Barnegat, New Jersey, United States

🇺🇸 Barnegat Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States.

What is now Barnegat Township was originally incorporated as Union Township on March 10, 1846, from portions of both Dover Township (now Toms River Township) and Stafford Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County. It became part of the newly formed Ocean County on February 15, 1850. Portions of the township were taken to form Lacey Township (March 23, 1871), Ocean Township (April 13, 1876), Harvey Cedars (December 13, 1894) and Long Beach Township (March 23, 1899). Union Township changed its name to Barnegat Township as of January 1, 1977.

History Barnegat's name can be traced back to Dutch explorers who, in 1614, mapped the coastline of the nearby Barnegat Bay and Barnegat Inlet. The original name for the inlet was "Barendegat" or "Barnde Gat", which translates to "inlet of the breakers" or "surf cove". These names were given due to the turbulent channel of the inlet, which is characterized by strong currents and choppy waters. An alternative theory suggests that "Barndegat" is a Dutch term meaning "a pool created from a dike breach"

Long before European settlers arrived, the Lenape Native Americans inhabited the region, including the area now known as Barnegat. The Lenape would spend their summers along the shore, collecting and roasting clams for sustenance during the winter months. They also fished, hunted, and gathered various fruits and nuts found in the area.

European settlers, primarily Dutch, English, and Swedes, began to arrive in the Barnegat area around 1720. These settlers were attracted to the region's fertile land, abundant natural resources, and proximity to the coastline. The first permanent homes in Barnegat were constructed around 1750, as the settlers established farms, fisheries, and other small businesses.

Barnegat played a role in the American Revolutionary War, as one of the last skirmishes of the conflict took place near the site of the Cedar Bridge Tavern in 1782. Known as the "Battle of Cedar Bridge", this encounter involved Patriot forces clashing with Loyalist troops and local Pine Robbers, who took advantage of the war's chaos to engage in banditry. The Patriots eventually emerged victorious, marking a symbolic end to the Revolutionary War in New Jersey.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 40.41 square miles (104.65 km²), including 34,00 square miles (88.07 km²) of land and 6.40 square miles (16.58 km²) of water (15.85%).

Barnegat CDP (2010 Census population of 2,817) is an unincorporated community and place (CDP) located within Barnegat Township, while Ocean Acres (16,142, of which 925 are in Barnegat and 15,217 are in Stafford) is a place and unincorporated area split between Barnegat Township and Stafford Township.

The township borders the Ocean County municipalities of Harvey Cedars, Lacey Township, Little Egg Harbor Township, Long Beach Township, Ocean Township and Stafford Township; and both Bass River Township and Woodland Township in Burlington County.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Cedar Bridge, Howardsville, Lower Dock and Upper Dock.

Demographics The 2010 United States census counted 20,936 people, 8,128 households, and 6,039 families in the township. The population density was 609.0 inhabitants per square mile (235.1/km²). There were 9,085 housing units at an average density of 264.3 per square mile (102.0/km²). The racial makeup was 91.77% (19,214) White, 3.25% (681) Black or African American, 0.14% (30) Native American, 1.73% (363) Asian, 0.00% (1) Pacific Islander, 1.27% (265) from other races, and 1.82% (382) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.78% (1,420) of the population.

Of the 8,128 households, 26.1% had children under the age of 18; 61.6% were married couples living together; 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.7% were non-families. Of all households, 21.8% were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98.

20.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.5 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $60,440 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,408) and the median family income was $68,504 (+/− $5,322). Males had a median income of $55,282 (+/− $4,415) versus $39,681 (+/− $4,254) for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,192 (+/− $1,549). About 6.6% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government Barnegat Township is governed under the Township 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 is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters 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 as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.

As of 2022 members of the Barnegat Township Committee are Mayor Alfonso Cirulli (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2023; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Pasquale "Pat" Pipi (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Albert Bille (R, 2022), William Farmer (R, 2024) and Joseph Marte (R, 2023).

In November 2015, Martin J. Lisella stepped down from the Township Committee to take a position as the township's business administrator. In December 2015, the Township Committee selected former mayor Alfonso Cirulli from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill Lisella's vacant seat expiring in December 2017; Cirulli will serve on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

Education The Barnegat Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,583 students and 272.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2021-22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Lillian M. Dunfee Elementary School with 293 students in PreK, Cecil S. Collins Elementary School with 759 students in grades K-2, Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School with 479 students in grades 3-4, Robert L. Horbelt Elementary School with 498 students in grades 5-6, Russell O. Brackman Middle School with 552 students in grades 7-8 and Barnegat High School with 971 students in grades 9-12.

St. Mary Academy near Manahawkin CDP, a K–8 school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, is managed by St. Mary Church of Barnegat. From 1997, until 2019 it operated as All Saints Regional Catholic School and was collectively managed by five churches. In 2019 St. Mary took entire control of the school, which remained on the same Manahawkin campus, and changed its name. The other churches no longer operate the school but still may send students there.

Transport: Road As of May 2010, the township had a total of 120.87 miles (194.52 km) of roadways, of which 84.99 miles (136.78 km) were maintained by the municipality, 23.69 miles (38.13 km) by Ocean County, 9.88 miles (15.90 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.33 miles (3.75 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The main highway serving Barnegat Township is the Garden State Parkway, which traverses the township north-to-south near the centre of the township. U.S. Route 9 also traverses Barnegat Township north-to-south towards the east side of the township. New Jersey Route 72 and County Route 539 are the main roads serving the western portion of the township. County Route 554 traverses most of the township from west-to-east and connects with the other major roads except CR 539.

Transport: Public NJ Transit provides bus service to and from Atlantic City on the 559 bus route.

Media WBNJ 91.9 FM is licensed to Barnegat.

The Asbury Park Press provides daily news coverage of the town as does WOBM-FM radio. The government of the town provides columns and commentary to The Southern Ocean Times, which is one of seven weekly papers from Micromedia Publications.