BELVIDERE, NJ

Belvidere is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 2,681, reflecting a decline of 90 (-3.2%) from the 2,771 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 102 (+3.8%) from the 2,669 counted in the 1990 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County.

Belvidere is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area.

Belvidere was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1845, from portions of Oxford Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The town's name means "beautiful to see" in Italian.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 1.48 square miles (3.84 km²), including 1.45 square miles (3.75 km²) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km²) of water (2.36%).

Dildine Island is located in the Delaware River, approximately north of Belvidere.

Belvidere borders White Township in Warren County and Northampton County in Pennsylvania across the Delaware River.

Climate

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $60,707 (with a margin of error of +/- $10,476) and the median family income was $74,028 (+/- $13,366). Males had a median income of $53,796 (+/- $11,432) versus $32,000 (+/- $7,359) for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,220 (+/- $2,359). About 0.8% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 2,771 people, 1,088 households, and 716 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,091.7 people per square mile (810.5/km²). There were 1,165 housing units at an average density of 879.4 per square mile (340.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.02% White, 0.51% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of the population.

There were 1,088 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,792, and the median income for a family was $62,212. Males had a median income of $41,800 versus $31,444 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,231. About 1.3% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.4% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

A large site of DSM Nutritional Products that includes of facilities in the town, manufacturing products including arachidonic acid and beta-carotene by fermentation processes, is located on the town's border with White Township.

Government

Local government

Belvidere is governed under the Town form of municipal government. The town is one of nine municipalities (of the 565) statewide that use this traditional form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the six-member Town Council , with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Town Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.

, the Mayor of Belvidere is Republican Joseph M. Kennedy Sr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Town Council are Council President Laurel Napolitani (R, 2023), Glen E. Matlock (R, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Kathleen Miers (R, 2023), Donald Mitchell (R, 2022), Joseph Roth (R, 2024) and Adam Zmigrodski (R, 2024).

Glen Matlock was elected in November 2020 to serve the term of office expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Charles A. Makatura Jr until he resigned from office in January 2020.

In March 2015, the Town Council selected Timothy Petre from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by William J. Murphy until he resigned from office. Petre served on an interim basis until the November 2015 general election, when Laurel Napolitani was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

In December 2014, the Town Council selected Laurel Napolitani from among three names nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the term expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Michael Viglianco, who resigned from council in December 2014 after moving out of Belvidere. Napolitani served on an interim basis until the November 2015 general election, when Walter Tutka was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Belvidere is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Belvidere had been in the 23rd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,687 registered voters in Belvidere, of which 380 (22.5% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 611 (36.2% vs. 35.3%) were registered as Republicans and 694 (41.1% vs. 43.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered to other parties. Among the town's 2010 Census population, 62.9% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 84.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 656 votes (53.8% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 521 votes (42.7% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 24 votes (2.0% vs. 1.7%), among the 1,220 ballots cast by the town's 1,724 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.8% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 693 votes (55.0% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 514 votes (40.8% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 27 votes (2.1% vs. 1.6%), among the 1,260 ballots cast by the town's 1,684 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.8% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 779 votes (61.9% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 452 votes (35.9% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 21 votes (1.7% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,259 ballots cast by the town's 1,640 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.8% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.3% of the vote (494 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 27.0% (195 votes), and other candidates with 4.7% (34 votes), among the 740 ballots cast by the town's 1,758 registered voters (17 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 480 votes (56.7% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 221 votes (26.1% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 116 votes (13.7% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 18 votes (2.1% vs. 1.5%), among the 847 ballots cast by the town's 1,642 registered voters, yielding a 51.6% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).

Education

The Belvidere School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2017-18 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 716 students and 68.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2017-18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Third Street School with 104 students in grades K-3 (closed as of 2019-20 school year),

Oxford Street Elementary School with 149 students in grades 4-8 (now PreK-8) and

Belvidere High School with 458 students in grades 9-12. As part of a cost-saving measure, Third Street School was closed after the 2018-19 school year and merged into Oxford Street Elementary School. Students from Harmony Township, Hope Township and White Township attend the district's high school as part of sending/receiving relationships with the respective districts.

Students from the town and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Blairstown (for grades K-8) or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9-12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for PreK-12).

Belvidere was rated our of the Top 5 Schools in each county with the highest rate of drug/violence/bullying incidents. The rate was calculated by the state as the number of incidents per every 100 enrolled students. You can find detailed NJ Performance School Reports for your school at the Department of Education website.

Transportation

, the town had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Warren County.

No Interstate, U.S. or State highways pass through Belvidere. The most prominent highway is County Route 620.

The Riverton–Belvidere Bridge crosses the Delaware River, connecting Belvidere with Riverton, Pennsylvania, operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. There is no toll for crossing on either side, after tolls were abolished by the Joint Commission for the Elimination of Toll Bridges in 1929. The bridge is long, connecting Warren County Route 620 Spur (Water Street) in Belvidere to former Pennsylvania Route 709 on the Riverton side.

Notable people

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

Places of interest