Haddonfield

The fictional town from the Halloween film series.

Haddonfield, New Jersey
—  Borough  —
Haddonfield highlighted in Camden County. Inset: Location of Camden County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Haddonfield, New Jersey
Coordinates: 39°53′47″N 75°2′9″W / 39.89639°N 75.03583°W / 39.89639; -75.03583
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Camden
Incorporated	April 6, 1875
Government
- Type	Walsh Act
- Mayor	Letitia G. (Tish) Colombi
Area
- Total	2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2)
- Land	2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation [1]	75 ft (23 m)
Population (2007)[2]
- Total	11,411
- Density	4,124.7/sq mi (1,592.6/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	08033
Area code(s)	856
FIPS code	34-28770[3][4]
GNIS feature ID	0885238[5]
Website	http://www.haddonfieldnj.org

Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough had a total population of 11,659. Haddonfield was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1875, within portions of Haddon Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. The borough separated from Haddon Township as an independent municipality in 1894.^[6]

Haddonfield was the second municipality in New Jersey (after Cape May) to establish a historical preservation district. In keeping with the historic appearance of the borough, some candidates for commissioner distribute colored ribbons to their supporters instead of yard signs.

Although the sale of liquor has been forbidden since 1873, it was at Haddonfield's Indian King Tavern, in the winter of 1777, that the New Jersey General Assembly met and declared New Jersey a free and independent state.^[7]

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Haddonfield as the 100th best place to live in New Jersey in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.^[8]

Geography

Haddonfield is located at 39°53′47″N 75°2′9″W / 39.89639°N 75.03583°W / 39.89639; -75.03583^[9].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.05% water.

The Cooper River forms the border between Haddonfield and Cherry Hill. Haddonfield shares land borders with Haddon Township, Haddon Heights, Barrington, and Tavistock.

Cityscape

Borough Hall

Haddonfield Borough Hall

Downtown Haddonfield in June.

Borough Hall is the home of the government of Haddonfield. It is located at 242 King’s Highway East.

There are four main offices in Borough Hall, a police department, a courtroom, and an auditorium. Hundreds and thousands of people have visited Borough Hall.

The police station of Haddonfield is attached to Borough Hall for the convenience of the offices. They write about 8,000 tickets and get about 300 criminal complaints per year.

There are five pieces of artwork in Borough Hall’s auditorium. The paintings are of the people who signed the United States Declaration of Independence from New Jersey. They are Abraham Clark, Jon Hart, Francis Hopkinson, Richard Stockton, and John Witherspoon. Some of the paintings have been stolen and replaced. Most are original pictures, and some have been copied and replaced.

Many walls are made from marble, steel, or plaster. In the police station, the main walls are made of steel and cinder blocks.

History

Borough Hall was built in 1928 by Walter William Sharpley. Borough Hall has had held weddings. Once when the Haddonfield Public Library had asbestos removal, they used the upper level of Haddonfield Borough Hall as a temporary library.

Uses

Haddonfield Borough Hall has many uses. Borough Hall and the people in it help the town run smoothly. There are many offices in Borough Hall; each of them has their own special use.

Some of the offices and rooms are:

Tax assessor
Construction Office
Municipal Court office
Courtroom
Police Station

There are Borough Commissioner's meetings at Borough Hall. They happen every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Meetings are usually held in the courtroom, but if there is a big meeting the meeting takes place in the auditorium.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there are 11,659 people (flat from 11,628 in the 1990 census, and down from 12,337 in 1980), 4,496 households, and 3,255 families residing in the borough. The population density is 4,124.7 people per square mile (1,590.7/km²). There are 4,620 housing units at an average density of 1,634.5/sq mi (630.3/km²). The racial makeup of the borough is 96.47% White, 1.27% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.12% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 4,496 households out of which 35.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% are married couples living together, 7.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% are non-families. 24.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.09.

In the borough the population is spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough is $86,872, and the median income for a family is $103,597. Males have a median income of $73,646 versus $44,968 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $43,170. 2.2% of the population and 1.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.0% of those under the age of 18 and 3.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Special events

Throughout the year, Haddonfield hosts many events. There are events such as the townwide sidewalk sale in the summer, and the fall festival in October. The fall festival is an event where community organizations may have booths along Kings Highway and there is scarecrow-making for kids. There is also the famous Haddonfield Crafts & Fine Arts Festival, where a large variety of vendors line the main street. One of the more major events is First Night, a New Year's Eve celebration of the arts, with a variety of performances. There is also a yearly car show that takes place during the second Saturday of September. There are also events such as historic house tours and designer show houses. Many streets also choose to have a block party at some point during the year.

