Roselle, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Roselle is a Borough
located in Union County
in the state of New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 21,085.
On January 19, 1883, the first electric lighting system employing overhead wires to ever exist began service in Roselle, and was built by Thomas Edison
to demonstrate that an entire community could be lit by electricity. The First Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of West 5th Avenue and Chestnut Street, was the first church in the world to be lit by electricity.
Roselle was incorporated on December 20, 1894, at the height of the Boroughitis
phenomenon sweeping through New Jersey at the time, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier, from portions of Linden
.
The borough is bordered by Roselle Park
to the north, Elizabeth
to the east, Linden
to the south and Cranford
to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) of it is land and 0.38% is water.
of 2000, there were 21,274 people, 7,520 households, and 5,226 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 8,048.8 people per square mile (3,111.3/km2). There were 7,870 housing units at an average density of 2,977.5 per square mile (1,151.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 51.32% African American,35.58% White, 0.31% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.07% from other races
, and 3.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.11% of the population.
There were 7,520 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples
living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the borough the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $51,254, and the median income for a family was $58,841. Males had a median income of $37,604 versus $32,535 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $21,269. About 5.8% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
system of municipal government. The governing body is the Borough Council which is made up of six members and a mayor. The mayor and council representative-at-large are elected by the entire borough. The remaining five council members are elected from five wards, one from each ward in which the member resides. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
Roselle has the "weak" mayor-council form of government. The mayor has less control and the council more over fiscal operations and the appointment and removal of executive officers. The mayor has no vote except in case of a tie. The mayor can veto legislation, but the veto can be overridden by two-thirds vote of the council. The Chief of Police is Gerard Orlando. A borough administrator, appointed by the Borough Council, tends to the day-to-day operations of the municipal government.
, the Mayor
of the Borough of Roselle is Garrett Smith, whose term of office expires on December 31, 2011. Member of the Roselle Borough Council are Council President Jamel Holley (At Large, 2013), Yves Aubourg (Ward 1, 2011), Cecilia Dallis-Ricks (Ward 3, 2011), Christine Dansereau (Ward 5, 2012), Kim Shaw (Ward 4, 2013) and Sylvia Turnage (Ward 2, 2012).
. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are three 1-4 elementary schools —
Harrison Elementary School (308 students),
Dr. Charles C. Polk Elementary School (264) and
Washington Elementary School (313) —
Leonard V. Moore Middle School for grades 5&6 (394),
Grace Wilday Junior High School for grades 7&8 (427) and
Abraham Clark High School
for grades 9-12 (1,014).
Roselle Catholic High School
, a parochial high school run by the Marist Brothers, serves grades 9-12 (778) under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
.
. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax
rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).
provides bus service to New York City
and New Jersey points.
Conrail's freight-only Lehigh Line passes through the community along the tracks of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad
. The town once shared a passenger station with Roselle Park
on the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey
. That line is abandoned.
The Staten Island Railway
passed through the community before being dormant for years. It was recently reactivated by the Morristown & Erie Railway, but due to local politics, sees movements only a few times per year.
Newark Liberty International Airport
is approximately six miles from Roselle.
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
located in Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
in the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New 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 borough population was 21,085.
On January 19, 1883, the first electric lighting system employing overhead wires to ever exist began service in Roselle, and was built by Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
to demonstrate that an entire community could be lit by electricity. The First Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of West 5th Avenue and Chestnut Street, was the first church in the world to be lit by electricity.
Roselle was incorporated on December 20, 1894, at the height of the Boroughitis
Boroughitis
Boroughitis was a political phenomenon that spread throughout the U.S. state of New Jersey in the late 19th century, which led groups of residents to unite to form boroughs from within and among the many townships that were the prevalent form of local government at the time. This phenomenon was...
phenomenon sweeping through New Jersey at the time, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier, from portions of Linden
Linden, New Jersey
- Local government :, the Mayor of Linden is . The former longtime Mayor of Linden is 82-year-old John T. Gregorio, who served as mayor of Linden for 30, nonconsecutive years and was repeatedly tagged with scandal during his mayoral career, including one felony conviction, later pardoned, which...
