Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey
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- see also: Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey for another township in New Jersey with the same name
| Springfield, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Union |
| Formed | April 14, 1794 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Township (New Jersey) |
| - Mayor | Bart Fraenkel |
| Area | |
| - Total | 5.2 sq mi (13.3 km²) |
| - Land | 5.1 sq mi (13.3 km²) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 177 ft (54 m) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 14,717 |
| - Density | 2,801.8/sq mi (1,081.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07081 |
| Area code(s) | 973 |
| FIPS code | 34-70020[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882213[4] |
| Website: http://www.springfield-nj.com | |
Springfield Township is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 14,429. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population estimate for 2006 is 14,717.[2]
Springfield was formed as a township on April 14, 1794, from portions of Elizabeth Township and Newark Township, while the area was still part of Essex County, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's first 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. It became part of the newly-formed Union County on March 19, 1857, with portions remaining in Essex County used to create Millburn. Other portions of the township have been taken to form New Providence Township (November 8, 1809, now known as Berkeley Heights), Livingston (February 5, 1813), Summit (March 23, 1869) and Cranford, (March 14, 1871).[5]
The little known, but extremely critical, Battle of Springfield was fought here, the last of many battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in New Jersey.
Springfield is the home of the Baltusrol Golf Club, which was the host to the 2005 PGA Championship. It has also hosted other golf Major Championships, including the U.S. Open, held on seven occasions at Baltusrol, most recently in 1993.
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[edit] History
Springfield is celebrated as the site of a Battle of Springfield between the American Continental Army and British forces on June 23, 1780. The British, under Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, advanced from Elizabethtown about 5 o'clock in the morning. They were opposed by General Nathanael Greene, but owing to the superior number of the enemy he was compelled to evacuate Springfield, which was then burned by the British. During the action the Rev. James Caldwell, chaplain in the New Jersey brigade, is said to have distributed the Watts hymn books from the neighboring Presbyterian Church among the soldiers for wadding, saying at the same time, "Now put Watts into them, boys." This battle prevented further advance on the part of the British. The American loss was about 15 and that of the British about 150.
Some historical landmarks from the Revolution still stand: the Cannon Ball House, which has since been converted into a museum was (according to the township's official website) "Built circa 1741 and served as a farmhouse at the time of the Revolutionary War. During the Battle of Springfield (June 23, 1780) the British used it as a hospital. ... It was one of only three buildings left standing when all others including the Presbyterian Church where Reverend James Caldwell had taken Watts hymnbooks for rifle wadding, were set on fire. ... In later years the house became a tavern to serve travelers on Morris (Ave) Turnpike. The farmland was later sold off, and it served then as a private residence. The property Was acquired by the Springfield Historical Society in 1955. It has become known as The Cannon Ball House because a cannonball was found on the west side embedded in a beam. ... The Cannon Ball House has five revolutionary era rooms, some American Civil War items, early tools, a Battle diorama and a colonial garden. It has just been (1998) renovated to its original appearance and color."[6] Springfield's First Presbyterian Church, which had been burned by the British, was rebuilt, using much of the original structure and it remains at # 37 Church Mall to this day.
[edit] Geography
Springfield Township is located on the northern edge of Union County and is bordered by Millburn to the north in Essex County, by Union Township to the east, by Kenilworth to the southeast, by Westfield and Cranford to the south, by Mountainside to the southwest and by Summit to the northwest.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13.3 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 3,725 |
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| 1940 | 4,148 | 11.4% | |
| 1950 | 7,214 | 73.9% | |
| 1960 | 14,467 | 100.5% | |
| 1970 | 15,740 | 8.8% | |
| 1980 | 13,955 | −11.3% | |
| 1990 | 13,420 | −3.8% | |
| 2000 | 14,429 | 7.5% | |
| Est. 2006 | 14,717 | [2] | 2% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[7] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 14,429 people, 6,001 households, and 4,014 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,801.8 people per square mile (1,081.8/km²). There were 6,204 housing units at an average density of 1,204.7/sq mi (465.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.72% White, 3.72% African American, 0.02% Native American, 4.69% Asian, 0.96% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.14% of the population.
There were 6,001 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the township the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $73,790, and the median income for a family was $85,725. Males had a median income of $55,907 versus $39,542 for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,754. About 1.8% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
The Township of Springfield was established on April 14, 1794, and on that date held their first Township Meeting. This meeting was held pursuant to an Act of the New Jersey Legislature passed at Trenton on May 27, 1793.
Under the Township Form of Government, the Township Committee consists of five Committee members, two elected one year, two the following year and then one the next year, with each elected for a three-year term. At the Organization meeting held usually on the first day of January, the committee elects their Chairman, who by courtesy is called Mayor, but the official title is "Chairman of the Township Committee".[8]
The current members are Mayor Bart Fraenkel, Deputy Mayor Beth Manes, Kenneth Faigenbaum, Steven Grau, and Ziad Andrew Shehady.[9]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Springfield Township is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District.[10]
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). 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 21st District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield) and in the Assembly by Jon Bramnick (R, Westfield) and Eric Munoz (R, Summit).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[12]
Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis. As of the January 2008 reorganization, Union County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman Angel G. Estrada (Elizabeth), Freeholder Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella (Roselle Park), Chester Holmes (Rahway), Bette Jane Kowalski (Cranford), Rick Proctor (Rahway), Deborah P. Scanlon (Union), Daniel P. Sullivan (Elizabeth), Rayland Van Blake (Plainfield) and Nancy Ward (Linden).[13]
[edit] Education
The Springfield Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[14]) are Edward V. Walton Early Childhood Center (grades Pre K- 2; 603 students), James Caldwell Elementary School (grades 3 - 5; 222 students) Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School (grades 3 - 5; 240 students), Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School (grades 6 - 8; 478 students) and Jonathan Dayton High School (grades 9 - 12; 542 students). All of the township's schools are named after famous Springfieldians. For instance, the township's High School is named after Jonathan Dayton, a famous regional patriot, and one of the signers of the United States Constitution.
