Mount Laurel is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, and is an edge city suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township’s population was 41,864, reflecting an increase of 1,643 (+4.1%) from the 40,221 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 9,951 (+32.9%) from the 30,270 counted in the 1990 Census. It is the home of NFL Films.
Mount Laurel was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1872, from portions of Evesham Township.[21] The township was named for a hill covered with laurel trees.
There are several historical landmarks, including General Clinton’s headquarters, Paulsdale, Evesham Friends Meeting House, Jacob’s Chapel, Hattie Britt School and Farmer’s Hall.
The Mount Laurel Decision is a judicial interpretation of the New Jersey State Constitution that requires municipalities to use their zoning powers in an affirmative manner to provide a realistic opportunity for the production of housing affordable to low and moderate income households. The decision was a result of a lawsuit brought against the town by the N.A.A.C.P. that was decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1975 and reaffirmed in a subsequent decision in 1983.
The history behind this, and the story leading to the Decision was highlighted in a book by David L. Kirp called Our Town.
Mount Laurel was a small, poor rural farming community until it was hit with massive suburban growth from Philadelphia in the later 1900s. Poor families, whose history had resided there for centuries, were suddenly priced out of buying additional property. In 1970, at a meeting about a proposal for affordable housing, held at an all black church in Mount Laurel, Mayor Bill Haines summed up the newcomers’ perspective by saying: “If you people can’t afford to live in our town, then you’ll just have to leave.”
Even though the poor black families in Mount Laurel were not from urban ghettos, and were not involved in gang activity, the new suburban influx thought otherwise, and significantly delayed the creation of affordable housing areas, citing concerns of gang activity and an influx of inner city criminals. Exampled comments from town meetings against forced construction of housing projects included “we need this like Custer needed more Indians”; “it’s reverse discrimination”; “we lived in this in South Philly and Newark”, and that the housing would be a “breeding ground for violent crime and drug abuse”.
Resident advocates of the housing initiative were treated with abuse and threats. Leading advocate Ethel Lawrence, a poor black resident who lived her life in Mount Laurel, had her house repeatedly vandalized, and once her bedroom window was damaged by gunfire.[26][27] Longtime white residents also tried to force the poor black residents out of town. Although the court ruled in favor of creating affordable housing, residents did manage to delay the process for decades.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 21.971 square miles (56.903 km2), including 21.692 square miles (56.181 km2) of land and 0.279 square miles (0.722 km2) of water (1.27%).
Ramblewood (with a 2010 Census population of 5,907) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Mount Laurel.
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Birchfield, Bougher, Centerton, Colemantown, Coxs Corner, Fellowship, Hartford, Heulings Hill, Masonville, Petersburg, Pine Grove, Rancocas Woods and Texas.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 41,864 people, 17,538 households, and 11,294.472 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,930.0 per square mile (745.2/km2). There were 18,249 housing units at an average density of 841.3 per square mile (324.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 79.42% (33,249) White, 9.70% (4,061) Black or African American, 0.16% (67) Native American, 7.26% (3,040) Asian, 0.04% (17) Pacific Islander, 1.00% (418) from other races, and 2.42% (1,012) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.56% (1,907) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