Transportation

Train at Haddonfield station

Haddonfield has a PATCO Hi-Speedline station that links it directly to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and other towns in Camden County. New Jersey Transit provides local bus service; its 451, 455 and 457 routes all stop at the PATCO station.^[11] Most travel through Haddonfield is in the form of car. Haddonfield also prides itself in being walkable. Most streets have sidewalks, and due to the small size of the town (2 miles or less from any point in town to any other as the crow flies), it is highly possible to walk to any part of town.

The Borough presently has a traffic campaign using the slogan Haddonfield Drives 25 stating the only speed limit in the borough is 25 mph for all streets and roadways within the borough.

History

The Haddonfield area was occupied by Lenni Lenape Native Americans. The Lenape disappeared from the local area when settlers arrived. Arrowheads and pottery shards have been found by residents by the banks of the Cooper River, hinting that there was an Indian settlement in Haddonfield at one point in time.

Haddonfield was founded by Elizabeth Haddon (1680-1762), whose Quaker father, John Haddon, bought a 500 acre (2 km²) tract of land in the English colony of West Jersey to escape religious persecution. Elizabeth set sail alone from Southwark, England to the New World in 1701. Shortly after her arrival, she made a marriage proposal to John Estaugh, a Quaker minister, and they were married in 1702. The town was named for John Haddon, though he never came to the United States.^[12]

The Indian King Tavern, built in 1750, played a significant role in the American Revolution. During that war, the New Jersey legislature -- avoiding British forces -- met there, and in 1777, at the tavern, declared New Jersey to an independent state. The travern remains today, as a state historical site and museum.^[12]

In 1838, William Estaugh Hopkins uncovered large bones in a marl pit in which he was digging. Hopkins displayed the bones at his home, Birdwood; and these bones sparked the interest of a visitor, William Foulke. In 1858, Foulke dug from the marl pit the first full skeleton of a dinosaur found in North America, Hadrosaurus foulkii. The skeleton was assembled in 1868 and is still displayed at Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. A 12-foot replica of "Haddy" stands in the center of town.^[12]

In 1875, Haddonfield became the first community to cede from Haddon Township and become a self-governing borough.

Aside from having one of the world's most significant historic paleontology sites, Haddonfield is noted for its historic homes, quaint shops, and legions of lawyers. As a legal center for southern New Jersey, the town houses the offices of more than 390 attorneys.

Government

Local government

The Borough of Haddonfield has been governed under the Walsh Act since 1913, with three non-partisan commissioners elected for four-year concurrent terms.^[13] Amongst themselves, the Commissioners select a Mayor and may select a Deputy Mayor. Each Commissioner oversees a Department within the Borough. The current commissioners, elected in May 2009, are:^[14]

• Letitia G. (Tish) Colombi - Mayor / Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property
• Ed Borden - Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety
• Jeffrey Stephen Kasko - Deputy Mayor / Commissioner of Revenue and Finance

The next election for borough commission is in May 2013.

Though the commission is nominally non-partisan, Colombi is active in the local Republican organization, Kasko has served as municipal Republican Party chairman and previously worked in the office of Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and Borden is a former county prosecutor in Democratic-controlled Camden County.

Federal, state and county representation

Haddonfield is in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 6th Legislative District.^[15]

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 6th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by James Beach (D, Voorhees Township) and in the Assembly by Louis Greenwald (D, Voorhees Township) and Pamela Rosen Lampitt (D, Cherry Hill Township).^[16] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).^[17]

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.^[18] 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).^[19]

Education

Public Schools

The Haddonfield Public Schools are a comprehensive public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[20]) are three elementary schools — Central (278 students), Elizabeth Haddon (404) and J.F. Tatem (354) — Haddonfield Middle School for grades 6-8 (561) and Haddonfield Memorial High School for grades 9-12 (780). The school district serves the Borough of Haddonfield using funds mostly obtained through local property taxes. Students from Tavistock attend the district's schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship. While most students are residents, a small number of students are taken on a tuition or voucher basis.

Elizabeth Haddon School, Tatem School, and Central School all serve K-5. Each school has approximately three sections in each grade. Facilities are modern and underwent major additions several years ago. The schools all host various events around the school. All schools in Haddonfield are walkable, and many students use this as their method of getting to school.

The middle school, serving 6-8, currently has approximately 600 students.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Haddonfield Memorial High School as the 14th best high school in New Jersey in its 2008 rankings of the "Top Public High Schools" in New Jersey.^[21]

Private schools

Haddonfield is also home to Haddonfield Friends School (Quaker, Pre-K-8) and Kingsway Learning Center (special education, ages 5 to 16). Christ the King (PreK-3-8) operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Bancroft NeuroHealth is headquartered in Haddonfield and operates an adjacent special education school and psychiatric facility. In July, 2005, Bancroft began soliciting requests for proposals to purchase its 20 acre property, as a precursor to moving its operations out of Haddonfield. There is currently, however, no specific timeline for any sale or relocation.

