Fairfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey
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- This article is about a township in Essex County. The other Fairfield in New Jersey is Fairfield Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey.
| Fairfield Township, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Essex |
| Incorporated | February 16, 1798 (as Caldwell Township) |
| Renamed | November 6, 1963 (as Fairfield Township) |
| Government | |
| - Type | Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) |
| - Mayor | Rocco Palmieri |
| - Administrator | Joseph Catenaro[1] |
| Area | |
| - Total | 10.5 sq mi (27.1 km²) |
| - Land | 10.5 sq mi (27.1 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation [2] | 167 ft (51 m) |
| Population (2006)[3] | |
| - Total | 7,707 |
| - Density | 675.8/sq mi (260.9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07004 |
| Area code(s) | 973 |
| FIPS code | 34-22385[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1729722[5] |
| Website: http://www.fairfieldnj.org | |
Fairfield is a township in far northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 7,063. Fairfield is the least densely populated town in Essex County.
What is now Fairfield was formed on February 16, 1798, as Caldwell Township from portions of Acquackanonk Township and Newark Township. It was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to create Livingston (February 8, 1813), Fairmount Township (March 11, 1862, now part of West Orange), Caldwell borough (February 10, 1892), Verona Township (February 17, 1892, now known as Cedar Grove), North Caldwell (March 31, 1898), Essex Fells (March 31, 1902) and West Caldwell (February 24, 1904). On November 6, 1963, Caldwell was renamed as Fairfield Township, based on the results of a referendum passed the previous day. Fairfield was reincorporated as borough on June 8, 1964.[6]
Essex County Airport is located in Fairfield.
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[edit] Geography
Fairfield is located at (40.879049, -74.293781)[7].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 10.4 square miles (27.1 km²), all of it land. Fairfield is the least dense municipality in Essex County.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 989 |
|
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| 1940 | 1,392 | 40.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,906 | 36.9% | |
| 1960 | 3,310 | 73.7% | |
| 1970 | 6,884 | 108.0% | |
| 1980 | 7,987 | 16.0% | |
| 1990 | 7,615 | -4.7% | |
| 2000 | 7,063 | -7.2% | |
| Est. 2006 | 7,707 | [3] | 9.1% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[8] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 7,063 people, 2,296 households, and 1,981 families residing in the township. The population density was 675.8 people per square mile (261.0/km²). There were 2,326 housing units at an average density of 222.5/sq mi (85.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.63% White, 0.52% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.82% Asian, 0.40% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.45% of the population.
There were 2,296 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.7% were non-families. 10.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $83,120, and the median income for a family was $90,998. Males had a median income of $56,106 versus $39,032 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,099. About 2.3% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
Fairfield Township operates under a Mayor-Council form of New Jersey government under the Faulkner Act. The Mayor exercises executive power of the municipality, appoints department heads with Council approval, prepares the annual budget and has veto over ordinances subject to override by 2/3 of all members of Council. The Council exercises legislative power of municipality and approves appointment of department heads.[9][10]
Members of the Fairfield Township Council are Mayor Rocco Palmieri, Council President Richard Mastrangelo, James Gasparini, John LaForgia and Michael McGlynn.[9]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Fairfield is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 27th Legislative District.[11]
New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 27th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Richard Codey (D, West Orange) and in the Assembly by Mila Jasey (D, South Orange) and John F. McKeon (D, West Orange).[12] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[13]
Essex County's County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson, Freeholder Vice President Ralph R. Caputo, Freeholders-At-Large Johnny Jones, Donald M. Payne, Jr., and Patricia Sebold, Freeholder District 1 Samuel Gonzalez, Freeholder District 2 D. Bilal Beasley, Freeholder District 3 Carol Y. Clark, Freeholder District 4 Linda Lordi Cavanaugh and Freeholder District 5 Ralph R. Caputo.
[edit] Politics
On the national level, Fairfield leans toward the Republican Party. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush received 70% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 29%.
[edit] Education
The Fairfield School District serves public school students in Pre K through sixth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[14]) are Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School for pre-kindergarten through third grade (398 students) and Winston Churchill School for students in fourth through sixth grade (323).
Public school students in grades 7 - 12 attend the West Essex Regional School District, a regional school district serving students from four municipalities in western Essex County, New Jersey. Communities served by the district's schools are Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland.[15] The school system consists of West Essex Junior High School (grades 7-9) and West Essex High School (grades 10-12), both located in North Caldwell. A four-year comprehensive high school program is offered to grades 9-12 serving an enrollment of 875 students with a faculty of 90.
[edit] History
Fairfield was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange.
In 1702, settlers purchased the 14,000 acre (57 km²) Horseneck Tract — so-called because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head — from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain to the Passaic River.
[edit] Transportation
U.S. Route 46, Route 159, Interstate 80 all pass through the Township.
[edit] Corporate residents
Pharmaceutical firm Bradley Pharmaceuticals is headquartered here.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former resident of Fairfield include:
- Michelle Vizzuso, former field hockey player.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ Administration, Fairfield Township. Accessed October 15, 2007.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Fairfield, Geographic Names Information System, accessed October 15, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Fairfield township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 26, 2007.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 126.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ a b Fairfield Township Mayor and Council, Township of Fairfield. Accessed February 5, 2008.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 125. This source indicates that Fairfield operates under the Faulkner Act (Small Municipality) form
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 57. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Winston Churchill School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 6, 2008.
- ^ West Essex Regional High School 2007 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2008. "West Essex High School is located in North Caldwell and serves the four area sending districts of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland."
- ^ The Century's Best -- Field Hockey, The Star-Ledger, October 3, 1999. "Long before Michelle Vizzuso began breaking state records at West Essex High School, the field hockey phenom was shattering walls in the basement of her Fairfield home.... In 1991, Vizzuso became only the fifth freshman at West Essex to start on varsity in Alimi's 32 years of coaching."
[edit] External links
- Fairfield Township website
- Winston Churchill School's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Winston Churchill School, National Center for Education Statistics
- West Essex Regional School District
- West Essex Regional School District's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the West Essex Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- Fairfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey is at coordinates Coordinates:
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