Location of Downe Township in Cumberland County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Cumberland County in New Jersey highlighted in red (left).
What is now Downe Township was formed by Royal charter on January 19, 1748, as Downes Township, from portions of Fairfield Township. Downe Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Commercial Township on February 27, 1874.[20] Downe Township is a dry township where alcohol is not allowed to be sold by law.[21][22]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Downe Township had a total area of 54.26 square miles (140.54 km2), including 48.40 square miles (125.36 km2) of land and 5.86 square miles (15.18 km2) of water (10.80%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beadons Point, Beaver Dam, Dividing Creek, Dragston, Egg Island Point, False Egg Island Point, Fortescue, Gandys Beach, Little Neck, Money Island (surrounded by the Gandy's Beach nature preserve[23]), Nantuxent Point, Newport, Newport Landing, Newport Neck, Newport Station, Shaws Mill, The Glades and Turkey Point.[24]
Fortescue was once known as the "weakfish capital of the world",[25] though the population of the fish has sharply declined, sharply impacting the economic vitality of the area.[26]
Of the 646 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18; 52.0% were married couples living together; 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.7% were non-families. Of all households, 24.9% were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.93.[17]
19.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 33.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 98.6 males.[17]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $45,250 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,437) and the median family income was $49,471 (+/− $9,499). Males had a median income of $36,739 (+/− $5,543) versus $32,841 (+/− $8,768) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,428 (+/− $2,019). About 6.7% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.[41]
2000 census
As of the 2000 U.S. census,[13] there were 1,631 people, 658 households, and 438 families residing in the township. The population density was 32.1 inhabitants per square mile (12.4/km2). There were 1,134 housing units at an average density of 22.3 per square mile (8.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 91.05% White, 4.84% African American, 1.47% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.98% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.37% of the population.[39][40]
There were 658 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.[39][40]
In the township, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.[39][40]
The median income for a household in the township was $34,667, and the median income for a family was $39,375. Males had a median income of $35,000 versus $26,397 for females. The per capita income for the township was $17,366. About 11.5% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.[39][40]
Government
Local government
Downe 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.[42] 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.[6][43] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor.[3]
As of 2023[update], members of the Downe Township Committee are Mayor Michael L. Rothman (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2025; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Larry Jordan Sr. (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Edward Bart (R, 2023), Stephen Byrne (R, 2023) and Robert Campbell (R, 2024).[3][44][45][46][47][48]
Federal, state and county representation
Downe Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District[49] and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.[50][51][52]
Cumberland County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are elected at large by the citizens of Cumberland County in partisan elections and serve staggered three-year terms in office, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. Annually, the seven board members select a Director and Deputy Director for one-year terms.[57] As of 2025[update], members of the Cumberland County Board of County Commissioners (with party affiliation, residence and term-end year listed in parentheses) are:
The county's constitutional officers are:
Clerk Celeste Riley (D, Bridgeton, 2029),[70][71]
Sheriff Michael Donato (R, Bridgeton, 2026)[72][73] and
Surrogate Rudolph Luisi (R, Vineland, 2028).[74][75][65]
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,128 registered voters in Downe Township, of which 249 (22.1%) were registered as Democrats, 484 (42.9%) were registered as Republicans and 394 (34.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.[76]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 58.8% of the vote (415 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.1% (276 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (15 votes), among the 715 ballots cast by the township's 1,172 registered voters (9 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 61.0%.[77][78] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 56.7% of the vote (447 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 38.1% (300 votes), with 788 ballots cast among the township's 1,127 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.9%.[79] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 59.1% of the vote (445 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry, who received 38.9% (293 votes), with 753 ballots cast among the township's 1,071 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.3.[80]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 73.4% of the vote (353 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.5% (113 votes), and other candidates with 3.1% (15 votes), among the 502 ballots cast by the township's 1,072 registered voters (21 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.8%.[81][82] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 51.7% of the vote (306 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 31.9% (189 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 9.8% (58 votes), with 592 ballots cast among the township's 1,127 registered voters, yielding a 52.5% turnout.[83]
Education
The Downe Township School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Downe Township School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 186 students and 17.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.[84] In the 2016–17 school year, Downe had the 38th smallest enrollment of any school district in the state, with 185 students.[85]
Students are also eligible to attend Cumberland County Technical Education Center in Vineland, serving students from the entire county in its full-time technical training programs, which are offered without charge to students, paid for by tax dollars of those who are county residents.[89]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 54.68 miles (88.00 km) of roadways, of which 21.99 miles (35.39 km) were maintained by the municipality and 32.69 miles (52.61 km) by Cumberland County.[90]
^ abcTownship Committee Department Heads, Downe Township. Accessed August 28, 2023. "The Township Committee is the governing body of the Township. Five committee members are elected by the voters of the Township. At the annual reorganization meeting held in the first days of January, the Township Committee votes to select one of its members to serve as Mayor and Deputy Mayor."
^About, Downe Township. Accessed October 30, 2019. "It is home to several historic mixed use villages such as Dividing Creek, Newport, Moneys Island and Fortescue. Commercial and recreational fishing and boating are an important part of the way of life here, in fact, Downe and Fortescue are known as the 'weakfish capital' of the world."
^"Ever hear of a town called Fortescue?", Asbury Park Press, December 30, 2015. Accessed October 30, 2019. "Once having another, more positive title, the 'Weakfish capital of the World,' Fortescue has seen the fish population almost disappear, the economy in terrible shape, and many homes have not been repaired or were lost after Sandy."
^Raum, John O. The History of New Jersey: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, Volume 1, p. 269, J. E. Potter and company, 1877. Accessed September 3, 2013. "Downe is in the southern part of the county, on Maurice river cove, and contained in 1850, 2,341 inhabitants; in 1860, 3,114; and in 1870, 3,385. Mauricetown (on Maurice river), Dividing Creek, and Newport, are the principal towns "
^ abBoard of County Commissioners, Cumberland County, New Jersey. Accessed February 1, 2023. "By law, Cumberland County is allowed 7 County Commissioners, who serve staggered, overlapping three-year terms. Two are elected in two successive years, three in the third year, elected from the county at-large, for three-year, overlapping terms. A Director of the Board is selected by their colleagues for a one-year term. Each County Commissioner is charged with responsibility for one or more of the county's seven departments."
^Guion, Payton. "These 43 N.J. school districts have fewer than 200 students", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 2017. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Based on data from the state Department of Education from the last school year and the Census Bureau, NJ Advance Media made a list of the smallest of the small school districts in the state, excluding charter schools and specialty institutions.... 38. Downe Township; Enrollment: 185; Grades: Pre-K-8; County: Cumberland; Town population: 1,585"
^Western/Southern Cumberland Region Strategic PlanArchived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, Cumberland Development Corporation, January 2003. Accessed January 30, 2017. "Students in Bridgeton, Downe and a portion of Lawrence Township attend Bridgeton High School. There are over 10,000 students enrolled in public schools in the study area (Table 26, Enrollment)."
^Staff. "Bridgeton High School", South Jersey Magazine. Accessed June 21, 2020. "Bridgeton High School provides opportunities for students from Bridgeton, Lawrence Township and Downe Township in Cumberland County to become members of society who are thoughtful, informed, involved and committed to life-long learning."
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