The
City of Orange is a
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and
townshipA township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in
Essex CountyEssex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134. Orange is often joined with neighboring
East OrangeEast Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
,
South Orange-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
and
West OrangeWest Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
and referred to as part of "
the OrangesThe Oranges are a group of four municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word Orange in their name. All of these communities were named for the ruler of England, William III of England, also known as William of Orange...
".
Orange was originally incorporated as a
townshipA township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
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 November 27, 1806, from portions of
Newark TownshipNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Portions of the township were taken on April 14, 1834, to form the now-defunct Clinton Township. On January 31, 1860, Orange was reincorporated as a
townA Town in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government...
. Portions of the town were taken to form South Orange Township (April 1, 1861, now known as
MaplewoodMaplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
), Fairmount (March 11, 1862, now part of
West OrangeWest Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
),
East Orange TownshipEast Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
(March 4, 1863) and
West Orange TownshipWest Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
(April 10, 1863). On April 3, 1872, Orange was reincorporated as a city. In 1982, the name was changed to the "City of Orange Township" to take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies.
Geography
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...
, Orange has a total area of 2.21 square miles (5.7 km²), 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. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 32,868 people, 11,885 households, and 7,642 families residing in the township. 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...
was 14,903.7 people per square mile (5,742.3/km
2). There were 12,665 housing units at an average density of 5,742.8 per square mile (2,212.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the township was 13.20% White, 75.10% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 5.21% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, 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 4.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.47% of the population.
There were 11,885 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 26.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the township the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $35,759, and the median income for a family was $40,852. Males had a median income of $33,442 versus $29,520 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $16,861. About 15.4% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.6% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.
As part of the 2000 Census, 75.10% of Orange's residents identified themselves as being
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, one of the highest percentages of African American people in the United States, and the fourth-highest in New Jersey (behind
LawnsideLawnside is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 2,945.The land that became Lawnside was purchased by Abolitionists for freed and escaped slaves, as well as other African Americans, in 1840.On April 20, 1926, an...
at 93.6%,
East OrangeEast Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
at 89.46%, and
IrvingtonIrvington is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 53,926, a decline of 11.2% from the 60,695 residents enumerated in the 2000 Census.-Geography:...
at 81.66%) of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.
Orange has a large Haitian American population, with 11.4% of residents identifying themselves as being of Haitian ancestry, the highest of any municipality in New Jersey and the eighth-highest in the United States.
Although still a small percentage of total residents, Orange and
East OrangeEast Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
have the largest concentrations of
Guyanese AmericanGuyanese Americans are citizens and residents of the United States who can trace their ancestry back to the South American and Caribbean nation of Guyana, or a Guyanese who emigrated to the United States but has American citizenship.- History :...
s in the country. In the 2000 Census, 2.9% of Orange residents identified as being of Guyanese ancestry. While
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
had larger populations in terms of raw numbers, Orange and East Orange (with 2.5%) had the highest percentages of people of Guyanese ancestry as a portion of the total population of all places in the United States.
Local government
Orange is governed under the
Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council)The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Mayor-Council government.This form of government provides for election of a mayor and five, seven, or nine council members...
form of municipal government, with a directly elected mayor and a City Council consisting of four ward representatives and three at-large representatives. Councilmembers serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis with the four ward seats and the three at-large seatscoming up for election on an alternating cycle, and are elected on a non-partisan basis every two years.
, the
MayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Orange is Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. Members of the City Council are Council President Hassan Abdul-Rasheed (West Ward, 2014), Council Vice President Edward B. Marable, Jr. (South Ward, 2014), Elroy A. Corbitt (At-Large, 2012), Tency A. Eason (North Ward, 2014), Linda Jones-Bell (East Ward, 2014), Rayfield Morton (At-Large, 2012) and Donna K. Williams (At-Large, 2012).
Federal, state and county representation
Orange is in the 10th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 27th state legislative district. The borough was relocated to the 34th state legislative district by the
New Jersey Apportionment CommissionThe New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district was in effect for the June 2011 primary and will be for the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
Politics
On the national level, Orange leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In 2008, Democrat
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
received 96% of the vote here, outpolling Republican
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, who received around 4%.
History
Orange had its origins in
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
's New Haven Colony. In 1666, barely three decades after settling there, 30 of New Haven's families took the perilous journey by water to found "a town on the Passayak" River. They arrived on territory now encompassing
NewarkNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
,
the OrangesThe Oranges are a group of four municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word Orange in their name. All of these communities were named for the ruler of England, William III of England, also known as William of Orange...
