South Brunswick, New Jersey

South Brunswick Township was incorporated by the New Jersey Legislature Act on February 21, 1798. The township got its name from New Brunswick, which in turn was named after the city of Braunschweig (called Brunswick in the Low German language), in the state of Lower Saxony, in Germany. Braunschweig was an influential and powerful city in the Hanseatic League, later in the Holy Roman Empire, and was an administrative seat for the Duchy (and later Principality) of Hanover. Shortly after the first settlement of New Brunswick in colonial New Jersey, George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and Elector of Hanover, of the House of Hanover (also known as the House of Brunswick), became King George I of Great Britain (1660–1727). Alternatively, the city derived its name from King George II of Great Britain, the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1872, the Legislature first reduced the size of South Brunswick by creating Cranbury from the southern portion of South Brunswick. In 1885, it redefined and enlarged the boundaries of Cranbury, and Plainsboro Township was formed in 1919. The present boundaries of South Brunswick date back to this last change. In 1980, the township's population approached 18,000. In 1990, this figure reached 25,792; by 2020, South Brunswick had over 47,000 residents. Much of the township's remain undeveloped and there are still significant amounts of wetlands, woodlands, and open space within the community. ==Geography==

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 41.02 square miles (106.23 km2), including 40.61 square miles (105.19 km2) of land and 0.40 square miles (1.04 km2) of water (0.98%).), Deans (1,615), Heathcote (7,154), Kendall Park (9,989), Kingston (1,581) and Monmouth Junction (8,895) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within South Brunswick. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include: Cottageville,, Franklin Park, Fresh Ponds, Little Rocky Hill, Sand Hills, South Brunswick Terrace and Ten Mile Run. Because the township is served by several different zip codes, Dayton, Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park, Kingston, Jamesburg, Cranbury, Princeton and even North Brunswick are often used in place of the township's name, even when referring to areas located beyond their defined boundaries. Dayton was first known simply as The Cross Roads, where James Whitlock built a tavern on Georges Road around 1750. Early enterprises included a brick manufacturer and a large nursery. In 1866, the name was changed from Cross Roads to Dayton, in honor of William L. Dayton, an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. Dayton had helped settle disputes arising from the location of a railroad right-of-way. He was later a United States Senator, was the first Republican nominee for Vice President (in 1856), and Minister to France. Deans originated from its location on both Crosswicknung Trail (Georges Road) and Lawrence Brook. Dams were built on the brook, creating Deans Pond. Kingston's location on the Lenape Assunpink Trail where it crossed the Millstone River was the prime factor in its early prominence. Kingston was by far the most active and important community, being situated on both the heavily traveled King's Road and Millstone River, combining commercial activities of both mills and taverns. The Kingston Village Advisory Committee, jointly appointed by the South Brunswick and Franklin township councils, reports to the South Brunswick township council on matters of concern to residents of Kingston. Kingston has been designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission and is overseen by an advisory commission that consists of seven members from Franklin Township and South Brunswick. Monmouth Junction was created as the junction of three rail branches, the New York division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Rocky Hill and the Jamesburg and Freehold Railroad. The Pigeon Swamp Ledger is a 1780 document that is an accounting log of South Brunswick landowners regarding the draining of the Pigeon Swamp. This was made possible by a New Jersey Act of Legislature. The township borders Cranbury, East Brunswick, Monroe Township, North Brunswick and Plainsboro Township in Middlesex County; Princeton in Mercer County; and Franklin Township in Somerset County. Climate South Brunswick is in the humid continental climate zone. Average Winter-time high temperatures range from , and the lows range from degrees with the record low being . Average summer-time high temperatures range from , though temperatures exceed often with the record high being . The summertime lows range from degrees. South Brunswick can receive much snow during the winter months, sometimes up to . About of rain falls every month and is evenly spread throughout the year, though the area can go through long periods of drought or long-lasting periods with little to no rain. During winter and early spring, South Brunswick can in some years experience "nor'easters", which are capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. Hurricanes and tropical storms (such as Hurricane Irene in 2011), tornadoes, and earthquakes are rare. ==Demographics==

{{US Census population 2020 census The 2020 United States census counted 47,043 people in the township, which was a gain of 8.4% from the 2010 census. The racial makeup was 48.1% Asian, 35.5% white, 7.6% Black, 7.5% Hispanic or Latino, and 5.5% reported two or more races. There were 16,647 households in the township. 2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 43,417 people, 15,069 households, and 11,694 families in the township. The population density was . There were 15,708 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 52.08% (22,611) White, 7.71% (3,348) Black or African American, 0.17% (72) Native American, 35.91% (15,592) Asian, 0.02% (8) Pacific Islander, 1.52% (658) from other races, and 2.60% (1,128) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.04% (2,624) of the population. 2000 census As of the 2000 United States census As of the 2000 census, 10.48% of South Brunswick's residents identified themselves as being of Indian American ancestry, which was the seventh-highest of any municipality in the United States and the fourth highest in New Jersey – behind Edison (17.75%), Plainsboro Township (16.97%) and Piscataway (12.49%) – of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. There were 13,428 households, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.27. In the township, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males. The median income for a household in the township was $78,737, and the median income for a family was $86,891. Males had a median income of $61,637 versus $41,554 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,104. About 2.1% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over. ==Economy==

