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Moorestown, New Jersey
Township
Township of Moorestown
Moorestown Historic District
Moorestown Historic District
Moorestown Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Moorestown Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Moorestown, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Moorestown, New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey is located in Burlington County, New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey
Location in Burlington County, New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey is located in the United States
Moorestown, New Jersey
Moorestown, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Burlington
Founded 1682
Incorporated March 11, 1922
Government
 • Type Faulkner Act (council–manager)
 • Body Township Council
Area
 • Total 14.94 sq mi (38.70 km2)
 • Land 14.73 sq mi (38.15 km2)
 • Water 0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)  1.43%
Area rank 175th of 565 in state
16th of 40 in county
Elevation
69 ft (21 m)
Population
 • Total 20,726
 • Estimate 
(2019)
20,516
 • Rank 125th of 566 in state
7th of 40 in county
 • Density 1,410.6/sq mi (544.6/km2)
 • Density rank 343rd of 566 in state
20th of 40 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08057
Area code(s) 609 and 856
FIPS code 3400547880
GNIS feature ID 0882095

Moorestown is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and an eastern suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 20,726, reflecting an increase of 1,709 (+9.0%) from the 19,017 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 2,901 (+18.0%) from the 16,116 counted in the 1990 Census.

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 (now Maple Shade 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. Referenda 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 (the state limit of one per every 3,000 residents), 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 because of its community feeling, in addition to plentiful jobs within the commuting area, excellent schools, low crime rate, and affordable housing. Another attribute is its proximity to Philadelphia (about a 25-minute commute), a center of jobs and cultural and urban amenities.

History

Roberts Monument b
Roberts Monument
All are welcome
Friends Meeting House
Breidenhart (5)
Breidenhart was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Main Street (formerly the King's Highway) follows a ridge that had been occupied by the historic Lenni Lenape Native Americans. Two fine springs, one to the west (off Main Street before reaching the Perkins Center for the Arts, just by Roberts Elementary School) and one to the east (off North Stanwick Road) drew Native Americans and traders to the area.

In 1682, John and Sarah Roberts became the first English-speaking residents of Moorestown when they began to live in their home where the Roberts Monument is presently located on County Route 537 at the intersection with Route 73. In May 1686, three years after the founding of Philadelphia, John Rodman bought 500 acres (2.0 km2) on the west side of Chester Township, and Thomas Rodman bought 533 acres (2.2 km2) 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 33 acres (130,000 m2) 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 (Cornerstone Bank and the Wawa now occupy opposite corners there). 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 Township 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 46,000 square feet (4,300 m2) 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 United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 14.918 square miles (38.638 km2) including 14.693 square miles (38.055 km2) of land and 0.225 square miles (0.583 km2) of water (1.51%).

The township is located in southwest Burlington County and borders Maple Shade Township to the south, Cinnaminson Township and Delran Township to the west, Willingboro Township on the north and Mount Laurel Township to the east. Moorestown Township is approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Philadelphia.

Moorestown-Lenola is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Moorestown, which had a 2010 population of 14,217.

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 cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Moorestown Township has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 7,247
1940 7,749 6.9%
1950 9,123 17.7%
1960 12,497 37.0%
1970 15,577 24.6%
1980 15,596 0.1%
1990 16,116 3.3%
2000 19,017 18.0%
2010 20,726 9.0%
2019 (est.) 20,516 −1.0%
Population sources:
1930-2000 1930
1930-1990 2000 2010

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 20,726 people, 7,450 households, and 5,625 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,410.6 per square mile (544.6/km2). There were 7,862 housing units at an average density of 535.1 per square mile (206.6/km2)*. The racial makeup of the township was 84.50% (17,513) White, 6.42% (1,331) Black or African American, 0.09% (18) Native American, 6.00% (1,244) Asian, 0.02% (5) Pacific Islander, 0.81% (168) from other races, and 2.16% (447) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.48% (721) of the population.

There were 7,450 households out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 21.8% of all households 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.

