Gloucester City, city (1990 pop. 12,649), Camden co., SW N.J., on the Delaware River, a suburb adjoining Camden and opposite Philadelphia; site of Fort Nassau (built 1623 by the Dutch); settled c.1682 by Irish Quakers, inc. 1868. The city has oil refining, light industry, and glass manufacturing.
Gloucester City
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| Wikipedia: Gloucester City, New Jersey |
| Gloucester City, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 39°53′39″N 75°7′3″W / 39.89417°N 75.1175°WCoordinates: 39°53′39″N 75°7′3″W / 39.89417°N 75.1175°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Camden |
| Incorporated | |
| Government | |
| - Type | City |
| - Mayor | William James (2010) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) |
| - Land | 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2) |
| - Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2) |
| Elevation [1] | 20 ft (6 m) |
| Population (2008)[2] | |
| - Total | 11,503 |
| - Density | 5,213.7/sq mi (2,013.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 08030-08031 |
| Area code(s) | 856 |
| FIPS code | 34-26820[3][4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885234[5] |
| Website | http://www.cityofgloucester.org/ |
Gloucester City is a city in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 11,484.
Contents |
Geography
Gloucester City is located at 39°53′39″N 75°07′03″W / 39.894262°N 75.117480°W (39.894262, -75.117480).[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), of which, 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) of it (22.26%) is water.
Gloucester City borders Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Camden, Haddon Township, and Mount Ephraim. Gloucester City also borders Gloucester County and the Delaware River.
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 13,796 |
|
|
| 1940 | 13,692 | −0.8% | |
| 1950 | 14,357 | 4.9% | |
| 1960 | 15,511 | 8.0% | |
| 1970 | 14,707 | −5.2% | |
| 1980 | 13,121 | −10.8% | |
| 1990 | 12,649 | −3.6% | |
| 2000 | 11,484 | −9.2% | |
| Est. 2008 | 11,503 | [2] | 0.2% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[7] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 11,484 people, 4,213 households, and 2,839 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,213.7 people per square mile (2,015.5/km2). There were 4,604 housing units at an average density of 2,090.2/sq mi (808.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.14% White, 0.69% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, 34.2% of Gloucester City residents were of Irish ancestry, the ninth-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and third-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.[8]
There were 4,213 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,855, and the median income for a family was $46,038. Males had a median income of $35,659 versus $24,907 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,912. About 7.7% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
Fort Nassau
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| Directors of New Netherland: Cornelius Jacobsen Mey (1620-25) |
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The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau. The one built in the 1620s [9] at today's Gloucester City was for trade, mostly in beaver pelts, with the indigenous population of Susquehannock and Lenape. The region along the Delaware River and its bay was called the Zuyd Rivier and marked the southern flank of the province of New Netherland.[10]
From 1638-1655 the area was part of New Sweden, which had been established by Peter Minuit, who had been Director of New Netherland, and was responsible for the famous purchase of the island of Manhattan.The location was disadvantageous since the richest fur-trapping area was on the west side of the river, where Swedish could intercept trade with the natives. In 1651, Peter Stuyvesant, director-general of New Netherland, dimantled the structure and relocated to a position on the other side of the river, in part to menace the Swedish, calling it Fort Casimir.
Government
Local government
The Mayor and Common Council are responsible for making public policy that addresses the needs of the City and its residents. The Mayor and Common Council also appoint members of the Planning and Zoning Board, as well as the Board of Health. The President of the Planning and Zoning Board is Dan Spencer and the President of the Board of Health is Eleanor Kain. The Mayor and Council also appoint the chairman and officers of the Gloucester City Tree and Beautification Committee. The current Chairman is John P. Schmidt.
The Mayor and members of the Common Council are elected by the public. The Mayor serves a four year term and those members elected to Council serve three-year staggered terms, meaning one year of every three there is no election for council.[11]
The Mayor of Gloucester City is William James, whose term of office ends December 31, 2010.[12]
Members of the City Council are:[13]
- First Ward: William R. Hagan, Sr. (2009) and John Hutchinson (2010)
- Second Ward: Nick Marchese (2009) and Bruce Parray (2010)
- Third Ward: Jay Brophy (2009) and Kellie Ferry (2010)
William R. Hagan, Sr. is the Deputy Mayor of Gloucester City.
On November 3, 2009 Marchese and Brophy were re-elected to a second three year term. Hagan did not seek another term on city council. He will be replaced in January by Councilman-Elect Daniel Spencer. In January of 2010 Brophy will become the next Deputy Mayor of Gloucester City.
