Somerville, New Jersey

Somerville, New Jersey

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Borough of Somerville, New Jersey
settlement_type = Borough
nickname =
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption =


image_




mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Map highlighting Somerville's location within Somerset County. Inset: Somerset County's location within New Jersey


mapsize1 = 250x200px
map_caption1 = Census Bureau map of Somerville, New Jersey
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = New Jersey
subdivision_name2 = Somerset
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Brian G. Gallagher (2011)
leader_title1 = Administrator
leader_name1 = Kevin Sluka [ [http://www.somervillenj.org/clerk.html Clerk/Administrator] , Borough of Somerville. Accessed July 10, 2007.]
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = April 16, 1909
area_magnitude =
area_total_sq_mi = 2.4
area_total_km2 = 6.1
area_land_sq_mi = 2.4
area_land_km2 = 6.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_urban_sq_mi =
area_urban_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes =
population_total = 12550
population_metro =
population_urban =
population_density_km2 = 2,032.4
population_density_sq_mi = 5,262.4
timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 40 |latm = 34 |lats = 15 |latNS = N
longd = 74 |longm = 36 |longs = 19 |longEW = W
elevation_m = 20
elevation_ft = 66
elevation_footnotes = [Gnis|885398|Borough of Somerville, Geographic Names Information System, accessed July 10, 2007.]
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 08876, 08877
area_code = 908
website = http://www.somervillenj.org
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 34-68460GR|2 [ [http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/webrepts/commoncodes/ccc_nj.html A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey] , Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.]
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0880695GR|3
footnotes =
Memorial and Court House,Somerville]

Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 12,423. It is the county seat of Somerset CountyGR|6.

Somerville was originally formed as a Town on March 25, 1863, within a portion of Bridgewater Township. Somerville was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 16, 1909, based on the results of a referendum held on May 4, 1909, at which point it was fully set off from Bridgewater Township."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 225.] [ [http://www.somervillenj.org/history.html Somerville History] , Borough of Somerville. Accessed August 3, 2006.]

Geography

Somerville is located at coor dms|40|34|15|N|74|36|19|W|city (40.570831, -74.605344)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km²).The borough's territory is flat land. Somerville borders the Raritan River to the south.

History

Somerville was settled in colonial times primarily by the Dutch who purchased land from the English proprietors of the colony. The Dutch established their church near what is today Somerville and a Dutch Reformed minister or Domine lived at the Old Dutch Parsonage from about 1754. The early village grew up around a church, courthouse and a tavern built at a crossroads shortly after the American Revolution. No one knows who gave Somerville its name, but it was known by this name by about 1800. Somerville was originally a sparsely populated farming community, but rapidly grew after the completion of the railroad in the 1840s and development of water power along the Raritan River in the 1850s. Early industry included brick making from the plentiful red clay and shale on which Somerville is built. While much of the borough features distinctive Victorian architecture in several neighborhoods and along its Main Street, other periods are represented. National Register sites in Somerville include the white marble1909 Somerville Court House and the wooden and stone colonial Wallace House (today a museum) where George Washington spent a winter during the American Revolutionary War. Near the Wallace House is the Old Dutch Parsonage, where Reverend Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh, a founder and first president of Rutgers University, then called Queens College, lived. Register listed Victorian structures include the James Harper Smith Estate (privately owned), St. John's Episcopal Church and rectory, and the Fire Museum (a vintage fire house). Other notable, register eligible structures are the Victorian train station (privately owned) and the municipal building, the former Robert Mansion.

Originally the center of local commerce, the borough has evolved into a destination for boutique retail and dining. modern highways today surround and go through Somerville, including U.S. Route 22, U.S. Route 202, U.S. Route 206 and Route 28 and is within convert|5|mi|km of Interstate 287 and Interstate 78, making it an important hub in central New Jersey.

Downtown today

Main Street Somerville today maintains most of its historical buildings, although many are now boutique specialty shops. Somerville has quite a diverse and large selection of restaurants that draw people from the surrounding area. In many ways, Somerville remains Somerset County's downtown, and is the heart of its designated Regional Center. Several of the factories in Somerville were abandoned and replaced with modern office buildings or remodeled as apartments. Somerville today and historically has had an important African American community, a distinguished member of which was Paul Robeson. Another famous Somerville native was famed character actor Lee Van Cleef. One of the founders of modern American Dance, Ruth St. Denis, made her first professional debut at Somerset Hall, once a vaudeville theatre and today a local restaurant. The mix of modern amenities and an interesting and diverse past make Main Street, Somerville a unique destination for dining, strolling and visiting.