In the township, the population was spread out with 27.3% 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 there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 86.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $108,655 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,347) and the median family income was $129,217 (+/- $6,334). Males had a median income of $100,266 (+/- $4,901) versus $60,057 (+/- $11,139) for females. The per capita income for the township was $58,458 (+/- $3,172). 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.

Transportation

2018-05-22 18 12 22 View east along New Jersey State Route 38 at Burlington County Route 608 (Lenola Road) in Moorestown Township, Burlington County, New Jersey
Route 38 in Moorestown

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 123.52 miles (198.79 km) of roadways, of which 96.15 miles (154.74 km) were maintained by the municipality, 24.65 miles (39.67 km) by Burlington County and 2.72 miles (4.38 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

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

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia on routes 317 (from Asbury Park), 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 Township to Mount Holly, as a rail trail.

Transportation of "Miracle on the Hudson" US Airways Flight 1549

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.

Moorestown in fiction

  • The song "Moorestown" by Sun Kil Moon is set in Moorestown.
  • Moorestown Township Schools's 2014–15 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education

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.

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.

Education

The Moorestown Township Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,997 students and 348.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are George C. Baker Elementary School (378 students; in grades PreK-3), Mary E. Roberts Elementary School (346; PreK-3), South Valley Elementary School (405; PreK-3), Moorestown Upper Elementary School (916; 4-6), William Allen Middle School (638; 7-8) and Moorestown High School (1,293; 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 Township.

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 Regional Catholic Schools in Cherry Hill. This school is under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Moorestown, New Jersey

