Medford Lakes, New Jersey

Medford Lakes is a borough in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,264, an increase of 118 (+2.8%) from the 2010 census count of 4,146,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Medford Lakes borough, Burlington County, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 21, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Medford Lakes borough
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed June 21, 2012. in turn reflecting a decline of 27 (−0.6%) from the 4,173 counted in the 2000 census.

Medford Lakes was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 17, 1939, from portions of Medford Township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 97. Accessed June 21, 2012. The borough was named for Medford Township, which was named by a developer for Medford, Massachusetts.

The borough's 22 lakes and surrounding lake communities are within the boundaries of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. The Medford Lakes Colony, a homeowner association, manages the lakes and other recreational facilities. More than 10% of the borough's homes are log cabins.

History

Charles Read's Aetna Furnace contributed to the Continental Army's efforts during the American Revolutionary War, using local bog iron to manufacture cannonballs. A part of the industrial life of what is now Medford Lakes was the saw and grist mill erected by John Haines.

Medford Lakes was originally developed as a resort community where all construction would make use of logs. Shiploads of cedar logs were imported, and craftsmen fashioned them into log cabins. Inside and out, the walls were of solid log. Some of the logs had their bark scraped off, while some retained their bark. As a porous wood, cedar is an excellent insulator, so the cabins were cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The resort community enjoyed an extended season because the large stone fireplaces could heat the log cabins during the colder months. The Medford Lakes Development Company was formed in 1927, and in 1928 the Colony Club Pavilion was constructed on ground donated by the Development Company.

St. Mary of the Lakes Catholic Church, a single-story log cabin structure built in 1931, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Medford Lakes was established as an independent municipality in 1939.

The borough experienced heavy damage on July 12, 2004, during a day that saw of rainfall over a span of 14 hours. The heavy rain caused a series of dam breaks and breaches in the surrounding areas of Southern New Jersey, which have since been replaced. Quogue Dam, as well as both Lower and Upper Aetna Lake Dams failed, with high water levels on portions of Ballinger Run exceeding 500-year flood elevations.

Since 1931, a Canoe Carnival has been held during the first week of every August on Lower Aetna Lake. Elaborate floats, built with a maximum of two canoes, are paddled by crowds gathered along the lake. A winner is then named, along with a king, queen, and court.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.293 square miles (3.348 km²), including 1.162 square miles (3.008 km²) of which is land and 0.131 square miles (0.340 km²) of which is water (10.15%). The borough is an independent municipality surrounded entirely by Medford Township, making it part one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Medford Lakes is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering , that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the borough is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

The Census Bureau's 2006−2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $101,086 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,928) and the median family income was $105,563 (+/− $9,949). Males had a median income of $85,139 (+/− $26,197) versus $66,379 (+/− $13,826) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $48,789 (+/− $6,097). About 5.0% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 4,173 people, 1,527 households, and 1,238 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,555 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 98.32% White, 0.43% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Medford Lakes borough, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 28, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Medford Lakes borough, Burlington County, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 28, 2013.

There were 1,527 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the borough the age distribution of the population shows 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $77,536, and the median income for a family was $83,695. Males had a median income of $58,854 versus $36,831 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $31,382. About 1.1% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The Borough of Medford Lakes is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law form of New Jersey municipal government, one of seven municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form. The governing body is comprised of five members, who are elected at-large in non-partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for vote in even-numbered years as part of the May municipal election.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 43. The borough council was expanded from three to five seats, with the two additional council seats added as part of the May 2010 election in which there were two seats up for a four-year term and two others for a two-year term.

, the Borough Council is comprised of Mayor Thomas J. Cranston (term of office on council ends June 30, 2026; term as mayor ends 2024), Deputy Mayor Gary Miller (2024), Gail Caputo (2024), William R. Fields (2024) and Dennis O'Neill (2026).Borough Council
Borough of Medford Lakes. Accessed July 25, 2022. "The Borough operates under the New Jersey Municipal Manager Law of 1923. This form of government separates policy making (the work of the Borough Council) from the execution of policy (the work of the Borough Manager). This maintains professional management and a Borough-wide perspective through: nonpartisan election, at large representation, concentration of executive responsibility in the hands of a professional manager accountable to the Borough Council, concentration of policy making power in one body - a five-person Mayor and Council."May 10, 2022 Summary Report Burlington County Official Results
Burlington County, New Jersey, updated May 17, 2022. Accessed July 25, 2022.

In February 2021, the Borough Council appointed Dennis P. O'Neill to fill the seat expiring in June 2022 that had been held by Robert D. Hanold Sr. until his death the previous month. O'Neill served on an interim basis until the May 2021 municipal election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

In March 2015, the Borough Council selected Kathy Merkh to fill the vacant seat of Deputy Mayor Jeff Fitzpatrick, who had submitted his resignation from office the previous month. Gary Miller was chosen to fill the vacant position of deputy mayor.

