HILLSBOROUGH TOWNSHIP
Narrative:
Centrally located in New Jersey, Hillsborough is a 54-square-mile suburban community characterized by a mix of housing types, ranging up to single-family homes worth $700,000 or more. Shopping centers with major anchor stores complement a thriving commercial base of small stores.
It is traversed by Route 206, a major state north-south road. The middle four miles of a four-lane bypass is under construction, expected to be open in 2013.
Hillsborough prides itself on having about 31 percent of land area permanently preserved for farmland or open space. Duke Farms, a 2,700-acre private estate, is in the northern part of the town. The land was originally owned by tobacco and electric energy tycoon James "Buck" Duke and then passed down to daughter Doris Duke. A new orientation center will open in the late spring of 2012, giving access to about 1,000 acres and a renovated 1899 conservatory for indoor and outdoor display gardens. The complex will open opportunities for research related to ecological sustainability.
For these reasons — and a low-debt local government and a high-achieving school district — in 2007, Hillsborough was ranked as one of Money magazine’s "Top 100 Places to Live" in the U.S. It made the list again in 2011.
Hillsborough is the home of the former Belle Mead GSA depot, a storage site for materials during World War II. It continued storing materials until the 1980s, when it closed, partially after finding contaminants in the ground. Some of the site was purchased by the county and the township and a major recreation complex is planned for there.
Historically, Hillsborough and the surrounding area were first explored by the Dutch in the middle 17th century. At that time the area was occupied by the Unami Indians, who were a part of the Lenapi tribe. Because they spoke the Algonquin language they were considered part of the Algonquin Nation.
West Jersey, including the area of Neshanic and South Branch, was sold to William Penn in 1676.
Grist mills were one of the earliest industries. Records of mills in the Neshanic area go back to 1692 and perhaps earlier. As early as 1746 a mill was recorded along the Millstone River.
Hillsborough Township took its place in colonial history as the path General George Washington and his troops traveled through Hillsborough from the Battle of Princeton to winter quarters in Morristown.
Hillsborough is a collection of small villages, including Belle Mead, Blackwell Mills, Flagtown, Neshanic and South Branch.
Community contact: The township administrator is Michael Merdinger, hired in December 2010. He is a former governing body member and mayor (1984). His phone is 908-369-4313, ext. 103. Township offices and police are in the municipal complex at 379 South Branch Road, Hillsborough 98844. The official website is hillsborough-nj.org.
Schools contact: The superintendent is Dr. Jorden Schiff, who was hired in December 2010. His email ID is. His phone: 908-431-6600, ext. 2288. District offices are in the municipal complex at 379 South Branch Road. The general phone number is 908-431-6600. The website is hillsborough.k12.nj.us.
County: Somerset.
Election districts: For state elections, Hillsborough is in Legislative District 16, which includes municipalities in Hunterdon, Mercer and Middlesex counties. For U.S. Congress, Hillsborough is in District 7, currently represented by Congressman Leonard Lance, a Republican from Clinton Township. People elected in November will take their seats in January 2013.
Population and population trends: The 2010 census showed 38,858 residents, up 5 percent since 2000. Figures said the township was 75 white, 13 percent Asian, eight percent Hispanic and five percent black. About 52 percent were married, with 10 percent were divorced, widowed or separated.
Type of government: Township Committee of five members, each serving a three-year term. The mayor is elected annually as a "first among equals" among Township Committee members.
Schools: The township public school district educates about 7,500 students within a total of nine schools. There are six elementary schools (Amsterdam, Woods Road, Woodfern, Triangle, Sunnymead and Hillsborough Elementary, all for grades K-4), one intermediate school (Auten Road, grades 5 and 6), one middle school (grades 7 and 8) and one high school (grades 9 through 12). Millstone Borough students attend Hillsborough schools, too.
Public library: The library, which in the municipal complex at 379 South Branch Road, is part of the Somerset County Library System.
Income average: $121,841 average household or $43,611 per capita income (americantowns.com).
Property taxes: Total for all properties in 2011 was $119,812,130 for all public entities (schools, local and county government, library, open space, etc.).
Average assessed valuation of house: $370,019 in 2011.
Average residential property tax: $7,956 in 2011.
