Caldwell, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Caldwell is a borough
located in northwestern Essex County
, New Jersey
, about 16 miles (25.7 km) outside of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,822.
Caldwell was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on February 10, 1892, from portions of Caldwell Township (now Fairfield Township), based on the results of a referendum held on the previous day. In 1981, the name was changed to the "Township of the Borough of Caldwell" to take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies. Effective January 26, 1995, it again became a borough.
Grover Cleveland
, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States
, and the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, was born in Caldwell on March 18, 1837. His father, Rev. Richard Cleveland, was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. The Grover Cleveland birthplace
— the church's former rectory — is now a museum and is open to the public.
Though today the Caldwell area is considered to be a suburb of both Newark
and New York City, the area originally developed as its own individual, self-contained town and economy rather than as urban sprawl from a larger city. When it was formed, a few miles of woods separated downtown Caldwell from Newark or any of its developing suburbs.
New Jersey Monthly
magazine ranked Caldwell as its 3rd best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.19 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
Caldwell is part of "The Caldwells
", the group of three Essex County municipalities which all have the word Caldwell in their name. Together with North Caldwell
and West Caldwell
, these communities are named after the Reverend James Caldwell, a Patriot
who played an active role supporting the Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
, most notably his actions at the Battle of Springfield
, where he gave the soldiers pages from hymn books to use as wadding
for their rifle bullets. While each community has its own independent government, and the three municipalities have no shared governance (other than Essex County), the term is often used to refer to the area, including on highway exit signs. Signage for Exit 47B and 52 on Interstate 80
refer to "The Caldwells" as a destination. Fairfield Township was known as Caldwell Township until it abandoned its original name in 1963 in an effort to avoid confusion of mail distribution in the various Caldwells.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 7,584 people, 3,311 households, and 1,814 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 6,396.4 people per square mile (2,460.7/km²). There were 3,396 housing units at an average density of 2,864.2 per square mile (1,101.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.22% White, 2.27% African American, 0.11% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.20% from other races
, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.64% of the population.
There were 3,311 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 38.0% 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 2.17 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $61,250, and the median income for a family was $81,989. Males had a median income of $53,548 versus $40,543 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $34,630. About 2.5% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
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.
, the Mayor
of Caldwell is Ann Dassing. Members of the Borough Council (with committee chairmanship listed in parentheses) are Council President Peter Murray (Public Safety), John Coyle (Public Works/Utilities), Richard Hauser (Personnel), Joseph Norton (Community Relations), Thomas O' Donnell (Finance) and Douglas Piazza (Long-Range Planning).
Caldwell and West Caldwell
share a great deal of services, including the Recreation Department and the school system. The Board of Recreation Commissioners of the Boroughs of Caldwell and West Caldwell was established in 1947.
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
, Democrat Barack Obama
received 48.4% of the vote here (1,823 ballots cast), outpolling Republican John McCain
, who received 47.0% of the vote (1,770 ballots), with 3,769 of 4,973 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.8%. In the 2004 election
, Republican George W. Bush
received 52.2% of the vote here (1,981 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John F. Kerry, who received 46.6% of the vote (1,767 ballots), with 3,794 of 4,852 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2%.
system serves students from Caldwell and West Caldwell
and dates back to 1872, though formal consolidation of the districts was established in 1904. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are four K-4 elementary schools, all named for American Presidents —
Jefferson School (305 students; located in West Caldwell),
Lincoln School (235; Caldwell),
Washington School (375; West Caldwell) and
Wilson School (267; West Caldwell) —
Grover Cleveland Middle School (631; Caldwell) for grades 6-8 and
James Caldwell High School
(797; West Caldwell) for grades 9-12.
The Essex County Vocational Technical Schools
offers magnet school and vocational programs to students from Caldwell and all of Essex County.
Private schools in Caldwell include Trinity Academy for kindergarten through eighth grade and Mount Saint Dominic Academy
for grades 9-12, which operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
.
The area is home to Caldwell College
and the West Essex Campus of Essex County College
, located nearby in West Caldwell.
offers bus service to and from Caldwell on the 29 and 71 routes.
from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain
to the Passaic River
. Caldwell is located in the center of the Horse Neck Tract. Settlement began about 1740 by Thomas Gould and Saunders Sanders.
The Horseneck Tract consisted of modern day Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell
, Fairfield, Verona
, Cedar Grove
, Essex Fells
, Roseland
, and portions of Livingston
and West Orange
. This land was part of the larger purchase and referred to as the Horse Neck Tract until February 17, 1787, when the town congregation voted to change the name to Caldwell, in honor of the Reverend James Caldwell who pushed for their organization’s creation.
