Woodbury

Woodbury, New Jersey
—  City  —
Motto: The city you can grow with.
Woodbury highlighted in Gloucester County. Inset map: Gloucester County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Woodbury, New Jersey
Coordinates: 39°50′14″N 75°09′11″W / 39.83722°N 75.15306°W / 39.83722; -75.15306Coordinates: 39°50′14″N 75°09′11″W / 39.83722°N 75.15306°W / 39.83722; -75.15306
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Gloucester
Incorporated	March 27, 1854
Government
- Type	City (New Jersey)
- Mayor	Robert Curtis
Area
- Total	2.1 sq mi (5.5 km2)
- Land	2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation [1]	52 ft (16 m)
Population (2006)[2]
- Total	10,410
- Density	4,961.3/sq mi (1,915.6/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	08096-08097
Area code(s)	856
FIPS code	34-82120[3][4]
GNIS feature ID	0885447[5]
Website	http://woodbury.nj.us

Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, 10,307 residents were counted. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County.^[6]

Woodbury was originally formed as a Borough on March 27, 1854, within Deptford Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 22, 1854. On January 2, 1871, Woodbury was reincorporated as a city, based on the results of a referendum held that day.^[7]

It is home to the Woodbury Country Club, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and the Gloucester County Times daily newspaper headquarters, which is distributed throughout the county for primarily local news.

History

Child workers at Woodbury Bottle Works, November 1909. Photographed by Lewis Hine.

Woodbury was founded by Henry Wood, a Quaker from the North-West of England, who had left Great Britain due to religious persecution. Wood was incarcerated in Lancaster gaol for practicing as a Quaker and left his home in the village of Tottington, near Bury, Lancashire, in a boat to set up a community in the new world where he and his family could practice his religion freely. His surname and his home town went to make up the name of the city he founded - Woodbury.

In 2000, the Borough of Bury, England, and the City of Woodbury were twinned as part of millennium celebrations in both countries. The twinning ceremony was the culmination of a week where more than 300 school children and college students, local dignitaries and local residents from Bury took part in sporting and cultural events held in and around Woodbury with local people.

During the week there was a symbolic meeting and reconciliation of the Vicar of Henry Wood's former church in Tottington and the Quaker's meeting house in Woodbury and an ecumenical service attended by many of the residents and visitors.

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 10,307 people, 4,051 households, and 2,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,961.4 people per square mile (1,913.2/km²). There were 4,310 housing units at an average density of 2,074.7/sq mi (800.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.45% White, 22.83% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.

There were 4,051 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,827, and the median income for a family was $53,630. Males had a median income of $40,429 versus $30,570 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,592. About 11.2% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

Woodbury is located at 39°50′15″N 75°09′11″W / 39.837363°N 75.153056°W / 39.837363; -75.153056.^[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.5 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.89%) is water. Woodbury has a few lakes that feed off of Woodbury Creek.

Woodbury borders Woodbury Heights, West Deptford Township, and Deptford Township.

Climate

Woodbury has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) typical of New Jersey with warm summers and cold winters.

Government

Local government

Woodbury is governed under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising nine council members. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters. The Borough Council consists of nine members, three from each of three wards, elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat from each ward coming up for election each year.^[11][12]

The Mayor and Council of the City of Woodbury, acting as the local government, are the initiators and overseers of all local law. They are also the formulators and guides to all of the departments and positions that have been established by local law. Through a committee system, most in evidence at the regular Council Meetings, the Mayor and Council exercise their authority and responsibilities through which all activities in local government are conducted.

The Mayor of the City of Woodbury is Robert Curtis.

Members of the Woodbury City Council are:^[13]

• First Ward: Jeffrey Croce (2010), Patrick Pottillo (2011) and Joseph Villari (2009)
• Second Ward: William H. Fleming (2009), C. Barry Sloane (2010), Gwendolyn J. Brown (2011)
• Third Ward: Thomas B. Louis (2009), Heather S. Tierney (2010) and Harry Trout (2011)

Federal, state and county representation

Woodbury 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]

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).^[17]

Education

The Woodbury Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[18]) are three K-5 elementary schools — (Evergreen Avenue Elementary School (298 students), Walnut Street Elementary School (111) and West End Memorial Elementary School (350) — and Woodbury Junior-Senior High School (752) for grades 6-12.

