Metuchen is a
BoroughA Borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in
Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 750,162. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area and its county seat is New Brunswick. The center of population for New Jersey is located in Middlesex County, in the...
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 12,840.
Metuchen was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the
New Jersey LegislatureThe New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on March 20, 1900, from portions of Raritan Township (now known as
EdisonEdison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 97,687, making it at the time the fifth largest municipality in New Jersey. As of the U.S...
).
The Borough of Metuchen is completely surrounded by
EdisonEdison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 97,687, making it at the time the fifth largest municipality in New Jersey. As of the U.S...
.
Geography
Metuchen is located at (40.541054, -74.360992).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the borough has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.1 km
2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 12,840 people, 4,992 households, and 3,584 families residing in the borough. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 4,684.8 people per square mile (1,809.3/km
2). There were 5,104 housing units at an average density of 1,862.2/sq mi (719.2/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.30% White, 3.38% African American, 0.10% Native American, 7.23% Asian, 1.12% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.96% of the population.
There were 4,992 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the borough the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $75,546, and the median income for a family was $85,022. Males had a median income of $58,125 versus $43,097 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the borough was $36,749. About 3.4% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Metuchen is governed under the
BoroughA Borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
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.
The
Mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
of Metuchen is Thomas Vahalla, who was elected for a four-year term ending December 31, 2011. The Mayor presides at Council meetings, approves ordinances, signs contracts, and appoints officials and members of various boards and commissions.
The Council adopts ordinances and resolutions and makes all policy in the Borough government. Each member is assigned as a liaison to several departments, boards and commissions with the consent of Council. Members of the Borough Council are Peter Cammarano (2011), Richard Dyas (2009), Justin H. Manley (2011), Christopher Morrison (2010), William Waldron (2010) and Richard E. Weber (2009).
Federal, state and county representation
Metuchen is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 18th Legislative District.
Education
The
Metuchen School DistrictThe Metuchen School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Metuchen, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States....
serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the
National Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are
Moss School (Kindergarten; 145 students),
Campbell Elementary School (1-4; 609),
Edgar Middle School (5-8; 603) and
Metuchen High SchoolMetuchen High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Metuchen in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Metuchen School District....
for grades 9-12 (587).
The Borough is also home to St. Joseph High School, a private Catholic prep school, notable for its academics and sports awards.
There have been two historical schools named for
Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, soldier, and diplomat...
. The
Old Franklin Schoolhouse is a one-room school on Route 27 (Middlesex Avenue) near Main Street built in 1807 and used until 1870. In 1906, it was acquired and restored by the Borough Improvement League and is currently used as a community music venue. A larger Franklin School, built in 1906, once stood at the intersection of Middlesex and Lake Avenues but fell into disrepair in the mid 1980s. It has since been demolished to make way for a residential development called
Franklin Square.
History
Until 1870, what is now Metuchen was part of
Woodbridge TownshipWoodbridge Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 97,203...
. Because the settlers in the western part of the township were so far removed from the village of Woodbridge, they early developed a separate identity. The name "Metuchen" first appeared in 1688/1689, and its name was derived from the name of a Native American chief, known as Matouchin. In 1701, an overseer of roads was appointed for "Metuchen district". In 1705, Main Street was laid out at the same time as the road from Metuchen to Woodbridge, which one source calls a "reworking of the original road".
Sometime between 1717 and 1730, a meeting house was constructed for weekday meetings conducted by the pastor of the Woodbridge Presbyterian Church. In 1756, Metuchen Presbyterians succeeded in forming their own congregation, attesting to their growing numbers. In 1770, the congregations merged, with Metuchen getting 2/5th of the pastor's services and Woodbridge 3/5ths; by 1772 Metuchen had grown sufficiently to warrant 50% of his time. In 1793, the two churches again separated.
From the late 18th to the early 19th century Metuchen grew little. A map of 1799 shows ten buildings in the center of town along Main Street. By 1834, a Presbyterian church, a store, two taverns and about a dozen dwellings could be found. The opening of the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike (now Middlesex Avenue, portions in
concurrencyA concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with Route 27) in 1806, and the Perth Amboy and Bound Brook Turnpike in 1808 seem not to have spurred growth to any appreciable extent. Not until the beginning of the railroad era did commercial and residential development surge.
In 1836, the New Jersey Railroad was completed to
New BrunswickNew Brunswick is a city and the county seat of Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is 31 miles southwest of New York City on the southern bank of the Raritan River about 15 miles from its mouth. The 2006 United States Census Bureau population estimate of New Brunswick was 50,172...
. The construction of a station at Main Street made it inevitable that this would develop as the principal street. A business section soon began to appear between Middlesex Avenue and the railroad tracks, and commercial and service establishments gradually began to assume a more modern aspect (the typical 18th century tavern, for example, was replaced by the equally typical 19th century hotel).
The second half of the 19th century was a period of social, cultural and religious diversification in Metuchen. Between 1859 and 1866 the Reformed Church was organized, the first
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
mass was celebrated and St. Luke's Episcopal Church was founded. In 1870 both the Building and Loan Association and the library opened, the same year that Raritan Township was incorporated. As the largest village in the new township, Metuchen naturally became its commercial and cultural center and acquired substantial political control. In 1879, the literary and debating society was formed, and in 1883 the Village Improvement Society. By 1882, Metuchen School #15 had an enrollment of 256 pupils, and by 1885 the New Jersey Gazette listed thirty-seven businesses.
