About the Medford and Burlington/Camden Counties, New Jersey Area
 

Additional Information! 

MEDFORD 

The township of Medford was established 1847 on the fringe of the Pinelands Natural Reserve. Located 30 minutes from Philadelphia and 45 minutes from the Jersey shore, Medford residents also have easy access to the Delaware Valley.  

Visitors and tourists love to visit Medford. Recreational and cultural facilities, nature preserves, historical landmarks, antique shops, events and activities for the family, fine restaurants and accommodations abound. Medford also hosts an array of special events year round, drawing visitors from the Delaware Valley region.
The National Geographic's Guide to Small Town Escapes says of Medford:
“Medford…. Pine garlands and twinkling white lights provide a Victorian touch to tiny Medford in early December, when the whole township crowds Main Street for the annual Dickens celebration. A cool, northerly wind sends aloft the sweet aroma of steaming apple cider and cinnamon, as bundled-up revelers, carolers, characters from a Christmas Carol, and musicians alike greet familiar faces, of which there are many. For that's the kind of place Medford is; a friendly tight knit community where everyone knows everyone."  

LOCATION 

The Township of Medford can be found in the southwest corner of New Jersey, on Hwy 70 (east-west) and about 10 minutes east of I-295. It is only 30 minutes from Philadelphia, 45 minutes from the Jersey shore, and is easily accessible to the beautiful Delaware Valley.  

The following airports serve the Medford area: Atlantic City International in Atlantic County, NJ; Philadelphia International, Philadelphia County, PA; and Trenton Mercer in Mercer County, NJ.
 

BRIEF HISTORY  

Medford’s colonial beginnings go back to1670 when William Penn and others, sold 900 acres of land to a man named Samuel Coles. This acreage eventually became known as Medford Township. A sawmill was constructed in the area.
By 1767 a small community was developing in the Medford area, then known as Upper Evesham, which included a schoolhouse, that was also used as a meeting place for the Friends.
The establishment of the Etna and Taunton furnaces helped the village to grow through the 1780’s. Medford played a small part in the American Revolution by supplying mainly iron and foundry work for the cannons of the Revolutionary Army.
After the Revolution and into the 1800's, Upper Evesham struggled as a little village with a few houses strung along Main Street. In 1800 merchant named Mark Reeve built the first machine in the country to manufacture cut nails. As a merchant of sundry goods he kept his store specializing in tobaccotwists and making cut nails. "The Nail House” still exists. It is suggested that Mr. Reeve proposed the name Medford, after he returned from a visit to Medford Massachusetts, and in 1820, when the Post Office opened, the town was officially called Medford of Upper Evesham. Then in 1847, Medford Township was acknowledged as separate from Evesham by act of legislature, and the first township meeting was held in March of that same year.
The latter half of the century brought about changes in the Medford area primarily driven by the coming of the railroad in 1869. The local industries – a glass factory, sawmills and gristmills – were able to connect with the big cities of Philadelphia and New York, and business was booming. And in 1889 the Camden and Atlantic Railroad added a new route to move goods, and services, and passengers from Camden and Medford to distant places.
With the coming of the automobile the usefulness of the railroads diminished, and passenger service eventually ceased. The glass factory closed in part due to automation, and sawmills in the western U.S provided serious competition to the local mills, in time putting them out of business. The last mill, Kirby’s Mill, was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.  

ABOUT EDUCATION  

The primary mission of the Medford Township Public Schools is to educate students to become successful citizens of the twenty first century. We will help students reach their highest potential; physically, academically, emotionally and socially. Students who enter the Medford schools will find the challenge and support needed to help them function in a world that requires: competence in academics, arts and music; excellence in education; adaptability, creativity, critical thinking; valuing of diversity; worthy leadership in school, community, nation; and development of character.  

Medford NJ Township has the following K-5 Elementary Schools: Chairville Elementary School, Kirby’s Mill Elementary School, Milton H. Allen School, Cranberry Pines Elementary School, and Taunton Forge School. Two of these schools just opened in September 2004. 

Medford 6th Grade & Middle Schools: Maurice & Everett Haines School serve 6th graders, and Memorial School is Medford’s middle school. 

Two high schools are located in Medford: Lenape High School and Shawnee High School. 

Saint Mary's of the Lakes is a parochial school located in the town of Medford. 

BURLINGTON COUNTY 

The largest County in New Jersey, Burlington’s perimeter’s range from the vast and unique Pinelands forests that meet the Atlantic Ocean to the charming and historic towns along the Delaware River.
The County offers many festivals and entertainment venues: The Earth Fair, Fall Foliage Family Float Festival, the Art culture Arts Festival and the Burlington County Amphitheater are just a few of these festivities and family and friends alike can enjoy. Art exhibits, theater, photography, hometown street fairs, art and garden tours – Burlington offers many events around the arts and culture as well. The outdoor and recreational possibilities are numerous. Residents and visitors can hike, bike, canoe, swim, camp, picnic, and stroll through the many parks and outdoors environments. Burlington also has six public golf courses. Burlington is a big draw for history buffs because of its colonial history. There are numerous homes and historic sites that stimulate the imagination and challenge one’s memory of America’s early history. And wherever tourism and festivities are found, so too, are excellent restaurants and shopping areas.  

LOCATION 

Burlington County is located in the southwest corner of the state. It is advantageously located in the cosmopolitan Philadelphia-Camden metro area, and is 45 only minutes from the Jersey shore, boardwalks, and beaches. It also enjoys numerous exits from Interstate 295 with bridge access to I-95, the New Jersey Turnpike with a Pennsylvania Turnpike connector, and U.S. Route 130, 206, 70 and 73.

Burlington County is serviced by public transportation by the Riverline, a light rail transit system from Trenton, New Jersey to Camden New Jersey with connections to NJ Transit (bus and rail transit), Amtrak, PATCO, and SEPTA trains. It is serviced by the nearby major airports of Philadelphia International and Newark. The South Jersey Regional Airport in Lumberton is one of the largest private airport facilities in the county.  

BRIEF HISTORY
The Lenni-Lenape Indians were the original residents of the county. In 1677 a group of English founded the town of Burlington, and over the years the Indians sold more of their lands to the English settlers. Finally in 1801, less than 100 adult American Indians remained on the Indian Mills Reservation. This reservation was the first American Indian reservation in the U.S.; it was also their last dwelling place in Burlington County.
The Court House located in Mount Holly and built in 1796, is considered one of the finest examples of early American architecture. The County was officially incorporated on May 17, 1694, but the beginnings of county government were established with Burlington County in 1681, and were in effect before William Penn laid out the city of Philadelphia.
Burlington County is one of the earliest places that the presence of Afro-Americans can be found, and their early presence involved significant numbers as well. By 1790 the County had the largest free black population of the state's five counties. The nearby Delaware Valley had a significant population of Quakers, who were the first organized group to speak out against slavery, and so influenced the Burlington region to become one of the foremost areas in the emancipation the slaves.  

ABOUT EDUCATION 

For information regarding all levels and aspects of education in the County, refer to this complete website. It includes a listing of all public schools and their websites, parochial schools in the County, institutions of higher learning, and special areas such as alternative educational approaches, vocational, adult education, and special services for challenged kids.  

Education in Burlington County 

Request my Free Medford and Burlington/Camden Counties Relocation Package. It's packed full of useful and important information about the Medford and Burlington/Camden Counties, New Jersey area. Don't move here without it! Remember: I'll send it to you for free and without obligation. Just fill out the form and I will send it right out...