Essex Fells is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,162.
Essex Fells was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 31, 1902, from portions of Caldwell Township (now Fairfield Township).[6] In 1981, Essex Fells became a township to take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies.[7] Effective January 1, 1992, it again became a borough.[8]
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Essex Fells as its 10th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.[9]
Geography
Essex Fells is located at 40°49′39″N 74°16′51″W / 40.827499°N 74.280918°W / 40.827499; -74.280918 (40.827499, -74.280918).[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.7 km2), all of it land.
Grover Cleveland Park, the seventh largest park in the Essex County park system, is a heavily wooded park covering 41.48 acres (167,900 m2) in the western section of the county along the Caldwell-Essex Fells border.
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1930 |
1,115 |
|
—
|
| 1940 |
1,466 |
|
31.5% |
| 1950 |
1,617 |
|
10.3% |
| 1960 |
2,174 |
|
34.4% |
| 1970 |
2,541 |
|
16.9% |
| 1980 |
2,363 |
|
−7.0% |
| 1990 |
2,139 |
|
−9.5% |
| 2000 |
2,162 |
|
1.1% |
| Est. 2008 |
2,107 |
[2] |
−2.5% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[11] |
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 2,162 people, 737 households, and 605 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,534.0 people per square mile (592.0/km2). There were 761 housing units at an average density of 540.0/sq mi (208.4/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.95% White, 0.46% African American, 0.19% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.
There were 737 households out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.3% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.9% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the borough the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $148,173, and the median income for a family was $175,000. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $52,266 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $77,434. About 0.3% of families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Essex Fells is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.[12]
The Mayor of Essex Fells is Ed Abbot. Members of the Essex Fells borough council are Michael Cecere, Bill Sullivan, Tom McCaffrey, George Peck, Jack Taylor and Pat Wahl.[13]
Federal, state and county representation
Essex Fells is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 27th Legislative District.[14]
New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 27th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Richard Codey (D, Roseland) and in the Assembly by Mila Jasey (D, South Orange) and John F. McKeon (D, West Orange).[15] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[16]
Essex County's County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. Essex County's Freeholders are Freeholder President Blonnie R. Watson (at large), Freeholder Vice President Ralph R. Caputo (District 5), Johnny Jones (at large), Donald M. Payne, Jr. (at large), Patricia Sebold (at large) Samuel Gonzalez (District 1), D. Bilal Beasley (District 2), Carol Y. Clark (District 3) and Linda Lordi Cavanaugh (District 4).[17]
Politics
On the national level, Essex Fells leans toward the Republican Party. In 2008, Republican John McCain received 65% of the vote here, defeating Democrat Barack Obama, who received around 34%.
On a local level, Essex Fells has elected a Republican mayor in every vote held since becoming a borough in 1902.[18]
Education
The Essex Fells School District serves public school students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Essex Fells School had an enrollment of 268 students as of the 2005-06 school year.[19]
Students in public school for grades 7 - 12 attend the West Essex Regional School District, a regional school district serving students from four municipalities in western Essex County, New Jersey. Communities served by the district's schools are Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland.[20] Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[21]) are West Essex Junior High School (grades 7-9; 833 students) and West Essex High School (grades 10-12; 729 students).
History
Essex Fells was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange.
In 1702, settlers purchased the 14,000 acre (57 km2) Horseneck Tract — so-called because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head — from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the Orange, or First Mountain in the Watchung Mountain range to the Passaic River.[18]
Based on an ordinance passed in 1928, commercial activity in the borough is limited to a single three-story building constructed to look like a house and two small workshops on a dead end. As of 2000[update], Essex Fells had 750 houses, most of which were custom built, with many occupying lots several acres in size. The borough has no apartment buildings, condos, office buildings or traffic lights. The only units available for rental are in carriage houses and other ancillary structures.[18]
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Essex Fells include:
References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Essex Fells, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Essex Fells borough, United States Census Bureau, Accessed October 13, 2009
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 127.
- ^ New Jersey State Commission on County and Municipal Government, Modern Forms of Municipal Government, 1992, Chapter VI: Municipal Names and Municipal Classification
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau, 1990s boundary changes: New Jersey, accessed June 2008
- ^ "Best Places To Live - The Complete Top Towns List 1-100", New Jersey Monthly, February 21, 2008. Accessed February 24, 2008.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 125.
- ^ Essex Fells Mayor and Council, Borough of Essex fells. Accessed February 4, 2008.
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 57, Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
- ^ The Board of Chosen Freeholders, Essex County, New Jersey. Acecssed August 8, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Essex Fells, N.J.; No Stores and No Apartments, by Law", The New York Times, May 28, 2000. Accessed June 28, 2009. "During the skating season, Scott Stevens, the New Jersey Devils captain, who lives in Essex Fells, can be seen skating on the pond."
- ^ Data for the Essex Fells School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 11, 2008.
- ^ West Essex Regional High School 2007 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2008. "West Essex High School is located in North Caldwell and serves the four area sending districts of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland."
- ^ Data for the West Essex Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed August 4, 2008.
- ^ Thomas, Robert McG., Jr. "Johnny Sylvester, the Inspiration For Babe Ruth Heroics, Is Dead", The New York Times, January 11, 1990. Accessed June 28, 2009.
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