.
Geography
Roselle is located at 40.653502°N 74.260584°W (40.653502, -74.260584).The borough is bordered by Roselle Park
Roselle Park, New Jersey
Roselle Park is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 13,297....
to the north, Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
to the east, Linden
Linden, New Jersey
- Local government :, the Mayor of Linden is . The former longtime Mayor of Linden is 82-year-old John T. Gregorio, who served as mayor of Linden for 30, nonconsecutive years and was repeatedly tagged with scandal during his mayoral career, including one felony conviction, later pardoned, which...
to the south and Cranford
Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 22,625.Cranford was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1871, from portions of the Townships of Clark, Linden,...
to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The 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...
, the borough has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which, 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) of it is land and 0.38% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A 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 21,274 people, 7,520 households, and 5,226 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 8,048.8 people per square mile (3,111.3/km2). There were 7,870 housing units at an average density of 2,977.5 per square mile (1,151.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 51.32% African American,35.58% White, 0.31% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race 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 3.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.11% of the population.
There were 7,520 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage 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, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the borough the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $51,254, and the median income for a family was $58,841. Males had a median income of $37,604 versus $32,535 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per 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 borough was $21,269. About 5.8% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Roselle is incorporated under the BoroughBorough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
system of municipal government. The governing body is the Borough Council which is made up of six members and a mayor. The mayor and council representative-at-large are elected by the entire borough. The remaining five council members are elected from five wards, one from each ward in which the member resides. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
Roselle has the "weak" mayor-council form of government. The mayor has less control and the council more over fiscal operations and the appointment and removal of executive officers. The mayor has no vote except in case of a tie. The mayor can veto legislation, but the veto can be overridden by two-thirds vote of the council. The Chief of Police is Gerard Orlando. A borough administrator, appointed by the Borough Council, tends to the day-to-day operations of the municipal government.
, the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the Borough of Roselle is Garrett Smith, whose term of office expires on December 31, 2011. Member of the Roselle Borough Council are Council President Jamel Holley (At Large, 2013), Yves Aubourg (Ward 1, 2011), Cecilia Dallis-Ricks (Ward 3, 2011), Christine Dansereau (Ward 5, 2012), Kim Shaw (Ward 4, 2013) and Sylvia Turnage (Ward 2, 2012).
Federal, state and county representation
Roselle Borough is in the 10th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 20th state legislative district.Education
The borough is served by the Roselle Public SchoolsRoselle Public Schools
The Roselle Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from the borough of Roselle, in Union County, New Jersey, United States....
. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The 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 three 1-4 elementary schools —
Harrison Elementary School (308 students),
Dr. Charles C. Polk Elementary School (264) and
Washington Elementary School (313) —
Leonard V. Moore Middle School for grades 5&6 (394),
Grace Wilday Junior High School for grades 7&8 (427) and
Abraham Clark High School
Abraham Clark High School
Abraham Clark High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from the borough of Roselle, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Roselle Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association...
for grades 9-12 (1,014).
Roselle Catholic High School
Roselle Catholic High School
Roselle Catholic High School is a coeducational, Roman Catholic high school, located in Roselle, in Union County, New Jersey. The school was established in 1959 and operates as part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark....
, a parochial high school run by the Marist Brothers, serves grades 9-12 (778) under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
.
Commerce
Portions of Roselle are part of an Urban Enterprise ZoneUrban Enterprise Zone
In 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 tax
Sales tax
A 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
New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit
The 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...
provides bus service to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and New Jersey points.
Conrail's freight-only Lehigh Line passes through the community along the tracks of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
. The town once shared a passenger station with Roselle Park
Roselle Park, New Jersey
Roselle Park is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 13,297....
on the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
. That line is abandoned.
The Staten Island Railway
Staten Island Railway
The Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority, publicly known as MTA Staten Island Railway or SIR, is the operator of the lone rapid transit line in the borough of Staten Island, New York City, USA...
passed through the community before being dormant for years. It was recently reactivated by the Morristown & Erie Railway, but due to local politics, sees movements only a few times per year.
