Metuchen, New Jersey

Metuchen, New Jersey
—  Borough  —
Main Street, Metuchen, in spring
Motto: The Historic Brainy Borough
Map of Metuchen in Middlesex County. Inset: Middlesex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Metuchen, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°32′31″N 74°21′47″W / 40.54194°N 74.36306°W / 40.54194; -74.36306Coordinates: 40°32′31″N 74°21′47″W / 40.54194°N 74.36306°W / 40.54194; -74.36306
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Middlesex
Incorporated	March 20, 1900
Government
- Type	Borough (New Jersey)
- Mayor	Thomas Vahalla (2011)
- Administrator	William E. Boerth[1]
Area
- Total	2.7 sq mi (7.1 km2)
- Land	2.7 sq mi (7.1 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation[2]	95 ft (29 m)
Population (2010 Census)[3]
- Total	13,574
- Density	4,684.8/sq mi (1,808.8/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	08840
Area code(s)	732
FIPS code	34-45690[4][5]
GNIS feature ID	0885298[6]
Website	http://www.metuchennj.org

Metuchen ( /mɨˈtʌtʃɨn/ mə-tuch-ən) is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, which is 8 (12 km) miles northeast of New Brunswick, 18 (28 km) miles southwest of Newark, 24 (38 km) miles southwest of Jersey City, and 29 miles southwest of New York City, all part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,574.^[3]

Metuchen was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1900, from portions of Raritan Township (now known as Edison).^[7]

The Borough of Metuchen is completely surrounded by Edison.

Geography

Metuchen is located at 40°32′28″N 74°21′40″W / 40.541054°N 74.360992°W / 40.541054; -74.360992 (40.541054, -74.360992).^[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	5,748		—
1940	6,557		14.1%
1950	9,879		50.7%
1960	14,041		42.1%
1970	16,031		14.2%
1980	13,762		−14.2%
1990	12,804		−7.0%
2000	12,840		0.3%
2010	13,574		5.7%
Population 1930 - 1990.[3][9]

As of the census^[4] of 2010, there were 13,574 people, 4,992 households, and 3,584 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,684.8 people per square mile (1,809.3/km²). There were 5,104 housing units at an average density of 1,862.2 per square mile (719.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.30% White, 3.38% African American, 0.10% Native American, 7.23% Asian, 1.12% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.96% of the population.

There were 4,992 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $75,546, and the median income for a family was $85,022. Males had a median income of $58,125 versus $43,097 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,749. About 3.4% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Metuchen borough highlighted in Middlesex County

Local government

Metuchen 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.^[10] The Mayor presides at Council meetings, approves ordinances, signs contracts, and appoints officials and members of various boards and commissions. The Council adopts ordinances and resolutions and makes all policy in the Borough government. Each member is assigned as a liaison to several departments, boards and commissions with the consent of Council.

As of 2011^[update], the Mayor of Metuchen is Thomas Vahalla, who was elected for a four-year term ending December 31, 2011.^[11] Members of the Borough Council are Peter Cammarano (2011), Stanley Lease (2011), John J. Muldoon (2012), Dorothy Rasmussen (2013), Sheri-Rose Rubin (2012) and James Wallace (2013).^[12][13]

Federal, state and county representation

Metuchen is in the 6th Congressional district. New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

Metuchen is in the 18th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Barbara Buono (D, Metuchen) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Peter J. Barnes III (D, Edison) and Patrick J. Diegnan (D, South Plainfield).^[14]

Middlesex County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members are elected at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2010 , Middlesex County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Christopher D. Rafano (South River), Freeholder Deputy Director Ronald G. Rios (Carteret), Carol Barrett Ballante (Monmouth Junction), Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina (Fords), H. James Polos (Highland Park), Mildred Scott (Piscataway) and Blanquita B. Valenti (New Brunswick). Constitutional officers are County Clerk Elaine M. Flynn (Old Bridge Township), Sheriff Mildred S. Scott (Piscataway) and Surrogate Kevin J. Hoagland (New Brunswick).^[15]

Education

The Metuchen School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[16]) are Moss School (Kindergarten; 145 students), Campbell Elementary School (1-4; 609), Edgar Middle School (5-8; 603) and Metuchen High School for grades 9-12 (587).