Federal, state and county representation
Gloucester City is in the First Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 5th Legislative District.[14]
New Jersey's First Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Rob Andrews (D, Haddon Heights). 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 5th district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Dana Redd (D, Camden) and in the Assembly by Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D, Barrington) and Joseph J. Roberts (D, Camden).[15] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[16]
Camden County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large for staggered three-year terms by the residents of the county.[17] As of 2008[update], Camden County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Collingswood, term ends December 31, 2008), Freeholder Deputy Director Edward McDonnell (Pennsauken Township, 2010), Riletta L. Cream (Camden, 2008), Rodney A. Greco (Gloucester Township, 2009), Jeffrey L. Nash (Cherry Hill Township, 2009), Joseph Ripa (Voorhees Township, 2009) and Carmen Rodriguez (Merchantville, 2010).[18]
The current sheriff of Camden County is Charles H. Billingham, a resident of Gloucester City.
Education
The Gloucester City Public Schools serve students in preschool through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.[19] Students from Brooklawn attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship.[20]
Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[21]) are Cold Springs Elementary School (PreK-3, 842 students), Mary Ethel Costello Elementary School (4-6; 410) and Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School (7-12; 954).
Saint Mary School is a Roman Catholic grammar school operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden, serving grade levels from three and four year old pre-school to eighth grade. The Diocese also operates Gloucester Catholic High School, a co-educational four-year Roman Catholic high school.[22]
Commerce
Portions of the City of Gloucester within the Urban Enterprise Zone can charge a 3½ sales tax rate.[23] 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).[24]
Transportation
The Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge carrying Interstate 76, spanning the Delaware River, connecting Philadelphia and Gloucester City. U.S. Route 130 also travels through Gloucester City.
New Jersey Transit bus service is available to Philadelphia on the 401, 402, 408, 410 and 412 routes, with local service on the 457 route.[25]
Popular culture
- Gloucester Point Grounds is a former baseball ground located in Gloucester City that was the part-time home to the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association from 1888 to 1890.
- Gloucester City is cited by some as the birthplace of rock and roll. Bill Haley & His Comets — originally a country music band called "Bill Haley and the Saddlemen" — were the house band playing at the Twin Bar for 18 months starting in 1952 and are said to have modified their performing style while on stage there to an early form of rock and roll.[26][27]
- In 1881, American painter Thomas Eakins completed two versions of "Shad-Fishing at Gloucester on the Delaware River". A watercolor version is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, while an oil on canvas version is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, just across the Delaware River from Gloucester City.
References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Gloucester City, Geographic Names Information System, accessed October 19, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Gloucester City city, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 19, 2007.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Irish Communities, Epodunk. Accessed June 9, 2007.
- ^ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nycoloni/nswdmp.html
- ^ [1]
- ^ The Mayor & Common Council of Gloucester City, City of Gloucester. Accessed August 3, 2006.
- ^ Mayor, Gloucester City, NJ, City of Gloucester. Accessed August 3, 2006.
- ^ Gloucester City Common Council, City of Gloucester. Accessed June 26, 2007.
- ^ 2008 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, 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.
- ^ What is a Freeholder?, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed March 25, 2008.
- ^ Board of Freeholders, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ Abbott Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 31, 2008.
- ^ Graham, Kristen A. "BROOKLAWN CONSIDERS FINDING NEW DISTRICT FOR HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 16, 2001. Accessed June 19, 2008. "The tiny Brooklawn system, comprising just over 300 students and one school, sends about 80 ninth through 12th graders to the neighboring Gloucester City district, which has more than 2,000 students and four schools."
- ^ Data for the Gloucester City Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 9, 2008.
- ^ Camden County Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Accessed July 9, 2008.
- ^ Gloucester City Urban Enterprise Zone, accessed May 4, 2007.
- ^ Geographic & Urban Redevelopment Tax Credit Programs: Urban Enterprise Zone Employee Tax Credit, State of New Jersey. Accessed July 28, 2008.
- ^ Camden County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed June 21, 2007.
- ^ Strauss, Robert. "Cradle of Rock? Two Towns Stake Their Claims", The New York Times, July 10, 2007. Accessed July 10, 2007. "But Gloucester City, another New Jersey town, about an 80-mile drive northwest of Wildwood, wants to cut in right there. And on Saturday, Mr. Richards and other Comets plan to headline a show in Gloucester City, in Camden County along the Delaware River, to commemorate an 18-month span in the early 1950s when Mr. Haley led the house band at the Twin Bar."
- ^ News, Gloucester City. Accessed May 26, 2007.
External links
- Gloucester City municipal information
- Gloucester City Public Schools
- Gloucester City Public Schools's 2007–08 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Gloucester City Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Gloucester City Library
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