, and several other municipalities. The area was situated in the northeast portion of a land grant conveyed by King
Charles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
to his brother James, Duke of York. In 1664, James conveyed the land to two proprietors, Lord John Berkeley and Sir
George CarteretVice Admiral Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet , son of Elias de Carteret, was a royalist statesman in Jersey and England, who served in the Clarendon Ministry as Treasurer of the Navy...
. Since Carteret had been Royal Governor of the Isle of
JerseyJersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, the territory became known as "New Jersey."
Orange was initially a part of the city of Newark, but it was originally known as "Newark Mountains". On June 7, 1780, the townspeople of Newark Mountains officially voted to adopt the name Orange. At the time, there was a significant number of people in favor of secession from Newark. However, this would not occur until November 27, 1806, when the territory now encompassing all of the Oranges was finally detached. On April 13, 1807, the first government was elected, but not until March 13, 1860 was Orange officially incorporated as a city. Immediately, the new city began fragmenting into smaller communities, primarily because of local disputes about the costs of establishing paid police, fire, and street departments.
South Orange-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
was organized on January 26, 1861; Fairmount (later to become part of West Orange) on March 11, 1862;
East OrangeEast Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
on March 4, 1863; and
West OrangeWest Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
(including Fairmount) on March 14, 1863.
Orange lay on the Newark and Mount-Pleasant Turnpike, the main road from Newark to
MorristownMorristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, and ultimately to
Easton, PennsylvaniaEaston is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
. The town became a busy thoroughfare for travelers, and hotels abounded. Initially, the stagecoach was the primary method of transportation. Omnibuses of the Eclipse and the Morris & Newark Lines serviced Orange. The
Morris and Essex RailroadThe Morris and Essex Railroad was a railroad across northern New Jersey, later part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.-History:...
arrived in Orange in November 1836, its first cars drawn by horses. On October 2, 1837, the first steam locomotive appeared, and the horses were, with minor exception, relegated to pasture. The "M&E" later became a vital part of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadThe Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
(DL&W), and survives today as
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
's busy
Morristown LineThe Morristown Line is one of New Jersey Transit's commuter lines and is one of two branches that run along the Morris and Essex Lines. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbound trains use the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn...
. Trolley cars appeared much later, with the Orange and Newark Horse Car Railroad Company running its first car up Main Street in May 1862. The Orange Crosstown Line, eventually extending from Morris Street, Orange, to Bloomfield, was started in June 1888. (The first electric trolley in the State of New Jersey operated over a section of this line.) Eventually, all of the trolleys, and the buses that replaced them, became part of the sprawling Public Service Coordinated Transport System.
Orange was an industrial city from the outset. Early settlers found a profuse growth of
hemlockTsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
trees, an ideal supply of
tannic acidTannic acid is a specific commercial form of tannin, a type of polyphenol. Its weak acidity is due to the numerous phenol groups in the structure...
for the tanning industry, and boot and shoemaking factories soon flourished.
Hatmaking was the essential industry, and can be traced to 1792. By 1892, 21 firms were engaged in that trade, employing over 3,700 people in plants valued at nearly $1.1 million. Nearly 4.8 million hats left Orange that year alone, bound for all four corners of the globe. By 1921, however, only five firms were left, and by 1960, all had departed for places such as
NorwalkNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
and
Danbury, ConnecticutDanbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
.
BeerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
was a major revenue producer in Orange beginning in the early 1900s, when the three Winter Brothers of
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, arrived in the city and built the first brewery. The Orange Brewery was constructed in 1901 at a reported cost of $350,000. The production of beer ceased with
prohibitionProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in 1920, and after the repeal of the
Volstead ActThe National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was the enabling legislation for the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition in the United States...
in 1933, the brewery was sold to John F. Trommers of Philadelphia. Trommers brewed beer under that label until 1950, when the concern was again sold to Liebmann Breweries, Incorporated, which bottled
Rheingold BeerRheingold Beer, introduced in 1883, is a New York beer that held 35 percent of the state's beer market from 1950 to 1960. The company was sold by the founding Liebmann family in 1963...
. Eventually, after several additional owners, the plant was closed permanently in 1977.
Other notable firms located in Orange were the
Monroe Calculating CompanyThe Monroe Calculator Company was a leading maker of adding machines and calculators founded in 1912 by Jay R. Monroe and now known as Monroe Systems for Business...
, manufacturers of the patented adding machines of the same name, and the Bates Manufacturing Company, producers of office accessories such as staplers and stampers. The
United States Radium CorporationThe United States Radium Corporation was a company, most notorious for its operations between the years 1917 to 1926 in Orange, New Jersey, in the United States that led to stronger worker protection laws...
was a notorious resident of Orange. This firm refined ore and extracted the
radiumRadium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
used to make luminous paint for dials and hands of watches and other indicators. It was only years later that the terrible carcinogenic effects of this material became known, and the polluted site of the factory became a thorn in the side of the city.