The Borough is also home to St. Joseph High School, a private all-boys Catholic prep school, notable for its academics and sports awards.

There have been two historical schools named for Benjamin Franklin. The Old Franklin Schoolhouse is a one-room school on Route 27 (Middlesex Avenue) near Main Street built in 1807^[17] and used until 1870. In 1906, it was acquired and restored by the Borough Improvement League and is currently used as a community music venue. A larger Franklin School, built in 1906, once stood at the intersection of Middlesex and Lake Avenues but fell into disrepair in the mid 1980s. It has since been demolished to make way for a residential development called Franklin Square.^[18]

History

View from train station 1911

Until 1870, what is now Metuchen was part of Woodbridge Township. Because the settlers in the western part of the township were so far removed from the village of Woodbridge, they early developed a separate identity. The name "Metuchen" first appeared in 1688/1689, and its name was derived from the name of a Native American chief, known as Matouchin.^[19] In 1701, an overseer of roads was appointed for "Metuchen district". In 1705, Main Street was laid out at the same time as the road from Metuchen to Woodbridge, which one source calls a "reworking of the original road".

Sometime between 1717 and 1730, a meeting house was constructed for weekday meetings conducted by the pastor of the Woodbridge Presbyterian Church. In 1756, Metuchen Presbyterians succeeded in forming their own congregation, attesting to their growing numbers. In 1770, the congregations merged, with Metuchen getting 2/5 of the pastor's services and Woodbridge 3/5s; by 1772 Metuchen had grown sufficiently to warrant 50% of his time. In 1793, the two churches again separated.

From the late 18th to the early 19th century Metuchen grew little. A map of 1799 shows ten buildings in the center of town along Main Street. By 1834, a Presbyterian church, a store, two taverns and about a dozen dwellings could be found. The opening of the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike (now Middlesex Avenue, portions in concurrency with Route 27) in 1806, and the Perth Amboy and Bound Brook Turnpike in 1808 seem not to have spurred growth to any appreciable extent. Not until the beginning of the railroad era did commercial and residential development surge.

In 1836, the New Jersey Railroad was completed to New Brunswick. The construction of a station at Main Street made it inevitable that this would develop as the principal street. A business section soon began to appear between Middlesex Avenue and the railroad tracks, and commercial and service establishments gradually began to assume a more modern aspect (the typical 18th century tavern, for example, was replaced by the equally typical 19th century hotel).

The second half of the 19th century was a period of social, cultural and religious diversification in Metuchen. Between 1859 and 1866 the Reformed Church was organized, the first Catholic mass was celebrated and St. Luke's Episcopal Church was founded. In 1870 both the Building and Loan Association and the library opened, the same year that Raritan Township was incorporated. As the largest village in the new township, Metuchen naturally became its commercial and cultural center and acquired substantial political control. In 1879, the literary and debating society was formed, and in 1883 the Village Improvement Society. By 1882, Metuchen School #15 had an enrollment of 256 pupils, and by 1885 the New Jersey Gazette listed thirty-seven businesses.

The decade of the 1890s was a period of expansion for public utilities. In 1894, telegraph service was begun and in 1897 telephone service begun by the N.Y. and N.J. Telephone Company. In the same year the Midland Water Company commenced operation and supplied hydrants for "newly-formed" volunteer fire companies. In 1899, new street lighting system installed. At about the same time the Metuchen Wheelmen, a bicycling organization was formed, which lobbied for improved roads. Trolley service began in 1900. In addition, by the end of the decade, commerce had grown to such an extent that the New Brunswick Directory listed 91 businesses in 1899.

Metuchen attracted an influx of artists, literary figures and noted intellectuals during this time, acquiring the nickname "the Brainy Boro".^[20] One of the Borough's two post offices is named Brainy Boro Station.

