Pilesgrove Township is a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

Salem County Salem County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western boundary is formed by the Delaware River and its eastern terminus is the Delaware Memorial Bridge, which connects the county with New Castle, Delaware. Its cou ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sov ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the township's population was 4,183, an increase of 167 (+4.2%) from the 2010 census count of 4,016, which in turn reflected an increase of 93 (+2.4%) from the 3,923 counted in the 2000 census. ''Pile's Grove'' was first mentioned in a deed dated April 15, 1701, through the date of the township's original corporation is unknown. Pilesgrove was incorporated as one of New Jersey's original group of 104 townships that were established on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken on December 6, 1769, to form Pittsgrove Township and on July 26, 1882, to create

Woodstown Woodstown ( ga, Baile na Coille, IPA: �bˠalʲəˈnˠaˈkɛl̪ʲə is home to a historic settlement measuring 1.5 km by 0.5 km, located on the southern bank of the River Suir, about 5.5 km west of Waterford City in the southeast ...

.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 216. Accessed October 23, 2012. The township was named for Thomas Pyle. In 1979, Pilesgrove Township enacted the state's first right-to-farm law, protecting farming as a "natural right hereby ordained to exist as a permitted use everywhere in the Township of Pilesgrove."

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the township had a total area of 35.17 square miles (91.09 km²), including 34.94 square miles (90.48 km²) of land and 0.23 square miles (0.61 km²) of water (0.67%). The

Salem River The Salem River is a tributary of the Delaware River in southwestern New Jersey in the United States. The course and watershed of the Salem River are entirely within Salem County. Tributaries of the Salem include Game Creek, Mannington Creek, ...

flows through the township. The township borders the Salem County municipalities of Alloway Township, Carneys Point Township, Mannington Township, Oldmans Township and Upper Pittsgrove Township. Pilesgrove Township also borders Gloucester County. The Borough of

is an independent municipality completely surrounded by Pilesgrove Township, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. Woodstown serves as the more densely settled commercial core of the paired communities, while Pilesgrove is more agricultural.

Unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the township include Avis Mills, Courees Landing, East Lake, Eldridges Hill, Fenwick,

Friendship Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept o ...

, Milltown, Paulding, Point Airy, Richmanville, Sharptown, Union Grove and Yorktown. The

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

of Auburn is in the northwest part of the township, extending into Oldmans Township. The Pilesgrove Solar Farm is one of the largest in the state, covering with 71,000 solar panels that generate 20 megawatts of electricity, enough to provide power for more than 5,000 homes.

Demographics

2010 census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educat ...

showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

was $87,083 (with a margin of error of +/− $12,552) and the median family income was $102,870 (+/− $13,121). Males had a median income of $63,352 (+/− $12,197) versus $59,700 (+/− $6,558) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $34,966 (+/− $3,754). About 0.8% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people en ...

there were 3,923 people, 1,216 households, and 994 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,261 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 84.63%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 12.18%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...

, 0.28% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 1.07% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.87% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 2.98% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Pilesgrove township, New Jersey
,

. Accessed October 31, 2016.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Pilesgrove township, Salem County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed January 18, 2013. There were 1,216 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.24. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $66,042, and the median income for a family was $71,629. Males had a median income of $50,833 versus $31,806 for females. The

for the township was $27,400. About 2.3% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the

, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Pilesgrove is governed under the

Township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee consists of three members elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

in partisan elections to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 19. At an annual reorganization meeting, the council selects one of its members to serves as mayor and another as deputy mayor. , members of the Pilesgrove Township Committee are

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

Kevin Eachus ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2022),

Deputy Mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments. Duties and functions Many elected depu ...

David R. Bonowski (R, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2022) and Joseph Crevino (R, 2022).Township Committee
Pilesgrove Township. Accessed August 14, 2022.Election Summary Report General Election Salem County November 2, 2021 Official Results Report

Salem County, New Jersey Salem County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western boundary is formed by the Delaware River and its eastern terminus is the Delaware Memorial Bridge, which connects the county with New Castle, Delaware. Its cou ...

, updated November 15, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.Election Summary Report Salem County NJ General Election November 3, 2020 Official Report

, updated November 25, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.November 5, 2019 Summary Report Salem County, NJ Official Results

Clerk, updated November 18, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In August 2014, the Township Council selected Joseph Crevino to fill the vacant seat of Jessie B. Smith, who had resigned the previous month from a term expiring in December 2016. In 2018, the township had an average property tax bill of $8,387, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.

Federal, state and county representation

Pilesgrove Township is located in the 2nd Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; ...

, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 3rd state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019.

is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners who are elected

to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members.County Commissioners
Salem County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022. , Salem County's Commissioners (with party, residence and term-end year listed in parentheses) are Director Benjamin H. Laury ( R, Elmer, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as director ends 2022), Deputy Director Gordon J. "Mickey" Ostrum, Jr. (R, Pilesgrove Township, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022), R. Scott Griscom (R, Mannington Township, 2022), Edward A. Ramsay (R, Pittsgrove Township, 2023) and Lee R. Ware ( D, Elsinboro Township, 2022). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Dale A. Cross (R, 2024), Sheriff Charles M. Miller (R, 2024) and Surrogate Nicki A. Burke (D, 2023).

