Fairfield Township is a township in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Vineland-Millville- Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for statistical purposes. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township’s population was 6,295, reflecting an increase of 12 (+0.2%) from the 6,283 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 584 (+10.2%) from the 5,699 counted in the 1990 Census.

Fairfield Township was formed by Royal charter on May 12, 1697, from portions of the Cohansey Township area, while still part of Salem County, and was formed as a precinct in the newly created Cumberland County on January 19, 1748. It was incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of the initial group of 104 townships in the state by an act of the New Jersey Legislature. Portions of the township were taken to form Downe Township (September 26, 1772), Millville Township (February 24, 1801) and Lawrence Township (February 17, 1885).

The name Fairfield refers to its original settlers, who were émigrés from Fairfield, Connecticut. The oldest Presbyterian church in South Jersey is said to date from before 1697. There is a plaque and an old cemetery which indicates the original log building.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 6,295 people, 1,882 households, and 1,357 families residing in the township. The population density was 152.6 per square mile (58.9/km²). There were 2,058 housing units at an average density of 49.9 per square mile (19.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 37.49% (2,360) White, 47.53% (2,992) Black or African American, 5.10% (321) Native American, 0.44% (28) Asian, 0.03% (2) Pacific Islander, 4.58% (288) from other races, and 4.83% (304) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.84% (808) of the population.

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Fairfield Township include:

• Nathaniel Clark Burt (1825-1874), Presbyterian clergyman.
• Harold Gould (1924-2012), baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Stars in the Negro leagues from 1947 to 1948.
• John T. Nixon (1820–1889), represented New Jersey’s 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1859 to 1863.
• Theophilus Gould Steward (1843-1924), author, educator, and clergyman, who was a U.S. Army chaplain and Buffalo Soldier of 25th U.S. Colored Infantry.

Source: Wikipedia