Hammonton, New Jersey
Hammonton is a town in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, known as the "Blueberry Capital of the World". As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,791, reflecting an increase of 2,187 (+17.4%) from the 12,604 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 396 (+3.2%) from the 12,208 counted in the 1990 Census. Hammonton was settled in 1812 and was named for John Hammond Coffin, a son of one of the community's earliest settlers, William Coffin, with the "d" in what was originally "Hammondton" disappearing over time . It was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1866, from portions of Hamilton Township and Mullica Township. It is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad that is used by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line. Geography. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 41.32 square miles (107.01 km), including 40.75 square miles (105.54 km) of land and 0.57 square miles (1.46 km) of water (1.37%). The town borders Folsom borough, to  the southwest, and both Hamilton and Mullica townships to the southeast in Atlantic County; Shamong Township and Washington Township in Burlington County to the northeast; and Waterford Township and Winslow Township in Camden County to the northwest. It is located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, so is largely flat, though the highest point in Atlantic County is located along the Pennsylvania Railroad within the borders of Hammonton. The town is located almost exactly halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located completely or partially within the town include Barnard, Bellhurst, Caldwell Crossing, Dacosta, Dutchtown, Great  Swamp, Murphy, Rockford, Rockwood, Rosedale and West Mills. Pine Barrens. The town is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering , that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the town is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties. Due to its location in the Pine Barrens, the  soil is largely sandy, making it ideal for growing blueberries. Low, marshy areas, often within the Pine Barrens are also used for cranberry cultivation. Climate. Hammonton lies in the northern reaches of the humid subtropical climate zone, and, similar to inland southern New Jersey, is characterized by brisk winters, hot summers, and plentiful precipitation spread evenly throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hammonton's climate is abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Demographics. 2010 Census. The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $59,085  (with a margin of error of +/- $3,242) and the median family income was $62,354 (+/- $3,893). Males had a median income of $47,110 (+/- $4,411) versus $36,615 (+/- $3,549) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,292 (+/- $1,528). About 8.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. 2000 Census. As of the 2000 United States Census there were 12,604 people, 4,619 households, and 3,270 families residing  in the town. The population density was 305.5 people per square mile (117.9/km). There were 4,843 housing units at an average density of 117.4 per square mile (45.3/km). The racial makeup of the town was 87.85% White, 1.74% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 7.83% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.88% of the population. As of the 2000 Census, 45.9% of town residents were of Italian ancestry, the second-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States (behind Johnston, Rhode Island , at 46.7%), and highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry. News reports have said Hammonton leads the nation in Italian-Americans per capita. There were 4,619 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the  average family size was 3.14. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $43,137, and the median income for a family was $52,205. Males had a median income of $ 36,219 versus $27,900 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,889. About 5.7% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over. Sports. In 1997, Gabriel Donio (founder and publisher of "The Hammonton Gazette") proposed a minor-league baseball team called the Hammonton Blueberries, going so far as to create a team logo and a prototype uniform, as well as purchasing a 20-acre tract of land for $200,000. Donio planned to build on the site  a 3,500-seat, six-million-dollar ballpark, which he described as "a rough miniature of the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field". In 1999, the Northern League announced that they would form a six-team developmental circuit and include Hammonton as one of the clubs; however, this did not happen, and the proposed ballpark was not built, putting an end to the Blueberries. (Since Hammonton is less than 75 miles from Philadelphia, any pro baseball team there would either need permission from the Phillies or play in an independent league, outside of MLB's jurisdiction.) Government. Local government. Hammonton is governed under  the Town form of New Jersey 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 Town Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected to a four-year term. The Town Council is comprised of six members elected to serve two-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year. , the Mayor of Hammonton is Independent Steve DiDonato, whose  term of office ends December 31, 2021. Members of the Hammonton Town Council are Deputy Mayor Tom Gribbin (I, 2021), Steve Furgione (R, 2020), Joe Giralo (R, 2021), Jonathan Oliva (I, 2021), Sam Rodio (I, 2020), and Mike Torrissi (R, 2020). The mayor and some council members are affiliated with Hammonton First, an independent political organization that was established in 2005 and swept that November's elections, winning the mayoral seat and all three council seats. Federal, state and county representation. Hammonton is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district . Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Hammonton had been in the 9th state legislative district. Politics. As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 8,556 registered voters in Hammonton, of which 1,851 (21.6% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,627 (30.7% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 4,076 (47.6% vs. 44.3%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered to other parties. Among the town's 2010 Census population, 57.8% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 75.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide). In the  2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 3,859 votes (60.08% vs 44.64% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,366 votes (36.84% vs 51.61%) and other candidates with 198 votes (3.08% vs 3.76%). A total of 6,423 ballots were cast. In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 3,420 votes here (54.4% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,777 votes (44.1% vs. 57.9%) and other candidates with 57 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 6,290 ballots cast by the town's 8,951 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.3% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the  2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 3,509 votes here (54.0% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,894 votes (44.5% vs. 56.5%) and other candidates with 89 votes (1.4% vs. 1.1%), among the 6,502 ballots cast by the town's 9,090 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.5% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 3,218 votes here (54.1% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,600 votes (43.7% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 47 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,947 ballots cast by the  town's 7,913 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.2% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county). In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican Kim Guadagno received 2,425 votes (56.38% vs 42.46% countywide) ahead of Democrat Phillip Murphy with 1,726 votes (40.13% vs 55.14%), and other candidates with 150 votes (3.49% vs 2.41%). There were a total of 4,301 votes cast. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 3,234 votes here (68.7% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 1,229 votes (26.1% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 60 votes (1.3% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,709 ballots cast  by the town's 9,033 registered voters, yielding a 52.1% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,588 votes here (53.7% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,773 votes (36.8% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 204 votes (4.2% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 93 votes (1.9% vs. 1.2%), among the 4,822 ballots cast by the town's 8,724 registered voters, yielding a 55.3% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county). Education. Students in kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the Hammonton Public Schools. As of the 2018–19 school year , the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 3,566 students and 249.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Early Childhood Education Center with 355 students in grades K-1, Warren E. Sooy Elementary School with 873 students in grades 2–5, Hammonton Middle School with 879 students in grades 6-8 and Hammonton High School with 1,393 students in grades 9-12. Students from Folsom Borough (grades 9-12) and Waterford Township in Camden County (7-12 ) attend the Hammonton schools as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Folsom Borough School District and the Waterford Township School District. In the wake of the dissolution of the Lower Camden County Regional School District, the Hammonton board of education voted in 1999 to begin accepting an estimated 800 students from Waterford Township for grades 7-12 starting as of 2002, with the tuition paid by students from Waterford helping to lower overall costs to Hammonton taxpayers. Borough public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton  Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point. Hammonton is home of the Catholic schools St. Joseph Regional Elementary School (for PreK-8) and St. Joseph High School (for grades 9-12) which operate under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden. In April 2020, the Diocese of Camden announced that despite its status as a football powerhouse, St. Joseph was one of five Catholic schools in New Jersey which would close permanently at the end of the school year on June 30, 2020. St. Joseph Regional Elementary was to permanently close at the  end of the school year as well. Media. Newspapers. Hammonton is served by other newspapers: Transportation. Roads and highways. , the town had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Atlantic County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the South Jersey Transportation Authority. The Atlantic City Expressway, U.S. Route 30, U.S. Route 206 and Route 54 all pass through Hammonton, as do County Route 536, County Route 542, County Route 559 and County Route 561. Public transportation. The Hammonton station of NJ Transit provides passenger rail service between the Atlantic City  Rail Terminal in Atlantic City and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and intermediate points on the Atlantic City Line. NJ Transit provides bus service in Hammonton on the 554 route between Lindenwold station and Atlantic City. Airport. Hammonton Municipal Airport is located