Winslow Township is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township’s population was 39,499, reflecting an increase of 4,888 (+14.1%) from the 34,611 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 4,524 (+15.0%) from the 30,087 counted in the 1990 Census.

Winslow Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 8, 1845, from portions of Gloucester Township. Portions of the township were taken on November 26, 1867, to create Chesilhurst. In 1950, the township annexed a portion of Monroe Township (in Gloucester County).

Winslow Township is Camden County’s largest municipality at 58 square miles (150 km²). The township got its name from the son of a 19th-century glass factory owner, William Coffin Sr., who bought large tracts of timber in Camden County about six miles west of Hammonton and with his son-in-law in 1929. Thomas Jefferson Perce and William Coffin Jr., built the Winslow Glass Works (his second one in 12 years) in the midst of a thick pine forest. The community was named for Senior Coffin’s youngest son, Edward Winslow Coffin.

Winslow Township was incorporated in 1845 from the Township of Gloucester. The township’s very first meeting was held at Josiah Albertson’s Blue Anchor Inn which was located on what is now Route 73 in the vicinity of St Lucy’s Church. During its early years Winslow was known for its thriving glass business which developed as a result of the townships abundant resources of timber, clay, and sand, though by the start of the 20th century the glass industry died throughout Winslow. During the early 20th century, Winslow’s population continued to grow until it peaked at a small 11,000 residents by the 1970s. During this time period the majority of Winslow residents were farmers. In 1965, Winslow township started to see an increase in population as the Atlantic City Expressway was completed with an interchange in Winslow at Williamstown Road. The proximity of the interchange drew developers towards the Sicklerville section of the township, where Levitt & Sons would build thousands of homes throughout the 1970s. Between 1970 and 1980 Winslow’s population nearly doubled to 20,000 residents.

As of 2006, 80% of the township currently sits in the Pinelands National Reserve, thus restricting future land development. Despite the restriction of development on the reserve, agricultural areas still persist in Winslow.

The township is also served by two area codes, 856 and 609. When area code 609 was split in 1999, the southern/eastern end in the township (primarily with the Hammonton mailing address, Cedar Brook, and a small section of Sickerville) were left in the 609 code, while the other sections closer to Berlin and Williamstown received 856 as their area code.

Landmarks

• St Lucy’s Roman Catholic Church, Route 73. It became a parish in 1961. The Rev. Edward McDaid is pastor.
• Bates Mills Cemetery is a cemetery located on South Erhke Road in Blue Anchor, New Jersey. Today passersby can observe a number of very old grave stones with hardly visible faded initials engraved upon them. The stones seem to be made from iron ore.
• Pinelands National Reserve
• Levitt and Sons Incorporated build Winslow crossing in the 1970s in Sicklerville. The complexes that were built at this time were Primrose Gate, Manor Hall, Victoria Manor, Eden Hollow, Lehigh Manor, Arbor Meadows and Ivy Meadows.
• In 1972, the Lutheran affiliated Winslow Community Church opens in the Cedarbrook Hunting and Fishing Club.

Historical timeline

• 1845: Winslow is incorporated from Gloucester Township.
• 1920: Albion School is built.
• 1923: Sicklerville School is built.
• 1925: St. Lucys Roman Catholic Church begins in the Blue Anchor section of Winslow Township as a mission to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Berlin, New Jersey.
• 1928: Blue Anchor and Tansboro Schools are built.
• 1940: Closed Dunbarton and North Tansboro Schools are sold.
• 1955: A hospital is established at Ancora.

According to the United States Census Bureau, township had a total area of 58.192 square miles (150.716 km²), including 57.342 square miles (148.515 km²) of land and 0.850 square miles (2.201 km²) of water (1.46%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located wholly or partially within the township include Albion, Ancora, Braddock, Blue Anchor, Cedar Brook, Dicktown, Elm, Florence, New Freedom, Pen Byrn, Sicklertown, Sicklerville, Spring Garden, Tansboro, Waterford, Waterford Works, West Atco, Williamstown, Winslow Junction and Winslow Village.

The Blue Hole is a body of water in the middle of woods that is clear blue and always cold, even in the summer, with a very steep shoreline and a maximum depth of approximately 70 feet (21 m), though Weird NJ describes the water as “bottomless” and claims that it is a haunt of the Jersey Devil.

The township borders Berlin Borough, Chesilhurst, Pine Hill, Waterford Township in Camden County, both Folsom, Hammonton in Atlantic County, and both Monroe Township and Washington Township in Gloucester County.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 39,499 people, 13,735 households, and 10,178 families residing in the township. The population density was 688.8 per square mile (265.9/km²). There were 14,560 housing units at an average density of 253.9 per square mile (98.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 54.41% (21,491) White, 36.17% (14,287) Black or African American, 0.29% (113) Native American, 3.10% (1,224) Asian, 0.04% (14) Pacific Islander, 2.97% (1,172) from other races, and 3.03% (1,198) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.10% (3,200) of the population.

Source: Wikipedia