87-595: Willingboro Township (known from 1959 to 1963 as Levittown and Levittown Township ) is a township in Burlington County , in the U.S. state of New Jersey . It is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the state's South Jersey region. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia - Reading - Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley . As of
174-556: A case that ultimately went to the New Jersey Supreme Court , which upheld lower court rulings in favor of James. James was not the first African American to move into Willingboro. Given James' success in his suit, Charles and Vera Williams purchased a house and moved into the community in 1960, the first African-American family in Willingboro. James eventually moved into Millbrook Park in 1960. He served as head of
261-523: A community center for the performing arts, an additional gym for events, and classrooms for college classes. The S.W. Bookbinder, J.A. McGinley and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Schools were closed at the end of the 2005–2006 school year as part of an effort to save about $ 3.6 million, through the reduction of as many as 100 staff members and class sizes increased as large as 27 at the five remaining elementary schools. The cuts were needed to fill
348-508: A curfew passed by the Township Council in the early 1970s. The curfew was later dropped, but reintroduced later. The African-American population of Willingboro increased throughout the 1960s; by 1964 there were 50 African-American families. By 1970, African Americans represented about 11% of the population. During the early 1970s, several homeowners said they were approached by local real estate agents and told that their neighborhood
435-454: A family taking the same choice: North Hanover Township School District (PK-6), Northern Burlington County Regional School District (7-12), and Pemberton Township School District (K-12). The Pemberton district operates Fort Dix Elementary School, located on-post. In prior years, Pemberton was the sole school district for Fort Dix. In 1988, 23% of the students in that district were from military families. In 1997, plans were made to shift
522-531: A general court-marital on serious charges. Most had their charges dropped entirely, while nine faced a special court-martial, the military equivalent of misdemeanor court. Four of those were convicted of misdemeanor participation in a riot and the other five acquitted. Of the five singled out for general courts-martial, one was acquitted completely while four were discharged with varying sentences including hard labor. In 1957, during their leisure hours, Specialist 4 Steven Goodman, assisted by PFC Stuart Scherr, made
609-494: A minimum-security satellite camp housed an additional 426. Knowing that Fort Dix was on a base closure list, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) attempted to save the U.S. Army post during 1987. The USAF moved the Security Police (SP) Air Base Ground Defense school from Camp Bullis , Texas, to Dix in fall 1987. Putting 50–100 SP trainees on a commercial flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, every few weeks
696-416: A one-year term. Partisan elections are allowed under this law. Voters may initiate a referendum to change the membership to consist of either 3 or 5 members. While many township committees directly supervise the operation of their municipality, the revised act allows the committee to delegate all or a portion of its responsibilities to an appointed municipal administrator. A number of municipalities changed to
783-518: A small clay model of a charging infantryman. Their tabletop model was spotted by a public-relations officer, who brought it to the attention of Deputy Post Commander Bruce Clarke, who suggested the construction of a larger statue to serve as a symbol of Fort Dix. Goodman and Scherr, who had studied industrial arts together in New York City and were classified by the Army as illustrators , undertook
870-775: A staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election as part of the November general election during odd-numbered years. At a reorganization held during the first week of January after each election, the council selects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among its members. As of 2024, the members of the Willingboro Township Council are Mayor Kaya T. McIntosh ( D , term on council ends December 31, 2027; term as mayor ends 2025), Deputy Mayor Nathaniel Anderson (D, term on council and as deputy mayor ends 2025), Rebecca Perrone (D, 2025), Samantha E. Whitfield (D, 2027) and Tiffani A. Worthy (D, 2027). In July 2017,
957-413: A thorough briefing program for Levitt employees, government officials, the police and the press. Lett recommended an attempt to discourage anti-integration activities known as "Operation Hothead". Lett created a Human Relations Council to oversee possible disputes in community. James served as a member of that committee. The committee tried to solve problems of juvenile delinquency in the township. It opposed
