Merchantville, New Jersey

Merchantville, New Jersey
—  Borough  —
Merchantville highlighted in Camden County. Inset: Location of Camden County in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Merchantville, New Jersey
Coordinates: 39°56′59″N 75°03′01″W / 39.94972°N 75.05028°W / 39.94972; -75.05028
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Camden
Incorporated	March 3, 1874
Government[1]
– Type	Borough
– Mayor	Frank M. North
Area
– Total	0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)
– Land	0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation[2]	82 ft (25 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	3,821
– Density	6,317.2/sq mi (2,439.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	08109
Area code(s)	856 Exchanges: 317, 486, 488, 661, 662, 663, 665, 910, 945.
FIPS code	34-45510[3][4]
GNIS feature ID	0885297[5]
Website	http://www.merchantville.com/

Merchantville is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 3,821.

Merchantville was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 3, 1874, from portions of Delaware Township (now Cherry Hill Township) and Stockton Township.^[6]

Geography

Merchantville is located at 39°57′00″N 75°03′01″W / 39.949979°N 75.050248°W / 39.949979; -75.050248Coordinates: 39°57′00″N 75°03′01″W / 39.949979°N 75.050248°W / 39.949979; -75.050248 (39.949979, -75.050248).^[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.

Merchantville borders Pennsauken and Cherry Hill.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	3,592		—
1940	3,679		2.4%
1950	4,183		13.7%
1960	4,075		−2.6%
1970	4,425		8.6%
1980	3,972		−10.2%
1990	4,095		3.1%
2000	3,801		−7.2%
2010	3,821		0.5%
Population 1930 - 1990.[8]

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 3,801 people, 1,524 households, and 946 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,317.2 people per square mile (2,446.0/km²). There were 1,607 housing units at an average density of 2,670.8 per square mile (1,034.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 85.90% White, 7.42% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 2.84% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.47% of the population.

There were 1,524 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% 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 3.19.

In the borough the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $49,392, and the median income for a family was $60,652. Males had a median income of $43,375 versus $30,771 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,589. About 5.8% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Merchantville 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. The 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.^[1]

The Mayor of Merchantville Borough is Frank M. North. Members of the Borough Council are John Alloway, Patricia Fields, Mark Brunton, Ted Brennan, Shawn Waldron and Anthony Perno.^[9]

Federal, state and county representation

Merchantville is in the 1st Congressional district. New Jersey's First Congressional District is represented by Rob Andrews (D, Haddon Heights). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

Merchantville is in the 7th district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Diane Allen (R, Edgewater Park Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Herb Conaway (D, Delanco Township) and Jack Conners (D, Pennsauken Township).^[10]

Camden County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, its seven members elected at-large to three-year terms office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.^[11] As of 2011, Camden County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Collingswood, term ends December 31, 2011)^[12], Freeholder Deputy Director Edward McDonnell (Pennsauken Township, 2013)^[13], Riletta L. Cream (Camden, 2011)^[14], Rodney A. Greco (Gloucester Township, 2012)^[15], Ian K. Leonard (Camden, 2012)^[16], Jeffrey L. Nash (Cherry Hill, 2012)^[17] and Carmen Rodriguez (Merchantville, 2013).^{[18][19][20][21]}

Education

Students in public school for Kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Merchantville School District, which served a total of 391 students at Merchantville Elementary School as of the 2005-06 school year.^[22]

For grades 9 - 12, public school students attend Pennsauken High School, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Pennsauken Public Schools in Pennsauken Township.^[23]

St. Peter School is an elementary school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.^[24] It is the only catholic school in Merchantville.

Transportation

New Jersey Transit offers bus service to Philadelphia on the 404, 405 and 407 routes.^[25]

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Merchantville include:

• Al Besselink (born 1922), professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1950s and 1960s.^[26]
• William Joseph Fallon (born 1944), United States Navy Admiral who is the current Commander of United States Central Command.^[27]
• Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker (1929- ), leader in the Civil Rights Movement and longtime pastor of Canaan Baptist Church, Harlem, New York. Executive Director of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1960–1964); and chair of Central Harlem Local Development Corporation.
• Don Evans (1938–2003), noted African-American playwright, director, actor and educator.
• James Kelleher or Jimmy Luxury (1973- ), innovative rapper and performance artist who gained notoriety in the late 1990s. Kelleher's music can be heard in the films Go and Ocean's Eleven.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 38.
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Merchantville, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 10, 2007.
3. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
5. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
6. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 107.
7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
8. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
9. ^ Borough Council, Borough of Merchantville. Accessed April 8, 2008.
10. ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-06-23. 
11. ^ What is a Freeholder?, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2011.
12. ^ Louis Cappelli, Jr., Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
13. ^ Edward McDonnell, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
14. ^ Riletta L. Cream, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
15. ^ Rodney A. Greco, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
16. ^ Ian K. Leonard, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
17. ^ Jeffrey L. Nash, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
18. ^ Carmen Rodriguez, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
19. ^ Board of Freeholders, Camden County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2011.
20. ^ "Louis Cappelli Jr. and Edward McDonnell re-elected to leadership posts on Camden County Freeholder Board at Today’s Reorganization Meeting", Camden County, New Jersey press release dated January 5, 2011. Accessed January 6, 2011.
21. ^ Osborne, James. "Democrats retain hold on Camden County freeholder board", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 3, 2010. Accessed January 6, 2011.
22. ^ Data for the Merchantville School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 8, 2008.
23. ^ Florio, Gwen. "Looking beyond the School decision time to make up, officials say, after a decade of fussing", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 21, 1992. Accessed July 10, 2008. "Ever since its own high school closed in 1972, the Borough of Merchantville has been sending its public school students to Pennsauken High School."
24. ^ Camden County Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Accessed July 10, 2008.
25. ^ Camden County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed June 21, 2007.
26. ^ "Besselink Posts 65 for 135 Total to Gain One-Stroke Margin in Azalea Golf; Gajda is second in $20,000 event Besselink gets 8 birdies in gaining lead -- Four Tied for Third Place", The New York Times, March 29, 1964. Accessed November 26, 2007.
27. ^ Shanker, Thom. "Adm. William J. Fallon: An Experienced Naval Officer, and a Diplomat", The New York Times, January 8, 2007. Accessed December 10, 2007. "William Joseph Fallon was born Dec. 30, 1944, in East Orange, N.J., and raised in Merchantville."

External links

• Merchantville Borough municipal website
• Merchantville Business community website
• Merchantville School District
• Merchantville Elementary School's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Merchantville School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• Pennsauken High School
• Merchantville Blog