Rockaway Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township’s population was 24,156, reflecting an increase of 1,226 (+5.3%) from the 22,930 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 3,358 (+17.2%) from the 19,572 counted in the 1990 Census.
Rockaway Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1844, from portions of Hanover Township and Pequannock Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Rockaway Borough (June 19, 1894), Port Oram (June 26, 1895, now Wharton) and Denville Township (April 14, 1913). Portions of the township were annexed to Boonton Township in 1906 and to Rockaway Borough in 1908.
The township shares its name with the Rockaway River and the neighboring borough. The name is derived from a Native American term, variously said to mean “place of sands”, “creek between two hills” or “bushy” / “difficult to cross”.
A large part of the township consists of Picatinny Arsenal, a United States Army base that covers nearly 6,500 acres (2,600 ha) of the township (a portion of the facility is located in Jefferson Township), used mainly for the development of new weapons technologies, especially concerning anti-terrorism.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 45.546 square miles (117.961 km2), including 41.403 square miles (107.232 km2) of land and 4.143 square miles (10.729 km2) of water (9.10%).
Rockaway Township and its sister community, Rockaway Borough, and the area around the two municipalities are home to some scenic areas. These areas include lakes, rivers, and expansive ranges of mountains, covered with trees and wildlife and hiking trails, including Farny State Park, Wildcat Ridge WMA, Mount Hope Historical Park and Splitrock Reservoir.
Portions of the township are 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 Hardyston Township, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon, Vernon Township and West Milford. Newark’s Pequannock Watershed is administered by the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation. The river keeper for the Pequannock River is the Pequannock River Coalition.
In addition, two sites on the National Register of Historic Places can be found in Rockaway Township. Split Rock Furnace is a Civil War era iron ore furnace which is still intact. The Ford-Faesch Manor House, is a 1768 stone mansion that figured prominently during the Revolutionary War and in the 250-year history of Morris County iron industry.
Lake Telemark (with a 2010 Census population of 1,255) and White Meadow Lake (with 8,836 as of 2010) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) located within Rockaway Township.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beach Glen, Deer Pond, Denmark, Dowlbyville, Durham Pond, Foxs Pond, Green Pond (a lake and an accompanying residential community), Hibernia (site of the Hibernia mines), Hickory Hill, Hilltown, Lyonsville, Marcella, Meriden, Middle Forge, Middletown, Mount Hope, Picatinny, Spicertown and Split Rock.
Splitrock Reservoir is 625 acres (2.53 km2) of wilderness in Rockaway Township that straddles the township’s border with Kinnelon. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spent $3 million in 2015 to acquire a 1,500-acre (610 ha) buffer area around the reservoir, as part of an agreement under which Jersey City retains rights to use water from the reservoir and is responsible for maintenance of the dam at the site.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 24,156 people, 8,983 households, and 6,701 families residing in the township. The population density was 583.4 per square mile (225.3/km2). There were 9,587 housing units at an average density of 231.6 per square mile (89.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 86.43% (20,878) White, 2.55% (616) Black or African American, 0.12% (28) Native American, 6.67% (1,611) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 2.24% (541) from other races, and 1.98% (478) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.20% (2,705) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