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
is approximately six miles from Roselle.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Roselle include:- Rabih AbdullahRabih AbdullahThe' Rabih Fard Abdullah is a former American football running back.-High school years:Abdullah grew up in Roselle, New Jersey, where he attended Abraham Clark High School and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track...
(born 1975), running back who played for the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa 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...
and New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. - Charles Augustus BriggsCharles Augustus BriggsCharles Augustus Briggs , American Presbyterian scholar and theologian, was born in New York City, the son of Alanson Briggs and Sarah Mead Berrian...
(1841–1913), Presbyterian theologian. - Abraham ClarkAbraham ClarkAbraham Clark was an American politician and Revolutionary War figure. He was delegate for New Jersey to the Continental Congress where he signed the Declaration of Independence and later served in the United States House of Representatives in both the Second and Third United States Congress, from...
(1725–1794), a founding father of the United States of America and a signer of the United States Declaration of IndependenceUnited States Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
. - Neil M. CohenNeil M. CohenNeil M. Cohen is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1994 to 2008 , where he represented the 20th Legislative District....
(born 1951), represented the 20th Legislative District20th Legislative District (New Jersey)New Jersey's 20th Legislative District is one of 40 in the state, covering the Union County municipalities of Elizabeth City, Kenilworth Borough, Roselle Borough and Union Township...
in the New Jersey General AssemblyNew Jersey General AssemblyThe New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
until being forced to suddenly resign after child pornography was discovered on his computer. - Jameel DumasJameel DumasJameel Dumas is a former American football linebacker. He played for Syracuse University from 2000 to 2003, where he made 179 tackles and earned All-American honors. After suffering a knee injury in the first game of his fifth-year senior season, Dumas missed the remainder of the year...
(born 1981), linebacker who played in NFL EuropeNFL EuropeNFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. - Rosey GrierRosey GrierRoosevelt "Rosey" Grier is an American actor, singer, Christian minister, and former professional American football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary...
(born 1932), former player for the Los Angeles Rams, a member of the original Fearsome FoursomeFearsome FoursomeThe Fearsome Foursome is a fictional supervillain group in the Marvel Comics universe. It was made up of Devos the Devastator, Huntara, Klaw, and Paibok the Power-Skrull. They worked together to destroy the Fantastic Four, though they also came into conflict with the Avengers....
. - Al HarringtonAl HarringtonAlbert "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 NBA's New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. - Jesse HolleyJesse HolleyJesse Holley is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at North Carolina...
(born 1984), signed by the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. winner of the Spike TV reality show Fourth and Long. - Phil IveyPhil IveyPhillip Dennis "Phil" Ivey Jr. is an American professional poker player who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets, one World Poker Tour title and appeared at nine World Poker Tour final tables...
(born 1976), professional poker player. - Barron MilesBarron MilesBarron Miles is a retired professional Canadian football player for the Canadian Football League. He is now a Defensive and Player Personnel Assistant for the BC Lions...
(born 1972), defensive back for the BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
in the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. - Charles August SulzerCharles August SulzerCharles August Sulzer was a delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Territory of Alaska. He was born on February 24, 1879 in Roselle, New Jersey in Union County...
(1879–1919), delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Alaska TerritoryAlaska TerritoryThe Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
. - William H. TunnerWilliam H. TunnerWilliam Henry Tunner was a general officer in the United States Air Force and its predecessor, the United States Army Air Forces...
(1906–83), general officer in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. - Lucius WalkerLucius WalkerThe Reverend Lucius Walker was an American Baptist minister who served as executive director of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization in the 1960s and was a persistent advocate for ending the United States embargo against Cuba...
(1930–2010), Baptist minister best known for his opposition to the United States embargo against CubaUnited States embargo against CubaThe United States embargo against Cuba is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo partially imposed on Cuba in October 1960...
.
External links
- Roselle Borough website
- Information about Roselle: Meetings & Events Calendar, Photos, Videos, Public Notices & Opinion Polls
- Roselle Office of Emergency Management
- Roselle Public Schools
- Data for the Roselle Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational 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...
- Roselle Public Library
- Roselle Shade Tree Commission