Future redevelopment

The shopping center on the west side of the downtown area will be demolished and a new shopping center, town homes and other amenities will be built on the shopping center land and on adjacent land in the former borough landfill to the south. Town planners envision a transit village style redevelopment centered around the Somerville train station.

Hurricane Floyd

Somerville was hit hard by Hurricane Floyd in September 1999, despite it having been downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it impacted the vicinity. The borough received a record convert|13.34|in|mm of rain during the slow moving storm, causing significant flooding and considerable damage. Despite this, before the storm, New Jersey (and the rest of the Mid Atlantic and New England states) had been dealing with a major drought throughout the summer of 1999, and the rains from Floyd put a quick and effective end to it.

Demographics

USCensusPop
1930 = 8255
1940 = 8720
1950 = 11571
1960 = 12458
1970 = 13652
1980 = 11973
1990 = 11632
2000 = 12423
estimate= 12550
estyear=2006
estref= [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US3403357870&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C05000US34033%7C06000US3403357870&_street=&_county=somerville&_cityTown=somerville&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census data for Somerville borough] , United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 2, 2007.]
footnote=Population 1930 - 1990. [ [http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd6.htm New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990] , Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.]
As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 12,423 people, 4,743 households, and 2,893 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,262.4 people per square mile (2,032.4/km²). There were 4,882 housing units at an average density of 2,068.0/sq mi (798.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 71.21% White, 12.93% African American, 0.19% Native American, 7.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.10% from other races, and 3.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.00% of the population.

There were 4,743 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $51,237, and the median income for a family was $60,422. Males had a median income of $40,585 versus $32,697 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,310. About 4.8% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Somerville 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."2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book", Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 73.] "2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book", Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 77.]

The Borough Council elects a member to serve as Council President to act in the absence of the Mayor. Each council member is appointed by the Mayor to one of six standing committee’s during the Annual Reorganization Meeting held on January 1 of each year.

The Mayor of Somerville is Brian G. Gallagher. His term of office expires December 31, 2011.

Members of the Somerville Borough Council are: [ [http://www.somervillenj.org/mayor.html Mayor and Council] , Borough of Somerville. Accessed May 25, 2008.]
*Council President Rob Wilson - (2009), Fire Commissioner
*Sean Decker - (2008), Public Works Chairman
*Jane Kobuta - (2010), Police Commissioner
*Thompson Mitchell - (2009), Public Property Chairman
*Dennis Sullivan - (2010), Finance Chairman
*Council President Patricia Webster - (2008), Personnel and Administration

Federal, state and county representation

Somerville is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District. [ [http://www.lwvnj.org/pubs/CG06.pdf 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government] , New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 61. Accessed August 30, 2006.]

Education

The Somerville Public Schools serve students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics [ [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3415090 Data for the Somerville Public Schools] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 25, 2008.] ) are [http://www.myschoolonline.com/site/0,1876,34874-6418-38-4509,00.html Van Derveer Elementary School] (preK-5; 798 students), [http://www.myschoolonline.com/site/0,1876,34874-36993-38-4302,00.html Somerville Middle School] (6-8; 365) and Somerville High School for grades 9-12 (1,028).

Immaculata High School is a private, coeducational, Roman Catholic high school, founded in 1962, and operated within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The school enrolls approximately 850 students. Immaculate Conception School is a Catholic private coeducational day school, founded in 1957, for students in grades Pre-K through 8.

Transportation

The Somerville train station offers service on New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line, with frequent service to Newark Penn Station, with connecting service to Penn Station New York in Midtown Manhattan.

U.S. Route 22 runs along the northern boundary of Somerville and offers connections to the state highway network.

U.S. Route 206 runs along the western boundary of Somerville, via the Somerville Circle, and provides north/south connections to nearby towns.

The closest airport with scheduled service is Newark Liberty International Airport.

Points of interest

*Duke Gardens - Estate of the late tobacco heiress Doris Duke
* The Wallace House New Jersey State Historic House Museum- Washington's Headquarters during the Middlebrook Encampment of 1778-1779 and
* Old Dutch Parsonage Hew Jersey State Historic Site--First parsonage of the Dutch Reformed Church in Somerset County and home of Rev. Jacob Hardenburgh, a founder and later first President of Queens College (Rutgers University).
* The Robert Mansion (Somerville Municipal Building) --National Register Property, Alexander Jackson Davis design, classic example of American Gothic architecture

