Everything about Maplewood New Jersey totally explained
Maplewood is a
township in
Essex County,
New Jersey,
United States. As of the
United States 2000 Census, the township population was 23,868.
Geography
Maplewood is located at (40.728901, -74.268213).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 3.8
square miles (10.0
km²).A pond is in Memorial Park, the
Rahway River runs through the town, and there's a municipal pool club with four manmade pools of water; the remainder of the area is land.
History
When surveying the area now known as Maplewood,
Robert Treat found several trails used by
Leni-Lenapi tribes of
Algonquin Native Americans, though there was only sparse pre-European settlement. These paths form the basis for what are the town’s main thoroughfares today.
The first European settlers arrived around 1675, primarily
English,
Dutch, and
French Puritans who had earlier settled
Hempstead,
Long Island, and
Stamford, Connecticut, via
Newark and
Elizabeth. They had acquired most of today’s Essex County from the Native Americans and followed three trails that roughly correspond to South Orange Avenue, Springfield Avenue, and Ridgewood Road from
Connecticut and
Long Island,
New York. These three routes resulted in three separate communities that merged into Maplewood and South Orange.
Those who came from Newark on the trail that now corresponds to South Orange Avenue settled the area that became
South Orange Village.
Six families (with last names of Smith, Brown, Pierson, Freeman, Ball, and Gildersleeve) came up today’s Ridgewood Road and established scattered farms around a center that became Jefferson Village, named after
Thomas Jefferson. This village, which roughly corresponds to downtown Maplewood today, developed several mills and orchards.
John Durand, the son of
Hudson River school painter
Asher Brown Durand (who was born in Maplewood in 1796), describes the place as a picturesque but slightly backwards community with close ties to
Springfield. The apple harvest was apparently quite impressive and included “Harrison” and “Canfield” varieties. By 1815, there were approximately 30 families in the village. Although the residents of the area were predominantly
Presbyterian, the first house of worship was a
Baptist chapel in 1812. This was in use until 1846 and fell into disrepair until 1858, when it was taken into use as a
Methodist Episcopal church.
Those who came up today’s Springfield Avenue settled on a hillcrest near today’s intersection between Tuscan and Springfield Avenue and established a hamlet known as North Farms. Over time, this community became known as the Hilton section. It became a stagecoach stop between Newark,
Jersey City (then
Paulus Hook), and
Morristown and thereby a center for trade and light manufacturing. The village changed its name from North Farms to Middleville in 1830, and then to Hilton in 1880 when it was granted a post office. In 1855,
Seth Boyden settled in what was then Middleville to retire but innovated a number of agricultural products, especially berries. Boyden also built and put into operation the first steam engines to service the railroad through Maplewood.
The area became known for its orchards and related industries, including cider mills and distilleries of rum, but also honey and some livestock.
In 1802, Jefferson Village and North Farms were named as districts under the Township of Newark.
The three communities operated independently, each establishing their own school associations: South Orange established the Columbian school in 1814, which would form the basis for today’s
Columbia High School; North Farms established the North Farms Association in 1817; and Jefferson Village the Jefferson Association in 1818. In 1867, when the State of New Jersey established public education through the School Law, the newly appointed County Superintendent merged the three associations into one school district, which was formalized in 1894 as the
South Orange-Maplewood School District.
James Ricalton, a teacher born in
Waddington, New York of Scottish parents, set the high standard of education that persists in the school district to this day.
Maplewood was originally formed as
South Orange Township, which was created on
April 1,
1861, from portions of
Clinton Township and what was then the
Town of Orange. The name of the township was changed to Maplewood on
November 7,
1922.
Theodore Roosevelt spent several summers in Maplewood visiting his uncle Cornelius V.S. Roosevelt’s home and property, known as
The Hickories, covering 100 acres. This area is now partly covered by Roosevelt Road and Kermit Place. In the early 1900s, a tree bearing an inscription by Teddy Roosevelt was cut down from the front lawn of 36 Roosevelt Road.
When the
Morris and Essex Railroad from Newark was extended to the area in 1838, a land speculator by the name of John Shedden built a railroad station in Jefferson Village and named it
Maplewood. This name came to comprise areas known as Hilton, Jefferson Village, and areas previously part of Springfield. In 1868, farms were divided into parcels for residential housing. The 1920s saw significant growth in new residents and structures, foreshadowing a complete suburb.
Many of the most recognizable buildings and spaces were the work of famous architects and landscape designers. Most of the schools and the Municipal Building were the work of
Guilbert & Betelle. The center of town is dominated by Memorial Park, a design of the
Olmsted Brothers. The Olmsted firm was also responsible for the landscaping at the Ward Home, designed by
John Russell Pope, and now known as Winchester Gardens, located on Elmwood Avenue. On the opposite side of town is another Olmsted work,
South Mountain Reservation. The Maplewood Theater, where
Cheryl Crawford first revived
Porgy and Bess, was designed by William E. Lehman.
Maplewood was the home town of
Agnes Sligh Turnbull (1888-1982), who wrote a series of novels in the middle 20th century. Maplewood was also the home of
Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, the syndicate owner and one of the ghost writers of the
Nancy Drew series. It is also the birthplace of the wooden
golf tee, invented by William Lowell at the Maplewood Golf Club in 1921.
Ultimate Frisbee (now called simply "Ultimate") was invented in Maplewood in 1968 by students at Columbia High School. A plaque commemorating the birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee is located in the student parking lot.
It has been the site for several films, including
I Wanna Hold Your Hand,
Garden State, "
Gracie",
One True Thing,
Stepmom, and
The Reader
.
