Monthly Archives: October 2022

Waterford Township, New Jersey

Waterford Township was originally created by Royal charter on June 1, 1695, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. The township was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. On March 13, 1844, Waterford Township became one of the original townships in the newly created Camden County. The settlement of Long-a-Coming (today’s borough of Berlin) along the White Horse Pike (US 30) in Waterford was the new county’s first seat, but lost that designation in 1848 when the seat moved to the city of Camden.[20] Portions of the township were taken over the years to form Delaware Township (on February 28, 1844, now Cherry Hill Township), Chesilhurst (November 26, 1887), Voorhees Township (March 1, 1899) and Berlin Township (March 11, 1910).[21][22] The township was named for Waterford, Ireland.[23][24]

Pine Hill, New Jersey

The Borough of Pine Hill was created on April 23, 1929, from Clementon Township, one of seven municipalities created from the now-defunct township, and one of five new municipalities (including Hi-Nella Borough, Lindenwold Borough, Pine Valley Borough and Somerdale Borough) created on that same date.[22] Earlier known as Mont Ararat or Clementon Heights, the name “Pine Hill” was chosen to reflects the trees and terrain of the area.[23]

Wantage Township, New Jersey

Wantage Township was formed as a precinct on May 30, 1754, from portions of Newton Township. It was incorporated as a township on February 21, 1798, as part of the state’s initial group of 104 townships. Boundary exchanges were made with Frankford Township in both 1826 and 1834. Portions of the township were taken on October 14, 1891 to form the Borough of Deckertown (renamed Sussex borough in 1902).[19] The township was named for Wantage, England.[20]

Little Ferry, New Jersey

Little Ferry was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 18, 1894, from portions of Lodi Township and New Barbadoes Township, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.[21][22] The borough was formed during the “Boroughitis” phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.[23]

West Caldwell, New Jersey

West Caldwell was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 24, 1904, from portions of Caldwell Township (now known as Fairfield Township).[22] In 1981, the borough was one of seven Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining four municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.[23][24][25][26] The borough was named for Caldwell Township, which in turn was named for Presbyterian minister James Caldwell.[27][28]