Chatham Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Chatham Township is a township
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,452.
Chatham Township was incorporated
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on February 12, 1806, from portions of Hanover Township
and Morris Township
, based on the results of a referendum held on March 10, 1806. At the time Chatham Township was created it included the villages of Chatham, Florham Park, Green Village, Madison (Bottle Hill), and the extensive rural areas surrounding these communities. The villages retained their distinct existence and identities.
A community settled in the early 18th century as, Bottle Hill, and located in Morris Township when the area was within the English Province of New Jersey
, became subject to governance by the new township. It changed its name to Madison
in 1834 to honor President James Madison
. On December 27, 1889, Madison was incorporated as a borough with portions of the rural lands that had formerly been within the township.
The village, John Day's Bridge, that had been settled in 1710, adopted the name of Chatham
in 1773 when New Jersey was an English province to honor William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
. On August 19, 1892, Chatham, which also had been settled in the early 18th century within Morris Township and was an active community in the revolution, adopted the village form of government and adopted the borough form of government on March 1, 1897, when that form became available to New Jersey municipalities.
Florham Park
was formed from portions of the township on March 9, 1899.
Most of Green Village has always been within the township's governmental boundaries.
New Jersey Monthly
magazine ranked Chatham Township as the 9th best place to live in New Jersey in its 2005 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, Chatham Township has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.3 km²), of which, 9.3 square miles (24.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.21%) is water.
Green Village
is an unincorporated area that is also partially in Harding Township
. Green Village is the site of the Rolling Knolls Landfill
, a landfill identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
as a Superfund
site. The landfill is bordered on two sides by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
, and was formerly known as Miele's Dump, after owner Robert Miele.
of 2000, there were 10,086 people, 3,920 households, and 2,771 families residing in Chatham Township. The population density
was 1,081.0 people per square mile (417.4/km2). There were 4,019 housing units at an average density of 430.8 per square mile (166.3/km2). The racial makeup was 93.71% White, 0.45% African American, 0.06% Native American, 4.81% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.15% from other races
, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.
There were 3,920 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married couples
living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.11.
The population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household was $106,208, and the median income for a family was $131,609. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,750 for females. The per capita income
was $65,497. About 1.9% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.
The mayor serves as the chair of the township committee and has powers vested in the mayor's office by general law.
The township committee is the legislative branch of the community's government and establishes policies for the administration of the various departments. The committee appoints the township administrator who is responsible for carrying out those policies and overseeing the day to day operations.
Subcommittees of the township committee are public safety; public works; planning, engineering, and land use; parks and recreation; general administration; and finance. Two members of the township committee serve on each and provide oversight to the departments.
, members of the Chatham Township Committee are Mayor
Nicole Hagner, Deputy Mayor
Robert Gallop, Bailey Brower, Jr., William O'Connor, Kevin R. Tubbs.
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
. In the 2008 Presidential Election
, Republican John McCain
received 53.8% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
, who received around 44.6%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
, Republican Chris Christie received 60.7% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
, who received around 29.1%.
, a British prime minister and the first Earl of Chatham
who was most favorable toward the colonists of the Province of New Jersey
in issues with the British government. Participation in the revolutionary war was significant by the citizens of Chatham. Nearby Morristown
was the military center of the revolution, where the winter headquarters were established twice, and revolutionary troops were active in the entire area regularly.
The township form
of government is the oldest form of municipal government in New Jersey since it became an American state following the revolution. That form of local government dates back to the act of 1798. During a reorganization of Morris County in 1806 and taking its name from one of the historic settlements it would govern, Chatham Township was formed to include several colonial villages and settlements that had been made part of previously existing townships. A great deal of open, swampy, and mountainous land was included with the villages. For a while, the new township included what are now, Madison
, Chatham
, and Florham Park
, as well as all of Green Village
and all of the lands still governed by Chatham Township, but soon the principle villages began to secede because of contention over the funding of their projects.
