Somerville, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Borough of Somerville, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Somerset |
| Incorporated | April 16, 1909 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Brian G. Gallagher (term ends 2011) |
| - Administrator | Kevin Sluka[1] |
| Area | |
| - Total | 2.4 sq mi (6.1 km²) |
| - Land | 2.4 sq mi (6.1 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation [2] | 66 ft (20 m) |
| Population (2006)[3] | |
| - Total | 12,550 |
| - Density | 5,262.4/sq mi (2,032.4/km²) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08876, 08877 |
| Area code(s) | 908 |
| FIPS code | 34-68460[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0880695[5] |
| Website: http://www.somervillenj.org | |
Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 12,423. It is the county seat of Somerset County[6].
Somerville was originally formed as a Town on March 25, 1863, within a portion of Bridgewater Township. Somerville was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 16, 1909, based on the results of a referendum held on May 4, 1909, at which point it was fully set off from Bridgewater Township.[7][8]
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[edit] Geography
Somerville is located at (40.570831, -74.605344)[9].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km²).The borough's territory is flat land. Somerville borders the Raritan River to the south.
[edit] History
Somerville was settled in colonial times primarily by the Dutch who purchased land from the English proprietors of the colony. The Dutch established their church near what is today Somerville and a Dutch Reformed minister or Domine lived at the Old Dutch Parsonage from about 1754. The early village grew up around a church, courthouse and a tavern built at a crossroads shortly after the American Revolution. No one knows who gave Somerville its name, but it was known by this name by about 1800. Somerville was originally a sparsely populated farming community, but rapidly grew after the completion of the railroad in the 1840s and development of water power along the Raritan River in the 1850s. Early industry included brick making from the plentiful red clay and shale on which Somerville is built. While much of the borough features distinctive Victorian architecture in several neighborhoods and along its Main Street, other periods are represented. National Register sites in Somerville include the white marble1909 Somerville Court House and the wooden and stone colonial Wallace House (today a museum) where George Washington spent a winter during the American Revolutionary War. Near the Wallace House is the Old Dutch Parsonage, where Reverend Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh, a founder and first president of Rutgers University, then called Queens College, lived. Register listed Victorian structures include the James Harper Smith Estate (privately owned), St. John's Episcopal Church and rectory, and the Fire Museum (a vintage fire house). Other notable, register eligible structures are the Victorian train station (privately owned) and the municipal building, the former Robert Mansion.
Originally the center of local commerce, the borough has evolved into a destination for boutique retail and dining. modern highways today surround and go through Somerville, including U.S. Route 22, U.S. Route 202, U.S. Route 206 and Route 28 and is within 5 miles (8.0 km) of Interstate 287 and Interstate 78, making it an important hub in central New Jersey.
[edit] Downtown today
Main Street Somerville today maintains most of its historical buildings, although many are now boutique specialty shops. Somerville has quite a diverse and large selection of restaurants that draw people from the surrounding area. In many ways, Somerville remains Somerset County's downtown, and is the heart of its designated Regional Center. Several of the factories in Somerville were abandoned and replaced with modern office buildings or remodeled as apartments. Somerville today and historically has had an important African American community, a distinguished member of which was Paul Robeson. Another famous Somerville native was famed character actor Lee Van Cleef. One of the founders of modern American Dance, Ruth St. Denis, made her first professional debut at Somerset Hall, once a vaudeville theatre and today a local restaurant. The mix of modern amenities and an interesting and diverse past make Main Street, Somerville a unique destination for dining, strolling and visiting.
[edit] Future redevelopment
The shopping center on the west side of the downtown area will be demolished and a new shopping center, town homes and other amenities will be built on the shopping center land and on adjacent land in the former borough landfill to the south. Town planners envision a transit village style redevelopment centered around the Somerville train station.
