About Montville
Introduction
The Township of Montville is a municipal corporation which was established by special charter of the New Jersey State Legislature in 1867. The Township is a suburban community located in the County of Morris in the northwest portion of New Jersey. Montville Township is 20 square miles and comprised of 3 sections: Towaco, Pine Brook and Montville. There are approximately 20,000 residents. Montville is an active, vibrant community providing services, activities and volunteer opportunities in everything from sports and 4th of July celebrations to youth and senior groups.
Township Committee
The Township of Montville is headed by 5 elected officials who constitute the Township Committee (also referred to as the "governing body") which establishes laws and policies for the Township. The Mayor is a member of the Township Committee and is elected annually by the Committee.
Township Administrator
The Township Administrator serves as the chief administrative and executive officer for the organization and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of all municipal departments. There are approximately 100 permanent full-time employees. Additionally, there are dozens of volunteers who serve on various boards, committees and commissions.
Organizations That Server Montville
Separate and autonomous public entities, which serve township residents and businesses, include the Montville Board of Education (Montville Public Schools) and the Montville Free Public Library. The Township is also fortunate to be served by the Montville Township First Aid Squad and the Montville, Pine Brook and Towaco Fire Departments. All of these emergency response organizations are manned entirely by volunteers.
History of Montville Township
The area now known as Montville Township was first settled by Dutch farmers from New Amsterdam (now New York City) in the very early 18th century. Part of New Netherland, the town was originally called "Uyle-Kill" (the Dutch pronunciation of "Owl-Kill"), a name given to the creek and valley, which ran through the area. By the 1740s, the settlement had grown in size and construction of the first road was begun. The early road, now know as Route 202, connected various farms with Montville’s first gristmill, sawmill and tanneries.
Military Route
During the Revolutionary War, Montville Township was on a major military route from Morristown to the Hudson River. General George Washington’s troops often took this route and Washington stayed in Montville Township (Towaco section) in June 1780. The French troops under the leadership of General Rochambeau also passed through Montville Township on their way to the War’s final victory at Yorktown, Virginia. It took them four days as they encompassed 5,000 soldiers, 2,000 horses, 500 oxen, possibly 900 cattle, artillery, boats, followers, etc.
How the Township Got Its Name
Montville was officially named with specific boundaries April 1800. The name came from the Mandeville Inn, which was pronounced Mondeveil by the Dutch. That name was corrupted to Montville. The Montville Inn is located at the site of the pre-Revolutionary War Mandeville Inn.
Construction
The construction of the Morris Canal in this area was completed in 1828, bringing commercial navigation to the Montville / Towaco area. The mid-19th century saw the development of two smaller village centers set apart from Montville: Pine Brook, a fertile agricultural area in the Township’s southern end, and Towaco, situated on the Morris Canal. In 1867, the Township of Montville was formally chartered from 19 square miles of territory set off from what was part of Pequannock Township.
Growth & Development in Montville Township
In 1962 the Township Committee proudly dedicated the “new” Montville Municipal Building on River Road which housed all municipal operations within the 10,000 square-foot-facility. At this time, the Township was a rural-suburban community of approximately 7,000 residents, with 1,957 homes and 79 farms scattered throughout 19 square miles.
Population
Over the past few decades, Montville was discovered by residential and commercial property developers. Montville’s central location in northern New Jersey with ready access to major transportation routes made the Township a popular location. During the '70s and '80s, Montville experienced its greatest growth boom when the population increased by almost 30%. The completion of I-287 made Montville an even more attractive location for residential and commercial development. However, Montville still enjoys a significantly lower population density than Morris County and the State.
Utilities Network
Accompanying this population growth was an expansion of the utilities network in the area. The Montville Municipal Utilities Authority has conducted an aggressive expansion campaign of its water and sanitary sewer systems during the past 10 years, and now services approximately 70% of the residential and commercial properties within the Township.