The new century began with what residents saw as the biggest improvement of all, incorporation, in 1900.

On November 19, 1981, Metuchen became the Seat of the newly established Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The diocese includes Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren counties and more than 500,000 Catholics.^[21]

Metuchen was ranked 332nd in the New Jersey Monthly's Best Places to live in New Jersey.

Metuchen Borough Hall, dedicated in 2005, replaced a structure built in 1924 during the City Beautiful movement.

Transportation

Commuting had become a way of life for Metuchen residents by the turn of the century. Daily commuters numbered 400 out of a population of 1,786 by the year 1900. Accessibility to New York City and New Brunswick enhanced the borough's reputation as a prestigious place to live, and the modern suburban ideal of small-town life where tired businessmen could escape the pace of the city grew in popularity. Today, Metuchen Station on New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line, provides service to many destinations including Trenton and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

The biggest change to affect Metuchen between the World Wars was the rise of the automobile. In the 1920s, service stations were built, and the construction of U.S. Route 1 in 1930 diverted traffic away from Middlesex Avenue, and undoubtedly helped the borough retain its residential character.

Notable residents

Noted current and former residents include:

• Marqus Blakely (born 1988), Two-time America East player of the Year, winner of the 2010 college slam dunk contest at University of Vermont, and a member of the Houston Rockets.^[22]
• Charles Brown (1946–2004), actor.^[23]
• Barbara Buono (born 1953), New Jersey State Senator.^[24]
• Edmund O'Brien (born 1945), longest-serving elected official in the history of Metuchen. Former Mayor and Council.
• John Ciardi (1916–1986), poet.^[25]
• David Copperfield (born 1956), magician and illusionist.^[26][27]
• Scott Cowen (born 1946), president of Tulane University.^[28]
• James Florio (born 1937), Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994.^[29]
• Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (1852–1930), author and novelist.^[30]
• Robert Hegyes (born 1951), actor who played the character "Epstein" in the 1970s TV series Welcome Back, Kotter.^[31]
• Jerome H. Lemelson (1923–97), inventor and holder of more than 550 patents.^[32]
• Dejuan Miller (born 1990), football player at University of Oklahoma.^[33]
• Lonny Price (born 1959), actor, writer and director.^[23]
• Jack Waldman (1952–86), jazz and rock musician, composer, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.^[34]
• Marvin Webster (1952–2009), NBA basketball player, spent half his career with the New York Knicks.^[35]

