Long Valley, New Jersey

Long Valley, New Jersey
Census-designated place
Zion Lutheran Church in the center of Long Valley
Location of Long Valley in Morris County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Morris County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
Long Valley Location in Morris County Show map of Morris County, New Jersey Long Valley Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Long Valley Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°46′56″N74°46′37″W / 40.78225°N 74.776936°W / 40.78225; -74.776936
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Morris
Township	Washington
Area [1]
• Total	4.62 sq mi (11.97 km2)
• Land	4.57 sq mi (11.83 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2)  1.24%
Elevation [2]	554 ft (169 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	1,827
• Density	400.13/sq mi (154.50/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07853 [4]
Area code	908
FIPS code	34-41400 [5] [6]
GNIS feature ID	02390090 [7]

Long Valley is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) ^[8] in Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]} Once known as German Valley from its foundation during the colonial era, the community was renamed in response to anti-German sentiment during World War I. ^[13] As of the 2020 census, the CDP's population was 1,827. ^[3]

History

In 1705, a number of German Reformed, residing between Wolfenbüttel and Halberstadt, fled to Neuwied, a town of Rhenish Prussia, where they remained for two years before proceeding on to Holland. In 1707, they embarked for the British colony of New York. Before arriving, their ship was blown off-course to the south, where they were carried into Delaware Bay and landed in Philadelphia. From there, they embarked by land eastward to what became known as the "German Valley" in what was then called "Nova Caesaria" (New Jersey), located in today's Morris County. ^[14]

Geography

Long Valley is in southwestern Morris County, in the center of Washington Township. The village of Long Valley is at the center of the CDP, within the valley of the South Branch of the Raritan River. The CDP extends northwest up onto Schooleys Mountain, rising 600 feet (180 m) above the valley, where it includes the community of Springtown. To the southeast the CDP includes the lower Fox Hill Range, which rises 400 feet (120 m) above the valley. ^[15] Chester is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to the east via East Mill Road (CR 513), while Hackettstown is 6 miles (10 km) to the north via Schooley's Mountain Road (CR 517).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.623 square miles (11.97 km²), including 4.566 square miles (11.83 km²) of land and 0.057 square miles (0.15 km²) of water (1.24%). ^[1] The South Branch of the Raritan River flows to the southwest through the community and joins the Raritan River in Somerset County.

The climate in this area is characterized by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold in the northern areas) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Long Valley has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. ^[16]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1990	1,744		—
2000	1,818		4.2%
2010	1,879		3.4%
2020	1,827		−2.8%
Population sources: 1990-2010 [11] 2000 [17] 2010 [18] 2020 [3]

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 2201 residents living in Long Valley. In the CDP there is an estimated 752 houses with 603 buildings occupied by owners. The racial makeup was 93.3% (2,054) White, 3.9% (85) Black or African American, 2% (44) Native American, 9.1% (200) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 8% (8) from other races, and 6.6% (146) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.3% (337) of the population. ^[19]

In Long Valley, the median age is 38.2 years old. About 12.5% (275) of the population is under the age of five, 67.2% (1,479) is between the ages of 18 and 64 and 11.4% (447) of the population are 65 or older. ^[20] 50.5% of the population was male, 49.5% of the population is female. ^[19]

The median income for a household in Long Valley is $104,722. The median income for males in Long Valley is $96,369, while the median income for females is $80,417. ^[20]

Of the population, 21.1% have some form of a high school degree, 17.4% have some college but no degree, 9.5% have an associate degree, 26% have a bachelor's degree and 20.9% have a graduate or professional degree. ^[20]

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 1,879 people, 675 households, and 534 families in the CDP. The population density was 411.5 people per square mile (158.9 people/km²). There were 709 housing units at an average density of 155.3 units per square mile (60.0 units/km²). The racial makeup was 94.73% (1,780) White, 0.53% (10) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.81% (34) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.33% (25) from other races, and 1.60% (30) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.32% (100) of the population. ^[18]