There are approximately 226 streets covering 60 miles within Maplewood. One thoroughfare, Springfield Avenue, is a state highway (
Route 124, from
Irvington to
Morristown), and four thoroughfares (Valley Street, Millburn Avenue, Irvington Avenue and Wyoming Avenue), are Essex County roads.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 23,868 people, 8,452 households, and 6,381 families residing in the township. The
population density was 6,207.1 people per square mile (2,393.6/km²). There were 8,615 housing units at an average density of 2,240.4/sq mi (864.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 58.78%
White, 32.63%
African American, 0.13%
Native American, 2.86%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 1.56% from
other races, and 4.01% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 5.23% of the population.
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $399,700 (it was $222,700 in 2000).
There were 8,452 households out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were
married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $79,637, and the median income for a family was $92,724. Males had a median income of $57,572 versus $41,899 for females. The
per capita income for the township was $36,794. 4.4% of the population and 3.4% of families were below the
poverty line. 4.9% of those under the and 6.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government
Local government
The Township of Maplewood operates under the
Township Committee form of New Jersey municipal government, in which the five members are elected at-large to staggered three year terms. The elections are partisan.
During the first week in January, the Township Committee meets for an annual reorganization. At this meeting the Township Committee elects one of the five members to serve as Mayor for a one year term, and another to serve as Vice Mayor. The Mayor has the responsibility of Chair for the Township Committee meetings with voice and vote. The Mayor is considered the head of the municipal government.
The Township Committee is the legislative body of the municipality. It is under these powers that the Township Committee has the responsibility for passing laws that effect the Township. The Township Committee is also an executive body.
Under this form of government, the elected Township Committee sets policy and overall direction for the Township. The Township staff, under the direction of the Township Administrator, carries out Committee policy and provides day to day services. The Township Administrator serves as the chief administrative officer and is accountable to the Township Committee.
Members of the Maplewood Township Committee are Mayor Kenneth A. Pettis, Vice Mayor Victor Deluca, Fred R. Profeta Jr., Kathleen M. Leventhal and Lester Lewis-Powder.
Federal, state and county representation
Maplewood is in the Tenth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 27th Legislative District.
Politics
On the national level, Maplewood leans strongly toward the
Democratic Party. In
2004, Democrat
John Kerry received 76% of the vote, defeating
Republican George W. Bush, who received around 23%.
Community
Maplewood prides itself on being a diverse and family-friendly community. In a number of surveys it's ranked among the most desirable places to live in the United States. The township has a downtown area alternatively known as "the village" or "Maplewood Center" with its own movie theater, several upscale and midscale restaurants, a small supermarket, independent café, two liquor stores, and a small bookstore. The structure of the village is largely unchanged since the 1950s.
Education
Maplewood schools are part of the unified
South Orange-Maplewood School District, together with the neighboring community of
South Orange. The combined district features one public high school,
Columbia High School, which serves 2,021 students.
Other schools in the district (with 2004-05 school enrollment data from the
National Center for Education Statistics) are:
Elementary Schools (K-5)
Current events
On the ballot for the
November 7,
2006, general election was the issue on whether to commission a study on the benefits of merging some public services of Maplewood and the adjacent Village of South Orange (which had separated in 1904), as a cost savings measure. The residents of Maplewood voted down the proposed creation of an investigative committee.
Popular culture
The park scene in 1998's Stepmom is filmed in Maplecrest Park in Maplewood.
In the 2004 film The Polar Express, Maplewood is mentioned as the place where "Steven" lives.
Zach Braff, a Columbia High School alumnus, filmed a scene in his 2004 film, Garden State, where he and Natalie Portman drive by the front of Columbia High School.
In the second episode of the television series House, "Paternity", a patient from Maplewood drives all the way to the fictitious city of Plainsboro in New Jersey for medical treatment because, as House puts it, he "sued half the doctors in Maplewood, and the rest are now refusing to treat [him]". (External Link)
In the 2007 film Gracie, the plot is set in and partially filmed in Maplewood and Columbia High School. Producer Andrew Shue and actress Elisabeth Shue both attended Columbia, and the plot is loosely based on their lives during high school.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Maplewood include:
Harriet Adams (1893-1982), author of some 200 books, including nearly 50 in the Nancy Drew series.
Jason Alexander, actor, "Seinfeld"
Timothy Ball, American Revolutionary War figure and George Washington's cousin
Seth Boyden, inventor.
Zach Braff, actor, Scrubs, Garden State.
Alta Cohen (1908-2003), former professional baseball player who played outfield from 1931-1933 with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.
Asher Brown Durand, painter.
Christine Ebersole, actress and tony award winner is a current resident.
Bruce Feirstein (1956-), is a screenwriter and humorist best known for his contributions to the James Bond series, and his best selling humor books, including Real Men Don't Eat Quiche.
David Javerbaum, executive producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
William G. McLoughlin (1922-1992), historian and prominent member of the history department at Brown University from 1954 to 1992.
Anisa Mehdi, film director and journalist.
Paul J. Moore (1868-1938), represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district from 1927-1929.
James Ricalton (1844-1929), teacher, photographer, inventor.
Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. (1934-), commander of the Coalition Forces in the Gulf War of 1991.
Robert Sheckley (1928-2005), science fiction writer.
George M. Wallhauser (1900-1993), represented from 1959-1965.
Teresa Wright (1918-2005), actress.
Sources
League of Women Voters: Maplewood – More than a Train Stop, published privately
Bates, Helen B. (ed): Maplewood Past and Present – A Miscellany, Maplewood: 1948, Princeton University Press
Beatrice P. Herman: The Trail to the Upland Plantations, 1976, published privatelyFurther Information
Get more info on 'Maplewood New Jersey'.
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