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,908 registered voters in Pilesgrove Township, of which 678 (23.3% vs. 30.6% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 873 (30.0% vs. 21.0%) were registered as Republicans and 1,354 (46.6% vs. 48.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Salem

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed January 18, 2013. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 72.4% (vs. 64.6% in Salem County) were registered to vote, including 90.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 84.4% countywide). In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

received 56.5% of the vote (1,273 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

with 42.1% (950 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (31 votes), among the 2,278 ballots cast by the township's 2,990 registered voters (24 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 76.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

received 1,255 votes (53.2% vs. 46.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,051 votes (44.6% vs. 50.4%) and other candidates with 26 votes (1.1% vs. 1.6%), among the 2,358 ballots cast by the township's 2,911 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.0% (vs. 71.8% in Salem County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

received 1,246 votes (58.8% vs. 52.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he p ...

with 845 votes (39.9% vs. 45.9%) and other candidates with 22 votes (1.0% vs. 1.0%), among the 2,120 ballots cast by the township's 2,695 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.7% (vs. 71.0% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, Lobbying in the United States, lobbyist, and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New J ...

received 70.8% of the vote (1,035 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 26.7% (390 votes), and other candidates with 2.5% (36 votes), among the 1,478 ballots cast by the township's 3,003 registered voters (17 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 869 votes (50.4% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

with 629 votes (36.5% vs. 39.9%), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 187 votes (10.8% vs. 9.7%) and other candidates with 18 votes (1.0% vs. 2.0%), among the 1,724 ballots cast by the township's 2,919 registered voters, yielding a 59.1% turnout (vs. 47.3% in the county).

Education

The

Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District The Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District is a comprehensive regional public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade form five communities in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. The district serves st ...

serves public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool o ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

from

and Pilesgrove Township. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,425 students and 126.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 11.3:1.District information for Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

. Accessed February 15, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the

) are William Roper Early Childhood Learning Center with 83 students in grades PreK-K, Mary S. Shoemaker Elementary School with 470 students in grades 1-5, Woodstown Middle School with 278 students in grades 6-8 and

Woodstown High School Woodstown High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Woodstown and Pilesgrove Township, in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary scho ...

with 579 students in grades 9-12. Students from neighboring Alloway Township, Oldmans Township and Upper Pittsgrove Township attend the high school as part of

sending/receiving relationship A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts hav ...

s. A majority of public school students in grades 9–12 from Oldmans Township attend

Penns Grove High School Penns Grove High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carneys Point Township and Penns Grove in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pen ...

as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the

Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District The Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District is a comprehensive regional public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Carneys Point Township and Penns Grove, two communities in Salem County, ...

, with the balance attending Woodstown High School.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Salem County, by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

and by the

New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Towns ...

. The

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

crosses the northwest corner of Pilesgrove Township. U.S. Route 40 traverses the township roughly east to west and Route 45 crosses the township roughly south to north, with the two roadways meeting in Woodstown, the donut hole at the center. County Route 581 cuts through the southeast corner.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bus, ...

provides bus service between Salem and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

on the

401 __NOTOC__ Year 401 ( CDI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vincentius and Fravitus (or, less frequently, year 1154 ...

route. The southern portion of the freight rail Salem Branch, operated under contract by

Southern Railroad of New Jersey The Southern Railroad of New Jersey is a small short-line railroad company based in Winslow Township, New Jersey. The railroad operates freight trains in two areas in Southern New Jersey. In the Winslow area, trains operate between Winslow Junct ...

, runs through the township.

Wineries

* Auburn Road Vineyard * Chestnut Run Farm

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Pilesgrove Township include: * Jim Cook Jr. (born 1987), former journalist for the ''

South Jersey Times The ''South Jersey Times'' is a newspaper serving the South Jersey area of New Jersey. It began publication on November 4, 2012, following a merger of three affiliated papers, '' Gloucester County Times'', '' The News of Cumberland County'' and ...

'' *

Nathan Dunn Nathan Dunn (November 11, 1782 – September 19, 1844) was an American businessman, philanthropist and sinology pioneer who accumulated a large collection of Chinese artifacts while running a trade business in Canton, China for 12 years. In 1838, ...

(1782–1844), businessman and philanthropist * Nathan T. Stratton (1813–1887), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from 1851 to 1855Nathan Taylor Stratton
''

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress The ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' (Bioguide) is a biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress and its predecessor, the Continental Congress. Also included are Delegates fr ...

''. Accessed August 25, 2007.

References

External links

Pilesgrove Township's websiteWoodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District
*
School Data for the Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District

{{Salem County, New Jersey 1798 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1798 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in Salem County, New Jersey