Popular culture

• In the movie When Harry Met Sally... (directed by Rob Reiner), Billy Crystal's character, Harry, is from Haddonfield.^[22]
• Although the movies in the Halloween franchise are set in Haddonfield, Illinois, Haddonfield, N.J. is in fact the inspiration for the town. Debra Hill, the co-writer of the movie, grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey.^[23]
• A scene in the movie AI takes place in Haddonfield, NJ and captures a shot of a house on Kings Highway. This is the location of the Flesh Fair, a rally of anti-robot activists.^[24]
• The musical artist Wednesday 13 has a song on his album Fang Bang entitled Haddonfield, although is most likely a reference to the fictional town from the Halloween horror series.
• Photographer Frank Stefanko took two famous album covers for Bruce Springsteen in Haddonfield, Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) and The River (1980).^[25]

Channel 19

Comcast Garden State Cable Channel 19 is a local access channel for the Borough of Haddonfield & The Township of Haddon. This content of this channel is shared with several surrounding communities. This is a 'Virtual Television Network', which is made possible to operate with such little effort due to TelVue Virtual Television Networks, which creates virtual television channels where communities can post announcements.

Noted residents

Notable current and former residents of Haddonfield include:

• Danny Briere (born 1977), plays on the Philadelphia Flyers.^[26]
• William T. Cahill (1912-1996), Governor of New Jersey from 1970-1974.^[27]
• Joanna Cassidy (born 1945), actress, was raised in Haddonfield.^[28]
• Erin Donohue (born 1983), an American athlete who qualified for the U.S. Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 1500 meters.
• Alfred E. Driscoll (1947-1954) Governor of New Jersey, lived for most of his life in the historic Birdwood home built by John Estaugh Hopkins on Hopkins Lane.^[29]
• Elmer Engstrom (1901-1984) Led development of television at Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in Camden in 1930's, until RCA Labs moved to Princeton in 1943. Lived in Haddonfield, and had a TV antenna on his roof prior to World War II. Later became President of RCA.
• Dan Gutman (born 1954), author.^[30]
• Debra Hill (1950-2005), co-writer & producer for the film Halloween which is set in the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois.^[23][31]
• Derian Hatcher Former member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Now a member of the Flyers coaching staff.
• Jeff Hornacek (born 1963), NBA Player, lived in Haddonfield while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.^{[citation needed]}
• David Laganella (born 1974), avant-guard classical composer hailed as Philadelphia's best young composer by the American Composers Orchestra.^{[32][citation needed]}
• Victoria Lombardi (born 1952), better known as Miss Vicki, the former wife of Tiny Tim.^[33]
• Matt Maloney (born 1971), NBA Player, attended Christ the King (Catholic, K-8). and Haddonfield Memorial High School, (9th-12th) before heading to the University of Pennsylvania and playing for the Houston Rockets.^[34]
• Charlie Manuel Current manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager of the 2008 World Series Champion Phillies.
• Timothy Matlack (1736-1829), American Revolutionary War soldier and engrosser of the United States Declaration of Independence.^[35]
• Bob McElwee (born 1935), is a former on-field football official for 41 years with 27 of those years in the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 2003.^[36]
• Scott Patterson (born 1958), actor who played Luke on the Gilmore Girls.^[37]
• Chris Pronger (born 1974), plays on the Philadelphia Flyers.^[38]
• Mike Richards (born 1985), All-Star Center and Captain of the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Tom Sims, pioneer and world champion of snowboarding. In 1963, he created the "ski board," an early version of the snowboard, in the Middle School's shop room after failing to complete his intended project, a custom skateboard.^[39]
• Jason Smith (ice hockey) (born 1973), NHL Player, lived in Haddonfield while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers.^[38]
• Steven Spielberg (born 1946), director.^[40] (Though other sources show Haddon Heights).^[41](Yet other sources indicate it was Crystal Terrace in Haddon Township—which used a Haddonfield mailing address).^[42]
• Frank Stefanko (born 1946), Rock photographer of subjects including Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith.^[25]
• I. F. Stone (1907-1989), Author and anti-war activist, had Haddonfield roots.^[43]
• Eric Weinrich (born 1966), NHL Player, lived in Haddonfield while playing for the Philadelphia Flyers.^[38]

References

External links

• haddonfieldnj.org: Official Borough of Haddonfield website-jointly supporting the community with the Partnership for Haddonfield
• Indian King Tavern Museum
• Academy of Natural Sciences Dinosaur Hall
• Stories of Haddonfield's Past
• Historical Society of Haddonfield
• Haddonfield Public Schools
• Haddonfield Middle School
• Haddonfield Public Schools's 2007–08 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Haddonfield Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• Haddonfield Memorial High School

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