Moorestown, New Jersey

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 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), based on the results of a referendum held on April 25, 1922.

The township banned all liquor sales in 1915 and retained the restrictions 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 In 2011, voters repealed the liquor ban; however, liquor sales in the township will be restricted to the Moorestown Mall.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
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 acre on the west side of Chester Township, and Thomas Rodman bought 533 acre 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 acre 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 46000 sqft 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 mi 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.

2010 Census
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.

2000 Census
At the 2000 United States Census there were 19,017 people, 6,971 households, and 5,270 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,287.3 per square mile (497.1/km²). There were 7,211 housing units at an average density of 488.1 per square mile (188.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.19% White, 5.69% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.27% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population.

There were 6,971 households of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.13.

Age distribution was 27.4% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 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 84.9 males.

The median household income was $78,826, and the median family income was $94,844. Males had a median income of $74,773 versus $39,148 for females. The per capita income for the township was $42,154. About 2.4% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Several notable businesses house offices and operations in Moorestown. National and international corporations located in Moorestown Township include Lockheed Martin, Comcast Cable, Coca-Cola, and the United States Navy.

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.

Local government
Moorestown's municipal government operates within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under Council-Manager plan E, which was implemented as of January 1, 1967, based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission. A five-member Council is elected at-large on a partisan basis, with each member serving a four-year term of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even years. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the council selects a mayor and a deputy mayor from among its members.

The Township Manager, a full-time professional administrator, is appointed by the Council. Under the Township's administrative code and the Faulkner Act, the Manager has the township's executive and administrative authority and responsibility. The Township Manager is Scott Carew.

, members of the Moorestown Township Council are Mayor Victoria Napolitano (R, term ends December 31, 2016), Deputy Mayor Phil Garwood (R, 2016), Manny Delgado (R, 2018), Stacey Jordan (R, 2018) and J. Greg Newcomer (D, 2016).

In the 2014 elections, Stacey Jordan was re-elected to Council along with her Republican running mate, Manny Delgado, who made history by becoming Moorestown's first Hispanic Councilman when he took office in January 2015. During the same reorganization meeting, Victoria Napolitano became Moorestown's youngest Mayor ever at the age of 26, and may also be the youngest female to ever hold the office of Mayor statewide.

In 2004, Moorestown elected a majority Democratic council for the first time in its history. In 2008, the Moorestown Republicans won back three seats, giving them a 4-1 majority starting in 2009. On Election Day 2012, Republicans Victoria Napolitano (5,580 votes), and Phil Garwood (5,467 votes), along with Democrat J. Greg Newcomer (5,345 votes), won election to the three open seats on the Township Council, outpacing Republican Pete Palko (5,321 votes) and Democrats Brian Sattinger (4,899 votes) and Mark Hines (4,869 votes). Republicans maintained a 4-1 majority, and Stacey Jordan was sworn in as Moorestown's first female Mayor on January 7, 2013.

During the summer of 2007, the Township Hall suffered smoke and water damage caused by an electrical fire. The township offices were temporarily located at 2 Executive Place, Moorestown Township with Council meetings held during that time at the William Allen Middle School Auditorium and court sessions are conducted in Maple Shade. On December 10, 2012, Town Council members John Button, Greg Gallo, Stacey Jordan, Chris Chiacchio, and Mike Testa, along with Councilmembers-elect Victoria Napolitano and Greg Newcomer, broke ground on the new Town Hall, which was completed in 2014

Federal, state and county representation
Moorestown is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 7th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Moorestown Township had been in the 8th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 13,978 registered voters in Moorestown Township, of which 3,955 (28.3% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 5,126 (36.7% vs. 23.9%) were registered as Republicans and 4,887 (35.0% vs. 42.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 67.4% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 92.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 5,789 votes (49.8% vs. 58.1% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 5,656 votes (48.7% vs. 40.2%) and other candidates with 102 votes (0.9% vs. 1.0%), among the 11,623 ballots cast by the township's 14,801 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.5% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 6,099 votes (51.9% vs. 58.4% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 5,435 votes (46.3% vs. 39.9%) and other candidates with 98 votes (0.8% vs. 1.0%), among the 11,746 ballots cast by the township's 14,274 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.3% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 5,792 votes (50.4% vs. 46.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 5,576 votes (48.6% vs. 52.9%) and other candidates with 66 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 11,482 ballots cast by the township's 13,714 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.7% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,683 votes (66.4% vs. 61.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 2,210 votes (31.3% vs. 35.8%) and other candidates with 71 votes (1.0% vs. 1.2%), among the 7,058 ballots cast by the township's 14,925 registered voters, yielding a 47.3% turnout (vs. 44.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,128 votes (53.4% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,166 votes (40.9% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 345 votes (4.5% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 53 votes (0.7% vs. 1.2%), among the 7,736 ballots cast by the township's 14,206 registered voters, yielding a 54.5% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

Education
The Moorestown Township Public Schools serves students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's six schools had an enrollment of 4,068 students and 316.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.85:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are George C. Baker Elementary School (grades K-3; 348 students), Mary E. Roberts Elementary School (K-3; 309), South Valley Elementary School (PreK-3; 425), Moorestown Upper Elementary School (4-6; 928) William Allen Middle School (7-8; 674) and Moorestown High School (9-12; 1,384).

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. Another private religious school is attached to the Catholic 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.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 123.52 mi of roadways, of which 96.15 mi were maintained by the municipality, 24.65 mi by Burlington County and 2.72 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Public transportation
New Jersey 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 Transporation Center in Camden, from which there are connecting buses into Philadelphia and a station on the PATCO High Speed Line with service between Center City Philadelphia and Lindenwold, New Jersey. Accessed February 11, 2012. 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 train stopping 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 New Jersey Transit's River Line service which connects to New York Penn Station through Trenton. New Jersey Transit Rail Operations still owns the single-track railway in the township, running from Pennsauken to Mount Holly, as a railbank.

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.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Moorestown Township include:
 * 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.
 * Sam Bishop (born 1983), professional soccer goalkeeper.
 * David Bispham (1857–1921), opera singer.
 * Francis L. Bodine (born 1936), represents the 8th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly.
 * 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.
 * 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, 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.
 * Phil Costa (born 1987), former football player with the Dallas Cowboys.
 * 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-America and professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Athletics, 1923-1929.
 * John F. Gerry (1926–1995), former chief United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
 * Bill Guerin (born 1970), right winger who earned the Stanley Cup with both the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins.
 * 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.
 * Alfred Hunt (1817–1888), first president of Bethlehem Iron Company, precursor of Bethlehem Steel Corporation.
 * Esther Hunt (1751–1820), a pioneer who lived on America's frontier as a wife, a mother and a leader in her Quaker faith.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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), quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and former NFL quarterback.
 * 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 San Diego Chargers who was elected to the United States House of Representatives.
 * Steve Sabol (1942–2012), president and co-founder of NFL Films.
 * Ulf Samuelsson (born 1964), professional hockey player, former player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
 * Katherine Shindle (born 1977), Miss America 1998 and actress.
 * John Vanbiesbrouck (born 1963), professional hockey player, former player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
 * Brian Willison (born 1977), Director of the Parsons Institute for Information Mapping.
 * Helen Van Pelt Wilson (1901-2003), garden writer.
 * 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.

Moorestown in fiction

 * The song "Moorestown" by Sun Kil Moon is set in Moorestown.