Of the 675 households, 37.0% had children under the age of 18; 65.8% were married couples living together; 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.9% were non-families. Of all households, 15.6% were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.10. ^[18]

25.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.5 males. ^[18]

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Washington Township, Morris County, New Jersey

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

• Walt Ader (1913–1982), racecar driver who competed in the 1950 Indianapolis 500 ^[21]
• Jack Borgenicht (1911–2005), mountain climber, entrepreneur, preservationist and philanthropist ^[22]
• Michael Burton (born 1992), professional football fullback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League ^[23]
• The Dolan Twins (born 1999), YouTube media personalities ^[24]
• Guy R. Gregg (born 1949), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1992 to 2008, where he represented the 24th Legislative District ^[25]
• Celeste Holm (1917–2012), Oscar-winning actress ^[26]
• Jacob W. Miller (1800–1862), politician who served two terms representing New Jersey in the United States Senate ^[27]
• Henry Muhlenberg (1711–1787), founder of Lutheranism in America, who established a congregation in German Valley, which met at the Old Stone Church ^[28]
• Ida C. Nahm (1865–1922), medical doctor and clubwoman ^[29]
• Andrew Politi (born 1996), professional baseball pitcher ^[30]
• Mike Rossi (born 1994), freestyle aerialist ^[31]
• Carley Shimkus (born 1986), news anchor and reporter who serves as a co-host on Fox Nation and as headlines reporter for Fox & Friends and Fox & Friends First ^[32]
• Shannon Sohn (born 1974), television news reporter at WABC-TV Eyewitness News in New York City, where she became the first helicopter reporter to win a national Emmy Award ^[33]
• Lisa Unger (born 1970), author of contemporary fiction ^[34]
• Diana West (born 1965), lactation consultant and author specializing on the topic of breastfeeding ^[35]
• Charles Wuorinen (1938–2020), Pulitzer Prize-winning composer of contemporary classical music ^[36]

Historic district

Former German Valley School in the historic district, now the Washington Township Historical Society Museum

The German Valley Historic District of Long Valley was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 14, 1983, for its significance in agriculture, education, transportation, industry, and religion. ^[37]