[edit] Hurricane Floyd
Somerville was hit hard by Hurricane Floyd in September 1999, despite it having been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it impacted the vicinity. The borough received a record 13.34 inches (339 mm) of rain during the slow moving storm, causing significant flooding and considerable damage. Despite this, before the storm, New Jersey (and the rest of the Mid Atlantic and New England states) had been dealing with a major drought throughout the summer of 1999, and the rains from Floyd put a quick and effective end to it.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 8,255 |
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| 1940 | 8,720 | 5.6% | |
| 1950 | 11,571 | 32.7% | |
| 1960 | 12,458 | 7.7% | |
| 1970 | 13,652 | 9.6% | |
| 1980 | 11,973 | -12.3% | |
| 1990 | 11,632 | -2.8% | |
| 2000 | 12,423 | 6.8% | |
| Est. 2006 | 12,550 | [3] | 1.0% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[10] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 12,423 people, 4,743 households, and 2,893 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,262.4 people per square mile (2,032.4/km²). There were 4,882 housing units at an average density of 2,068.0/sq mi (798.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 71.21% White, 12.93% African American, 0.19% Native American, 7.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.10% from other races, and 3.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.00% of the population.
There were 4,743 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $51,237, and the median income for a family was $60,422. Males had a median income of $40,585 versus $32,697 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,310. About 4.8% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Somerville is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.[11]
The Borough Council elects a member to serve as Council President to act in the absence of the Mayor. Each council member is appointed by the Mayor to one of six standing committee’s during the Annual Reorganization Meeting held on January 1 of each year.
The Mayor of Somerville is Brian G. Gallagher. His term of office expires December 31, 2011.
Members of the Somerville Borough Council are:[12]
- Council President Rob Wilson - (2009), Fire Commissioner
- Sean Decker - (2008), Public Works Chairman
- Jane Kobuta - (2010), Police Commissioner
- Thompson Mitchell - (2009), Public Property Chairman
- Dennis Sullivan - (2010), Finance Chairman
- Council President Patricia Webster - (2008), Personnel and Administration
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Somerville is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.[13]
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 16th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R, Neshanic Station) and in the Assembly by Peter J. Biondi (R, Hillsborough Township) and Denise Coyle (R, Basking Ridge).[14] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[15]
Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two elected each year. As of 2008, Somerset County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Peter S. Palmer (Bernardsville, term ends December 31, 2008), Freeholder Deputy Director Rick Fontana (Bridgewater Township, 2009), Jack Ciattarelli (Hillsborough Township, 2009), Patricia Walsh (Green Brook Township, 2010) and Robert Zaborowski (Franklin Township, 2008).[16]
[edit] Education
The Somerville Public Schools serve students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[17]) are Van Derveer Elementary School (preK-5; 798 students), Somerville Middle School (6-8; 365) and Somerville High School for grades 9-12 (1,028).
Immaculata High School is a private, coeducational, Roman Catholic high school, founded in 1962, and operated within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The school enrolls approximately 850 students. Immaculate Conception School is a Catholic private coeducational day school, founded in 1957, for students in grades Pre-K through 8.
[edit] Transportation
The Somerville train station offers service on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line, with frequent service to Newark Penn Station, with connecting service to Penn Station New York in Midtown Manhattan.
U.S. Route 22 runs along the northern boundary of Somerville and offers connections to the state highway network.
U.S. Route 206 runs along the western boundary of Somerville, via the Somerville Circle, and provides north/south connections to nearby towns.
The closest airport with scheduled service is Newark Liberty International Airport.
[edit] Points of interest
- Duke Gardens - Estate of the late tobacco heiress Doris Duke
- The Wallace House New Jersey State Historic House Museum- Washington's Headquarters during the Middlebrook Encampment of 1778-1779 and
- Old Dutch Parsonage Hew Jersey State Historic Site--First parsonage of the Dutch Reformed Church in Somerset County and home of Rev. Jacob Hardenburgh, a founder and later first President of Queens College (Rutgers University).