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#17327799118921044-603: A total of 122.11 miles (196.52 km) of roadways, of which 109.02 miles (175.45 km) were maintained by the municipality, 11.53 miles (18.56 km) by Burlington County and 1.56 miles (2.51 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation . U.S. Route 130 is the main highway serving Willingboro. It straddles the township's borders with Delanco Township and Edgewater Park Township . NJ Transit provides bus service on 409 / 417 / 418 routes between Trenton and Philadelphia. BurLink bus service
1131-638: A total of 20,713 registered voters in Willingboro Township, of which 12,117 (58.5% vs. 33.3% countywide) were registered as Democrats , 1,268 (6.1% vs. 23.9%) were registered as Republicans and 7,322 (35.3% vs. 42.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated . There were 6 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens . Among the township's 2010 Census population, 65.5% (vs. 61.7% in Burlington County) were registered to vote, including 85.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.3% countywide). In
1218-470: A township, as townships are equivalent to all other forms of local municipalities. Municipalities in New Jersey may be classified into one of five types , of which townships are one. Townships may retain the township form of government, or adopt one of the modern forms of government, which are not restricted to a particular type of municipality. In New Jersey, a municipality's name (such as X Township)
1305-410: A turnout of 74.6% (vs. 78.8% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election , Democrat Barbara Buono received 6,513 ballots cast (70.6% vs. 35.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2,453 votes (26.6% vs. 61.4%) and other candidates with 40 votes (0.4% vs. 1.2%), among the 9,227 ballots cast by the township's 21,474 registered voters, yielding a 43.0% turnout (vs. 44.5% in
1392-573: A two-year budget deficit of nearly $ 10 million. Students from Willingboro 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 Township . The Willingboro Public Library (WPL)
1479-466: Is not necessarily an indication of its form of government. In New Jersey, the township form of government consists of a three to five-member township committee usually elected at-large in partisan elections. At its organization meeting, held after an election, the committee selects one of its elected members to serve as mayor and preside at meetings. The other members of the township committee serve as commissioners of various township departments, overseeing
1566-1071: Is offered on the B1 route (between Beverly and Pemberton ) and on the B2 route (between Beverly and Westampton ). Academy Bus provides service from Willingboro and at the park-and-ride facility near Exit 5 of the New Jersey Turnpike in Westampton to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and other street service in Midtown Manhattan and to both Jersey City and the Wall Street area in Lower Manhattan . People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Willingboro Township include: Township (New Jersey) A township , in
1653-497: Is the municipal public library for the community. It first opened in 1960 and operates independently from the Burlington County Library System. Before 2003, the library was housed in the township's municipal building on Salem Road. The current library building is 42,000 square feet (3,900 m). and is an anchor for the new Willingboro Town Center on Route 130 . As of May 2010, the township had
1740-559: Is used by 27% of New Jersey municipalities; however, slightly over 50% of the state's population resides within them. Townships in New Jersey differ from townships elsewhere in the United States. In many states, townships can be an intermediate form of government, between county government and municipalities that are subordinate parts of the township, with different government responsibilities allocated at each level. In New Jersey, there are no subordinate municipalities located within
1827-605: The 118th United States Congress , New Jersey's 3rd congressional district is represented by Andy Kim ( D , Moorestown ). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker ( Newark , term ends 2027) and George Helmy ( Mountain Lakes , term ends 2024). For the 2024-2025 session , the 7th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in
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#17327799118921914-607: The 2012 presidential election , Democrat Barack Obama received 15,635 votes here (91.4% vs. 58.1% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,300 votes (7.6% vs. 40.2%) and other candidates with 63 votes (0.4% vs. 1.0%), among the 17,101 ballots cast by the township's 22,031 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.6% (vs. 74.5% in Burlington County). In the 2008 presidential election , Democrat Barack Obama received 16,104 votes here (90.0% vs. 58.4% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,616 votes (9.0% vs. 39.9%) and other candidates with 75 votes (0.4% vs. 1.0%), among