Orange has produced such notables as baseball's
Monte IrvinMonford Merrill "Monte" Irvin is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs .-Biography:Although born in Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin grew up in Orange, New Jersey, one of five...
and Heavyweight Boxer
Tony GalentoDomenico Antonio Galento was an American heavyweight boxer. Nicknamed "Two Ton" for his reasoning to his manager for being nearly late to one of his fights: "I had two tons of ice to deliver on my way here". Galento was one of the most colorful fighters in the history of the sport...
. Actor
William BendixWilliam Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
lived and worked here for a short while. It was once the barmaking capital of the United States, as several brothers founded the "No-Name Hat Company," before one of them moved on to make fedoras in Philadelphia under the family name, "
StetsonStetsons are the brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri.Stetson eventually became the world’s largest hat maker, producing over 3.3 million hats a year in a factory spread over . Today Stetson remains a family-owned concern...
". Presidents, presidential candidates, and governors visited. Orange threw a grand party on its 100th anniversary, and another when it turned 150.
Once a multiethnic, economically diverse city, Orange suffered indirectly from the
1967 riotsThe 1967 Newark riots were a major civil disturbance that occurred in the city of Newark, New Jersey between July 12 and July 17, 1967. The six days of rioting, looting, and destruction left 26 dead and hundreds injured.-Social unrest:...
in
NewarkNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
(even though Newark and Orange do not share a border) and directly from the construction of
Interstate 280Interstate 280 is a Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It provides a spur from I-80 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County to Newark, and I-95 Interstate 280 (abbreviated I-280) is a Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It provides a spur from I-80 in...
through the heart of the downtown area, triggering middle-class "
white flightWhite flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
" from aging industrial towns to the new automobile suburbs being built in western Essex County and elsewhere. By the end of the 1970s, Orange had many of the urban ills normally associated with larger cities.
In 1982, citizens voted overwhelmingly to change the designation of Orange from a
cityA City in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
to a
townshipA township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
, thereby making it eligible for National Revenue Sharing funds as well as eliminating the stigma of having a city designation. In 1985, the State of New Jersey named Orange as a State
Urban Enterprise ZoneIn the United States, Urban Enterprise Zones , also known as Enterprise Zones, are intended to encourage development in blighted neighborhoods through tax and regulatory relief to entrepreneurs and investors who launch businesses in the area. UEZs are areas where companies can locate free of...
, creating tax breaks and investment incentives.
Source:
City of Orange Township History
Education
The
Orange Board of EducationOrange Board of Education is a comprehensive community public school district that is headquartered in the city of Orange, New Jersey, United States, and serves students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade...
serves public school students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31
Abbott DistrictAbbott districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with New Jersey’s state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of Abbott v. Burke, a case filed by the Education Law...
s statewide.
Schools in the district (with 2008–09 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 eight elementary schools serving grades PreK/K-6 (except as indicated) —
Central School (304 students; grades PreK-6),
Cleveland Street School (329; K-6),
Forest Street School (272; K-6),
Heywood Avenue School (385; PreK-6),
Lincoln Avenue School (455; K-7),
Rosa Parks School (612; K-8, formerly Main Street School),
Oakwood Avenue School (285; PreK-6) and
Park Avenue School (272; K-6) —
Orange Preparatory Academy for grades 8-9 (438, formerly Orange Middle School) and
Orange High School for grades 10–12 (1,089).
The Orange Public Library collection contains 150,000 volumes and circulates 56,000 items annually. Built as the Stickler Memorial Library, the imposing structure designed by
McKim, Mead, and WhiteMcKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
opened in 1901.
Commerce
Portions of Orange are part of an
Urban Enterprise ZoneIn the United States, Urban Enterprise Zones , also known as Enterprise Zones, are intended to encourage development in blighted neighborhoods through tax and regulatory relief to entrepreneurs and investors who launch businesses in the area. UEZs are areas where companies can locate free of...
. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½%
sales taxA sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).
Transportation
The
OrangeOrange is a New Jersey Transit station in Orange, New Jersey along the Morris & Essex Lines . Service is available via the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and to Hoboken Terminal...
and
Highland AvenueHighland Avenue is a New Jersey Transit station in Orange, New Jersey along the Morris & Essex Lines . Service is available via the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan and to Hoboken Terminal...
stations provide
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
train service along the
Morris & Essex LinesThe Morris & Essex Lines are a group of former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad railroad lines in New Jersey now owned and operated by New Jersey Transit...
