Raritan Township is a Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 22,185, and has a total area of 37.9 square miles, of which 0.1 square miles of it (0.18%) is water. The southeast part of the township is in the Amwell Valley, while the northwestern part is on the Hunterdon Plateau. Also, Raritan completely surrounds Flemington.
Raritan was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1838, from portions of the now-defunct Amwell Township. Flemington town was formed within the township in 1870, and became an independent borough in 1910. Portions of the township were ceded to East Amwell Township in 1854 and 1897.
Distinguished as the most populous of the Hunterdon County’s municipalities, Raritan Township experienced a real growth surge in the 1980s. Home of leading industries, Raritan Township surrounds Flemington to ... More
Raritan Township is a Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 22,185, and has a total area of 37.9 square miles, of which 0.1 square miles of it (0.18%) is water. The southeast part of the township is in the Amwell Valley, while the northwestern part is on the Hunterdon Plateau. Also, Raritan completely surrounds Flemington.
Raritan was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1838, from portions of the now-defunct Amwell Township. Flemington town was formed within the township in 1870, and became an independent borough in 1910. Portions of the township were ceded to East Amwell Township in 1854 and 1897.
Distinguished as the most populous of the Hunterdon County’s municipalities, Raritan Township experienced a real growth surge in the 1980s. Home of leading industries, Raritan Township surrounds Flemington to serve as the region's commercial center. A pleasing blend of townhouses and single-family homes characterize this area with its semi-rural to suburban flavor. Villages include Copper Hill, Stanton Station, Voorhees Corner, Reaville, and Clover Hill. Diverse recreational amenities and facilities add to the quality of life.
Raritan is strategically located to offer easy access to both New York and Philadelphia. Raritan has a couple of major highways such as Route 12, Route 31 and U.S. Route 202 (which run concurrent for a few miles in the southern part of the township). Major county roads that go through include CR 514 (which runs along the southeastern border), CR 523 and CR 579 (which runs along the southwestern border). The closest limited access road is Interstate 78 in neighboring Clinton and Franklin Townships.
Children in public school for grades K through 8 attend the Flemington-Raritan Regional School District, which also serves children from the neighboring community of Raritan Township. Schools in the district are four K - 4 elementary schools — Barley Sheaf School - Flemington; Copper Hill School; Francis A. Desmares School - Flemington; and Robert Hunter School - Flemington — Reading-Fleming Intermediate School in Flemington for grades 5 - 6 and J. P. Case Middle School - Flemington for grades 7 - 8.
Public school students in grade 9 - 12 attend the Hunterdon Central Regional High School, part of the Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, which serves about 2,800 students in central Hunterdon County. Students from Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township and Readington Township attend Hunterdon Central Regional High School.
Raritan, as is the entire Hunterdon County, is considered to be a USDA Development eligible area.
Golfing near Raritan Township include--
- Heron Glen Golf Course - 110 State Highway 202 & 31 Ringoes
- Copper Hill Country Club - 100 Copper Hill Road, Ringoes
- Paradise Golf Driving Range - 56 New Jersey 12, Flemington
- The Ridge At Backbrook - 211 Wertsville Rd, Ringoes
- Hillsborough Golf & Country Club - 146 Wertsville Road, Hillsborough
Township Parks include--
- Lenape Park - is located on Route 523 (Sergeantsville Road). This park contains a pavilion, walking trail, picnic grove with tables and grills, a children’s tot play lot, four Little League fields, three girl’s softball fields, two major league fields, four soccer fields and four basketball courts.
- Mine Brook Park - is located on Old Croton Road and Capner Street. This park has a pavilion with tables and grills for picnics, a children’s tot lot, a half mile walking trail, sand volleyball court and a boccie ball court.
- Morales Nature Preserve - is located on Capner Street and Old Croton Road across from Minebrook Park. This park contains two miles of walking trails through wooded areas to observe nature.
- Lone Cedar Park/Nature Preserve - is located off Packers Island Lane which is located off River Road. The park is a preserve of 62 acres open for the enjoyment of nature enthusiasts. Park your vehicle on Packers Island Lane and walk the mowed trail. There are benches located along the trail for resting or bird watching.
- Blackwell Park - is located on the corner of Everitts Road and Lavada Lane. This is a new park with seven acres, developed with a walking trail, a children’s tot lot, a basketball court and open area for general use.
Parks nearby the township include--
- South Branch Reservation -- a collection of 12 small parks totaling about 1000 acres, located in Clinton, Franklin, Raritan and Readington Townships.
- Sourland Mountain -- a 17 miles long ridge in central New Jersey, extending from the Delaware River at Lambertville to the western end of Hillsborough Township near the community of Neshanic , through Montgomery Township and into Hopewell Township in Mercer County. It comprises the largest contiguous forest in Central Jersey, nearly 90 square miles in area.
- D&R Canal -- is a 77-mile recreational trail made up of three segments that transverse three counties: a canal towpath from New Brunswick to Trenton; a canal towpath / rail trail from Trenton to Bull's Island; and a rail trail from Bull's Island to Frenchtown.
National Register of Historic Places listings include--
- Case-Dvoor Farmstead, 111 Mine St., Raritan Township
- Raritan-Readington South Branch Historic District, Running roughly E of Raritan River from NJ 31 to US 202, Readington Township & Raritan Township
That the Indian dwelt in present Hunterdon County previous to the white man’s coming is well known. The Indians called themselves Lenni Lenape, or “Original People,” and that the colonists renamed them Delaware, after the river along or near which most of them lived.
A survey conducted between 1912 and 1915 disclosed four hundred and sixty-two Indian camps, villages, burial sites and rock shelters within Hunterdon County. Principal concentrations were in the Delaware River Valley (thirty-eight sites), Flemington area (eighty-two sites), Oldwick area (fifty-nine sites), and the High Bridge area (forty-four sites). The Hunterdon County Historical Society has in its possession two major collections.
The first European purchase of Hunterdon County land from the Indians was made in 1688, the last in 1758. The first settlers of what is now Hunterdon County arrived in 1705 or shortly thereafter. Others followed, ferries were soon established at Stockton and Lambertville. By 1714 there were enough settlers in Amwell to form a company of militia.
Raritan Township comprises only a little more than one fourth of the old Amwell Township (embracing the territory of the townships of Raritan, Delaware, East and West Amwell) which was purchased from the Indians in 1703. Raritan was formed from Amwell in 1838. One of the eastern townships of central Hunterdon County, Raritan is rhombic shaped resulting in its extreme northern and western points reaching far into the townships adjoining it to the north and west.
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