2001-817: The 2020 U.S. census , Fort Dix census-designated place (CDP) had a total population of 7,716, of which 5,951 were in New Hanover Township , 1,765 were in Pemberton Township , and none were in Springfield Township (though portions of the CDP are included there). Established in 1917, Fort Dix was in 2009 combined with adjoining U.S. Air Force and Navy facilities to become Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) in 2009. However, it remains commonly known as "Fort Dix", "ASA Dix", or "Dix". During 2015 to 2016, Colonel Shelley Balderson
2088-512: The 2020 United States census , the township's population was 31,889, an increase of 260 (+0.8%) from the 2010 census count of 31,629, which in turn reflected a decline of 1,379 (−4.2%) from the 33,008 counted in the 2000 census . The township has British roots going back to the 17th century. Abraham Levitt and Sons purchased and developed Willingboro land in the 1950s and 1960s as a planned community in their Levittown model. The 1967 book The Levittowners , by sociologist Herbert J. Gans ,
2175-530: The 317 route. The U.S. Census Bureau lists "Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst" in Burlington County as having its own school district. Students attend area school district public schools, as the Department of Defense Education Activity does not operate any schools on that base. Students on McGuire and Dix may attend one of the following in their respective grade levels, with all siblings in
2262-913: The Civilian Conservation Corps . Camp Dix became Fort Dix on 8 March 1939, and the installation became a permanent Army post. During and after World War II, the fort served the same purpose as in the First World War, serving as a training and staging ground during the war and a demobilization center after the war. After victory in Europe, arrangements were made to return prisoners of war to their home countries. 154 Soviet citizens who had been captured in German uniform were brought from Camp Ruston in Louisiana to Fort Dix in preparation for their return. On 29 June 1945, having learned of
2349-527: The New Jersey Legislature when it enacted "An Act incorporating the Inhabitants of Townships, designating their Powers, and regulating their Meetings", P.L. 1798, p. 289. This makes Willingboro one of the oldest townships in the State. Portions of the township were taken to form Beverly borough (March 5, 1850, now Beverly city) and Beverly Township (March 1, 1859, now known as Delanco Township ). In
2436-592: The State Senate by Troy Singleton ( D , Palmyra ) and in the General Assembly by Herb Conaway (D, Moorestown ) and Carol A. Murphy (D, Mount Laurel ). Burlington County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of five members who are chosen 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; at an annual reorganization meeting,
2523-533: The U.S. Census Bureau , Fort Dix had a total area of 10.389 square miles (26.909 km ), of which 0.127 square mile (0.329 km ) is covered by water (1.22%). The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification , Fort Dix has a humid subtropical climate , Cfa on climate maps. The 2010 United States census counted 7,716 people, 784 households, and 590 families in
2610-479: The Vietnam War , rapid expansion took place. A mock Vietnamese village was constructed, and soldiers received Vietnam-specific training before being deployed. Since Vietnam, Fort Dix has sent soldiers to Operation Desert Shield , Desert Storm , Bosnia , Afghanistan , and Iraq . The Atlantic Strike Team (AST) of the U.S. Coast Guard is based at Fort Dix. As part of the Department of Homeland Security ,
2697-499: The military stockade rioted. The prisoners called it a rebellion and cited grievances including "unsanitary conditions", overcrowding, starvation, beatings, being chained to chairs, forced confessions and participation in an unjust war. The Army initially called it a "disturbance" caused by a small number of "instigators" and "troublemakers", but soon charged 38 soldiers with riot and inciting to riot. The antiwar movement, which had been increasingly recognizing and supporting resistance to
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2784-442: The 17,899 ballots cast by the township's 21,755 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.3% (vs. 80.0% in Burlington County). In the 2004 presidential election , Democrat John Kerry received 12,226 votes here (81.1% vs. 52.9% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 2,701 votes (17.9% vs. 46.0%) and other candidates with 85 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 15,067 ballots cast by the township's 20,197 registered voters, for
2871-539: The 1950s and 1960s, Willingboro was the location for a massive residential development by Levitt & Sons . The town was to be Levitt & Sons' third and largest Levittown development, following similar projects in New York and Pennsylvania. Levitt acquired the great majority of the land in Willingboro; the historic community of Rancocas, in the southeast portion of the township, was annexed to Westampton Township to keep it from being bulldozed, as Levitt wished to keep