Federal, state and county representation

Medford Lakes is located in the 3rd Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.

Burlington County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of five members who are chosen at-large in partisan elections 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, the board selects a director and deputy director from among its members.Board of County Commissioners
Burlington County, New Jersey. Accessed February 26, 2022. , Burlington County Board of County Commissioners are
Commissioner Director Daniel J. O'Connell ( D, Delran Township; term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as director ends 2022)
Commissioner Deputy Director Tom Pullion (D, Edgewater Park, term as commissioner ends 2023; term as deputy director ends 2022),
Allison Eckel (D, Medford, 2022; appointed to fill an unexpired term),
Felicia Hopson (D, Willingboro Township, 2024) and
Balvir Singh (D, Burlington Township, 2023).
Burlington County's Constitutional Officers are
County Clerk Joanne Schwartz (R, Southampton Township, 2023),
Sheriff Anthony Basantis (D, Burlington Township, 2022) and
Surrogate Brian J. Carlin (D, Burlington Township, 2026).

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,033 registered voters in Medford Lakes, of which 749 (24.7% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,009 (33.3% vs. 23.9%) were registered as Republicans and 1,275 (42.0% vs. 42.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.Voter Registration Summary - Burlington
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 25, 2014. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 73.2% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 99.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,197 votes here (49.3% vs. 58.1% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,194 votes (49.2% vs. 40.2%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.0% vs. 1.0%), among the 2,429 ballots cast by the borough's 3,142 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.3% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,223 votes here (49.3% vs. 58.4% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,208 votes (48.7% vs. 39.9%) and other candidates with 34 votes (1.4% vs. 1.0%), among the 2,482 ballots cast by the borough's 3,007 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.5% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,302 votes here (52.0% vs. 46.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,168 votes (46.6% vs. 52.9%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,505 ballots cast by the borough's 3,014 registered voters, for a turnout of 83.1% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 941 votes here (66.9% vs. 61.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 425 votes (30.2% vs. 35.8%) and other candidates with 24 votes (1.7% vs. 1.2%), among the 1,406 ballots cast by the borough's 3,107 registered voters, yielding a 45.3% turnout (vs. 44.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 956 votes here (55.8% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 650 votes (37.9% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 74 votes (4.3% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 17 votes (1.0% vs. 1.2%), among the 1,713 ballots cast by the borough's 3,061 registered voters, yielding a 56.0% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

Education

Students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are educated by the Medford Lakes School District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 514 students and 43.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1.District information for Medford Lakes School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–2019 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are
Nokomis School with 151 students in Pre-K to 2nd grade and
Neeta School with 363 students in grades 3–8.

Public school students from Medford Lakes in ninth through twelfth grades attend Shawnee High School, located in Medford Township. Shawnee is part of the Lenape Regional High School District, a regional high school district in Burlington County, New Jersey that serves the eight municipalities of Evesham Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township and Woodland Township. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,597 students and 127.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1.

Students from Medford Lakes, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton.

Transportation

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Burlington County.

The main roads serving Medford Lakes are County Route 532 and County Route 541. CR 541 travels north–south, while CR 532 head east from its western terminus at CR 541 within the borough.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Medford Lakes include:

* Brian Earl, former professional basketball player who is the head coach for the Cornell Big Red men's basketball team
* Dan Earl (born 1974), head men's basketball coach for the VMI KeydetsKackenmeister, Craig
"Six degrees of Dan Earl: Six years and several injuries later, Earl is still at the point"
, '' The Daily Collegian (Penn State)'', January 28, 1999. Accessed June 14, 2007. "Something that caught Parkhill's eye while he pursued the young guard out of Medford Lakes, N.J., were Earl's personal qualities.... Earl graduated from Shawnee High School, where he helped lead the team to a 59-3 record his junior and senior years."
* George Makris (1920–2005), 18th head coach of the Temple Owls football team
* Gregg Rakoczy (born 1965), NFL football player for the Cleveland Browns
* Liz Tchou (born 1966), former field hockey defender who played on the US women's team that finished fifth at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta Liz Tchou Receives Honor
, Rutgers University press release dated October 15, 2007. Accessed April 9, 2008.

References

External links

Medford Lakes website

Burlington County webpage for Medford Lakes borough

Medford Lakes Country Club

Medford Lakes Public Schools
*

Data for the Medford Lakes Public Schools
National Center for Education Statistics

Shawnee High School

Lenape Regional High School District

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1923 Municipal Manager Law
1939 establishments in New Jersey
Boroughs in Burlington County, New Jersey
Populated places established in 1939
Populated places in the Pine Barrens (New Jersey)