| Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey |
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Springfield Township is a , accessed February 22 , 2007 Springfield was formed as a township on April 14 , 1794 , from portions of Elizabeth Township and Newark Township , while the area was still part of Essex County , and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21 , 1798 . It became part of the newly-formed Union County on March 19 , 1857 , with portions remaining in Essex County used to create Millburn . Other portions of the township have been taken to form New Providence Township ( November 8 , 1809 , now known as Berkeley Heights ), Livingston ( February 5 , 1813 ), Summit ( March 23 , 1869 ) and Cranford , ( March 14 , 1871 )."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 240. The little known, but extremely critical, Battle Of Springfield was fought here, the last of many battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in New Jersey. Springfield is the home of the Baltusrol Golf Club , which was the host to the 2005 PGA Championship . It has also hosted other Golf Major Championships , including the U.S. Open , held on seven occasions at Baltusrol, most recently in 1993. HISTORY Springfield is celebrated as the site of a Battle Of Springfield between the American Continental Army and British forces on June 23 , 1780 . The British, under Hessian General Wilhelm Von Knyphausen , advanced from Elizabethtown about 5 o'clock in the morning. They were opposed by General Nathanael Greene , but owing to the superior number of the enemy he was compelled to evacuate Springfield, which was then burned by the British. During the action the Rev. James Caldwell , chaplain in the New Jersey brigade, is said to have distributed the Watts hymn books from the neighboring Presbyterian Church among the soldiers for Wadding , saying at the same time, "Now put Watts into them, boys." This battle prevented further advance on the part of the British. The American loss was about 15 and that of the British about 150. Some historical landmarks from the Revolution still stand: the Cannon Ball House, which has since been converted into a museum was (according to the township's official website) "Built circa 1741 and served as a farmhouse at the time of the Revolutionary War. During the Battle of Springfield (, 2005 Springfield's First Presbyterian Church, which had been burned by the British, was rebuilt, using much of the original structure and it remains at # 37 Church Mall to this day. GEOGRAPHY Springfield Township is located on the northern edge of Union County and is bordered by Millburn to the north in Essex County , by Union Township to the east, by Kenilworth to the southeast, by Westfield and Cranford to the south, by Mountainside to the southwest and by Summit to the northwest. According to the United States Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 13.3 Km&2 (5.2 Mi&2 ), all land. DEMOGRAPHICS
As of the Census 2 of 2000, there were 14,429 people, 6,001 households, and 4,014 families residing in the township. The Population Density was 1,081.8/km&2 (2,801.8/mi&2). There were 6,204 housing units at an average density of 465.1/km&2 (1,204.7/mi&2). The racial makeup of the township was 89.72% White , 3.72% African American , 0.02% Native American , 4.69% Asian , 0.96% from Other Races , and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.14% of the population. There were 6,001 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were Married Couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98. In the township the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $73,790, and the median income for a family was $85,725. Males had a median income of $55,907 versus $39,542 for females. The Per Capita Income for the township was $36,754. About 1.8% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the Poverty Line , including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over. GOVERNMENT Local government The Township of Springfield was established on April 14 , 1794 , and on that date held their first Township Meeting. This meeting was held pursuant to an Act of the New Jersey Legislature passed at Trenton on May 27 , 1793 . Under the , 2006 . The current members are Mayor Kenneth Faigenbaum, Deputy Mayor Bart Fraenkel, Steven Grau, Clara Harelik, Beth Manes. Springfield Township Administration , accessed March 2 , 2007 . Federal, state and county representation Springfield Township is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District. League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government , p. 55, accessed August 30 , 2006 . EDUCATION The Springfield Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are:
TRANSPORTATION A number of major highways and roadways pass through Springfield, including Interstate 78 , U.S. Route 22 , Route 24 , and Route 124 , as well as CR 509 Spur and CR 577 . New Jersey Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan in New York City and to points in New Jersey. Although there is no train station in Springfield, the Millburn and Short Hills stations make it very easy to access the New Jersey Transit train system. Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately ten miles east of Springfield. Historical Transportation The Rahway Valley Railroad passed through the community, and during the early 20th Century offered both freight and passenger service, but is currently out of service. A Trolley line called the Morris County Traction Company , ran trolley service through Springfield to/from Newark and Morris County, in the early part of the 20th Century. INTERESTING FACTS
NOTABLE RESIDENTS Notable current and former residents of Springfield Township include:
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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