Caldwell Township contained what is today the towns of West Caldwell and Caldwell. Soon after, the area of Caldwell Township just to the east of Caldwell Borough between Caldwell Borough and Montclair (present-day Verona and Cedar Grove) decided to follow Caldwell's lead and incorporated itself as its own borough, Verona. Some of the already-developed eastern neighborhoods of Caldwell Township chose to become part of Montclair, as it was a rapidly-developing suburb of Newark
and Paterson
. At around the same time, the area north of Caldwell Borough became its own town, North Caldwell. The wooded area directly to the south of downtown Caldwell Borough became Essex Fells. Meanwhile, the farmland to the south of the western portion of Caldwell township attempted to become its own municipality known as South Caldwell. This failed, as much of developed sections of that area lied on its southernmost and easternmost borders, along the expanding Newark suburbs of Livingston and West Orange respectively. Those areas were engulfed by those two towns once they became incorporated municipalities of several small villages and developments.
This left only the most rural farmland south of Caldwell Borough and Essex Fells to become its own township, Roseland. At this point, all that remained of the original Caldwell Township was a large piece of undeveloped land in the northwestern-most part of Essex County; eventually, in the early 1950s, Caldwell Township changed its name to Fairfield in order to avoid being confused with Caldwell Borough.
Immediately following the separation of the original Caldwell, the western part of Caldwell Borough generally remained less developed than downtown Caldwell Borough and contained several farms and a large area of undeveloped swampland known as Hatfield Swamp
. However, two individual settlements, known as Franklin and Westville, soon formed in the western part of Caldwell Borough. As development increased and population grew in the western part of Caldwell, the town's more rural western population and more urban east often could not reconcile their differences. This led to the areas of Franklin and Westville consolidating into their own township known as West Caldwell in 1904, leaving only the one square mile of original downtown Horseneck development as the borough of Caldwell. Lewis G. Lockward was elected the first mayor of Caldwell. In 1929, a failed attempt to consolidate the three Caldwells was rejected by voters.
This borough was one of the filming locations for the Columbia Pictures
1994 comedy film North
.
Notable current and former residents of Caldwell include:
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
located in northwestern Essex County
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, about 16 miles (25.7 km) outside of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,822.
Caldwell was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on February 10, 1892, from portions of Caldwell Township (now Fairfield Township), based on the results of a referendum held on the previous day. In 1981, the name was changed to the "Township of the Borough of Caldwell" to take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies. Effective January 26, 1995, it again became a borough.
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, and the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, was born in Caldwell on March 18, 1837. His father, Rev. Richard Cleveland, was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. The Grover Cleveland birthplace
Grover Cleveland Birthplace
The Grover Cleveland Birthplace is a New Jersey State Historic Site and National Historic Place located in Caldwell, New Jersey. It is the only house museum dedicated to U.S. President Grover Cleveland.-History:...
— the church's former rectory — is now a museum and is open to the public.
Though today the Caldwell area is considered to be a suburb of both Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and New York City, the area originally developed as its own individual, self-contained town and economy rather than as urban sprawl from a larger city. When it was formed, a few miles of woods separated downtown Caldwell from Newark or any of its developing suburbs.
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine ranked Caldwell as its 3rd best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
Geography
Caldwell is located at 40°50′20"N 74°16′37"W (40.838932, -74.277033).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 1.19 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
Caldwell is part of "The Caldwells
The Caldwells
The Caldwells are a group of three municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word Caldwell in their name. All of these communities are named after the Reverend James Caldwell, a Patriot who played an active role supporting the Continental Army during the American...
", the group of three Essex County municipalities which all have the word Caldwell in their name. Together with North Caldwell
North Caldwell, New Jersey
-Local government:North Caldwell 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...
and West Caldwell
West Caldwell, New Jersey
West Caldwell is an township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey. It is located approximately west of Manhattan and six miles northwest of Newark...
, these communities are named after the Reverend James Caldwell, a Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
who played an active role supporting the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, most notably his actions at the Battle of Springfield
Battle of Springfield (1780)
The Battle of Springfield was fought during the American Revolutionary War on June 23, 1780. After the Battle of Connecticut Farms, on June 7, 1780, had foiled Lieutenant General Wilhelm, Baron von Knyphausen’s expedition to attack General George Washington’s army at Morristown, New Jersey,...