Top employers Major employers in the township include: == Government ==

Local government South Brunswick operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of municipal government. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the four-member Township Council. Members of the Township Council are elected at-large to four-year terms in partisan elections on a staggered basis with two seats up for election in even-numbered years. The mayoral seat is up for election directly by the voters. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the council selects a deputy mayor from among its members. , members of the Township Council are Mayor Charles Carley (D, term as mayor ends December 31, 2026), Deputy mayor Kenneth Bierman (D, 2026), Patricia Germain (D, 2028), Archana "Ann" Grover (D, 2028) and Josephine Hochman (D, 2028). Federal, state and county representation South Brunswick is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district. Politics As of November 2, 2021, there were a total of 34,403 registered voters in South Brunswick. In the United States Presidential Election of 2020, Democrat Joseph Biden received 68.7% of the votes (16,351 cast), ahead of Republican candidate Donald J. Trump who received 30.1% of the votes (7,163 cast), and other candidates Jo Jorgensen with 139 votes and Howie Hawkins with 88 votes, among the 24,176 total ballots cast with 32,470 registered voters. In the United States Presidential Election of 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 65.3% votes (12,827 cast), ahead of Republican candidate Donald J. Trump who received 31.5% votes (6,197 cast), and other candidates Gary Johnson with 372 votes and Jill Stein with 197 votes, among the 20,021 total ballots cast with 29,447 registered voters. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 64.3% of the vote (11,583 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 34.6% (6,233 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (194 votes), among the 18,141 ballots cast by the township's 25,947 registered voters (131 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 62.7% of the vote (11,452 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 35.7% (6,530 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (176 votes), among the 18,275 ballots cast by the township's 24,803 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.7%. In the 2021 gubernatorial election, Democrat Philip Murphy received 64.8% of the vote (8,541 votes), ahead of Republican Jack Ciattarelli with 34.3% (4,526 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (122 votes), among the 13,332 votes cast by the township's 34,403 registered voters. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.1% of the vote (5,608 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.6% (3,755 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (128 votes), among the 9,576 ballots cast by the township's 26,340 registered voters (85 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 36.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 47.3% of the vote (5,355 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 44.1% (4,991 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.7% (758 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (90 votes), among the 11,311 ballots cast by the township's 23,974 registered voters, yielding a 47.2% turnout. == Education ==

The South Brunswick Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of 12 schools, had an enrollment of 7,936 students and 665.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Dayton Preschool with 94 students in PreK, Deans Preschool with 540 students in grades K–5, Brunswick Acres Elementary School with 444 students in grades PreK–5, Cambridge Elementary School with 427 students in grades K–5, Constable Elementary School with 504 students in grades PreK–5, Greenbrook Elementary School with 395 students in grades PreK–5, Indian Fields Elementary School with 473 students in grades K–5, Monmouth Junction Elementary School with 281 students in grades PreK–5, Crossroads Middle School North with 961 students in grades 6–8, Crossroads Middle School South with 2,728 students in grades 9–12. The district has grown substantially, with district enrollment more than doubling in a two-decade period, from 4,000 in 1991 to more than 9,000 in 2011 and high school enrollment doubling to nearly 2,000 in the decade prior to 2001 and increasing by another 1,000 in the subsequent decade. Enrollment subsequently declined, from 8,620 students in the 2018-19 school year to less than 8,000 in 2023–24. Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Magnet Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its schools in East Brunswick, Edison, Perth Amboy, Piscataway and Woodbridge Township, with no tuition charged to students for attendance. St. Augustine of Canterbury School is Pre-K–8 elementary school in Kendall Park operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. In 2016, the school was one of ten schools in New Jersey, and one of the private schools, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education, a recognition celebrating excellence in academics. ==Religion==

South Brunswick has many different religions and is a diverse community. ISCJ, the Islamic Society of Central Jersey, serves the Muslim community. Chabad of South Brunswick, established in 1974, Chabad of South Brunswick, affiliated with the Chabad House at Rutgers University, has served the local Jewish community since 1978. There is also the , catering to the area Japanese community, in Monmouth Junction, South Brunswick. It was established in October 1991, and in 1993 had 20–25 attendees per Sunday church worship. ==Historic district==

The Kingston Mill Historic District is a historic district encompassing the community of Kingston, New Jersey (which is bounded by South Brunswick in Middlesex County, Princeton in Mercer County, and Franklin Township in Somerset County). In 1683, Henry Greenland built the first tavern here for travelers between New York City and Philadelphia. The current Kingston Mill, also known as the Kingston Gristmill, was built in 1888, the third one at this site. In 1755, Jacob Skilman built a gristmill and sawmill here on the Millstone River, located along the historic King's Highway. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1986 for its significance in engineering, exploration/settlement, industry, and transportation. The district includes 16 contributing buildings and 2 contributing structures. File:Kingston_Mill.jpg|Kingston Mill on the Millstone River File:Kingston Bridge, Kingston, NJ - south view.jpg|The Kingston Bridge (1798), built to replace one demolished by George Washington's troops to prevent British pursuit File:Kingston Bridge, Kingston, NJ - milestone.jpg|The mile marker from 1798, showing the distance to Philadelphia (45 miles) and New York City (50 miles) File:4577 State Highway 27, Kingston, NJ.jpg|Colonial on King's Highway ==Infrastructure==