2958-448: The AST is responsible for responding to oil-pollution and hazardous-materials release incidents to protect public health and the environment. Fort Dix is also home to Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution , the largest single federal prison. It is a low-security installation for male inmates located within the military installation. As of 19 November 2009, it housed 4,310 inmates, and
3045-459: The CDP. The population density was 751.9 per square mile (290.3/km ). There were 898 housing units at an average density of 87.5 per square mile (33.8/km ). The racial makeup was 52.57% (4,056) White , 34.47% (2,660) Black or African American , 0.67% (52) Native American , 1.91% (147) Asian , 0.30% (23) Pacific Islander , 6.07% (468) from other races , and 4.02% (310) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.47% (1,657) of
3132-629: The Navy nor the Army base is subordinate to the Joint Base; each is simply supported by the joint base in base operations such as utilities, child-care centers, gyms, and other services, but each one reports through its own service-specific command chain and has its own commander (the Navy a captain and the Army a colonel). The commanders of both Fort Dix and Lakehurst serve also as deputy joint base commanders. Construction began in June 1917. Camp Dix, as it
3219-560: The Township type, or the Township form of government, between 1979 and 1982. A federal law, The State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 provided funding to the states to be divided between state and municipal governments. In 1981, states were removed from the program and the law was amended to provide direct grants to the most popular form of local government in the United States - townships. In Essex County alone, 11 municipal governments changed their form or name to take advantage of
3306-450: The adjacent Air Force and Naval facilities were consolidated into a single secure facility, called Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The supporting component is the U.S. Air Force, and base operations are executed by the 87th Air Base Wing , which provides installation management to all of the joint base while both the Navy and Army retain command and control of their missions, personnel, equipment, and component-specific services. Neither
3393-672: The auspices of Goodman and the Fort Dix chapter of the Association of the United States Army , the statue was recast in bronze and its concrete base was replaced by black granite . The statue stands 25 feet tall at the entrance to Infantry Park. Its inscription reads This monument is dedicated to the only indispensable instrument of war, The American Soldier— The Ultimate Weapon "If they are not there, you don't own it." 17 August 1990 According to
3480-660: The board selects a director and deputy director from among its members to serve a one-year term. As of 2024, Burlington County's Commissioners are: Director Felicia Hopson ( D , Willingboro Township , 2024), Tom Pullion (D, Edgewater Park , 2026), Allison Eckel (D, Medford , 2025), Deputy Director Daniel J. O'Connell (D, Delran Township , 2024) and Balvir Singh (D, Burlington Township , 2026). Burlington County's Constitutional Officers are: Clerk Joanne Schwartz (D, Southampton Township , 2028) Sheriff James H. Kostoplis (D, Bordentown , 2025) and Surrogate Brian J. Carlin (D, Burlington Township, 2026). As of March 2011, there were
3567-447: The community office. However, some swimming pools, such as Hawthorne Park, have been inactive for years. Free lessons and other events were focused on these "park" pools during the summer months. By the 1990s, only Pennypacker Park and Country Club Park had operating summer pools. Finally, Country Club Park and Pennypacker Park have been denoted the "community pools" at this time. The township's parks include: A small, unnamed section of
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3654-603: The company challenging their policy. A friend of his, who worked at the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, said that it was illegal in New Jersey to discriminate in federally-subsidized housing. At the time, de facto racial segregation in housing existed in many areas in the United States. Levittown was receiving mortgage insurance from the Federal Housing Administration. But as of 1958, the law had not been tested. James sued Levitt in
3741-510: The context of New Jersey local government , refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government . As a political entity, a township in New Jersey is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town , city , borough , or village . They collect property taxes and provide services such as maintaining roads, garbage collection, water, sewer, schools, police and fire protection. The Township form of local government
