Fairfield Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey


Fairfield Township is a township in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Vineland-Millville- Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for statistical purposes. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 6,295, reflecting an increase of 12 from the 6,283 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 584 from the 5,699 counted in the 1990 Census.
Fairfield Township was formed by Royal charter on May 12, 1697, from portions of the Cohansey Township area, while still part of Salem County, and was formed as a precinct in the newly created Cumberland County on January 19, 1748. It was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of the initial group of 104 townships in the state by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. Portions of the township were taken to form Downe Township, Millville Township and Lawrence Township.
The name Fairfield refers to its original settlers, who were émigrés from Fairfield, Connecticut who settled in the area in 1697. The oldest Presbyterian church in South Jersey is said to date to June 1697. There is a plaque and an old cemetery which indicates the original log building. When it was first created as one of Cumberland County's original six townships, it included land that would later become Commercial Township, Downe Township, Lawrence Township and Millville.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 43.950 square miles, including 41.260 square miles of land and 2.690 square miles of water.
Fairton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Fairfield Township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Back Neck, Ben Davis Point, Clarks Pond, Fordville, Gouldtown, Lanings Wharf, Mulfords Landing, New England Crossroads and Sea Breeze and Tindells Landing.
The township has three primary population centers: Sea Breeze, Fairton and Gouldtown, an old African American community from the segregation period.
Fairfield Township borders the Cumberland County municipalities of Bridgeton, Deerfield Township, Greenwich Township, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Millville and Upper Deerfield Township, along with the Delaware Bay.

Demographics

Census 2010

Fairfield Township had the highest percentage of Native Americans in any municipality in New Jersey, at 5.10% in the 2010 Census.
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $46,895 and the median family income was $55,286. Males had a median income of $45,333 versus $32,763 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,619. About 6.7% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 6,283 people, 1,751 households, and 1,322 families residing in the township. The population density was 148.6 people per square mile. There were 1,915 housing units at an average density of 45.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 41.41% White, 47.43% African American, 5.08% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.87% of the population.
There were 1,751 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the township the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 146.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $37,891, and the median income for a family was $41,326. Males had a median income of $31,858 versus $23,931 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,547. About 6.9% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Fairfield Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 of 565 municipalities 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, each serving a one-year term.
, members of the Fairfield Township Committee are Mayor Benjamin Byrd Sr., Deputy Mayor Marvin Pierce Jr., Tommy Clark Jr., David F. Gonzalez and Mark K. Pierce Sr..
JoAnne Servais was appointed to serve the unexpired term ending December 2014 of Dennis Pierce, who had resigned from office in June 2012 citing health issues.

Federal, state and county representation

Fairfield Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Fairfield Township had been in the 3rd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 3,639 registered voters in Fairfield Township, of which 1,603 were registered as Democrats, 409 were registered as Republicans and 1,627 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 76.9% of the vote, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 22.4%, and other candidates with 0.6%, among the 2,405 ballots cast by the township's 3,739 registered voters, for a turnout of 64.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 75.9% of the vote, ahead of Republican John McCain, who received 22.3%, with 2,451 ballots cast among the township's 3,707 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 68.7% of the vote, outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 29.6%, with 2,149 ballots cast among the township's 3,400 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 63.2.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 61.0% of the vote, ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 37.2%, and other candidates with 1.7%, among the 1,315 ballots cast by the township's 3,584 registered voters, for a turnout of 36.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 65.% of the vote, ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 27.2% and Independent Chris Daggett with 3.9%, with 1,424 ballots cast among the township's 3,586 registered voters, yielding a 39.7% turnout.

Education

The Fairfield Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The district opened the new Fairfield Township School in September 2006, consolidating all grades into a single building located at 375 Gouldtown-Woodruff Road in the Gouldtown section of the township. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district and its one school had an enrollment of 576 students and 50.0 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Cumberland Regional High School, which also serves students from Deerfield Township, Greenwich Township, Hopewell Township, Shiloh Borough, Stow Creek Township and Upper Deerfield Township. As of the 2017–18 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,127 students and 78.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 14.4:1. The high school district has a nine-member board of education, with board seats allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with each municipality assigned a minimum of one seat; Deerfield Township has one seat on the board.
Students are also eligible to attend Cumberland County Technology Education Center in Vineland, serving students from the entire county in its full-time technical training programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Cumberland County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
New Jersey Route 49 is the main highway serving Fairfield Township. County Route 553 also traverses the township.

Public transportation

offers service on the 553 route between Upper Deerfield Township and Atlantic City.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Fairfield Township include: