One of Alexandria Township's greatest assets is its tranquil, rural atmosphere in the northwestern portion of Hunterdon County, where bucolic scenery includes rolling farmland, horse farms and wineries. In fact, the township was so quiet that the first traffic light wasn't installed until 2007 at the intersection of Routes 513 and 579. The 2010 census reported a population of 4,938 residents in this 27 square-mile township, about 2/3 of which is farmland or preserved open space. Active citizens may be involved with the Alexandria Equestrian Association, the Musconetcong Watershed or the local Environmental Commission, speaking volumes about their strong commitment to retaining Alexandria's pastoral nature.

Life in Alexandria is enhanced by agro-tourism businesses, book sales and summer reading programs at the Holland and Alexandria Free Library (known as "The Little Library With The Big Heart,"), dining at the historic circa 1760 Pittstown Inn or participating in a local Barn Tour. An active Historical Society offers programs about the past of this township which was established in 1765 after separating from Bethlehem Township. A number of quaint hamlets and villages include Little York, Mount Pleasant, Everittstown and a section of Pittstown. Everittstown and Little York are listed on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Alexandria Township History

Alexandria Township is named for James Alexander, an early Scottish settler who purchased 10,000 acres in 1744, the same date cited on the township seal. Alexander was Surveyor-General of New York and New Jersey. His son, "Lord Stirling" William Alexander, was a major-general during the Revolutionary War.

During the American Revolution, the Pittstown section of Alexandria served as a supply depot for the Continental Army, providing grain, wheat, barley and hay. In the 1800s, this part of Alexandria was famous for its peach orchards reportedly containing two million trees. The peaches were shipped by rail to places as far away as Montreal until a blight in 1890 caused the harvests to fail.

At one time, the township included Frenchtown, Holland and Milford before those municipalities split from Alexandria. Formed by Royal Charter on March 5, 1765, Alexandria was one of the state's first incorporated townships named by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1798, a distinction claimed by 104 towns in the Garden State.

As expected in a town that was established over 250 years ago, there are many outstanding examples of living history. The Mount Salem Church Hall on Route 579 was built in 1864 as a Methodist church and is maintained by the Alexandria Township Historical Society. A classic combination of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture, the church was added to the National List of Historic Places in 1988. Known as Everitt's Mills in 1759, the Everittstown Historic District was called Everittstown by1816. In 1881 this village contained a post office, oil mill, tavern, blacksmith shop, tailor and about 25 dwellings. Prior to 1828, the Little York Historic District was known as Pokano since according to local legend the town's distillery foreman had the habit of striking troublesome workers with a hot poker on their noses. Little York's two mills operated along the banks of Wissahawken Creek. In 1881, this hamlet also contained three churches, two stores, two blacksmiths, a wheelwright and a still-operating tavern.

Alexandria Township Neighborhoods

The real estate market in Alexandria Township includes a full spectrum of home styles, sizes and price ranges. Antique farmhouses, stonefront Colonials, bungalows, vintage Victorians, equestrian properties, waterfront homes, manor homes, contemporary-style residences, country properties, Cape Cod homes, custom-built homes, ranches and newer construction are all represented in Alexandria.

Luxury home neighborhoods constructed in the more recent past include Alexandria Hunt, Alexandria Run, Brook Hill Estates, Deerfield Estates, Foxwood at Alexandria, Hemingway Estates, Palmyra Farms, Smoke Run and Woodside Estates.

Alexandria Township Transportation

With a strategic location halfway between Manhattan and Philadelphia, Alexandria is approximately 60 miles from both metropolitan cities. In addition to local air fields, Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 50 miles away.

Country roadways make up a majority of Alexandria, with several county routes including 513, 519 and 579. Access to Interstate 78/22 is available east of Alexandria in Franklin or Union Townships for commuters headed to New York City, Pennsylvania or regional corporations.

There is a NJ Transit train station in neighboring Lebanon Township. The Raritan Valley Line offers a trip to midtown Manhattan's Penn Station and Newark's Penn Station for connecting PATH train service to Hoboken, Jersey City or the New York's Financial District downtown. Some commuters opt to take the Trans-Bridge bus from Frenchtown to Port Authority in Manhattan.