3828-600: The council selected Rebecca Perone from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat that had been held by Christopher "Chris" Walker expiring in December 2019 until he resigned from his post as mayor in June 2017. The township council appointed Chris Walker in October 2013 to fill the vacant seat of Ken Gordon, after a New Jersey Superior Court judge ruled that Gordon's seat
3915-1140: The county). Willingboro Township Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade . As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 3,456 students and 277.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Garfield East Early Childhood Development Center with 214 students in grades Pre-K–K, J. Cresswell Stuart Early Childhood Development Center with 305 students in grades Pre-K–K, Hawthorne Elementary School with 352 students in grades 1–4, W.R. James Sr. Elementary School with 353 students in grades 1–4, Twin Hills Elementary School with 321 students in grades 1–4, Levitt Intermediate School with 558 students in grades 5–6, Willingboro Memorial Middle School with 573 students in grades 7–8, and Willingboro High School with 674 students in grades 9–12. During
4002-425: The county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election , Democrat Jon Corzine received 8,235 ballots cast (83.7% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,296 votes (13.2% vs. 47.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 169 votes (1.7% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 64 votes (0.7% vs. 1.2%), among the 9,837 ballots cast by the township's 21,588 registered voters, yielding a 45.6% turnout (vs. 44.9% in
4089-473: The development within the boundaries of a single municipality. The first Levittown homes were sold in June 1958, at which time the community was already known as Levittown, New Jersey. The town's name was changed from the original Willingboro to "Levittown Township" by a referendum of township residents held on November 3, 1959. Willingboro was less than 12 miles (19 km) from Levittown , Pennsylvania and this occasionally caused confusion. The community used
4176-420: The early development of the township, all high school students attended Levittown High School for grades 9–12 (LHS was renamed "Levitt Jr. High School" when the new high school—John F. Kennedy—was opened in 1964). It was the only junior high school, grades 7 through 9, until Memorial Junior High School opened in 1968. The substantial student population at JFK HS required that the school go to split sessions and only
4263-474: The first female recruits entered basic training at Fort Dix. In 1991, Dix trained Kuwaiti civilians in basic military skills so they could take part in their country's liberation . Dix ended its active U.S. Army training mission in 1991 due to Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations, which ended its command by a two-star general. Presently, it serves as a joint training site for all military components and all services. In 2009, Fort Dix and
4350-756: The garrison and its tenant organizations. Devens Reserve Force Training Area in Massachusetts is a subinstallation of the ASA. In 2005, the US Department of Defense announced that Fort Dix would be affected by a base realignment and closure. For base operations support, it became part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst , N.J. It was the first base of its kind in the United States and is the Department of Defense's only three-service joint base. ASA, Fort Dix occupies and supports all training across 31,000 of
4437-572: The group's Greenwich Village , New York City, townhouse, killing three members of the group. On 8 May 2007, six individuals, mostly ethnic Albanian Muslims, were arrested for plotting an attack against Fort Dix and the soldiers within. The men are believed to be Islamic radicals who may have been inspired by the ideologies of al-Qaeda . The men allegedly planned to storm the base with automatic weapons in an attempt to kill as many soldiers as possible. The men faced charges of conspiracy to kill U.S. soldiers. On 5 June 1969, 250 men imprisoned in
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#17327799118924524-548: The joint base's 42,000 acres. In 1970, the Weather Underground planned to detonate a nail bomb at a noncommissioned officers' dance at the base to "bring the war home" and "give the United States and the rest of the world a sense that this country was going to be completely unlivable if the United States continued in Vietnam ." The plot failed the morning of the dance, when a bomb under construction exploded at
4611-477: The local chapter of the NAACP and eventually became a minister . An elementary school in Willingboro was named in his honor. Following the court case, Levitt developed a thorough integration program. The company set up an integration committee headed by Howard Lett, an African American. Lett created a five-point program, which included the announcement by community leaders of Levitt's plan to desegregate housing, and