, where he gave the soldiers pages from hymn books to use as wadding
Wadding
Wadding is a disc of material used in guns to seal gas behind a projectile or to separate powder from shot.Wadding can be crucial to a gun's efficiency, since any gas that leaks past a projectile as it is being fired is wasted. A harder or more carefully designed item which serves this purpose is...
for their rifle bullets. While each community has its own independent government, and the three municipalities have no shared governance (other than Essex County), the term is often used to refer to the area, including on highway exit signs. Signage for Exit 47B and 52 on Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in New Jersey
Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the New York City Metropolitan Area westward to San Francisco, California...
refer to "The Caldwells" as a destination. Fairfield Township was known as Caldwell Township until it abandoned its original name in 1963 in an effort to avoid confusion of mail distribution in the various Caldwells.
Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, Caldwell had a population of 7,822. Its median age was 40.4. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 80.6% non-Hispanic white, 3.3% black or African American, 1.4% Asian Indian, 1.2% Chinese, 2.1% other Asian, 0.1% non-Hispanic from other races, 1.9% from two or more races and 10.0% Hispanic or Latino.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,584 people, 3,311 households, and 1,814 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 6,396.4 people per square mile (2,460.7/km²). There were 3,396 housing units at an average density of 2,864.2 per square mile (1,101.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.22% White, 2.27% African American, 0.11% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.20% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.64% of the population.
There were 3,311 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 38.0% 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 2.17 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $61,250, and the median income for a family was $81,989. Males had a median income of $53,548 versus $40,543 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $34,630. About 2.5% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Caldwell is governed under the BoroughBorough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
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.
, the Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Caldwell is Ann Dassing. Members of the Borough Council (with committee chairmanship listed in parentheses) are Council President Peter Murray (Public Safety), John Coyle (Public Works/Utilities), Richard Hauser (Personnel), Joseph Norton (Community Relations), Thomas O' Donnell (Finance) and Douglas Piazza (Long-Range Planning).
Caldwell and West Caldwell
West Caldwell, New Jersey
West Caldwell is an township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey. It is located approximately west of Manhattan and six miles northwest of Newark...
share a great deal of services, including the Recreation Department and the school system. The Board of Recreation Commissioners of the Boroughs of Caldwell and West Caldwell was established in 1947.
Federal, state and county representation
Caldwell is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 27th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census.
Politics
In the 2008 presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
received 48.4% of the vote here (1,823 ballots cast), outpolling Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, who received 47.0% of the vote (1,770 ballots), with 3,769 of 4,973 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.8%. In the 2004 election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
received 52.2% of the vote here (1,981 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John F. Kerry, who received 46.6% of the vote (1,767 ballots), with 3,794 of 4,852 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.2%.
Education
The Caldwell-West Caldwell Public SchoolsCaldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools
The Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools is a regional public school district serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from two communities in Essex County, New Jersey, United States...
system serves students from Caldwell and West Caldwell
West Caldwell, New Jersey
West Caldwell is an township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey. It is located approximately west of Manhattan and six miles northwest of Newark...
and dates back to 1872, though formal consolidation of the districts was established in 1904. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are four K-4 elementary schools, all named for American Presidents —
Jefferson School (305 students; located in West Caldwell),
Lincoln School (235; Caldwell),
Washington School (375; West Caldwell) and
Wilson School (267; West Caldwell) —
Grover Cleveland Middle School (631; Caldwell) for grades 6-8 and
James Caldwell High School
James Caldwell High School
James Caldwell High School is an American four-year comprehensive public high school in West Caldwell, in Essex County, New Jersey, operating as part of the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools. The school is named after American Revolutionary War figure Reverend James Caldwell...
(797; West Caldwell) for grades 9-12.
The Essex County Vocational Technical Schools
Essex County Vocational Technical Schools
The Essex County Vocational Technical Schools is a regional public school district that offers occupational and academic instruction for public high school and adult students in Essex County, New Jersey, United States...
offers magnet school and vocational programs to students from Caldwell and all of Essex County.
Private schools in Caldwell include Trinity Academy for kindergarten through eighth grade and Mount Saint Dominic Academy
Mount Saint Dominic Academy
Mount Saint Dominic Academy is a four-year Catholic college preparatory school for women located in Caldwell, New Jersey, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. The school was founded in 1892 by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell...
for grades 9-12, which operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
.
The area is home to Caldwell College
Caldwell College
Caldwell College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Caldwell, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1939 by the Sisters of St. Dominic, the college is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, chartered by the State of New Jersey and registered with the Regents of the...
and the West Essex Campus of Essex County College
Essex County College
Essex County College is an open-door, public two-year college located in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is committed to providing quality educational programs and life-long learning activities at the most affordable cost. The college is open to students with a wide variety of...
