastic bottles, household batteries and used clothing are processed for market. The ultimate location for the County recycling center is expected to be adjacent to PCFA headquarters.

The Pollution Control Financing Authority of Warren County has established a household battery recovery program, the first such program in New Jersey. There are drop-off locations in every municipality in the County, and batteries are collected curbside in many municipal programs.

Warren County is located in the heart of the five-county Skylands Tourism Region established by the State of New Jersey in 1988.

Almost everything in the Heart of the Skylands is set against a backdrop of forest-covered hills. Nearly 40,000 acres are prime forest, and more than 61,000 acres are termed forest land of statewide importance. Our parks, forests and conservation lands total nearly 28,000 acres and include Jenny Jump State Forest, Stephens State Park, Allamuchy Mountain State Park, Worthington State Forest, Merrill Creek Environmental Resource Preserve, Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Educational Center, and, of course, the vast reaches of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

In the Heart of the Skylands, the picturesque valleys and the scenic glens offer endless diversity. Our country roads, whether biking, hiking or driving, offer many scenic splendors as well as country craft and antique shops to browse in, farms where you are able to pick fresh vegetables and fruits, and wineries where you are welcome to taste their fine selections.

The Delaware River, with 52 miles of county shoreline, is a major recreation resource. Visitors like to fish for bass and shad, enjoy canoeing, swimming and boating, and for those who really want to relax, you can tube down it. The Delaware's tributary streams and rivers, each having their own picturesque setting, are alive with sport fish, and other recreational opportunities.

There are also other features for the entire family, including a fantasy park called Land of Make Believe, and the Miniature Kingdom in Washington, where you can feel like Gulliver strolling through the Land of Lilliputians. At the Pequest Fish Hatchery and Natural Resource Educational Center near Oxford, you can see how brook, brown, and rainbow trout are raised before being stocked in New Jersey's streams and lakes. You can tour the high-tech facilities and see exhibits which imitate a trout stream, and watch nature films and listen to lectures.

At Blair Airport, you can go soaring or learn to fly. You can also take a breathtaking Hot Air Balloon Ride with any of five commercial balloon operations listed in the County's recreation directory. Your family can enjoy the beaches at Mountain Lake or Oxford Furnace Lake. There are also community parks, pools, country inns, golf courses, campgrounds, riding stables and fine restaurants for your enjoyment in the Heart of the New Jersey Skylands.

The Heart of the Skylands is also rich in history. On any street or road in any of the towns and hamlets, you'll pass stately homes from the 18th and 19th century, loved, cared for and still in use. Hope is a quaint village founded by the Moravians in the 18th century and is now a historic district. There is a small museum that will tell its story.

The Heart of the Skylands has what you need for family enjoyment: quaint historic villages, country shopping, fresh air, scenic splendor, a relaxing environment, and many family entertainment attractions. All of this without the traffic and the crowds. Come join us: "Warren County, You Should See Us Now."

CENSUS INFORMATION ON WARREN COUNTY COMMUNITIES
Municipality	Land Area Sq. Miles	1980 Population	1990 Census	Number Change	% Change 1980-1990
Allamuchy Township	20.30	2,560	3,484	924	36.1
Alpha Borough	1.80	2,644	2,530	-114	-4.3
Belvidere	1.35	2,475	2,669	194	7.8
Blairstown Township	30.90	4,360	5,331	971	22.3
Franklin Township	24.25	2,341	2,404	63	2.7
Frelinghuysen Township	23.60	1,435	1,779	344	24.0
Greenwich Township	11.15	1,738	1,899	161	9.3
Hackettstown	3.50	8,850	8,120	-730	-8.2
Hardwick Township	17.80	947	1,235	288	30.4
Harmony Township	24.10	2,592	2,653	61	2.4
Hope Township	19.20	1,468	1,719	251	17.1
Independence Township	20.40	2,829	3,940	1,111	39.3
Knowlton Township	25.40	2,074	2,543	489	22.6
Liberty Township	12.00	1,730	2,493	763	44.1
Lopatcong Township	7.45	4,998	5,052	54	1.1
Mansfield Township	30.50	5,780	7,154	1,374	23.8
Oxford Township	6.20	1,659	1,790	131	7.9
Pahaquarry Township	20.00	26	20	-6	-23.1
Phillipsburg	3.20	16,647	15,757	-890	-5.3
Pohatcong Township	13.00	3,856	3,591	-256	-6.9
Washington Borough	1.95	6,429	6,474	45	0.7
Washington Township	17.90	4,243	5,367	1,124	26.5
White Township	28.60	2,748	3,603	855	31.1
County Total	364.55	84,429	91,607	7,178	8.5