Historical ties

Recycling forerunner

A lesser known fact about Woodbury is that it was the first city in the entire United States to mandate recycling This effort was led by then-councilman and later mayor Donald P. Sanderson in the 1970s, and an ordinance was finally passed in December 1980. The idea of towing a "recycling" trailer behind a trash collection vehicle to enable the collection of trash and recyclable material at the same time emerged. Mr. Sanderson was asked to speak in municipalities throughout the country. Other towns and cities soon followed suit, and today many cities in the country require recycling.

Paleontological discovery

In 1787, a fossil bone recovered in Woodbury from local Cretaceous strata was discussed by the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.^[19] The remains were only retrospectively identified as dinosaurian,^[19] as dinosaurs would not be scientifically recognized as a distinct group of reptiles until Sir Richard Owen presented his treatise on British fossil reptiles to the British Association in August of 1841.^[20]

Notable residents

• Ken Albers (1924–2007), a singer, was born in Woodbury.
• Don Amendolia (1945–), professional actor.^[21]
• John Boyd Avis (1875–1944), a United States federal judge whose private practice was set up in Woodbury.
• Eli Ayers (1778–1822), a physician and the first colonial agent of the American Colonization Society in what would later become Liberia, practiced medicine in Woodbury.
• Herb Baptiste, one of The Star-Ledger's top ten best high school wrestlers in New Jersey during the 1940s.^[22]
• John Hancock Bradway (1821–1904), a member of the New Jersey State House of Assembly in 1857;^[23] listed in the American Amateur Photographer magazine in 1889, along with other journals, for contributing important images of Woodbury.^[24]
• Carroll William "Boardwalk" Brown (1889–1977), a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, was born in Woodbury.
• Arthur 'Ted' Browne (1915–2002), a baseball player in the Negro League on the Zulu Cannibal Giants team, sporting his "Zulu" name Lakola.^[25]
• Roscoe Lee Browne (1925–2007), a character actor and former athlete, was born in Woodbury.^[26]
• Van Bruner, world record holder of 65-yard indoor dirt track high hurdles; ran in finals of 1952 Olympic Trials and also in first round of the 1965 Trials.^[27]
• Dave Budd (1938–), former NBA player for the New York Knicks. Was one of the three centers for the Knicks to guard Wilt Chamberlain in the game in which he scored 100 points vs. 13 points for Budd.^[28]
• Dave Calloway (1968–), head men's basketball coach at Monmouth University, was born in Woodbury.
• Kyle Cassidy (1966–), professional photographer, was born in Woodbury.
• Joe Colone (1926–2009), one-year player for the New York Knicks, moved to Woodbury and taught in the school system for over 30 years.^[29][30]
• Franklin Davenport (1755–1832), Benjamin Franklin's nephew and a Federalist Party US Senator.^[31]
• Donald J. Farish (19??–), president of Rowan University in Glassboro.^[32]
• Joe Fields (1953–), former professional American football center and guard in the National Football League, was born in Woodbury.
• Henry Clay Foote (1820–1912), was born in Wallingford, Connecticut but resettled in Woodbury. While a resident, he was the inventor of a "crimping machine" in 1889.^[33]
• Oscar Fraley (1914–1994), co-author, with Eliot Ness, of The Untouchables which sold 1.5 million copies, was raised in Woodbury.^[34]
• George Gill Green (1842–1925), a patent medicine entrepreneur (whose fortunes are now equivalent to modern day millions) and Colonel in the American Civil War.
• Robert C. Hendrickson (1898–1964), United States Senator from New Jersey from 1949 to 1955.^[35]
• Donald Holmes (1910–1980), inventor.^[36]
• John E. Hunt (1908–1989), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975, died in Woodbury.
• Ralph Ipri, National High School Tennis Coach of the Year (coaching Cherry Hill East in 1979) and all-time winningest high school boy's tennis coach, graduated from Woodbury High School.^[37][38][39]
• John Joseph Kitchen (1911–1973), a United States federal judge whose private practice was set up in Woodbury.
• George Knapp (1952–), an investigative journalist, was born in Woodbury.
• James Lawrence (1781–1813), who coined the phrase "Don't give up the ship" during the War of 1812.^[40]
• Mike McBath (1946–), a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills from 1968-1973 and part-owner of the Orlando Predators.
• Bryant McKinnie (1979–), professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings at the offensive tackle position.^[41]
• Dan Meyer (1981–), pitcher for the Florida Marlins, was born in Woodbury.^[42]
• J. Hampton Moore (1864–1950), former Republican Congressman and Mayor of Philadelphia (1920-24; 1932-36), was born in Woodbury.^[43]
• Tim O'Shea (1962–), head men's basketball coach of the Ohio Bobcats, was born in Woodbury
• Paul Owens (1924–2003), manager of the 1983 National League Pennant-winning Philadelphia Phillies, lived and died in Woodbury.^[44]
• Francis F. Patterson, Jr. (1867–1935), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1920 to 1927.^[45]
• Jack Pierce (1962–), Olympic bronze medalist in the high jump at the 1992 Olympic Games.^[46]
• Milt Plum (1935–) quarterback and two-time Pro Bowler for the Cleveland Browns attended Woodbury High School.^[47]
• Chris Pressley (1986–), fullback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.^[48]
• H. Browning Ross (1924–1998), an Olympian in long-distance running (1948) and gold medal winner in the 1,500-meter at the 1951 Pan-Am Games.^[49]
• Patti Smith (1946–), singer-songwriter, was raised in Woodbury.^[50]
• Heather Spytek (1977–), Playboy Magazine's Playmate of the Month in June 2001.^[51]
• Howie Staeger, track & field coach during the 1960s and 70s for the WHS track dynasties; also founder of the Woodbury Relays.^[52]
• D. K. Ulrich (1944–), NASCAR driver and owner.
• David Ogden Watkins (1862–1938), the acting Governor of New Jersey from 1898 to 1899 and former mayor of Woodbury from 1886 to 1890.
• Ann Cooper Whitall (1716–1797), a prominent Quaker woman in early America, was born in Woodbury.
• John M. Whitall (1800–1877), a prominent U.S. sea captain, businessman and philanthropist, was born in Woodbury.