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

MSG O'Connor
Brendan O'Connor
  • Diane Allen (born 1948), represents the 7th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly.
  • Samuel Leeds Allen (1841–1918), inventor and manufacturer of farm equipment and the Flexible Flyer sled.
  • Mary Ellen Avery (1927–2011), pediatrician, whose research efforts helped lead to the discovery of the main cause of respiratory distress syndrome in premature babies.
  • Emily Bacon (1891-1972), physician who was the first pediatric specialist in Philadelphia.
  • Lillian Lewis Batchelor (1907–1977), librarian who was president of the American Association of School Librarians.
  • Sam Bishop (born 1983), professional soccer goalkeeper.
  • David Bispham (1857–1921), opera singer.
  • Francis L. Bodine (born 1936), represented the 8th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1994–2008.
  • Hugh Borton (1903–1995), Japanese studies expert who served for 10 years as president of Haverford College.
  • T. J. Brennan (born 1989), defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL.
  • Dave Brock (born 1967), wide receivers coach for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League.
  • Lem Burnham (born 1947), former National Football League executive and player.
  • Kevin Chamberlin (born 1963), actor.
  • Bobby Clarke (born 1949), former National Hockey League player with the Philadelphia Flyers.
  • Gary Close (born 1957), assistant coach for the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team.
  • Josh Cody (1892–1961), member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
  • John S. Collins (1837–1928), developer of Miami Beach, Florida.
  • Herb Conaway (born 1963), politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1998, where he represents the 7th Legislative District.
  • Phil Costa (born 1987), former football player with the Dallas Cowboys.
  • Brad Costello (born 1974), former American football punter who played for the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL and the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe.
  • Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015), Christian author and speaker.
  • Colin Farrell, head coach of the University of Pennsylvania lightweight rowing team.
  • Dereck Faulkner (born 1985), wide receiver who played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Edwin B. Forsythe (1916–1984), member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey who served as mayor of Moorestown from 1957–62.
  • Walter French (1899–1984), football All-American and professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1923–1929.
  • Joseph H. Gaskill (1851-1935), judge on the New Jersey Court of Common Pleas and Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1893 to 1896.
  • John F. Gerry (1926–1995), former chief United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
  • Chris Gheysens (born c. 1972), president and chief executive officer of Wawa Inc.
  • Bill Guerin (born 1970), right winger who earned the Stanley Cup with both the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins.
  • Edward Harris (1799–1863), introduced the Percheron horse to America; benefactor of John James Audubon; lived at Smith-Cadbury Mansion.
  • Vernon Hill (born 1946), founder and former chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Commerce Bancorp and Commerce Bank of Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey.
  • Leon A. Huff (born 1942), co-founder and vice-chairman of Gamble-Huff Music, a songwriting and record production team who have written and produced 15 gold singles and 22 gold albums.
  • Alfred Hunt (1817–1888), first president of Bethlehem Iron Company, precursor of Bethlehem Steel Corporation.
  • Elisha Hunt (1779-1873), principal entrepreneur behind the company that built the historic steamboat Enterprise.
  • Esther Hunt (1751–1820), pioneer who lived on America's frontier as a wife, a mother and a leader in her Quaker faith.
  • John Hunt (1740-1824), Quaker minister and journalist.
  • Eldridge R. Johnson (1867–1945), founder of Victor Talking Machine Company.
  • Jevon Kearse (born 1976), former NFL defensive end who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.
  • Tim Kerr (born 1960), former NHL right wing who played for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.
  • Ruth G. King (born 1933), educational psychologist who was the first woman to serve as president of the Association of Black Psychologists.
  • Matt Langel (born 1977), head coach for the Colgate Raiders men's basketball team.
  • Jonathan V. Last (born 1974), columnist for The Weekly Standard.
  • Al LeConey (1901–1959), gold medal winner in the 4x100 meter relay at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
  • Kathy Linden (born 1938), pop singer who scored hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with "Billy" and "Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye".
  • Donovan McNabb (born 1976), former professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Stephen W. Meader (1892–1977), author of more than 40 novels for boys and girls.
  • Freddie Mitchell (born 1978), former professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Victoria Napolitano (born 1988), politician who became Moorestown's youngest mayor, when she took office in 2015 at age 26.
  • David A. Norcross (born 1937), politician who ran for United States Senate in 1976 and served as chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee.
  • Brendan O'Connor (born c. 1960), recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic action in Afghanistan.
  • Christine O'Donnell (born 1969), Republican candidate in Delaware's 2010 United States Senate special election.
  • Terrell Owens (born 1973), former professional football player who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and other teams.
  • Sal Paolantonio, (born 1956), Philadelphia-based bureau reporter for ESPN.
  • Alice Paul (1885–1977), leader of a campaign for women's suffrage resulting in passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
  • Doug Pederson (born 1968), head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.
  • Jim Picken (1903-1975), early professional basketball player.
  • John Pryor (1966-2008), serviceman and surgeon who was killed on duty in Mosul, Iraq.
  • Samuel K. Robbins (1853–1926), politician who served as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and president of the New Jersey Senate.
  • Julie Robenhymer (born 1981), Miss New Jersey 2005.
  • Jeremy Roenick (born 1970), professional hockey player, former player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
  • Jon Runyan (born 1973), football player for the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers who was elected to represent New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2015.
  • Jon Runyan Jr. (born 1997), guard in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers.
  • Steve Sabol (1942–2012), president and co-founder of NFL Films.
  • Ulf Samuelsson (born 1964), professional hockey player, former player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
  • Lauren Schmetterling (born 1988), rower who won a total of three gold medals in the Women's eight competition at the 2013 World Rowing Championships, the 2015 World Rowing Championships and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Katherine Shindle (born 1977), Miss America 1998 and actress.
  • Ben Simmons (born 1996), professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers.
  • Scott Terry (born 1976), songwriter and singer who has fronted the band Red Wanting Blue.
  • Albert W. Van Duzer (1917-1999), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, serving from 1973 to 1982.
  • John Vanbiesbrouck (born 1963), professional hockey player, former player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
  • James Weinstein, transportation planner and executive who served as executive director of New Jersey Transit.
  • Brian Willison (born 1977), director of the Parsons Institute for Information Mapping.
  • Helen Van Pelt Wilson (1901-2003), garden writer.
  • Esther V. Yanai (1928-2003), advocate for open-space preservation in Moorestown.
  • Albert Young (born 1985), former football player for the University of Iowa and Minnesota Vikings.
  • Tim Young (born 1968), silver medal-winning rower in the quadruple sculls at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
  • Martha Zweig (born 1942), poet.

See also

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