4698-472: The mayor's office each year, while others elect the same mayor for 2–3 consecutive years. Out of the 240 townships in the state, the township form of government is used by 140. On road signs, township is often abbreviated TWP or Twp . Some official documents abbreviate it as "Twsp." Historically, a variety of legislation has been passed by the state legislature that has defined and refined the township form of municipal government: The Township Act of 1798
4785-458: The name "Levittown, New Jersey" in 1958, and "Levittown Township" from 1959 to 1963. A referendum held on the issue on November 5, 1963, changed the name back to Willingboro. The name change was passed by a narrow margin of 3,123 to 3,003. In retaliation, Levitt refused to donate any more schools to the fast-growing community. With residential development, the 1950 population of 852 rapidly climbed to 11,861 in 1960; and 43,386 in 1970. When homes for
4872-426: The new Levittown were first being sold in 1958, Levitt and Sons had a policy against sales to African Americans. W. R. James, an African-American officer in the Army's Criminal Investigation Division, was stationed at nearby Fort Dix and applied to purchase a Levittown home. On June 29, 1958, an agent of Levitt and Sons told him that the new Levittown development would be an all-white community. James filed suit against
4959-487: The ordinance alleged the purpose was to maintain integration. Many other communities had enacted similar laws in reaction to the practice of blockbusting in the 1960s and 1970s. The Supreme Court in the 1977 case of Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Willingboro ruled that the ordinance violated the First Amendment protections for free speech , which applied to commercial needs. According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,
5046-419: The plan, they rioted, attempting to provoke their guards to shoot them. Three hanged themselves. Seven proved they were not Soviet citizens, and the rest were shipped out on 31 August. On 15 July 1947, Fort Dix became a basic-training center and the home of the 9th Infantry Division . In 1954, the 9th moved out and the 69th Infantry Division made the fort home until it was deactivated on 16 March 1956. During
5133-527: The population were under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 50.2% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 522.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 757.5 males. New Jersey Route 68 links Fort Dix to U.S. Route 206 near the latter's interchanges with the New Jersey Turnpike , U.S. Route 130 , and Interstate 295 . New Jersey Transit provides service to and from Philadelphia on
5220-431: The population were under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 85.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 81.2 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income
5307-415: The population. Of the 784 households, 59.1% had children under the age of 18; 63.8% were married couples living together; 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.7% were non-families. Of all households, 15.1% were made up of individuals and 0.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.56. 12.1% of
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#17327799118925394-417: The population. Of the 10,884 households, 27.3% had children under the age of 18; 49.3% were married couples living together; 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.9% were non-families. Of all households, 20.1% 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 2.90 and the average family size was 3.32. 23.5% of
5481-836: The post has been a major mobilization point for reserve and National Guard troops since the September 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. Fort Dix has completed its realignment from an individual training center to a FORSCOM Power Projection Platform for the Northeastern United States under the command and control of the Army's Installation Management Command. Primary missions include training and providing regional base operations support to on-post and off-post active component and U.S. Army Reserve units, soldiers, families, and retirees. Fort Dix supported more than 1.1 million man-days of training in 1998. More than 13,500 persons, on average, live or work within
5568-561: The program. There are a total of 240 townships in the state, including: Fort Dix Fort Dix , the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst , is a United States Army post. It is located 16.1 miles (25.9 km) south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey . Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force Air Mobility Command . As of
5655-401: The project under the management of Sergeant Major Bill Wright. Operating on a limited budget, and using old railroad track, Bondo , and other available items, they created a 12-foot figure of a charging infantryman in full battle dress, representing no particular race or ethnicity. By 1988, years of weather had taken a toll on the statue, and a restoration campaign raised over $ 100,000. Under
