Lumberton, New Jersey, United States

🇺🇸 Lumberton is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The township was named for its early lumber industry, with pine trees cut down to supply wood used in Philadelphia. In March 2007, Lumberton was identified as having the most active community of eBay buyers and sellers on a per-capita basis in the United States, with 46,000 items posted on the site over a three-week period by members based in the Lumberton ZIP code 08048.

History The Lenape Native Americans were the earliest inhabitants in what is now known as Lumberton. By the 17th century, European colonists began to settle the south-western part of the township. They cleared wooded areas and established farms centered around Fostertown, an unincorporated community. Eayrestown was founded by Richard and Elizabeth Eayres in the late 1600s and became the first significant settlement in the area. It also served as the centre of commerce, thanks to its sawmill. The village of Lumberton emerged from these two neighboring communities.

The history of some homes in Lumberton can be traced back to the times of slavery. The township's earliest settlers and their descendants held various views on slavery. These perspectives varied from supporting and tolerating it to passive and active opposition. Over the years, many locals became advocates for the abolition of slavery, first in New Jersey, and then across the entire nation.

One notable historical site is a house on Creek Road. Built in 1824 by D.B. Cole, a descendant of the founders of Old Colestown, New Jersey, this house played a crucial part in the Underground Railroad. The property's deed dates back to 1806 when the Coles bought it from the Moores of Moorestown. Charles Blockson's Hippocrene Guide to the Underground Railroad documents that a fake well in the backyard once served as a refuge for enslaved people. They would slide down into it to hide from their masters as they made their way to Canada.

During the Cold War, the town served as a site for Project Nike. In the event of a nuclear war, Nike Ajax and Hercules missiles would have been deployed from bases in Lumberton and other neighboring bases. This strategy aimed to deter the Soviet Union from bombing the Delaware Valley.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 13.01 square miles (33.71 km²), including 12.88 square miles (33.37 km²) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km²) of water (1.01%).

The township borders the Burlington County municipalities of Eastampton, Hainesport, Medford, Mount Holly, Mount Laurel, and Southampton.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Brown, Eayrestown, Fostertown and Newbolds Corner.

Demographics The 2010 United States census counted 12,559 people, 4,540 households, and 3,237 families in the township. The population density was 971.7 per square mile (375.2/km²). There were 4,719 housing units at an average density of 365.1 per square mile (141.0/km²). The racial makeup was 70.99% (8,916) White, 18.93% (2,378) Black or African American, 0.24% (30) Native American, 4.71% (591) Asian, 0.04% (5) Pacific Islander, 1.55% (195) from other races, and 3.54% (444) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.86% (736) of the population.

Of the 4,540 households, 38.7% had children under the age of 18; 56.2% were married couples living together; 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.7% were non-families. Of all households, 24.0% were made up of individuals and 9.2% 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 3.28.

27.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $82,250 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,344) and the median family income was $102,276 (+/− $7,854). Males had a median income of $71,475 (+/− $6,369) versus $54,452 (+/− $5,969) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,294 (+/− $1,882). About 5.6% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

For pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, public school students attend the Lumberton Township School District. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,141 students and 96.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Ashbrook Elementary School with 398 students in grades PreK-2, Bobby's Run School with 328 students in grades 3-5 and Lumberton Middle School with 378 students in grades 6-8. In 2018, the district decided to close the Florence L. Walther School, which had served students in Kindergarten and first grade, at the end of the 2019-20 school year and reconfigure the grades assigned to the three remaining facilities.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend the Rancocas Valley Regional High School, a comprehensive regional public high school serving students from five communities encompassing approximately 40 square miles (100 km²) and comprising the communities of Eastampton Township, Hainesport Township, Lumberton Township, Mount Holly and Westampton. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 2,048 students and 140.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.6:1.[00] The school is located in Mount Holly Township. The high school district's board of education has nine members who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. Seats on the board are allocated based on the population of the five constituent municipalities, with three seats assigned to Lumberton Township.[01][02]

Students from Lumberton Township, 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.[03]

Transport: Road As of July 2015, Lumberton had a total of 64.82 miles (104.32 km) of roadways, of which 45.61 miles (73.40 km) were maintained by the municipality, 17.11 miles (27.54 km) by Burlington County and 2.10 miles (3.38 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[04]

Route 38 is the main east–west highway[05] and County Route 541 is the main north–south road[06] through the township.[07]

Transport: Public NJ Transit provides bus service in Lumberton on the 317 route between Asbury Park and Philadelphia, and on the 413 route between Camden and Burlington.[08][09]

BurLink bus service is offered on the B1 route between Beverly and Pemberton.

Transport: Air The Flying W Airport is located 1-mile (1.6 km) south-west of the central business district.