Points of interest

The Victor, located in front of Woodbury High School, by sculptor R. Tait McKenzie.

• Friends Meeting House built 1717, with addition erected 1783. Used during the Revolutionary War as a place for care of wounded soldiers. Diary of Job Whitall records finding the house filled with sick soldiers.
• Friends Burial Ground. Graves of James Whitall and Ann Cooper Whitall who occupied Whitall Mansion during the battle. Also John Cooper, member of Continental Congress in 1776.
• 90 South Broad Street. Headquarters of Gloucester County Historical Society, once owned by John Lawrence, brother of Captain James Lawrence of "Don't give up the ship" fame, who resided with him and attended the Academy School in Woodbury.
• 130 South Broad Street. Residence of Dr. Duncan Campbell, built and occupied by John Cooper, member of the Continental Congress, the Committee on Correspondence and Council of Safety. He was also judge of the County Court. The house was used by Lord Cornwallis as headquarters during the three days he was in Woodbury.
• Opposite to 130 South Broad Street, bronze Soldiers' Memorial to commemorate the dead of Gloucester who fell in the World War I. Designed by R. Tait McKenzie.
• Laboratory of Colonel G.G. Green, which includes a cannon dredged from the Delaware River bearing the Coat of Arms of George III from the British ship "Augusta."
• On Main Street - The graveyard and site of Presbyterian Church acquired August 10, 1721. Many Revolutionary Soldiers are buried in this graveyard. The log church on this site was used as a hospital by the Continental troops following the Battle of Red Bank.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Woodbury, New Jersey

• Woodbury website
• Woodbury Public Schools
• Woodbury Public Schools's 2007–08 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Woodbury Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• Woodbury City Profile
• Images of America: Woodbury (NJ) paperback book
• Historic Sites in Gloucester County
• Millennium Twinning Page

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