Westville is a Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,501. The Borough of Westville is known as "The Gateway to South Jersey."[7]
Westville was formed as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1914, from portions of Deptford Township and West Deptford Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 28, 1914. The borough was reincorporated on March 8, 1924.[8][9]
Geography
Westville is located at 39°52′05″N 75°07′39″W / 39.868013°N 75.127564°W / 39.868013; -75.127564 (39.868013, -75.127564).[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.5 km2), of which, 1.0 square miles (2.5 km2) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) of it (28.68%) is water.
Westville borders Deptford Township, West Deptford Township, and Camden County.
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1930 |
3,462 |
|
—
|
| 1940 |
3,585 |
|
3.6% |
| 1950 |
4,731 |
|
32.0% |
| 1960 |
4,951 |
|
4.7% |
| 1970 |
5,170 |
|
4.4% |
| 1980 |
4,786 |
|
−7.4% |
| 1990 |
4,573 |
|
−4.5% |
| 2000 |
4,500 |
|
−1.6% |
| Est. 2006 |
4,458 |
[3] |
−0.9% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[11] |
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 4,500 people, 1,812 households, and 1,125 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,666.1 people per square mile (1,809.9/km2). There were 1,938 housing units at an average density of 2,009.5/sq mi (779.4/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.47% White, 2.71% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.96% of the population.
There were 1,812 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the borough the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $39,570, and the median income for a family was $49,005. Males had a median income of $35,909 versus $27,220 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,747. About 7.4% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Westville 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 Westville is Russell W. Welsh, Jr. Members of the Westville Borough Council are Council President Michael O. Ledrich, George Baker, Ronald Muhlbaier, James Pennington, Charles Murtaugh and William R. Rebel.[1]
Federal, state and county representation
Westville is in the First Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 5th Legislative District.[13]
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).[14] ((NJ Governor}}
Gloucester County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. Each year, the Board selects a Freeholder Director and Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2009[update], Gloucester County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Stephen M. Sweeney (D, West Deptford Township, term ends December 31, 2011), Deputy Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger (D, West Deptford Township, 2009), Joseph A. Brigandi, Jr., (D, Glassboro, 2010), Jean DuBois (D, Mantua Township, 2010), Giuseppe "Joe" Chila (D, Woolwich Township, 2009), Frank J. DiMarco (D, Deptford Township, 2011) and Dr. Warren S. Wallace (D, Washington Township, 2011).[15]
Education
The Westville School District is a community public school district that serves students in Preschool through Sixth grade. Parkview Elementary School, home of the Panthers, served an enrollment of 358 students as of the 2005-06 school year.[16]
For seventh through twelfth grade, students attend Gateway Regional High School, a regional public high school serving students from the boroughs of National Park, Wenonah, Westville and Woodbury Heights, as part of the Gateway Regional High School District.[17]
Notable residents
References
- ^ a b Administration, Borough of Westville. Accessed March 12, 2008.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Borough of Westville, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Westville Borough, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 29, 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.
- ^ Westville Borough History: Transportation, Borough of Westville. Accessed June 18, 2007.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 140.
- ^ Boro Incorporated, Borough of Westville. Accessed June 18, 2007.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 28.
- ^ 2008 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 63. Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Gloucester County Elected Officials, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed October 1, 2009.
- ^ Data for the Parkview Elementary School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 28, 2008.
- ^ Gateway Regional High School District 2007 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 28, 2008. "Gateway Regional High School District is comprised of one 7th-12th-grade school located in Woodbury Heights, NJ. It serves the secondary students from the municipalities of National Park, Wenonah, Westville, and Woodbury Heights."
- ^ Woodbury Public Schools History. "Captain James Laurence, of “Don’t Give Up the Ship” fame, was educated at the Woodbury Academy, as was Commodore Stephen Decatur, who then lived in Westville. Accessed May 11, 2009.
- ^ "Westville: Once a part of two other townships", Courier-Post, October 19, 2006. Accessed June 18, 2007. "Milt Plum, who played quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants during a 13-year NFL career that lasted from 1957 to 1969, was born in Westville on Jan. 20, 1935."
External links