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Somerville include:
*Nicole Arendt (1969-), professional tennis player. [ [http://www.nj.gov/hangout_nj/200306_tennis_p2.html New Jersey Tennis Stars] , Hangout NJ. Accessed June 12, 2007. "Nicole Arendt of Somerville turned pro in 1991 and is currently ranked 26 in the world in women's doubles. The Hun School of Princeton graduate holds 16 career Women's Tennis Association (WTA) doubles titles and won the tour sportsmanship award in 1993."]
*Frank Asch (1946-), author of children's literature. [Turner, Patricia. [http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F10A16FE3E5C0C708DDDAB0994D9484D81 "ART FOR CHILDREN AT RUTGERS"] , "The New York Times", December 13, 1981. Accessed October 23, 2007. "Frank Asch of Somerville, who studied at Rutgers and now lives in rural Connecticut"]
*George H. Brown (1810-1865), represented ushr|New Jersey|4 in the United States House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000920 George Houston Brown] , "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Accessed September 1, 2007.]
*Alvah A. Clark (1840-1912), represented ushr|New Jersey|4 in the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1881. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000419 Alvah Augustus Clark] , "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Accessed September 3, 2007.]
*Don Elliott (1926-1984), jazz trumpeter, vibraphonist, vocalist, and mellophone player. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F60E16F9395D0C758CDDAE0894DC484D81 "DON ELLIOT, 57, JAZZ SINGER, VIBRAPHONIST AND COMPOSER"] , "The New York Times", July 6, 1984. Accessed December 9, 2007.]
*Naomi D. Jakobsson, member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 103rd District since 2003. [ [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=9626 Representative Naomi D. Jakobsson (IL)] , Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 6, 2007.]
*John Mack (1926-2006), principal oboist with the Cleveland Orchestra. [ [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=1132801CAE0F9C58&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=A4FW55GMMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "John Mack: 1927 - 2006 - Dean of American oboists. The influence of the principal of the Cleveland Orchestra extended far beyond that city in his many students"] , "Chicago Tribune", July 28, 2006. Accessed August 2, 2007. "John Mack was born in 1927 in Somerville, N.J., and took up the oboe in 6th grade."]
*Paul Robeson (1898-1976), actor, athlete, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Fellow traveler, Spingarn Medal winner, and Stalin Peace Prize laureate. [Nottle, Diane. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05E3D9163BF93AA15750C0A96E958260 "JERSEYANA; Remembering Paul Robeson, in His Jersey Days and Beyond"] , "The New York Times", March 29, 1998. Accessed October 27, 2007. "Later the Robesons settled in Somerville, where he graduated from high school with honors at 16."]
*Walter J. Kavanaugh (1933-2008), retired member of the State Senate, representing New Jersey's 16th Legislative District; originally a successful businessman in Somerville and a life member of the Somerville First Aid & Rescue Squad
*Brian E. Rumpf (1964-), represents the 9th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly. [ [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=43228 Assembly Member Brian E. Rumpf] , Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 9, 2007.]
*William Gaston Steele, (1820-1892), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1861 to 1865. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S000458 William Gaston Steele] , Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 18, 2007.]
*Lee Van Cleef (1925-1989), character actor, who was an accountant in his hometown before his movie career began. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEFD6143FF934A25751C1A96F948260 "Lee Van Cleef, Actor, Dies at 64; Played Villains in Many Westerns"] , "The New York Times", December 17, 1989. Accessed November 25, 2007. "Lee Van Cleef was born in Somerville, N.J., on Jan. 9, 1925. His first job was as a farm worker in his home state. He then worked as an accountant in Somerville before beginning in his movie career in 1950."]
*Fred Van Eps (1878-1960), banjoist and early recording artist. [ [http://www.gracyk.com/fredvaneps.shtml Fred Van Eps -- Banjoist] , Biography by Tim Gracyk. Accessed May 24, 2008.]
*Frederica von Stade (1945-), mezzo-soprano. [Kendall, Leslie. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E5D9153FF932A35757C0A9679C8B63 "JERSEY FOOTLIGHTS; Opera Star in Her Home State"] , "The New York Times", April 1, 2001. Accessed April 18, 2008. "Even as a child, Frederica Von Stade, the Somerville-born mezzo-soprano loved to dress up and entertain."]

References

External links

* [http://www.somervillenj.org/ Borough of Somerville official web site]
* [http://www.somervilletv.com Somerville Cable Television]
* [http://www.findsomerville.com/ Downtown Somerville Shopping, Dining & Business Information]
* [http://www.myschoolonline.com/site/0,1876,34874-23457-38-4311,00.html Somerville Public Schools]
*NJReportCard|35|4820|0|Somerville Public Schools
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3415090 Data for the Somerville Public Schools] , National Center for Education Statistics
* [http://www.somervillepd.org Somerville Police Department]
* [http://www.54rescue.org/ Somerville Rescue Squad]


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