Adjacent to Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School is Saint James the Apostle School, a Catholic school serving grades Pre K thru 8; enrollment 148 students.[15]
[edit] Transportation
A number of major highways and roadways pass through Springfield, including Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, Route 24, and Route 124, as well as CR 509 Spur and CR 577.
New Jersey Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan in New York City and to points in New Jersey.
Although there is no train station in Springfield, the Millburn and Short Hills New Jersey Transit stations are located nearby although neither allows commuter-hour parking for out of town residents and very limited parking hours even on weekends. The closest stations that allow out-of-town residents access to parking are Maplewood and Summit, although both also are full to capacity very early on weekdays.
Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately ten miles east of Springfield.
[edit] Historical Transportation
The Rahway Valley Railroad passed through the community, and during the early 20th Century offered both freight and passenger service, but is currently out of service.
A trolley line called the Morris County Traction Company, ran trolley service through Springfield to/from Newark and Morris County, in the early part of the 20th Century.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Springfield Township include:
- George A. Halsey (1827-1894), represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in Congress, 1867-1869 and 1871-1873.[16]
- Dina Matos McGreevey (1966-), former First Lady of New Jersey.[17]
- Herbert I. Olarsch, Executive Director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (1993-1994).[18]
- Redman (1970-), Rapper (born Reginald Noble).[citation needed]
- Claudio Reyna (1973-), Professional Soccer Player.[19]
- Jeffrey Ross (1965-), comedian (born Jeffrey Ross Lifschultz).[20]
- Gabe Saporta (1979-), lead singer and primary creative force behind the band Cobra Starship.[21]
- Kevin Scholla, newscaster on KYW (AM) in Philadelphia, and former member of the Springfield Township Committee.[22]
- Zygi Wilf (1950-), owner of the Minnesota Vikings.[23]
- James Yee (c. 1968-), former United States Army chaplain with the rank of captain. He is best known for being subject to an intense investigation by the United States, but all charges were later dropped.[24]
[edit] References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Springfield, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b c Census data for Springfield township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 20, 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. 240.
- ^ Springfield Township History, Springfield Township. Accessed December 4, 2005.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Springfield Municipal Government, Springfield Township. Accessed April 12, 2006.
- ^ Springfield Township - Township Committee, Springfield Township. Accessed February 20, 2008.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. 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.
- ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed February 20, 2008.
- ^ . Accessed April 7, 2008.
- ^ Saint James the Apostle School. Accessed May 30, 2008.
- ^ George Armstrong Halsey biography, United States Congress. Accessed June 27, 2007.
- ^ Capuzzo, Jill P. "The Tangled Journey Of a Governor's Wife", The New York Times, November 7, 2004. Accessed December 30, 2007. "The McGreeveys will be moving out of Drumthwacket, the governor's Greek Revival mansion in Princeton, and go their separate ways -- she to a red-brick ranch she bought for an undisclosed price in Springfield, Union County."
- ^ Debra Olarsch and Paul Denson Marry, The New York Times, November 25, 1990.
- ^ USA's Reyna personifies perseverance, USA Today, June 2, 2006.
- ^ Witchel, Alex. "FIELD TRIP; Give Me That Lower East Side Mix", The New York Times, January 27, 2002. Accessed April 7, 2008. "Unfortunately, they weren't around long. His mother died of leukemia when Mr. Ross was 14, his father of a cerebral hemorrhage when his son was 19. After Mr. Ross graduated from Boston University, his grandfather moved into the family home in Springfield, N.J.; the two were inseparable."
- ^ Lustig, Jay. "Cobra Starship flies with 'Snakes on a Plane'.", The Star-Ledger, December 15, 2006. "With his new band, Cobra Starship, former Springfield resident Gabe Saporta was able to get one of his songs accepted for the soundtrack of the movie Snakes on a Plane."
- ^ Jackson, Herb; Stile, Charles; and Pillets, Jeff. "SCHUNDLER WINS; CONSERVATIVE JERSEY CITY MAYOR STUNS FRANKS.", The Record (Bergen County), June 27, 2001. "'Bob Franks got sucked into this race without having any kind of a message,' said Kevin Scholla, a 27-year-old Republican committeeman from Springfield. 'He appears to be simply an opportunist.'"
- ^ "At Home With Zygi Wilf", WCCO, November 21, 2005. Accessed May 2, 2007. "'It's probably like the quarterback who has to run all the plays,' he says, steering his car into the cul-de-sac where his large French Chateau-style house sits in Springfield, a community that is made up largely of Jewish and Italian families."
- ^ Rivera, Ray. "A Rising Star", The Seattle Times, January 9, 2005. Accessed [{April 7]], 2008. "Jimmy, as his parents called him, grew up Lutheran in the small New Jersey town of Springfield."
[edit] External links
- Official Township Website
- Springfield Public Schools
- Springfield Public Schools's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Springfield Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Evangel Baptist Church of Springfield, NJ
- Battle of Springfield Reenactment Website
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