northeast of the central business district. Community. Blueberry capital. Hammonton is known as the "Blueberry Capital of the World". Since the 1980s, the Red, White and Blueberry Festival has celebrated Hammonton's status as the nation's blueberry capital. A 1300-acre farm there is considered to be the largest producer of blueberries in the Northeast. Presidential visits . Ronald Reagan visited Hammonton during his 1984 re-election campaign. Reagan's speech highlighted Hammonton's status as "Blueberry Capital of the World" and then extolled the virtues of New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen. Bruce soon disassociated himself from the politics and the use of his song "Born in The U.S.A." Hammonton has also been visited by Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, who made whistle stops in the town. Festivals. Every year Hammonton hosts the Red, White and Blueberry festival, Our Lady of Mount Carmel festival and the Hammonton wine festival. Mount Carmel's Italian Festival dates back to  1875 and is considered the oldest such continuously run festival in the United States. Other festivals include; Hammonton Fall Beer Festival, Teen Arts Festival, Hammonton Food Truck Festival, Hammonton Green Day Festival, and Crusin Main Street. Downtown. Hammonton's downtown district has been growing for the past 20 years. The downtown area includes Bellevue Avenue, Central Avenue, Vine street, Second Street, Third Street, Twelfth Street, Egg Harbor Road, Front Street, West End Avenue, Railroad Avenue and Washington Street. The downtown includes art galleries, restaurants, wine and sports bars, banks, clothing stores, offices, a theatre, a park, and a college satellite  campus, attracting shoppers from South Jersey. Every year the downtown has three parades. The Halloween and Christmas parades are the two major parades that happen in downtown. In May, there is a smaller Memorial Day parade. The Downtown also hosts the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, which is a large celebration that includes the lighting of a large tree on the corner of Bellevue and Central Avenue, Christmas carolers, a music show, carriage rides, a live nativity and the arrival of Santa. During these events the downtown stores are open late. On the third Thursday of every month, the downtown host  the "Third Thursday Events", with a different theme each month. Stores offer discounts, and people perform on the street. The downtown was one of the finalist for the Great American Main Street Award in 2013. The award recognizes three communities each year for their successful revitalization efforts, based on documented economic impact, small-business development, historic preservation, volunteer involvement, public/private cooperation and success over time. Events. In 1949, Hammonton was the winner of the Little League World Series, after finishing third in the tournament in both 1947 and 1948. The Hammonton team was the first official team located outside  of Pennsylvania. On July 24, 2011, Ricca's Italian Bakery set a Guinness World Record for the Longest Line of Cakes topped with fresh blueberries donated by local farmers. This received recognition from the Mayor Steve DiDonato and all members of the Hammonton Town Council. The Hammonton Town Council Deputy Mayor Tom Gribbin announced the recognition during a town council meeting on local TV in 2011 August. In November 2014, in a study conducted by CreditDonkey.com, Hammonton was ranked second-happiest city in New Jersey. The ranking was based on restaurants, crime rate, commute, departure time, income, divorce rate, and  housing. Wineries and alcohol consumption. Hammonton has three active wineries - DiMatteo Vineyards, Plagido's Winery, and Tomasello Winery. On June 7, 2013, the Eagle Theatre in Hammonton became the first theater in New Jersey to sell alcoholic beverages and allow spectators to drink wine during the show. Under an arrangement reached under the authority of the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Sharrott Winery will be able to sell patrons bottles of wine that can be consumed during shows at the theater. Hammonton has also seen a growth in the craft beer industry. Since 2015, three breweries have opened  in town, Tomfoolery Brewing Company, Three 3's Brewing Company, and Vinyl Brewing. Popular culture. The 2002 direct-to-video horror film "13th Child", about the hunt for the Jersey Devil, was filmed in Hammonton. A 2011 episode of "Supernatural", "How to Win Friends and Influence Monsters" about the Jersey Devil, is set in Hammonton, though it wasn't filmed there. Hammonton made a cameo appearance in the first two episodes of the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire", with a scene towards the end of both episodes showing the town sign "Welcome to Hammonton, The Blueberry Capital of the World". The  Fox TV show "American Idol" aired its first episode of its 12th season in January 2013 with a performance by Sarah Restuccio, a seventeen-year-old girl from Hammonton. The judges enjoyed her rendition of "Mama's Song" by Carrie Underwood, but she impressed them when they asked her to sing something else and she rapped "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj. The show featured a short clip about Sarah's life, which included showing her everyday life in Hammonton. In October 2013 the MTV reality show "True Life", featured the episode "True Life Presents: My Dad Is A Bro" about  a girl in her twenties and her father in his fifties, who both party. The episode takes place throughout Hammonton. In the summer of 2013, scenes from the independent film "The Honour" were filmed in Hammonton. In May 2015, a commercial for the male clothing brand, Chubbies Shorts, was filmed on South Second Street in Hammonton. Notable people. People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Hammonton include: