Marlboro Township, New Jersey

Marlboro Township is a township located in Monmouth County in the State of New Jersey in the United States of America.

Geography

Marlboro Township is located at latitude 40°18'55" North, longitude 74°14'48" West.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 79.2 km² (30.6 mi²). 79.2 km² (30.6 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 36,398 people, 11,478 households, and 10,169 families residing in the township. The population density is 459.4/km² (1,189.7/mi²). There are 11,896 housing units at an average density of 150.1/km² (388.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the township is 83.76% White, 2.07% African American, 0.05% Native American, 12.67% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 2.89% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 11,478 households out of which 50.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.3% are married couples living together, 5.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 11.4% are non-families. 9.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.15 and the average family size is 3.38.

In the township the population is spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township is $101,322, and the median income for a family is $107,894. Males have a median income of $76,776 versus $41,298 for females. The per capita income for the township is $38,635. 3.5% of the population and 2.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 2.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

The Lenape were the first inhabitants of this area.

The history of the township reaches back to 1685, when the land was first settled by farmers from Scotland, England and The Netherlands. The Township of Marlboro was established on February 17, 1848; before that it had been part of Freehold Township. The town is named for the prevalence of marl, which was first discovered in the area in 1768. (The town's name was originally Marlborough, and then at some point was shortened.) Marlboro's first industry was the export of marl to different areas around the country.

Marlboro was the scene of a number of skirmishes during the American Revolutionary War, in particular following the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.

Up through World War II Marlboro was rural and composed mostly of dairy, potato, tomato and other farms laced with small hamlets with modest inns or taverns; these included Morganville, Robertsville, Wickatunk, Bradevelt, Topanemus, and Pleasant Valley, with the center being Marlboro Village. The name Morganville still exists as a section of Marlboro with its own zip code, as does Wickatunk to a lesser extent; Topanemus and Pleasant Valley are names of significant roads within the township; and the remaining names are sometimes seen on maps or road signs.

Following the war the state began to build and improve the roads infrastructure, and the township gained population. Even until the 1970s Marlboro remained largely rural in character, but then it became a growing exurban destination for people working in New York and in nearby large suburban corporations. During the 1980s and early 1990s most of the new housing developments featured relatively modest four- or five-bedroom houses, but then the trend turned toward "McMansions". (These homes however do not compare to the ones being built in the neighboring and even more affluent towns of Colts Neck and Holmdel.) Many of the newcomers to Marlboro from the 1980s on were migrating from Brooklyn and/or Staten Island.

Marlboro lost eight of its residents as the result of the September 11 terrorist attacks; a memorial has been built.

Marlboro no longer has any real town center and can be considered an example of suburban sprawl. The main commercial thoroughfares are United States Highway 9 and New Jersey State Highway 79. New Jersey State Highway 18 provides a fast conduit to the Jersey Shore.

Government and politics

Marlboro Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government. The current mayor is Dr. Robert Kleinberg.

Political issues in Marlboro include land development and loss of open space, growth of population leading to the need for additional public schools and higher property taxes, and recurring instances of political corruption.

This corruption reached its peak in 2005 when former three-term mayor Matthew Scannapieco was arrested by the FBI and subsequently pleaded guilty to taking $245,000 in bribes from a land developer in exchange for favorable rulings. [1] (http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050413/NEWS/504130326/1001/NEWS01) The same investigation has also resulted in charges against several other township officials as well as a Monmouth County Freeholder.

In 2000 Marlboro became one of the first areas in the U.S. to ban cell phone use while driving.

Schools

Marlboro Township has a high school, Marlboro High School (opened 1968), home of the Mustangs, which is part of the Freehold Regional High School District.

There are two middle schools, Marlboro Middle School (opened 1976), home of the Hawks, and Marlboro Memorial Middle School (opened 2003), home of the Monarch Lions. The two middle schools are bitter rivals.

There are five elementary schools: Defino Central (opened 1957), Robertsville (opened 1968), Marlboro Elementary (opened 1971), Asher Holmes (opened 1973), and Dugan (opened 1987).

Finally there is an Early Learning Center (opened 2002) for kindergarten and preschool special education students. The latter group had in prior years been taught in the original "one room" Robertsville School built in 1832; this building still stands, down the road from the current Robertsville Elementary School.

Recreation

Marlboro has a strong Township-sponsored recreation program, with activities for all ages. This includes very popular soccer and basketball leagues for boys and girls; in addition Little League baseball/softball and Pop Warner football/cheerleading have a large presence as well.

In the summer the Township holds free outdoor concerts by notable popular music artists of the past. In recent years performers have included Lesley Gore, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge, The Platters, The Trammps, and The Tokens.

External links

• Marlboro Township official website (http://www.marlboro-twp.com)
• Marlboro K-8 School District official website (http://www.marlboro.k12.nj.us/)
• Marlboro High School official website (http://www.frhsd.com/MARLBORO_HS/)
• Marlboro, NJ US (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?location=L5uVAs7DR58UIHQ9yohipAg1jdd2Ee1HDSqfJ5xOJPfocZKkA014xGGhFcqNaGG50RToifQ%2f%2fuhj1%2ftcLZcMqy2bD3SSBaZh&searchtype=address&searchtab=address&countryid=250&address=&city=marlboro&state=nj&zipcode=&country=US&addtohistory=) on MapQuest