Oxford Township, New Jersey

For the census-designated place within the township, see Oxford (CDP), New Jersey.

Oxford Township, New Jersey
Township
Oxford Furnace
Oxford Furnace
Location of Oxford Township in Warren County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Warren County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Location of Oxford Township in Warren County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Warren County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Oxford Township, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Oxford Township, New Jersey
Oxford Township is located in Warren County, New Jersey
Oxford Township
Oxford Township
Location in Warren County
Oxford Township is located in New Jersey
Oxford Township
Oxford Township
Location in New Jersey
Oxford Township is located in the United States
Oxford Township
Oxford Township
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°48′31″N 74°59′36″W / 40.80865°N 74.993421°W / 40.80865; -74.993421[1][2]
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Warren
EstablishedMay 30, 1754
IncorporatedFebruary 21, 1798
Government
[5]
 • TypeTownship
 • BodyTownship Committee
 • MayorGerald Norton (R, term ends December 31, 2023)[3][4]
 • Township AdministratorMatthew Hall[3]
 • Municipal clerkLaurie Barton[3]
Area
[1]
 • Total
6.06 sq mi (15.70 km2)
 • Land5.96 sq mi (15.43 km2)
 • Water0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)  1.67%
 • Rank254th of 565 in state
17th of 22 in county[1]
Elevation
[6]
476 ft (145 m)
Population
 (2020)[7]
 • Total
2,444
 • Estimate 
(2023)[8]
2,464
 • Rank471st of 565 in state
18th of 22 in county[9]
 • Density410.2/sq mi (158.4/km2)
  • Rank455th of 565 in state
8th of 22 in county[9]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07863[10]
Area code908[11]
FIPS code3404155530[1][12][13]
GNIS feature ID0882247[1][14]
Websitewww.oxfordtwpnj.org

Oxford Township is a township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 2,444,[7] a decrease of 70 (−2.8%) from the 2010 census count of 2,514,[15][16] which in turn reflected an increase of 207 (+9.0%) from the 2,307 counted in the 2000 census.[17]

Oxford Township was formed from portions of Greenwich Township on May 30, 1754, while the area was still part of Sussex County. It was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. Mansfield Township became part of the newly formed Warren County on November 20, 1824. Over the centuries since its creation, portions of the township were taken to form Knowlton Township (February 23, 1763), Franklin Township, Harmony Township and Hope Township (all on April 8, 1839), Belvidere (April 7, 1845) and White Township (April 9, 1913).[18]

The origin of the name and the exact date of the township's creation is in dispute. One source says that the township was named for the University of Oxford in England, and was formed in either 1753 or 1755,[19] but other sources claim that the township was named after an early settler named John Axford, who came to settle in the area with others between 1735 and 1739, and affirms that the township's creation was in 1755.[20][21]

Oxford Furnace, constructed in 1741, was the third furnace in Colonial New Jersey and the first constructed at a site where iron ore was mined. Other furnaces used ore extracted from bogs in South Jersey, impure deposits called bog iron. Oxford Furnace operated the longest of any of the Colonial-era furnaces, not being "blown out" until 1884. In 1835, it was the site of America's first successful use of the hot blast in which preheated air was blown into the furnace, cutting production time. Though worn down by time, much of the site still stands. Oxford Furnace is listed on the State and the National Register of Historic Places.[22]

  1. ^ a b c d e 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  2. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Directory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023. As of date accessed, Linda Koufodonetes is incorrectly listed as mayor.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference DataBook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Oxford, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 8, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LWD2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference PopEst was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  10. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Oxford, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed June 10, 2013.
  11. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Oxford, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed October 20, 2014.
  12. ^ U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  13. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  14. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference Census2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference LWD2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  18. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 247. Accessed May 30, 2024.
  19. ^ Snell, James P. (1881) History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Vol. 2 (Centennial ed., Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press, 1981) pg. 606
  20. ^ Harpster, Richard E. Historical Sites of Warren County. (Warren County Tercentenary Committee and Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders, New Jersey, 1965) pg. 127
  21. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 16, 2015.
  22. ^ Stabilization of the Oxford Furnace, Warren County Cultural & Heritage Commission. Accessed June 10, 2013.