, located nearby in West Caldwell.
Transportation
New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
offers bus service to and from Caldwell on the 29 and 71 routes.
Historical information
In 1702, settlers purchased the 14000 acres (56.7 km²) Horseneck TractHorseneck Tract
The Horseneck Tract was an area in present-day Essex County, New Jersey, United States, that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange.On May 1, 1701...
from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
to the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
. Caldwell is located in the center of the Horse Neck Tract. Settlement began about 1740 by Thomas Gould and Saunders Sanders.
The Horseneck Tract consisted of modern day Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell
North Caldwell, New Jersey
-Local government:North Caldwell 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...
, Fairfield, Verona
Verona, New Jersey
Verona is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,332.In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Verona #1 in Essex County and #3 in New Jersey as "Top Places to Live in New Jersey".-History:Verona and several...
, Cedar Grove
Cedar Grove, New Jersey
-Climate:Cedar Grove has a humid subtropical climate, with warm/hot humid summers and cool/cold winters. The climate is slightly colder overall during the summer than in New York City because there is no urban heat island effect....
, Essex Fells
Essex Fells, New Jersey
As of 2010 Essex Fells had a population of 2,113. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 93.5% non-Hispanic white, 1.1% black or African-American, 1.0% Chinese, 1.2% other Asian, 1.9% reporting two or more races and 2.0% Hispanic or Latino....
, Roseland
Roseland, New Jersey
Roseland is a borough in western Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,819...
, and portions of Livingston
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
and West Orange
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
. This land was part of the larger purchase and referred to as the Horse Neck Tract until February 17, 1787, when the town congregation voted to change the name to Caldwell, in honor of the Reverend James Caldwell who pushed for their organization’s creation.
Caldwell Township contained what is today the towns of West Caldwell and Caldwell. Soon after, the area of Caldwell Township just to the east of Caldwell Borough between Caldwell Borough and Montclair (present-day Verona and Cedar Grove) decided to follow Caldwell's lead and incorporated itself as its own borough, Verona. Some of the already-developed eastern neighborhoods of Caldwell Township chose to become part of Montclair, as it was a rapidly-developing suburb of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
. At around the same time, the area north of Caldwell Borough became its own town, North Caldwell. The wooded area directly to the south of downtown Caldwell Borough became Essex Fells. Meanwhile, the farmland to the south of the western portion of Caldwell township attempted to become its own municipality known as South Caldwell. This failed, as much of developed sections of that area lied on its southernmost and easternmost borders, along the expanding Newark suburbs of Livingston and West Orange respectively. Those areas were engulfed by those two towns once they became incorporated municipalities of several small villages and developments.
This left only the most rural farmland south of Caldwell Borough and Essex Fells to become its own township, Roseland. At this point, all that remained of the original Caldwell Township was a large piece of undeveloped land in the northwestern-most part of Essex County; eventually, in the early 1950s, Caldwell Township changed its name to Fairfield in order to avoid being confused with Caldwell Borough.
Immediately following the separation of the original Caldwell, the western part of Caldwell Borough generally remained less developed than downtown Caldwell Borough and contained several farms and a large area of undeveloped swampland known as Hatfield Swamp
Hatfield Swamp
Hatfield Swamp is a fresh water wetland area in the US state of New Jersey, forming what might be considered the "second bank" of the Passaic River between Morris and Essex counties.-Geology:...
. However, two individual settlements, known as Franklin and Westville, soon formed in the western part of Caldwell Borough. As development increased and population grew in the western part of Caldwell, the town's more rural western population and more urban east often could not reconcile their differences. This led to the areas of Franklin and Westville consolidating into their own township known as West Caldwell in 1904, leaving only the one square mile of original downtown Horseneck development as the borough of Caldwell. Lewis G. Lockward was elected the first mayor of Caldwell. In 1929, a failed attempt to consolidate the three Caldwells was rejected by voters.
This borough was one of the filming locations for the Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
1994 comedy film North
North (film)
North is an American 1994 comedy film directed by Rob Reiner, and starring Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dan Aykroyd, Reba McEntire, and Alan Arkin...
.
Trivia
- George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and his staff made their way through the town during the Revolution. They stopped at the old stone house of Saunders Sanders, one of the two people to settle the original area, for lunch. - Marquis de Lafayette visited in 1824. The town held a celebration party at the Crane Tavern.
