Hardyston Township is a township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township’s population was 8,213, reflecting an increase of 2,042 (+33.1%) from the 6,171 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 896 (+17.0%) from the 5,275 counted in the 1990 Census.
Hardyston Township was set off from portions of Newton Township by Royal charter on February 25, 1762. It was named after Josiah Hardy, who was royal governor of New Jersey from 1761–1763. The original British spelling of Hardiston was Americanized to Hardyston after the American Revolutionary War.
Hardyston was incorporated on February 21, 1798, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as one of New Jersey’s original group of 104 townships. Over the centuries, portions of the township were taken to form Vernon Township (April 8, 1793), Sparta Township (April 14, 1845), Franklin (March 18, 1913) and Hamburg (March 19, 1920).
Hardyston was serviced first by the New Jersey Midland Railway, which built the station in Stockholm. However, there was a dispute over the name as that area was known as Snufftown because of the snuff factory along the Pequannock River, which provide the water power. Through a series of events between the residents of Stockholm and the railroad, the area eventually changed the name from Snufftown to Stockholm. Later, it was the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, who provided service into the early 1960s when a mud slide removed a large section of trackage in West Milford Township and coupled with low productivity, the line was not repaired and service was disconnected. Today, the New York Susquehanna and Western Railway runs freight through Hardyston. The main highways are Route 23 and Route 94.
A large eastern portion of the township is owned by the City of Newark, Essex County, for their Pequannock River Watershed, which provides water to the city from an area of 35,000 acres (14,000 ha) that also includes portions of Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Rockaway Township, Vernon Township and West Milford.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 32.638 square miles (84.531 km2), including 31.972 square miles (82.806 km2) of land and 0.666 square miles (1.725 km2) of water (2.04%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beaver Lake, Beaver Run, Big Springs, Bradys Pond, Hamburg, Hardistonville, Holland, Lake Stockholm, Monroe, North Church, Rudeville, Rudstown, Silver Lake, Stockholm, Summit Lake and Tamarack Lake.
Postal ZIP codes covering Hardyston Township are 07460 Stockholm, 07416 Franklin Borough, 07419 Hamburg Borough, and a small part of 07848 Lafayette Township.
In terms of physical geography, nearly all of Hardyston (excluding the portion of the township west of Hamburg along Route 94) lies within the New York – New Jersey Highlands, part of the greater Crystalline Appalachians that extend as far south as the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hardyston is home to portions of Hamburg Mountain (east of Franklin) and Pochuck Mountain (near Scenic Lakes) within this region. The remaining northwestern portion of the township lies within the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. The prominent feature in the ridge-and-valley portion of the Township is the Wallkill Valley, through which the Wallkill River flows northeast to New York state.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 8,213 people, 3,255 households, and 2,376.150 families residing in the township. The population density was 256.9 per square mile (99.2/km2). There were 3,783 housing units at an average density of 118.3 per square mile (45.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 91.65% (7,527) White, 2.61% (214) Black or African American, 0.17% (14) Native American, 3.01% (247) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 1.21% (99) from other races, and 1.35% (111) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.56% (457) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
