Carmela Pereira
Real Estate Professional
Realty Executives Elite Homes
About Sparta
parta Township is a thriving community situated in rural Sussex County, New Jersey approximately 45 miles northwest of New York City. Sparta covers more than 38 square miles with rolling hills, beautiful lakes, picturesque farms, and inviting residential developments.
Sparta has 11 private lake communities; the largest of which is Lake Mohawk. The Lake Mohawk Boardwalk and Plaza are listed on the State and National Historic Registers.
Sparta was organized as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1845 from portions of Byram Township, Frankford Township, Hardyston Township and (the now-defunct) Newton Township. The township was named after the existing community of Sparta, which had been settled and named years before, the name likely coming from Sparta, Greece. Ogdensburg Borough was incorporated on February 26, 1914, when it separated from Sparta Township.
The Lenape Native Americans occupied the land at the time of its discovery by European colonists. Early Dutch explorers and traders discovered red ores in the area and attempted to mine them as early as 1750, but were unsuccessful in their mistaken attempts to extract copper from the ores. No permanent settlers arrived until 1778, when Robert Ogden built his home and constructed an iron forge on lands he had acquired. The first public building in Sparta was the Presbyterian Church which was incorporated in 1786. Schools were established in Ogdensburg by 1806 and in Sparta by 1812.
Iron, zinc, and limestone supported a mining industry for over 100 years, but today the mining operations have ceased and the township is now a residential community served by retail, professional, and service small businesses.