- During the 1928 Presidential campaign, Herbert HooverHerbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
visited the Grover Cleveland Birthplace with his wife. - Grover Cleveland lived the first four years of his life in Caldwell.
- In October 1897, a severe fire ripped through a large portion of Bloomfield Avenue, destroying buildings in its wake. These buildings were replaced, in part, by the Hasler Building, opposite the Presbyterian Church. This became the town’s first brick building.
- In 1914, during a Fourth of July fireworks celebration, a bomb fell, injuring twenty people. The town's Churches raised funds to supplement the medical bills of the injured.
- In 1968, the town’s historic cannon was stolen off the town green. The cannon had been given to the town by Colonial Peter Decatur in 1824.
- On July 14, 1974, the landmark Park Theatre was destroyed in a fire.
Notable residents
- Alfred M. BestAlfred M. BestAlfred M. Best was an American actuary, born in Caldwell, New Jersey, US.At the age of 15, Best began his career in the insurance industry as a junior clerk with the Queen Insurance Company of America in New York. He continued to work in the insurance field for various companies over the next six...
(1876–1958), actuaryActuaryAn actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....
who founded the A. M. Best Company, Inc.A.M. BestA.M. Best Company, Inc., headquartered in Oldwick, New Jersey, is a rating agency designated as a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission....
in 1899. - Grover ClevelandGrover ClevelandStephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
(1837–1908), 22nd and 24th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. - Janine di GiovanniJanine di GiovanniJanine di Giovanni is an author and award-winning foreign correspondent. She is a regular contributor to The Times, Vanity Fair,The Evening Standard and The Guardian.Di Giovanni grew up in Caldwell, New Jersey....
(born 1961), war correspondent. - Frank HandlenFrank HandlenFrank W. Handlen is an American painter- Biography :Born in Brooklyn in 1916, and raised in Caldwell, New Jersey, Handlen depicts ships, the sea and the Maine landscape in oil and pastels. In 1938, his mentor, marine artist Frederick Judd Waugh, encouraged him to go to Maine, "where it will all...
(born 1916), artist. - Gerald Henderson, Jr.Gerald Henderson, Jr.Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson, Jr. is an American basketball player who was drafted 12th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association...
(born 1987), NBA basketball player for the Charlotte BobcatsCharlotte BobcatsThe Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
. - Camryn ManheimCamryn ManheimCamryn Manheim is an American actress known primarily for her roles as attorney Ellenor Frutt on ABC's The Practice and Delia Banks on CBS's Ghost Whisperer and as Elvis's mother, Gladys Presley in the 2005 mini-series Elvis....
(born 1961), actress. - Kareem McKenzieKareem McKenzieKareem Michael McKenzie is a player for the New York Giants of the National Football League.McKenzie played only two years of high school football at Willingboro High School in Willingboro Township, New Jersey....
(born 1979), offensive tackle for the NFL's New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Stuart RabnerStuart RabnerStuart Jeff Rabner is the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. He has previously served as New Jersey Attorney General, Chief Counsel to Governor Jon Corzine, and as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.-Biography:Rabner grew up in Passaic,...
(born 1960), Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme CourtNew Jersey Supreme CourtThe New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
. - Johnny SylvesterJohnny SylvesterJohn Dale "Johnny" Sylvester was an American packing machinery company executive who was best known for a promise made to him by Babe Ruth during the 1926 World Series. Sylvester was seriously ill and hospitalized...
(1915–90), childhood home of boy promised by Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
that he would hit a home run in the 1926 World Series1926 World SeriesThe 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
. - Calvin ThomasCalvin Thomas (actor)Calvin Louis Thomas was an American stage, film and television actor, and a theatre director.Born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Jesse and Virginia Thomas, he was the older brother of actor Frank M. Thomas...
(1885-1964), actor. - Claude ThornhillClaude ThornhillClaude Thornhill was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader...
(1908-65), pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader in the big bandBig bandA big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
era. - Andy WhiteAndy White (drummer)Andrew "Andy" White is a Scottish drummer, best known for replacing Ringo Starr on drums on The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do". White featured on the American 7" single release of the song, which also appeared on the band's debut British album, Please Please Me. He also played drums on the...
(born 1930), former British session drummer who made three records with The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, including Love Me DoLove Me Do"Love Me Do" is The Beatles' first single, backed by "P.S. I Love You" and released on 5 October 1962. When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom, it peaked at number seventeen; in 1982 it was re-issued and reached number four...
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External links
- Borough of Caldwell
- Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools
- Data for the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- CaldwellNJ.com
- Caldwell Community Center
- Caldwell College