Transportation Roads and highways (Interstate 95) just north of Exit 8A in South Brunswick , the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Middlesex County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The most prominent highway passing through South Brunswick is a section of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95). This highway crosses the eastern part of the township, and a few ramps that lead to the toll gate for Interchange 8A pass through the township, with the majority of the interchange just outside the municipality's border in Monroe Township. Other major highways that the township also hosts include U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 130, Route 27 and Route 32. County Route 535 and County Route 522 pass through the township. A number of proposed Turnpike Authority maintained roads were to traverse South Brunswick. The first was the Driscoll Expressway which was to start from the Garden State Parkway at exit 80 in Toms River and end north of exit 8A along the turnpike in South Brunswick. This was cancelled in the 1980s. The other proposed road was a west-east spur, Route 92. While the majority of the spur was to be in South Brunswick, it was to begin at US 1, just north of the intersection with Ridge Road in South Brunswick, and terminate at the tollgate for Exit 8A. However this was cancelled on December 1, 2006. Public transportation Near the intersection of Route 32 and 130, there is a park and ride, where commuters can take buses to New York City. Suburban Transit offers service on Line 300 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Grand Central Terminal and Manhattan's East Side, while Line 600 serves Downtown Manhattan / Wall Street. Commuter bus service to Midtown Manhattan is also offered by discount commuter transportation company OurBus, during peak hours. The Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT) Shuttle offers scheduled service across the county, with connections to NJ Transit buses and train service. The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line is a proposal by New Jersey Transit to restore passenger railway service to the region. Herrod Boulevard and Monmouth Junction (where the line would conjoin with the Northeast Corridor) would be potential stops on the 'MOM' Line in South Brunswick. The nearest train stations to the township are located at Princeton Junction and New Brunswick along the Northeast Corridor Line. Healthcare Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (commonly abbreviated as "PMC") is a regional hospital and healthcare network located in neighboring Plainsboro Township. The hospital services the greater Princeton region in central New Jersey. It is owned by the Penn Medicine Health System and is the only such hospital in the state of New Jersey. PMC is a 355-bed non-profit, tertiary, and academic medical center. Various physician services are located in South Brunswick, including in the community of Dayton. Other nearby regional hospitals and healthcare networks that are accessible to the township include CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township, the Old Bridge Township division of Raritan Bay Medical Center, and Saint Peter's University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in nearby New Brunswick. ==Notable people==

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with South Brunswick include: • Leon Bibel (1913–1995), painter and printmaker during the Great Depression • Mya Breitbart (born 1978), professor of biological oceanography at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science who was awarded Popular Science magazine's 'Brilliant 10' for 2013 • Mike Elko (born 1977), head coach for the Texas A&M Aggies football team • Donald Fagen (born 1948), musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder of the rock band Steely Dan • Jeffrey S. Juris (1971–2020), anthropologist, author, political activist and researcher, who studied the Occupy movement and other anti-globalization movements • Edith King (1896–1973), stage and film actress • Kirsten Lepore (born 1985), writer, director and animator at Marvel Studios. • Ed Moran (born 1981), retired track and road runner who specialized in various long-distance disciplines who was a gold medalist in the 5000-meter race at the 2007 Pan American Games • David Neumann (born 1965), dancer, actor, and Tony nominated choreographer • Walter Perez, weekend morning co-anchor, journalist and weekday reporter for WPVI-TV, the ABC network affiliate in Philadelphia • Steven Portnoy (born 1981), CBS News Radio White House correspondent • Anna Quindlen (born 1952), best-selling author, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion columnist • Ricardo Romero (born 1978), MMA fighter • Mohamed Sanu (born 1989), wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers • Sydney Schneider (born 1999), goalkeeper for the UNC Wilmington Seahawks and the Jamaica women's national football team • George Segal (1924–2000), painter and sculptor associated with the Pop Art movement, who was presented with a National Medal of Arts in 1999 • Justin Shorter (born 2000), American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills • DeForest Soaries (born 1951), pastor and former chairman of the Election Assistance Commission • Katherine S. Squibb (1949–2018), toxicologist who specialized in metal toxicity • C. Vivian Stringer (born 1948), head coach for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights women's basketball team and one of the winningest coaches in women's college basketball history • Tammy Tibbetts (born 1985), co-founder and CEO of the non-profit organization She's the First • Isaiah Wong (born 2001), point guard / shooting guard for the Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) • Cassie Yeung (born 1994), chef and TikToker • Andrew Zwicker (born 1964), a physicist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and a member of the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 16th Legislative District since January 2016 ==References==