Alexandria Township Schools

The Alexandria Township School District consists of two schools: the Lester D. Wilson Elementary School and the Alexandria Township Middle School. Both offer wide-ranging academic courses and a comprehensive extra-curricular program. Active PTAs and an Education Foundation provide additional opportunities for academic and social enrichment.

Keeping up with technology is important at the Lester D. Wilson Elementary School located at 525 Route 513 in Pittstown, where all the classrooms have computers, a Smart Board and internet access. This school houses about 230 students from pre-kindergarten to grade three and includes full day kindergarten. A progressive curriculum focuses on small classes and includes courses in art, music, computers and physical education.

Less than a mile from Lester D. Wilson Elementary School is the Alexandria Middle School at 557 Route 513 for grades four to eight. The school's goal is to provide a safe, nurturing, and intellectually stimulating environment for approximately 350 students. Clubs and activities designed for this age group include Peer Leadership and Student Councils, chess and computer clubs, musical groups and sports teams. There are also clubs for math and science, book reading, yearbook, drama, the student newspaper and fitness.

Students from Alexandria Township attend Delaware Valley Regional High School. As part of a regional school, it enrolls about 1,000 students from grades 9 to 12 who also live in Holland and Kingwood Townships and Milford and Frenchtown Boroughs. The school is located at 19 Senator Stout Road in Frenchtown.

The mission of Delaware Valley Regional High School is to enrich the lives of all students through exceptional education based on the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. In 2014, the school was named to the AP District Honor Roll for increasing access to AP course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams, a distinction given to just 477 school districts nationwide and in Canada.

Alexandria Township Recreation

Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission sponsors a children's fishing derby every April, a summertime concert series, adult volleyball league and basketball programs. Private donations helped fund an 18-hole disc golf course designed by Matt LaCourte which is sited near the Alexandria Township Park's horse shed.

A network of youth sports programs for school-age children in Alexandria includes football, cheerleading, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball and softball. The Alexandria Equestrian Association promotes the use and preservation of local riding trails.

Alexandria Township Parks

Officially opened in 2003, the Alexandria Township Park was enhanced by approximately 17 additional acres of open space in 2011. That land includes six disc golf targets and brings the park's size to about 93 acres. Other amenities include baseball and softball diamonds, a playground nicknamed "Kidtopia", soccer and lacrosse fields, a snack shack, an equestrian facility with an indoor and outdoor riding arena, walking and nature trails, basketball courts, bocce courts, a pavilion available for rentals and even a group camping facility. The park is located just off Route 513 at 242 Little York-Mount Pleasant Road.

Alexandria Township Points of Interest

Little York is a picture-perfect area for a memorable drive in the country; it contains a deep wooded hollow lined with charming cottages as well as scenic byways like Myler Road, Hawk Schoolhouse Road and Ellis Road which wind through open landscapes showcasing peaceful countryside views. Little York is sited along a small stream where there are still remnants of an old stone complex once housing an oil mill, distillery, creamery and cheese manufacturing operation at the northern end of the village. The Little York Inn has been a popular destination for generations of locals and visitors who are delighted by this vintage country dining establishment.

Schick Reserve just outside the hamlet of Little York on County Route 631 is a former dairy farm which was preserved as 311 acres of open space. The Alexandria Equestrian Society constructed eight miles of trails for horseback riding, wildlife viewing, hiking and cross-country skiing. Horse trailers are easily accommodated in a large parking area.

Sky Manor Airport 42 Sky Manor Road and Alexandria Field Airport 70 Airport Road are both located in Pittstown and offer hot air balloon rides that ascend high above Hunterdon County with panoramas of the Delaware River and sweeping expanses of farmland and small towns on both sides of the river in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Mount Salem Vineyards and Beneduce Vineyards are two small-scale wine producers offering wine tastings and sales in the Pittstown section of Alexandria.