Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey

Union Township, New Jersey
Union Township, New Jersey
Township
	Presbyterian Church in Grandin
	Seal
	Location of Union Township in Hunterdon County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
	Census Bureau map of Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
	Union Township Location in Hunterdon County Union Township Location in New Jersey Union Township Location in the United States
	Coordinates: 40°37′56″N 74°57′54″W / 40.632215°N 74.964965°W
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Hunterdon
Incorporated	February 17, 1853
Named for	Union Furnace
Government
• Type	Township
• Body	Township Committee
• Mayor	David DeGiralamo (R, term ends December 31, 2023)
• Municipal clerk	Ella M. Ruta
Area
• Total	20.63 sq mi (53.43 km2)
• Land	18.77 sq mi (48.60 km2)
• Water	1.86 sq mi (4.83 km2) 9.03%
• Rank	138th of 565 in state; 14th of 26 in county
Elevation	407 ft (124 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	6,507
• Estimate (2022)	6,366
• Rank	327th of 565 in state; 4th of 26 in county
• Density	346.8/sq mi (133.9/km2)
• Rank	465th of 565 in state; 15th of 26 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08827 – Hampton
Area code	908
FIPS code	3401974420
GNIS feature ID	0882188
Website	www.uniontwp-hcnj.gov

Union Township is a township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The southwest half of the township lies on what is known as the Hunterdon Plateau, the northwest corner consists of the Musconetcong Ridge and the northeast section is part of the lower-lying Newark Basin around Spruce Run Reservoir.^[18] As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,507,^[9]^[10] its highest ever decennial count and an increase of 599 (+10.1%) from the 2010 census count of 5,908,^[19]^[20] which in turn reflected a decline of 252 (−4.1%) from the 6,160 counted in the 2000 census.^[21]

Union was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 17, 1853, from portions of Bethlehem Township. Clinton Town was formed on April 5, 1865, within portions of the township, and became an independent municipality in 1895.^[22] The township was named for Union Furnace, which was producing iron from 1742 until the 1780s.^[3] The name "Union" was chosen over the alternative "Rockhill", which was a community at the southern end of the township.^[23]

Union Furnace and its forge produced cannonballs for the Revolutionary War and shoes for horses and oxen, as well as farm implements. Farms and fields were established in areas where trees were felled to provide fuel for the furnace. A farm community developed, together with basket making and tanning industries.^{[citation needed]}

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Union Township 21st in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.^[24]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ ^a ^b A Brief History of Union Township, Township of Union. Accessed October 15, 2015. "The Union Furnace, from which the Township got its name, was built in 1742 on Spruce Run, and was an iron slitting and rolling mill."
^ Cite error: The named reference Committee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023. As of date accessed, DeGiralamo is listed with an incorrect term-end year of 2024, which is the end of his three-year committee term, not his one-year mayoral term of office.
^ Clerk, Township of Union. Accessed May 5, 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Union, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 14, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Hampton, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed November 15, 2012.
^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Union, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 29, 2014.
^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
^ Our Location, Union Township. Accessed November 21, 2019.
^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 157. Accessed October 25, 2012.
^ Snell, James P. History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey, p. 508. Everts & Peck, 1881. Accessed October 15, 2015. "This township was formed from the south part of Bethlehem township by act of the Legislature, session of 1852-53. It was brought about principally by those who opposed the then existing school law. Two names were proposed for the new township, - 'Union', the name of the furnace formerly existing in its northeastern part and 'Rockhill' in honor the families who had for many years owned and resided in the extreme south part of the township of Bethlehem, embracing at this time Robeson Rockhill, Esq., and Edward A. Rockhill, his brother, great-grandsons of Edward Rockhill, a large land-proprietor (who lived here as early as 1731), and grandsons of John Rockhill, who settled here in 1748. The former name was selected."
^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100" Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008.

[CensusArea-1] 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.

[GR1-2] US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[History-3] A Brief History of Union Township, Township of Union. Accessed October 15, 2015. "The Union Furnace, from which the Township got its name, was built in 1742 on Spruce Run, and was an iron slitting and rolling mill."

[Committee-4] Cite error: The named reference Committee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023. As of date accessed, DeGiralamo is listed with an incorrect term-end year of 2024, which is the end of his three-year committee term, not his one-year mayoral term of office.

[6] Clerk, Township of Union. Accessed May 5, 2023.

[DataBook-7] Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[8] U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Union, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 14, 2013.

[Census2020-9] Cite error: The named reference Census2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2020-10] Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[PopEst-11] Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2020Density-12] Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.

[13] Look Up a ZIP Code for Hampton, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed November 15, 2012.

[14] Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Union, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 29, 2014.

[GR2-15] U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[16] Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.

[GR3-17] US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.

[18] Our Location, Union Township. Accessed November 21, 2019.

[Census2010-19] Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[LWD2010-20] Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[21] Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.

[Story-22] Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 157. Accessed October 25, 2012.

[23] Snell, James P. History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, New Jersey, p. 508. Everts & Peck, 1881. Accessed October 15, 2015. "This township was formed from the south part of Bethlehem township by act of the Legislature, session of 1852-53. It was brought about principally by those who opposed the then existing school law. Two names were proposed for the new township, - 'Union', the name of the furnace formerly existing in its northeastern part and 'Rockhill' in honor the families who had for many years owned and resided in the extreme south part of the township of Bethlehem, embracing at this time Robeson Rockhill, Esq., and Edward A. Rockhill, his brother, great-grandsons of Edward Rockhill, a large land-proprietor (who lived here as early as 1731), and grandsons of John Rockhill, who settled here in 1748. The former name was selected."

[24] "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100" Archived February 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008.

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