Of the pre-revolutionary settlements gathered into it when it was formed, only portions of Green Village have remained governed by Chatham Township, which has never had a community center. The settled areas seceded from the township because of financial issues. Disposition of funds from taxes was perceived as inequitable to the settled areas given their needs versus that of the rural areas, causing them to form their own taxation and governance systems.
On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed three days earlier, the village of Madison seceded from Chatham Township and adopted the borough
form of government in order to develop a local water supply system for its population of 3,250. Madison annexed additional portions of Chatham Township in 1891, and annexed more each year from 1894–1898, followed finally, by an exchange of some lands in 1899 with Chatham Township.
In the midst of these changes, in 1892 "...Chatham Village found itself at odds with the rest of the township. Although village residents paid 40 percent of the township taxes, they got only 7 percent of the receipts in services. The village had to raise its own money to install kerosene street lamps and its roads were in poor repair. As a result, the village voted on August 9, 1892, to secede from the township."
The village that is now Florham Park first was part of Hanover Township, before being included in the township formed in 1806 as Chatham Township. It also seceded from Chatham Township and incorporated as Florham Park in 1899.
Green Village
remained in the township until 1922, when portions of it became part of Harding Township
, another new township. Its main intersection remains in Chatham Township.
The boundaries of Chatham Township finally settled down and have remained the same since 1922. Residential developments began in the late 1950s when farm lands and greenhouses began to be sold off and ownership of automobiles increased dramatically. By the 1960s its post WWII boom in housing was in full swing in Chatham Township.
The township remained rural until the 1960s and 1970s when rezoning enabled residential development of the open spaces to begin. Today, Chatham Township shares three joint public services with Chatham Borough: the recreation program, the library and the school district.
.
For the 2004-05 school year, Chatham High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive. The school was the 8th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly
magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 10th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
al day school
located in Chatham Township, serving students in preschool through eighth grade. The school has a total enrollment of 115 students. Originally founded in 1998, the school changed its name from The Darcy School after finding a permanent campus in Chatham Township in 2005.
stops at the Chatham
station to provide commuter service on the Morristown Line
, with train
s heading to the Hoboken Terminal
and to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan
. It is a short drive from most of the township to the stations in Madison and Chatham, and for the southern part of the township, the Murray Hill
station is closer still.
local bus service is provided on the MCM3 and MCM8 routes.
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, 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...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,452.
Chatham Township was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
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 12, 1806, from portions of Hanover Township
Hanover Township, New Jersey
Hanover Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 12,898...
and Morris Township
Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 21,796. It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area...
, based on the results of a referendum held on March 10, 1806. At the time Chatham Township was created it included the villages of Chatham, Florham Park, Green Village, Madison (Bottle Hill), and the extensive rural areas surrounding these communities. The villages retained their distinct existence and identities.
A community settled in the early 18th century as, Bottle Hill, and located in Morris Township when the area was within the English Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
, became subject to governance by the new township. It changed its name to Madison
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
in 1834 to honor President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. On December 27, 1889, Madison was incorporated as a borough with portions of the rural lands that had formerly been within the township.
The village, John Day's Bridge, that had been settled in 1710, adopted the name of Chatham
Chatham Borough, New Jersey
Chatham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,962.The village that now is Chatham first was settled by Europeans in 1710 in Morris Township, within the Province of New Jersey...
in 1773 when New Jersey was an English province to honor William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
. On August 19, 1892, Chatham, which also had been settled in the early 18th century within Morris Township and was an active community in the revolution, adopted the village form of government and adopted the borough form of government on March 1, 1897, when that form became available to New Jersey municipalities.
Florham Park
Florham Park, New Jersey
Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,857, which had grown to 12,389 as of the Bureau's 2008 estimate....
was formed from portions of the township on March 9, 1899.
Most of Green Village has always been within the township's governmental boundaries.
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 Chatham Township as the 9th best place to live in New Jersey in its 2005 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
Geography
Chatham Township is located at 40°43′42"N 74°24′56"W (40.728203 -74.415657).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...
, Chatham Township has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24.3 km²), of which, 9.3 square miles (24.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.21%) is water.