(formerly
Erie Lackawanna RailwayThe Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
). Service is available via the
Kearny ConnectionThe Kearny Connection in Kearny, New Jersey, allows suburban passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to run to New York Penn Station,instead of their traditional ferry terminal on the river in Hoboken. New Jersey Transit dubbed the new service Midtown Direct; the...
to
Secaucus JunctionThe Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
and
Penn StationPennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
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...
and to
Hoboken TerminalHoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
. Passengers can transfer at Newark Broad Street or
SummitSummit Station is a train station located in Summit, New Jersey, which is served by New Jersey Transit's Morris & Essex Lines . The station is located between Union Place on the north and Broad Street on the south, with station access via either side, and between Summit Avenue on the east and Maple...
to reach the other destination if necessary.
New Jersey Transit buses in Orange include the 21, 24, 34, 41, 44, 71, 73 and 79 routes providing service to
Newark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and local service on the 92 and 97 routes.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents include:
- Walter G. Alexander
Walter Gilbert Alexander was an African American physician and Republican Party politician from New Jersey. He was president of the National Medical Association and the first African American to serve in the New Jersey Legislature.-Early life and career:Alexander was born in Lynchburg, Virginia in...
(1880–1953), first African American member 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...
.
- Jay Alford
Jason Jamaal Alford is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
(born 1983), defensive tackle for the Oakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2007 NFL DraftThe 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
(81st overall).
- John L. Blake
John Lauris Blake was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1879 to 1881.-Biography:Blake was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 25, 1831...
(1831–1899), represented New Jersey's 6th congressional districtNew Jersey's Sixth Congressional District is currently represented by Democrat Frank Pallone. In the 2010 election, Pallone defeated Republican Anna C...
from 1879 to 1881.
- Cory Boyd
Cory J. Boyd is a gridiron football running back for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
(born 1985), former starting tailbackTailback can mean:* Halfback * A line of motor vehicles caught up in traffic congestion; a traffic jam...
for the University of South CarolinaThe University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
. and drafted by the Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the 7th round (238th pick overall) of the 2008 NFL DraftThe 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
.
- Samuel P. Bush
Samuel Prescott Bush was an American industrialist and entrepreneur, and the patriarch of the Bush political family. He was the father of U.S. Senator Prescott Bush, grandfather of former U.S President George H. W. Bush, and great-grandfather of former U.S. President George W...
(1863–1948), industrialist and patriarch of the Bush political familyThe Bush family is a prominent American family. Along with many members who have been successful bankers and businessmen, across three generations the family includes two U.S. Senators, one Supreme Court Justice, two Governors, one Vice President and two Presidents...
.
- John Condit
John Condit was a United States Representative and a United States Senator from New Jersey and father of United States Representative Silas Condit....
(1755–1834), United States Representative and a United States Senator from New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
- Silas Condit
Silas Condit was a U.S. Representative from New Jersey.Condit was born in Orange, New Jersey. He was the son of John Condit...
(1778–1861), represented New Jersey in the United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1831 to 1833.
- John Crotty
John Crotty is an American former professional basketball player.A 6'1" point guard from the University of Virginia, Crotty was never drafted by an NBA team, but did play in 11 NBA seasons from 1992 to 2003...
(born 1969), former NBA basketball player.
- Charles N. Fowler
Charles Newell Fowler was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1895 to 1903, and the 5th district from 1903 to 1911.Fowler was born in Lena, Illinois on November 2, 1852...
(1852–1932), represented 5th congressional districtNew Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Scott Garrett. Garrett defeated Democrat Paul Aronsohn and independent candidate R. Matthew Fretz 55%-44% in the United States general elections, 2006....
in the United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1895 to 1911.
- Tony Galento
Domenico Antonio Galento was an American heavyweight boxer. Nicknamed "Two Ton" for his reasoning to his manager for being nearly late to one of his fights: "I had two tons of ice to deliver on my way here". Galento was one of the most colorful fighters in the history of the sport...
(1910–1979), heavyweight boxer.
- Al Harrington
Albert "Al" Harrington is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Denver Nuggets...
(born 1980), professional basketball player currently playing for the NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Denver NuggetsThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
.
- Beatrice Hicks
Beatrice Alice Hicks was an outstanding engineer, helping to found the Society of Women Engineers in 1950.Born in Orange, New Jersey, she attended Orange High School...
(1919–79), founder of the Society of Women EngineersThe Society of Women Engineers , founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for...
in 1950.