5742-413: The term "municipality" and recognized five types of government: borough , township, city , town , and village and granted each equal legal standing. The Township Act of 1989 simplified the much-amended Act of 1899. It retains a three or five member township committee serving staggered terms, whose members are generally elected at-large. The committee elects a mayor from among its members to serve
5829-589: The township for a rent of at least five dollars a year. A group of five freeholders was elected to one-year terms on the Township Committee, which was responsible to oversee the expenditure of revenue in between town meetings. The Township Act of 1899 abolished the town meeting and strengthened the role of the Township Committee, which was initially set at three and amended to allow for expansion to five members. Members were elected for staggered three-year terms. The Home Rule Act of 1917 legally defined
5916-606: The township had a total area of 8.14 square miles (21.08 km), including 7.73 square miles (20.01 km) of land and 0.41 square miles (1.07 km) of water (5.09%). The township borders the Burlington County municipalities of Burlington Township , Delanco Township , Delran Township , Edgewater Park Township , Moorestown Township , Mount Laurel Township and Westampton Township . Rancocas Creek drains Willingboro and forms its SW boundary while U.S. Route 130 forms its NW boundary. Unincorporated communities , localities and place names located partially or completely within
6003-800: The township include Bortons Landing, Charleston and Cooperstown. Willingboro is divided into several sections called parks. Each section's street names begin with the same letter as the corresponding section name. For example, streets in Pennypacker Park all begin with the letter "P". This is the case with all parks, excluding Martin's Beach and certain streets in Rittenhouse Park. Some streets that predate Levittown retained their original names, such as Charleston Road. Originally, each park or section had its own swimming pool for residents' use. Residents' families would receive free swim tags after showing applicable IDs at each section's school or
6090-557: The township uses area code 856 . The rest of Willingboro is in area code 609 . Willingboro has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) and average monthly temperatures in the vicinity of Veterans Parkway and Willingboro Parkway range from 32.8 °F (0.4 °C) in January to 76.5 °F (24.7 °C) in July. The local hardiness zone is 7a. The 2010 United States census counted 31,629 people, 10,884 households, and 8,283 families in
6177-476: The township. The population density was 4,087.3 per square mile (1,578.1/km). There were 11,442 housing units at an average density of 1,478.6 per square mile (570.9/km). The racial makeup was 17.31% (5,475) White , 72.74% (23,007) Black or African American , 0.37% (117) Native American , 2.01% (635) Asian , 0.03% (10) Pacific Islander , 3.12% (988) from other races , and 4.42% (1,397) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.65% (2,737) of
6264-451: The two high schools held grades 8-12. This is the way the township was until JFK HS became a middle school in 1990, leaving Willingboro as the only high school. By this time, the township population fell and Levitt Junior High School was closed to become township offices and storage. Memorial Junior High School would remain open for college classes for Burlington County College . Kennedy Middle School eventually closed and became Kennedy Center,
6351-460: The war within the military, quickly moved to defend the rebels/rioters and those the Army singled out for punishment. Soon the slogan "Free the Fort Dix 38 " was heard in antiwar speeches, written about in underground newspapers and leaflets, and demonstrations were planned. Due to public backlash against the military's treatment of the prisoners, only five of the original 38 were brought before
6438-439: The work of those areas along with overall legislative issues. Some mayors in this form of government also oversee specific departments. The mayor in this form of government is primarily ceremonial and has the same power as other township committee members. The mayor does hold the powers vested in all mayors under state law One township committee member is elected deputy mayor each year. Some towns with this form of government rotate
6525-455: Was $ 66,479 (with a margin of error of +/− $ 4,323) and the median family income was $ 73,968 (+/− $ 2,888). Males had a median income of $ 48,323 (+/− $ 2,553) versus $ 40,313 (+/− $ 3,074) for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 25,989 (+/− $ 1,048). About 6.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over. The rap / R&B group City High
6612-579: Was a famous case study in American urban sociology based on the development of Levittown. Willingboro later became a predominantly African American suburb. Willingboro was one of the original nine divisions in the organization of Burlington County within West Jersey , and was originally formed as the "Constabulary of Wellingborrow" on November 6, 1688. At the time, it included present day Delanco Township, New Jersey. The original name of Wellingborough
