Stirling is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP)State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022. in Long Hill Township, Morris County, New Jersey, United States.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed June 9, 2016. The area is served by the U.S. Postal Service ZIP Code 07980.

According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,555.

History Stirling was settled in 1740. A manufacturing and residential community was developed in the area of the railroad in the decades after the Civil War.

It was named by Fred Simpson Winston, who purchased about of land in the area for development. He named the area after William Alexander, Lord Stirling, an American Revolutionary War general who had owned of land lying on both sides of the Passaic River.An Introductory History, Long Hill Township, New Jersey. Accessed May 31, 2008.

The Assyrian National School Association was established in Stirling in 1899 by Assyrian immigrants from Diyarbakır, Turkey.About Us – History, Assyrian Orphanage and School Association of America, retrieved 16 January 2016

Geography Stirling is in southeastern Morris County and occupies the central portion of Long Hill Township. It is bordered to the east by Gillette and to the west by Millington. The Passaic River forms the southern boundary of the community as well as the Somerset County line.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Stirling CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.64%, are water.

The Stirling train station is located along the Gladstone Branch of the New Jersey Transit Morristown Line.

Demographics

Stirling was listed as an unincorporated community in the 1950 U.S. census and the 1960 U.S. census. It did not appear in subsequent censuses until it was again named a CDP in the 2020 U.S. census.

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Stirling had a population of 2,555. The median age was 42.4 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.6 males age 18 and over.

94.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 925 households in Stirling, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 59.0% were married-couple households, 14.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 954 housing units, of which 3.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 2.9%.

+Stirling CDP, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 20202020White alone (NH) 1,833 71.74%Black or African American alone (NH) 40 1.57%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)10.04%Asian alone (NH) 1897.40%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)20.08%Other race alone (NH)27 1.06%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 95 3.72%Hispanic or Latino (any race)368 14.40%Total2,555 100.00% Education Stirling is home to Central Middle School, which is one of the four schools in the Long Hill Township School System. Central Middle School educates students from grades 6–8.

St. Vincent de Paul School was a Catholic school in Stirling that operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. The school closed in June 2016 in the wake of declining enrollment and financial challenges."St. Vincent DePaul School in Stirling to close in June", Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, April 28, 2016. Accessed November 16, 2017. "After more than 50 years of providing a Catholic education to students in Long Hill Township, St. Vincent dePaul School in the Stirling section of the township, will close in June.In a letter to parishioners, parents and students posted April 21 on the parish's website, Father A. Richard Carton, pastor, wrote: 'This decision comes after much prayer and careful reflection. The low enrollment for next year would not create a strong educational environment and the financial strain would be too great for the parish to bear.'" The school was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence in 2012.National Blue Ribbon Schools Program Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2017, United States Department of Education. Accessed November 16, 2017.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Stirling include: George Estock (1924–2010), Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Boston Braves in 1951.Staff. "George John Estock Jr.", The News Journal, November 10, 2010. Accessed August 7, 2015. "George John Estock Sr., 86, formerly of Claymont, DE, passed away at home on Sunday, November 7, 2010. He was born in Stirling, NJ to the late John and Anna Estock and was a 1942 graduate of Harding High School."

References

External links Longhill Township History