Green Village
Green Village, New Jersey
Green Village is an unincorporated area located within portions of both Harding Township and Chatham Township in Morris County, New Jersey. It is located just north of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. It is named after Dr...
is an unincorporated area that is also partially in Harding Township
Harding Township, New Jersey
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,180 households, and 940 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.6 people per square mile . There were 1,243 housing units at an average density of 60.8 per square mile...
. Green Village is the site of the Rolling Knolls Landfill
Rolling Knolls Landfill
The Rolling Knolls Landfill is a landfill located in the Green Village section of Chatham Township in New Jersey. It is bordered on two sides by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and was formerly known as Miele's Dump, after owner Robert Miele....
, a landfill identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
as a Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site. The landfill is bordered on two sides by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Established in 1960, it is one of more than 550 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.The refuge was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1966...
, and was formerly known as Miele's Dump, after owner Robert Miele.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 10,086 people, 3,920 households, and 2,771 families residing in Chatham Township. 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 1,081.0 people per square mile (417.4/km2). There were 4,019 housing units at an average density of 430.8 per square mile (166.3/km2). The racial makeup was 93.71% White, 0.45% African American, 0.06% Native American, 4.81% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.15% 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 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.
There were 3,920 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% 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, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.11.
The population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The median income for a household was $106,208, and the median income for a family was $131,609. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,750 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...
was $65,497. About 1.9% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Chatham Township is governed under the TownshipTownship (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.
The mayor serves as the chair of the township committee and has powers vested in the mayor's office by general law.
The township committee is the legislative branch of the community's government and establishes policies for the administration of the various departments. The committee appoints the township administrator who is responsible for carrying out those policies and overseeing the day to day operations.
Subcommittees of the township committee are public safety; public works; planning, engineering, and land use; parks and recreation; general administration; and finance. Two members of the township committee serve on each and provide oversight to the departments.
, members of the Chatham Township Committee are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Nicole Hagner, Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
Robert Gallop, Bailey Brower, Jr., William O'Connor, Kevin R. Tubbs.
Federal, state and county representation
Chatham Township is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district. The city was relocated to the 27th state legislative district 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. The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
Politics
In recent years, on the national and state levels, Chatham Township leans toward the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In the 2008 Presidential Election
United 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...
, 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....
received 53.8% of the vote, defeating 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...
, who received around 44.6%. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...
, Republican Chris Christie received 60.7% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, who received around 29.1%.
History
In 1773, John Day's Bridge, a village governed by the English township of Morris since its settlement in 1710, was renamed as, Chatham, in honor of Sir William PittWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
, a British prime minister and the first Earl of Chatham
Earl of Chatham
Earl of Chatham, in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1766 for William Pitt the Elder on his appointment as Lord Privy Seal, along with the subsidiary title Viscount Pitt, of Burton Pynsent in the County of Somerset, also in the Peerage of Great...
who was most favorable toward the colonists of the Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
in issues with the British government. Participation in the revolutionary war was significant by the citizens of Chatham. Nearby Morristown
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
was the military center of the revolution, where the winter headquarters were established twice, and revolutionary troops were active in the entire area regularly.
The township form
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
of government is the oldest form of municipal government in New Jersey since it became an American state following the revolution. That form of local government dates back to the act of 1798. During a reorganization of Morris County in 1806 and taking its name from one of the historic settlements it would govern, Chatham Township was formed to include several colonial villages and settlements that had been made part of previously existing townships. A great deal of open, swampy, and mountainous land was included with the villages. For a while, the new township included what are now, Madison
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
, Chatham
Chatham Borough, New Jersey
Chatham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,962.The village that now is Chatham first was settled by Europeans in 1710 in Morris Township, within the Province of New Jersey...
, and Florham Park
Florham Park, New Jersey
Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,857, which had grown to 12,389 as of the Bureau's 2008 estimate....
, as well as all of Green Village
Green Village, New Jersey
Green Village is an unincorporated area located within portions of both Harding Township and Chatham Township in Morris County, New Jersey. It is located just north of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. It is named after Dr...
and all of the lands still governed by Chatham Township, but soon the principle villages began to secede because of contention over the funding of their projects.
