Tuckerton is a borough situated on the Jersey Shore, within Ocean County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,577, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 230 (+6.9%) from the 3,347 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn had reflected a decline of 170 (−4.8%) from the 3,517 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Tuckerton was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1901, from portions of Little Egg Harbor Township.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 205. Accessed May 30, 2024.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 305. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed October 12, 2015.
The borough is surrounded by Little Egg Harbor Township, but is politically independent. Because Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor share the same 08087 ZIP code and Little Egg Harbor has no true "downtown" area, many refer to Little Egg Harbor and surrounding suburbs as "Tuckerton". They also share the same school district Pinelands Regional School District, from 7th to Senior years.
Tuckerton is home to the Tuckerton Seaport, a working maritime museum and village.
History
The area that is now Tuckerton was settled in 1698.Tuckerton Community Profile , Ocean County Library. Accessed January 25, 2015. Some of the early settlers were Andrews, Falkinburgs, Shourds, Ongs, WilletsWillett, Albert James Jr. The Willet Families of North America and Osborns. Edward Andrews, settled on the east side of Pohatcong Creek; his brother, Mordecai Andrews settled on the west side of the same creek. Edward, tired of going to Mount Holly Township with his grain, constructed a cedar log grist mill on the site of a dam built by beavers at the mouth of what is known as Tuckerton Creek. He built the grist mill in 1704, and it still stands to this day.
Tuckerton became a Port of Entry of the United States, but not the third port as is commonly believed.Stemmer, Peter H. "The Port of Tuckerton", Tuckerton Historical Society. Accessed June 19, 2015. "It showed me that the notion that Tuckerton was the third port of entry into the United States is, like most traditions, only partially true. It was, in fact, a port of entry but only one of many in the country and one of five in the State of New Jersey." The community was named for founder Ebenezer Tucker (1758–1845),Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 26, 2015. who was appointed Collector, his commission bearing the date March 21, 1791, signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Six years later, Tuckerton became a post-town with Reuben Tucker as its first postmaster.
Former names of the town included "Andrew Mills", "Middle-of-the-Shore", "Clamtown", "Quakertown", and "Fishtown". In March 1789, Ebenezer Tucker hosted a feast at the then-named Clamtown for the residents, at which time they officially changed the name to Tuckerton.DuPuis, E. R. Duke. "The Life and Times of Ebenezer Tucker" , Tuckerton Historical Society. Accessed July 29, 2013.
In 1816, Isaac Jenkins established the first stage line between Tuckerton and Philadelphia, making one trip a week, each trip taking two days to travel each way. John D. Thompson bought the line in 1828 and ran the stages each way in a day and carried the mail. The stages and vessels were the only public conveyances to the cities until the Tuckerton Railroad was built in 1871.Treese, Lorett. Railroads of New Jersey: Fragments of the Past in the Garden State Landscape, p. 147. Stackpole Books, 2006. . Accessed October 13, 2015.
What was probably New Jersey's first summer resort was on Tucker's Island offshore from Little Egg Harbor. The island sported boarding houses, private cottages, and a school. In 1848 a Lighthouse was erected there, with Eben Rider as its first lightkeeper. In 1869 the Little Egg Harbor Lifesaving's Station was constructed there. Also known as Sea Haven, the island contained two hotels. The island was wiped away in a storm, including its lighthouse, which fell into the sea. At the Tuckerton Seaport Museum, a re-created lighthouse has been built as well as other re-created buildings that were on Tuckers Island. In the lighthouse, there are several wall-mounted pictures showing the instant that the original lighthouse fell into the sea. The original island remains underwater.Long Beach Island History Of Tide and Time - Atlantis, LBI.net. Accessed October 13, 2015.
The area surrounding present-day Tuckerton was part of Burlington County until 1891 when it joined with Ocean County. Tuckerton was established in March 1901, with its first mayor being Frank R. Austin.
By the turn of the 1800s, Tuckerton was home to a robust downtown area of shops, boarding houses, and hotels. Around 1800, Ebenezer Tucker built the "Union House" on the corner of Main Street & Green Street, which served as a post office, stagecoach stop, and lodge. The Union House was later known as the "Carlton House", which operated as an inn and tavern until it was destroyed by fire in 1964. The "Everett House" was built in the 1870s as a first-class temperance hotel to serve railroad passengers; the building, on Main Street between Green Street and Water Street, was demolished by the mid-20th Century. The Lakeside Hotel, situated on Main Street next to Lake Pohatcong, operated well into the 20th Century before its closure and demolition; a plaque commemorating World War I veterans on the side of the building was moved to its current site in Greenwood Cemetery.
The Tuckerton Methodist Episcopal Church was originally established in 1797. In 1868, the congregation broke ground on an elaborate Colonial-style church building featuring a slate-covered steeple, forged stained glass windows, a town clock, bell, and pipe organ. The building was constructed by shipwrights, as the boro was a bustling shipping and fishing village at the time.
In 1921, Reuben Gerber opened Gerber's Department Store on Main Street. The store's art deco interior was modeled after the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York City. Gerber's served as Tuckerton's main general store and was an authorized dealership for early Ford vehicles. The building remains and is currently known as the "Tuckerton Emporium", which houses a consortium of local vendors.
On May 7, 1979, a large wind-driven fire destroyed the century-old Tuckerton United Methodist Church, two stores, and several homes on Main Street, leaving 23 people homeless. The conflagration started in the Tuckerton Variety Store on 25 W. Main Street and spread to a vacant storefront and two second-floor apartments next door; 20-mph sea breeze winds carried embers 200 yards to the church, which quickly burned out of control. The embers also ignited fires in five homes on N. Green Street and several brush fires, all of which were quickly extinguished. Eighteen fire departments from Ocean and Burlington counties responded to the blaze.
Tuckerton received extensive damage after Superstorm Sandy struck the borough on October 28, 2012. Almost 300 homes suffered extensive damage, while 32 homes were completely destroyed. Floodwaters also ravaged businesses along South Green Street and flooded some buildings in the Tuckerton Seaport.Moore, Kirk. "Tuckerton homes ripped to pieces by waves, surge", Asbury Park Press, November 3, 2012. Accessed October 28, 2014.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.81 square miles (9.87 km2), including 3.36 square miles (8.71 km2) of land and 0.45 square miles (1.16 km2) of water (11.76%).
The borough borders the Ocean County municipality of Little Egg Harbor Township.Areas touching Tuckerton, MapIt. Accessed March 6, 2020.Ocean County Map, Coalition for a Healthy NJ. Accessed March 6, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tuckerton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Tuckerton, New Jersey
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Tuckerton had a population of 3,577. The median age was 46.2 years. 16.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,574 households in Tuckerton, of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.4% were married-couple households, 22.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,110 housing units, of which 25.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.3%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 3,143 87.9% Black or African American 41 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native 5 0.1% Asian 40 1.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 3 0.1% Some other race 117 3.3% Two or more races 228 6.4% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 304 8.5% 2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 3,347 people, 1,396 households, and 873 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,902 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 93.79% (3,139) White, 0.75% (25) Black or African American, 0.09% (3) Native American, 1.05% (35) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.06% (69) from other races, and 2.27% (76) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.07% (203) of the population.
Of the 1,396 households, 24.6% had children under the age of 18; 45.8% were married couples living together; 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 37.5% were non-families. Of all households, 31.1% were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.
21.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.1 males.