The decade of the 1890s was a period of expansion for public utilities. In 1894, telegraph service was begun and in 1897 telephone service begun by the N.Y. and N.J. Telephone Company. In the same year the Midland Water Company commenced operation and supplied hydrants for "newly-formed" volunteer fire companies. In 1899, new street lighting system installed. At about the same time the Metuchen Wheelmen, a bicycling organization was formed, which lobbied for improved roads. Trolley service began in 1900. In addition, by the end of the decade, commerce had grown to such an extent that the New Brunswick Directory listed 91 businesses in 1899.
Metuchen attracted an influx of artists, literary figures and noted intellectuals during this time, acquiring the nickname "the Brainy Boro". One of the Borough's two post offices is named Brainy Boro Station.
The new century began with what residents saw as the biggest improvement of all, incorporation, in 1900.
On November 19, 1981, Metuchen became the Seat of the newly established
Roman Catholic Diocese of MetuchenThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen is a Roman Catholic diocese in New Jersey, centered in the borough of Metuchen. It was erected on November 19, 1981, from the territory of the Diocese of Trenton....
. The diocese includes
Hunterdon Hunterdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 121,989. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
,
MiddlesexMiddlesex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 750,162. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area and its county seat is New Brunswick. The center of population for New Jersey is located in Middlesex County, in the...
,
SomersetSomerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of 2000, the population was 297,490. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
and
WarrenWarren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 102,437. Its county seat is Belvidere....
counties and more than 500,000 Catholics.
Metuchen was ranked 332nd in the New Jersey Monthly's Best Places to live in NJ
Transportation
Commuting had become a way of life for Metuchen residents by the turn-of-the-century. Daily commuters numbered 400 out of a population of 1,786 by the year 1900. Accessibility to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
and New Brunswick enhanced the borough's reputation as a prestigious place to live, and the modern suburban ideal of small-town life where tired businessmen could escape the pace of the city grew in popularity. Today,
Metuchen StationMetuchen is a New Jersey Transit station on the Northeast Corridor Line, in Metuchen, New Jersey. It is located on Main Street between Pennsylvania and Woodbridge Avenues, with a portion of the platforms on an overpass over Main Street...
on
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, United States, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York...
's
Northeast Corridor LineThe Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail operation run by New Jersey Transit along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Pennsylvania Railroad along the section between Trenton, New Jersey and New York Penn Station...
, provides service to many destinations including Trenton and
Penn StationPennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity rail station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. The station is located in the underground levels of Pennsylvania Plaza, an urban complex located between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue and between...
in
Midtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
.
The biggest change to affect Metuchen between the World Wars was the rise of the automobile. In the 1920s, service stations were built, and the construction of
U.S. Route 1U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey is a portion of the United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running 2,390 miles from Key West, Florida in the south, to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north, of which are in New Jersey...
in 1930 diverted traffic away from Middlesex Avenue, and undoubtedly helped the borough retain its residential character.
Notable residents
Noted current and former residents include:
- Charles Brown
Charles Brown was a Tony Award-nominated actor and a member of New York City, New York theater troupe the Negro Ensemble Company...
(1946-2004), actor.
- Barbara Buono
Barbara Buono is an American Democratic Party politician, who has been serving in the New Jersey State Senate since 2002, where she represents the 18th Legislative District....
(1953-), New Jersey State SenatorThe New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the State Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
.
- John Ciardi
John Anthony Ciardi was an American poet, translator, and etymologist.-Life and work:John Ciardi was primarily a poet, but he also translated Dante's Divine Comedy, wrote several volumes of children's poetry, pursued etymology, contributed to the Saturday Review as a columnist and long-time poetry...
(1916-1986), poet.
- General William Tatum Wofford Sappenfield - Confederate General (originally from GA)
- David Copperfield
David Copperfield is an Emmy Award-winning American illusionist described by Forbes in 2006 as the most commercially successful magician in history...
(1956-), magician and illusionist, born as David Seth Kotkin
- Scott Cowen
Scott S. Cowen—born 1946 in Metuchen, New Jersey—is 14th president of Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he is also Seymour S. Goodman Memorial Professor in the A.B. Freeman School of Business and professor of economics in Tulane's School of Liberal Arts. He has written over a...
(1946-), current president of Tulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
- James Florio
James Joseph "Jim" Florio is a Democratic politician who served as the 49th Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994, the first Italian American to hold the position...
(1937-), Governor of New JerseyThe Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The current holder of that office is Jon Corzine, who re-assumed executive powers on May 7, 2007 from acting Gov. Richard Codey, after recuperating from an automobile accident on April 12, 2007...
from 1990 to 1994.
- Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman
Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman was a prominent 19th century American author.- Biography :She was born in Randolph, Massachusetts, and attended Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, for one year, from 1870–71...
(1852-1930), author and novelist.
- Robert Hegyes
Robert Hegyes is an American actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Epstein in the 1970s television series Welcome Back, Kotter.-Early life:...
(1951-), actor who played the character "Epstein" in the 1970s TV series Welcome Back, KotterWelcome Back, Kotter is an American television sitcom that originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979.-Premise:...
.
- Jerome H. Lemelson
Jerome "Jerry" Hal Lemelson was a prolific and controversial American engineer, inventor and patent holder...
(1923-1997), inventor and holder of more than 550 patents.
- Lonny Price
Lonny Price is an American actor, writer, and director, primarily in theatre. He is known for making statements on current events in versions of his musicals. His acclaimed May 2008 New York Philharmonic production of Camelot was making a statement about the current war including having different...
(1959-), actor, writer and director.
- Jack Waldman
Jack Waldman was a jazz and rock musician, composer, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey....
(1952-1986), jazz and rock musician, composer, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.
External links