- Dulé Hill
Karim Dulé Hill is an American actor and tap dancer. He is best known for his roles as personal presidential aide Charlie Young on the NBC drama television series The West Wing, and as pharmaceutical salesman-private detective Burton "Gus" Guster on the USA Network television comedy-drama Psych...
(born 1975), an actor, was born here.
- Mark Kelly (born 1964), astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
. He first went into space as the pilot for STS-108STS-108 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. Its primary objective was to deliver supplies to and help maintain the ISS....
EndeavourSpace Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...
(December 5–17, 2001), and returned to space with STS-121STS-121 was a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station flown by Space Shuttle Discovery. The main purposes of the mission were to test new safety and repair techniques introduced following the Columbia disaster of February 2003 as well as to deliver supplies, equipment and...
in 2006 as the pilot. His twin brother, Scott Kelly, is also in the Astronaut Corps.
- John B. Mason
John B. Mason was an American stage actor popular over the decades surrounding the turn of the twentieth century.-Early life:...
(1858–1919), stage actor.
- George McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
(1826–1885), American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general and later Governor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
, died here.
- John Milnor
John Willard Milnor is an American mathematician known for his work in differential topology, K-theory and dynamical systems. He won the Fields Medal in 1962, the Wolf Prize in 1989, and the Abel Prize in 2011. Milnor is a distinguished professor at Stony Brook University...
(born 1931), mathematician known for his work in differential topology, K-theory and dynamical systems and recipient of the Fields MedalThe Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union , a meeting that takes place every four...
, Wolf Prize, and Abel PrizeThe Abel Prize is an international prize presented annually by the King of Norway to one or more outstanding mathematicians. The prize is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel . It has often been described as the "mathematician's Nobel prize" and is among the most prestigious...
.
- Daniel F. Minahan
Daniel Francis Minahan was an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who represented the 6th congressional district from 1919 to 1921 and again from 1923 to 1925.-Biography:...
(1877–1947), served as mayor of Orange from May 1914 until August 1919, and represented New Jersey's 6th congressional districtNew Jersey's Sixth Congressional District is currently represented by Democrat Frank Pallone. In the 2010 election, Pallone defeated Republican Anna C...
from 1919 to 1921 and again from 1923 to 1925.
- Col. Henry Steel Olcott
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society....
(1832–1907), founder and first president of the Theosophical SocietyThe Theosophical Society is an organization formed in 1875 to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The original organization, after splits and realignments has several successors...
, first well-known person of European ancestry to make a formal conversion to BuddhismBuddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, helped create a Buddhist renaissance, assisted in designing the Buddhist flagThe Buddhist flag is a flag designed in the late 19th century to symbolise and universally represent Buddhism. It is used by Buddhists throughout the world.-History:...
, a national hero of Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
- Daniel Quillen (1940–2011), mathematician known for being the "prime architect" of higher algebraic K-theory
In mathematics, algebraic K-theory is an important part of homological algebra concerned with defining and applying a sequenceof functors from rings to abelian groups, for all integers n....
and recipient of the Fields MedalThe Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union , a meeting that takes place every four...
.
- Jim Ringo
James Stephen "Jim" Ringo was a professional American football player, a Hall of Fame center and coach. He was a ten time Pro Bowler during his career....
(1931–2007), NFL player for the Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, member of the Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
- Dick Savitt
Richard "Dick" Savitt is a 6’ 3" and 185-pound right-handed American male former tennis player.Savitt was ranked 2nd in the world in 1951. That year, at the age of 24, he won both the Wimbledon Singles Championship and the Australian Singles title...
(born 1927), tennis player who reached a ranking of # 2 in the world.
- Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
(1932–2008), actor.
- Terrell Willis, second-leading rusher in Rutgers history with 3,114 yards, who played in the NFL with the New York Jets.
Points of interest
- Rosedale Cemetery
Rosedale Cemetery is a cemetery located in Orange, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Cyrus Baldwin drew up the original plan for the cemetery in 1840. - Noted interments :* John L...
- St. Johns Catholic Cemetery
St. Johns Catholic Cemetery is a cemetery in Orange in the U.S. state of New Jersey.-Notable burials:* Tony Galento , heavyweight boxer, nicknamed "Two Ton Tony"....
See also
- Radium Girls
The Radium Girls were female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with glow-in-the-dark paint at the United States Radium factory in Orange, New Jersey around 1917....
, the name given to a group of women who were harmed, and ultimately died, from radiation exposureThe term radiation exposure commonly has several uses:* Absorption of high-energy ionizing radiation by an object. In living beings a high absorbed dose can lead to radiation poisoning.* Absorption by an object of non-ionizing radiation...
at a factory in Orange.
External links