References

1. ^ Borough Administrator, Borough of Metuchen. Accessed June 27, 2011.
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Metuchen, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
3. ^ ^{a b c} 2011 Apportionment Redistricting: Municipalities sorted alphabetically, New Jersey Department of State, p. 7. Accessed June 27, 2011.
4. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
5. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
6. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
7. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 170.
8. ^ "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. 
9. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
10. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 84.
11. ^ Borough of Metuchen Mayor, Borough of Metuchen. Accessed June 27, 2011.
12. ^ Metuchen Borough Council, Borough of Metuchen. Accessed June 27, 2011. Note that as of date accessed, term-end years 2014 were incorrectly listed for both Rasmussen and Wallace,despite the fact that they were re-elected in 2010 to three-year terms of office.
13. ^ Staff. "Metuchen election results", Asbury Park Press, November 2, 2010. Accessed June 27, 2011. "Two Republican councilmen conceded defeat Tuesday to their two Democratic challengers for 3-year seats on Borough Council.Incumbents Christopher P. Morrison and William F. Waldron got 2,213 and 2,186 votes, respectively, trailing James A. Wallace with 2,274 votes and Dorothy Rasmussen with 2,231, according to the county Board of Elections."
14. ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-07-04. 
15. ^ Elected County Officials, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed January 5, 2011.
16. ^ Data for the Metuchen School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 26, 2008.
17. ^ Tour offers an eclectic view of Metuchen, Edison-Metuchen Sentinel, January 4, 2006.
18. ^ Townhouses will replace old school in Metuchen, The Star-Ledger, February 4, 1999.
19. ^ Cheslow, Jerry. If You're Thinking of Living in: Metuchen, The New York Times by Jerry Cheslow, August 5, 1990. "Named for the Raritan Indian chief Matouchin, who lived in the area in the late 17th century, Metuchen is one of the oldest settlements in New Jersey. Deeds in the area date to the 1680's, when it was part of Woodbridge Township, chartered by Lord Carteret in 1688."
20. ^ Spies, Stacy E. "Images of America: Metuchen", accessed via Google Books, May 26, 2008.
21. ^ A Short History of St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral Parish, Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Accessed May 26, 2008. "On November 19, 1981, Pope John Paul II established the Diocese of Metuchen, naming Auxiliary Bishop Theodore McCarrick of New York as its first Bishop."
22. ^ Staff. "Metuchen's Marqus Blakely carries success to Vermont, NCAA Tournament", The Star-Ledger, March 18, 2010. Accessed January 23, 2011.
23. ^ ^{a b} Gardner, Amanda. "THEATER; Tony Awards' New Jersey Ties", The New York Times, June 3, 2001. Accessed July 23, 2008.
24. ^ Barbara Buono profile, New Jersey Legislature, accessed April 7, 2007. "PUBLIC/PARTY SERVICE: Metuchen Town Council 1993-94".
25. ^ Boorstin, Robert O. "JOHN CIARDI, POET, ESSAYIST AND TRANSLATOR, 69", The New York Times, April 2, 1986. Accessed November 3, 2007. "Mr. Ciardi, who made his home in Metuchen, N.J., was 69 years old."
26. ^ Witchel, Alex. "A Maestro of the Magic Arts Returns to His Roots", The New York Times, November 24, 1996. Accessed December 6, 2007. "DAVID SETH KOTKIN WAS BORN IN Metuchen, N.J., 40 years ago; David Copperfield was born when David Kotkin turned 18, at the suggestion of the wife of a New York Post reporter. Which is why his passport reads David Kotkin, a k a David Copperfield."
27. ^ The life by David Copperfield, accessed November 21, 2006.
28. ^ Staff. "Le Grand Executif: Scott Cowen, president of Tulane University", New Orleans CityBusiness, October 25, 2004. Accessed January 23, 2011.
29. ^ Jacobs, Andrew. " PRIMARY IN NEW JERSEY: THE LOSER; For Florio, His Days as the 'Comeback Kid' May Be Over", The New York Times, June 8, 2000. Accessed May 26, 2008. "Mr. Florio, who lost the race, 42 percent to 58 percent, spent the day with his wife, Lucinda, in their home in Metuchen."
30. ^ Chapter 6: Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (1852-1930), accessed April 8, 2007. "Freeman did eventually marry Charles, on New Year’s Day, 1902, and they made their home in Metuchen, New Jersey."
31. ^ Jordan, Chris. "Metuchen native enjoying Welcome Back, Kotter anniversary", Courier News (New Jersey), April 16, 2011. Accessed June 27, 2011. "Welcome back, Robert Hegyes.The Metuchen native, who played Epstein on Welcome Back, Kotter, is enjoying new acclaim as the show marks its 35th anniversary."
32. ^ About Jerome Lemelson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Accessed June 27, 2011. "The Lemelsons first resided in Metuchen, New Jersey, followed by Princeton, NJ and finally Incline Village, NV."
33. ^ Ubben, David. "Sooners' Dejuan Miller out for year", ESPN, October 21, 2010. Accessed January 23, 2011.
34. ^ [1]
35. ^ Araton, Harvey. "Remembering Marvin Webster, Once a Knicks Savior", The New York Times, April 8, 2009. Accessed June 27, 2011. "I had an address for him at a condominium development in Metuchen, N.J., where he was said to be working in real estate. A few months after Marvin Jr.’s death, I slipped a note under his door, with my telephone number, which went uncalled. A neighbor told me that Webster was not seen very often and generally kept to himself."

External links

• Metuchen Borough website
• Metuchen School District
• Metuchen School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Metuchen School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• Metuchen-Edison Historical Society website