6699-409: Was able to house grades 10–12, with the freshmen classes divided between Memorial and Levitt junior high schools. In 1975, Willingboro HS was opened and became the "sister" school, located only about two miles apart—both on JFK Way. Over time student enrollment fell and both middle schools would eventually close. The district shifted the make-up of the school and elementary schools held grades K-7 while
6786-434: Was adopted by referendum in November 1960 based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission . The elections for the first council to operate under the new Council-Manager form of government took place in November 1961, with the new council taking office as of January 1, 1962, under the new form. The Township Council is comprised of five members, who are elected in partisan elections to serve four-year terms in office on
6873-476: Was after the community in England, which was the hometown of Thomas Olive , who led the original settlers into what would become Willingboro Township. Other spellings were used at different times. After the establishment of the United States and the State of New Jersey, the community was formally incorporated as "Willingborough Township", one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships, on February 21, 1798, by
6960-532: Was becoming increasingly African-American and home values could decline if they did not sell quickly; a practice known as blockbusting . While the Human Relations Council could not prove these claims, it made recommendations to help foster better relations between ethnic communities in the township and calm concerns. The township in 1974 enacted an ordinance that prohibited the posting of "for sale" or "sold" signs on real estate . Proponents of
7047-619: Was commander, making her the first female commander of Fort Dix in the base's century-long history. Fort Dix was established on 16 July 1917, as Camp Dix, named in honor of Major General John Adams Dix , a veteran of the War of 1812 and the American Civil War , and a former U.S. Senator , U.S. Secretary of the Treasury , and Governor of New York . Camp Dix was home to the 153rd Depot Brigade. The role of World War I depot brigades
7134-625: Was established in the township. Willingboro Township is governed within the Faulkner Act , formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of government (Plan E), enacted by direct petition and implemented as of January 1, 1962. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The current Council-Manager form of government
7221-542: Was eventually realized to be not cost effective, so the school was later moved back to Camp Bullis. Fort Dix was an early casualty of the first base realignment and closure process in the early 1990s, after having lost its traditional basic-training mission, but advocates attracted Army Reserve interest in keeping the 31,000-acre (13,000 ha) post as a training reservation. With the reserves, and millions of dollars for improvements, Fort Dix has grown again to employ 3,000. As many as 15,000 troops train there on weekends, and
7308-608: Was known at the time, was a training and staging ground for units during World War I . Though the camp was an embarkation camp for the New York Port of Embarkation , it did not fall under the direct control of that command, with the War Department retaining direct jurisdiction. The camp became a demobilization center after the war. Between the World Wars, Camp Dix was a reception, training, and discharge center for
7395-460: Was the first state legislation to incorporate municipalities. The government defined was a form of direct democracy , similar to the New England town meeting , in which the vote was available to all white males, at least 21 years old, who were citizens of New Jersey, and residents of the township for at least six months; and who paid taxes in the township, or who owned land, or rented a home in
7482-527: Was to receive recruits and draftees, then organize them and provide them with uniforms, equipment, and initial military training. Depot brigades also received soldiers returning home at the end of the war and carried out their mustering out and discharges. Dix has a history of mobilizing, training, and demobilizing soldiers from as early as World War I through April 2015, when Fort Bliss and Fort Hood in Texas assumed full responsibility for that mission. In 1978,
7569-468: Was vacant based on his having missed a series of council meetings. Eddie Campbell was named to fill Gordon's former position as deputy mayor. Darvis Holley was appointed in April 2014 to fill the vacant seat of Jim Ayrer, who had resigned after serving on the council for 34 years. Willingboro Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 7th state legislative district. For
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