References

1. "2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Long Valley Census Designated Place, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed December 23, 2012.
3. Census Data Explorer: Long Valley CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 15, 2023.
4. Look Up a ZIP Code for Long Valley, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed June 4, 2012.
5. U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
6. Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.
7. US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
8. State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.
9. GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County – County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Morris County, New Jersey Archived 2020-02-12 at archive.today , United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 23, 2012.
10. 2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 23, 2012.
11. New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed December 23, 2012.
12. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 19, 2015.
13. Historical Records, Washington Township. Accessed December 17, 2007.
14. Rupp, I. Daniel. A collection of upwards of thirty thousand names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727-1776
15. "Long Valley, NJ: USA Topo". ACME Mapper 2.2. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
16. Climate Summary for Long Valley, New Jersey
17. DP-1 - Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 from the Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Long Valley CDP, New Jersey Archived 2020-02-12 at archive.today , United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 23, 2012.
18. DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Long Valley CDP, New Jersey Archived 2020-02-12 at archive.today , United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 23, 2012.
19. "ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates". data.census.org. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
20. "Long Valley CDP, New Jersey". data.census.org. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
21. Driver Walt Ader Career Statistics, Racing-Reference.info. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Home: Long Valley, NJ"
22. Goldberg, Dan. "N.J. to purchase, preserve millionaire's Long Valley land as open space", The Star-Ledger , December 8, 2010. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Jack Borgenicht, an eccentric millionaire, was known in Morris County for his philanthropic and preservation efforts. The late local legend helped spur the success of Morris County’s fledgling preservation program 15 years ago. Now state, county and local officials think it’s a fitting tribute to purchase and preserve 228 acres of his Long Valley estate."
23. Koestenblatt, Jason. "Long Valley's Burton Drafted by Detroit Lions; First West Morris Central graduate in school history to make professional team.", Long Valley Patch, May 2, 2015. Accessed December 24, 2015. "From the Wolfpack to the Lions' den, blue and silver has always looked good on Michael Burton. The little boy from Long Valley who dreamed of playing professional football is now a grown man with a chance to put on the pads at the highest level."
24. Whitehouse, Beth. "YouTube's Dolan Twins: 10 things you need to know", Newsday , June 8, 2016. Accessed March 1, 2017. "'We're from a country town called Long Valley,' Ethan says of New Jersey."
25. Sucato, Kirsty. "Communities; A Fight to Restore Cleanup Money", The New York Times , January 27, 2002. Accessed September 3, 2019. "The reauthorization bill's main opponent, Assemblyman Guy R. Gregg, Republican of Long Valley, acknowledged that politics were partly to blame."
26. Staff. "Morris History Includes Rich, Famous", Daily Record , June 23, 2002. Accessed January 26, 2020. "Film and stage actress Celeste Holm still owns an 18th-century farmhouse in Long Valley that has been in her family for three generations."
27. "Miller, Jacob Welsh, (1800 - 1862)", Biographical Directory of the United States Congress . Accessed September 3, 2019. "Miller, Jacob Welsh, a Senator from New Jersey; born in German Valley, Morris County, N.J., August 29, 1800"
28. Pitney, Henry Cooper. A History of Morris County, New Jersey: Embracing Upwards of Two Centuries, 1710-1913, p. 174. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914. Accessed September 24, 2015. "The stone church was built by the same congregation as a union church in 1774. This old church was peculiarly built, it had no gable end nor steeple, the roof sloping down to the walls on four sides. Inside there were galleries on three sides, the little pulpit box standing on one leg under an immense sounding board. First among the Lutheran preachers in the valley was Rev. Heny Melchior Muhlenberg, D.D., known as the 'Father of American Lutheranism' (remembered by Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania), a man of great learning and deep piety."
29. Lineage Book, Volume 41, p. 190. Daughters of the American Revolution, 1915. Accessed July 6, 2018. "Ida catherine Mettler Nahm, M. D. Born in German Valley, New Jersey"
30. Andrew Politi, Seton Hall Pirates baseball. Accessed September 1, 2024. "Hometown: Long Valley, N.J. High School: West Morris"
31. Koestenblatt, Jason. "'Jersey' Mike Rossi Aims For Gold in 2014 Olympics; Long Valley teen on fast track to world competition.", Long Valley, NJ Patch, June 14, 2011. Accessed January 22, 2014.
32. "Carley Shimkus: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", Heavy.com, October 1, 2018. Accessed December 13, 2020. "Carley Noelle Shimkus was born November 7, 1986. She was raised in Long Valley, New Jersey."
33. Smith, Jessica. "TV news reporter recalls how her career took off OBHS grad became first helicopter reporter to win national Emmy", Old Bridge Suburban, July 3, 2008, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 5, 2008. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Though Sohn now lives in Dan's hometown of Long Valley with her family, her mother Alexsandra still lives in Old Bridge."
34. Franze, Anthony. "A Between The Lines Interview with Lisa Unger by Anthony J. Franze", The Big Thrill, January 1, 2014. Accessed May 18, 2016. "My teen years were spent in a small town in New Jersey called Long Valley. When I turned eighteen, I left for college in Manhattan and spent the next thirteen years in New York City. My brother swears that Long Valley was my inspiration for The Hollows."
35. Elliott, Victoria Stagg. ""A private place for nursing mothers: Legal requirement is easy to meet", American Medical News , May 16, 2011, archived at leclairryan.com. Accessed September 24, 2017. "'It can feel uncomfortable, but a clear policy can make it less so,' said Diana West, a lactation consultant in Long Valley, N.J., who has written books on breastfeeding."
36. June 9th People, LGBT Daily Spotlight. Accessed September 3, 2019. "Wuorinen resides in New York City and Long Valley, New Jersey."
37. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: German Valley Historic District". National Park Service . Retrieved September 14, 2018. With accompanying pictures

External links

• Long Valley Village Association
• Long Valley Historical Society
• Washington Township
• Washington Township Schools
• West Morris Central High School