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Founding
Founding of Hopewell
borough in Mercer County, New Jersey
- 1696 – 1891
- North America
Founding
borough in Mercer County, New Jersey
Fetching the article from Wikipedia…
Hopewell is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Centrally located within the Raritan Valley region, this historical settlement (and its neighboring township of the same name) is an exurban commuter suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,918, a decrease of 4 (−0.2%) from the 2010 census count of 1,922, which in turn had reflected a decline of 113 (−5.6%) from the 2,035 counted at the 2000 census.
Hopewell was incorporated as by the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1891, from portions of Hopewell Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 21, 1891. Additional portions of Hopewell Township were annexed in 1915 and the borough was reincorporated in 1924.
The Lenape tribe of Native Americans were the original inhabitants of the area that would later become Hopewell. The first Colonial influence in Hopewell by European settlers was the purchase of a 30,000-acre (120 km2) tract of land by Daniel Coxe a Royal British governor of West Jersey, in the latter half of the 17th century. All land in Hopewell can be traced back to this purchase. In 1691 Coxe, transferred his land to a company called The West Jersey Society of England, who intended to sell the land. The society appointed an agent, Thomas Revell, to preside over the land and sell it to prospective buyers. Revell then attracted settlers from New England, Long Island, and New Jersey falsely claiming that the land was fertile, and tame. However, the families that arrived in Hopewell only found vast stretches of wilderness. The first settler in Hopewell Valley was Thomas Tindall who on November 10, 1699, bought a 300-acre (1.2 km2) tract of land from The West Jersey Society of England through Revell, for "ten pounds per hundred acres". Other early settlers in Hopewell are said to be the Stouts, who immigrated from Holmdel to Hopewell in 1706, including Jonathan Stout, who had hunted in the area together with the Lenape. Perhaps the first conflict between colonists in Hopewell was the dispute between Revell and the early inhabitants of Hopewell, who realized that their deeds were worthless due to Revell's false claims. Fifty settlers then organized a class action lawsuit against Revell and the West Jersey Society. A lengthy trial was held in Burlington and the court ultimately ruled against the settlers, who were forced to repurchase their land or relocate. Many settlers weren't able to repay and moved north into North Jersey and New York.
On April 23, 1715, the settlers who stayed in Hopewell, most notably the Stout family, organized the Old School Baptist Church, and what is now known as Hopewell was then referred to as "Baptist Meetinghouse". One of the most valued members of the meeting house was Declaration of Independence signer John Hart who in 1740 purchased 193 acres (0.78 km2) of land in the north of current day Hopewell, and in 1747 as a sign of Hart's devotion to the Church, donated a plot of his land to the Baptists. The next year the Baptists made good use of this land and in 1748 erected their Old School Baptist Church meeting house on West Broad Street. The meeting house brought in Baptists from miles around to Hopewell and encouraged Hopewell's early growth.
Numerous lumber mills were established in and around Hopewell at this time to process the lumber that was generated from the clearing of forests for farms.
In 1756, Isaac Eaton the first pastor of the Old School Baptist Church established the Hopewell Academy. One of his students, James Manning, would go on to establish Brown University in 1765.
The first railroad to reach Hopewell was the Mercer and Somerset Railway, which was backed by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was created largely to protect the monopoly the Pennsylvania Railroad had on New Jersey, by cutting off the first separately owned railroad in New Jersey, the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad, by being built in the way of it. It was completed in 1874. The Delaware and Bound Brook reached Hopewell in 1876, but the railroad had to cross the Mercer and Somerset's track just to the northwest of Hopewell. A dispute occurred at the crossing, known as a frog, and escalated into each company parking locomotives over the crossing to prevent the other company from moving trains over it. Eventually, militia had to be called in to keep the peace, and the Delaware and Bound Brook prevailed. Soon after the Frog War the Mercer and Somerset was liquidated having failed at its purpose. Some of the abandoned right of way for the Mercer and Somerset in Hopewell became Model Avenue. The Delaware and Bound Brook was leased by the Philadelphia and Reading in 1879 for 999 years and has become the CSX Trenton Line and is still in use today. The Frog is also what gives Hopewell Elementary school its mascot, "Freddy the Frog" in honor of the Hopewell frog war.
The main source of news for Hopewell Township prior to the 1960s was the Hopewell Herald, which was owned, operated, and published by the Savidge family of Hopewell.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.72 square miles (1.87 km2), all of which was land.
The borough is an independent municipality surrounded entirely by Hopewell Township, making it part one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.
The 2020 United States census counted 1,918 people in Hopewell Borough, representing a slight decrease from the 1,922 residents recorded in 2010. The population density was approximately 2,729.0 per square mile (1,053.5/km²). The borough contained 828 housing units, with an average density of 1,183 housing units per square mile (457/km²).
The racial makeup of the borough was 88.90% White, 1.70% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 6.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.40% of the population.
Of the 787 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18; 53.7% were married couples living together; 26.7% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 26.4% were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The age distribution was as follows: 21.2% were under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age for both sexes was approximately 44.6 years.
The 2010 United States census counted 1,922 people, 778 households, and 532 families in the borough. The population density was 2,735.2 per square mile (1,056.1/km2). There were 817 housing units at an average density of 1,162.7 per square mile (448.9/km2). The racial makeup was 95.06% (1,827) White, 1.51% (29) Black or African American, 0.10% (2) Native American, 0.68% (13) Asian, 0.05% (1) Pacific Islander, 1.51% (29) from other races, and 1.09% (21) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.69% (71) of the population.
Of the 778 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18; 54.6% were married couples living together; 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.6% were non-families. Of all households, 25.4% were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00.
24.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 36.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.7 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $105,417 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,866) and the median family income was $125,066 (+/− $15,420). Males had a median income of $91,375 (+/− $14,302) versus $55,357 (+/− $11,473) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $50,910 (+/− $5,465). About none of families and 0.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
As of the 2000 United States census there were 2,035 people, 813 households, and 561 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,963.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,144.3/km2). There were 836 housing units at an average density of 1,217.5 per square mile (470.1/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.43% White, 1.08% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 1.23% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of the population.
There were 813 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $77,270, and the median income for a family was $91,205. Males had a median income of $52,656 versus $47,315 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,413. None of the families and 2.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 5.2% of those over 64.
The Hopewell Museum documents life in the borough, with many artifacts collected from area residents.
Hopewell is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Hopewell is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. All legislative powers of the Borough of Hopewell are exercised by the borough council in the form of a resolution, ordinance or proclamation.
As of 2023, the mayor of Hopewell is Democrat Paul Anzano, whose term expires December 31, 2023. Members of the borough council are Council President Charles Schuyler "Sky" Morehouse (R, 2023), Ryan Kennedy (D, 2023), David Mackie (D, 2025), Samara McAuliffe (D, 2024), Debra Stuhler (D, 2024) and Krista Weaver (D, 2025).
The Hopewell Public Library was founded March 14, 1914, and was originally located at Broad and Mercer Streets in an old harness shop. The Hopewell Post Office had replaced the old bank building in 1915 and the Hopewell Public Library moved to its current location in the old Hopewell National Bank building in 1965.
Hopewell Borough is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 15th state legislative district.
For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 12th congressional district is represented by Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Ewing Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Andy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).
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