Of the pre-revolutionary settlements gathered into it when it was formed, only portions of Green Village have remained governed by Chatham Township, which has never had a community center. The settled areas seceded from the township because of financial issues. Disposition of funds from taxes was perceived as inequitable to the settled areas given their needs versus that of the rural areas, causing them to form their own taxation and governance systems.
On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed three days earlier, the village of Madison seceded from Chatham Township and adopted the borough
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....
form of government in order to develop a local water supply system for its population of 3,250. Madison annexed additional portions of Chatham Township in 1891, and annexed more each year from 1894–1898, followed finally, by an exchange of some lands in 1899 with Chatham Township.
In the midst of these changes, in 1892 "...Chatham Village found itself at odds with the rest of the township. Although village residents paid 40 percent of the township taxes, they got only 7 percent of the receipts in services. The village had to raise its own money to install kerosene street lamps and its roads were in poor repair. As a result, the village voted on August 9, 1892, to secede from the township."
The village that is now Florham Park first was part of Hanover Township, before being included in the township formed in 1806 as Chatham Township. It also seceded from Chatham Township and incorporated as Florham Park in 1899.
Green Village
Green Village, New Jersey
Green Village is an unincorporated area located within portions of both Harding Township and Chatham Township in Morris County, New Jersey. It is located just north of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. It is named after Dr...
remained in the township until 1922, when portions of it became part of Harding Township
Harding Township, New Jersey
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,180 households, and 940 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.6 people per square mile . There were 1,243 housing units at an average density of 60.8 per square mile...
, another new township. Its main intersection remains in Chatham Township.
The boundaries of Chatham Township finally settled down and have remained the same since 1922. Residential developments began in the late 1950s when farm lands and greenhouses began to be sold off and ownership of automobiles increased dramatically. By the 1960s its post WWII boom in housing was in full swing in Chatham Township.
The township remained rural until the 1960s and 1970s when rezoning enabled residential development of the open spaces to begin. Today, Chatham Township shares three joint public services with Chatham Borough: the recreation program, the library and the school district.
Public Schools
Chatham and Chatham Township held elections in November 1986 to consider joining their (at the time separate) school districts. This proposal was supported by the voters of both communities and since then, the two municipalities have shared a regionalized school district, the School District of the ChathamsSchool District of the Chathams
The School District of the Chathams is a regional public school district serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade from Chatham Borough and Chatham Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States....
.
For the 2004-05 school year, Chatham High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive. The school was the 8th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in 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's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 10th in 2008 out of 316 schools.
Private school
Chatham Day School, founded in 1998, is a private coeducationCoeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
located in Chatham Township, serving students in preschool through eighth grade. The school has a total enrollment of 115 students. Originally founded in 1998, the school changed its name from The Darcy School after finding a permanent campus in Chatham Township in 2005.
Rail transport
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...
stops at the Chatham
Chatham (NJT station)
Chatham is a railway station in Chatham, New Jersey. A commuter rail station, Chatham receives rail service from statewide provider New Jersey Transit on its Morristown Line, a branch of the Morris & Essex Lines...
station to provide commuter service on the Morristown Line
Morristown Line
The Morristown Line is one of New Jersey Transit's commuter lines and is one of two branches that run along the Morris and Essex Lines. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbound trains use the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn...
, with train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s heading to the Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
and to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
. It is a short drive from most of the township to the stations in Madison and Chatham, and for the southern part of the township, the Murray Hill
Murray Hill (NJT station)
Murray Hill Station is a New Jersey Transit station in New Providence, New Jersey along the Gladstone Branch of the Morris and Essex line. It is located on Foley Place, between Floral Avenue and Southgate Road.-History:...
station is closer still.
Bus transport
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...
local bus service is provided on the MCM3 and MCM8 routes.
Notable residents
- Chris CarlinChris CarlinChris Carlin is an American television and radio personality. Along with on-air partner Bob Ojeda, co-hosts pre- and post-game telecasts for New York Mets games on local New York television station SNY...
(born 1972), radio producer and sportscaster at WFANWFANWFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
Sports Radio 66 in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.