- The Robert Mansion (Somerville Municipal Building) --National Register Property, Alexander Jackson Davis design, classic example of American Gothic architecture
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Somerville include:
- Nicole Arendt (1969-), professional tennis player.[18]
- Frank Asch (1946-), author of children's literature.[19]
- George H. Brown (1810-1865), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855.[20]
- Alvah A. Clark (1840-1912), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1881.[21]
- Don Elliott (1926-1984), jazz trumpeter, vibraphonist, vocalist, and mellophone player.[22]
- Naomi D. Jakobsson, member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 103rd District since 2003.[23]
- John Mack (1926-2006), principal oboist with the Cleveland Orchestra.[24]
- Paul Robeson (1898-1976), actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Fellow traveler, Spingarn Medal winner, and Stalin Peace Prize laureate.[25]
- Walter J. Kavanaugh (1933-2008), retired member of the State Senate, representing New Jersey's 16th Legislative District; originally a successful businessman in Somerville and a life member of the Somerville First Aid & Rescue Squad
- Brian E. Rumpf (1964-), represents the 9th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly.[26]
- William Gaston Steele, (1820-1892), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1861 to 1865.[27]
- Lee Van Cleef (1925-1989), character actor, who was an accountant in his hometown before his movie career began.[28]
- Fred Van Eps (1878-1960), banjoist and early recording artist.[29]
- Frederica von Stade (1945-), mezzo-soprano.[30]
[edit] References
- ^ Clerk/Administrator, Borough of Somerville. Accessed July 10, 2007.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Borough of Somerville, Geographic Names Information System, accessed July 10, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Somerville borough, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 2, 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.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. 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. 225.
- ^ Somerville History, Borough of Somerville. Accessed August 3, 2006.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 77.
- ^ Mayor and Council, Borough of Somerville. Accessed May 25, 2008.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 61. 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.
- ^ The Role of County Government: "What Is A Freeholder?", Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed March 30, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Somerville Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 25, 2008.
- ^ New Jersey Tennis Stars, Hangout NJ. Accessed June 12, 2007. "Nicole Arendt of Somerville turned pro in 1991 and is currently ranked 26 in the world in women's doubles. The Hun School of Princeton graduate holds 16 career Women's Tennis Association (WTA) doubles titles and won the tour sportsmanship award in 1993."
- ^ Turner, Patricia. "ART FOR CHILDREN AT RUTGERS", The New York Times, December 13, 1981. Accessed October 23, 2007. "Frank Asch of Somerville, who studied at Rutgers and now lives in rural Connecticut"
- ^ George Houston Brown, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 1, 2007.
- ^ Alvah Augustus Clark, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 3, 2007.
- ^ "DON ELLIOT, 57, JAZZ SINGER, VIBRAPHONIST AND COMPOSER", The New York Times, July 6, 1984. Accessed December 9, 2007.
- ^ Representative Naomi D. Jakobsson (IL), Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 6, 2007.
- ^ "John Mack: 1927 - 2006 - Dean of American oboists. The influence of the principal of the Cleveland Orchestra extended far beyond that city in his many students", Chicago Tribune, July 28, 2006. Accessed August 2, 2007. "John Mack was born in 1927 in Somerville, N.J., and took up the oboe in 6th grade."
- ^ Nottle, Diane. "JERSEYANA; Remembering Paul Robeson, in His Jersey Days and Beyond", The New York Times, March 29, 1998. Accessed October 27, 2007. "Later the Robesons settled in Somerville, where he graduated from high school with honors at 16."
- ^ Assembly Member Brian E. Rumpf, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 9, 2007.
- ^ William Gaston Steele, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 18, 2007.
- ^ "Lee Van Cleef, Actor, Dies at 64; Played Villains in Many Westerns", The New York Times, December 17, 1989. Accessed November 25, 2007. "Lee Van Cleef was born in Somerville, N.J., on Jan. 9, 1925. His first job was as a farm worker in his home state. He then worked as an accountant in Somerville before beginning in his movie career in 1950."
- ^ Fred Van Eps -- Banjoist, Biography by Tim Gracyk. Accessed May 24, 2008.
- ^ Kendall, Leslie. "JERSEY FOOTLIGHTS; Opera Star in Her Home State", The New York Times, April 1, 2001. Accessed April 18, 2008. "Even as a child, Frederica Von Stade, the Somerville-born mezzo-soprano loved to dress up and entertain."
[edit] External links
- Borough of Somerville official web site
- Somerville Cable Television
- Downtown Somerville Shopping, Dining & Business Information
- Somerville Public Schools
- Somerville Public Schools's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Somerville Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Somerville Police Department
- Somerville Rescue Squad
- Somerville, New Jersey is at coordinates Coordinates:
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