Keansburg, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Keansburg is a 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....

 in Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...

, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 10,105.

Keansburg was formed 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 March 26, 1917, from portions of both Middletown Township
Middletown Township, New Jersey
Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 66,522...

 and Raritan Township
Hazlet, New Jersey
Hazlet Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,334....

 (now Hazlet), based on the results of a referendum held on April 17, 1917.

Keansburg is part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bay
Raritan Bay
Raritan Bay is a bay located at the southern portion of Lower New York Bay between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey and is part of the New York Bight. The bay is bounded on the northwest by New York's Staten Island, on the west by Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on the south by the Raritan...

 coastline.

Geography

Keansburg is located at 40.447324°N 74.131226°W (40.447324, -74.131226).

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 16.8 square miles (43.5 km²), of which 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) is land and 15.8 square miles (40.9 km²), or 93.58%, is water.

Demographics

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 10,732 people, 3,872 households, and 2,563 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 9,954.4 people per square mile (3,836.7/km2). There were 4,269 housing units at an average density of 3,959.7 per square mile (1,526.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.31% White, 2.13% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.74% 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 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.95% of the population.

There were 3,872 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% 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, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the borough the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $36,383, and the median income for a family was $45,438. Males had a median income of $37,229 versus $28,398 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 $17,417. About 15.5% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

History

The land that is now Keansburg was originally home to the Lenni Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...

 Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

.

On September 3, 1609, the Half Moon, captained by Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...

, is said to have landed on the shores of present-day Keansburg (though some historians argue that the landing and forth-coming explained events took place at the tip of Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit along the Atlantic coast of New JerseySandy Hook may also refer to:-Places:United States* Sandy Hook , a village in the town of Newtown, Connecticut* Sandy Hook, Kentucky, a city in Elliott County...

). Crewmen of the ship were attacked by the Native Americans when they departed the ship, and one man, John Colman
John Colman
John Colman was a crew member of the Half Moon under Henry Hudson who was killed by Native Americans by an arrow to his neck on September 6, 1609.-Biography:...

, was killed. He is reputed to be the first European to be felled by a Native American arrow. It is said that he was buried on the land, in the area that is today the intersection of Carr Avenue and Beachway. It is referred to as "Coleman's Point".
In the time between 1609 and the early 18th century, the land was gradually purchased from the Lenni Lenape with other surrounding areas. The area was inhabited by Dutch, English, and Scottish settlers. In the 18th century, farming proved to be successful on Keansburg's land, with specialties being pears, apples and corn (maize).
In this time, the town took on the name of Waackaack, pronounced "Way-kay-ack". This is a Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...

 Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 term, originally "Wakioak" meaning "Land of Plenty". The area was also widely known as Tanner's Landing from the early 18th century until approximately 1820, so named for the pier at the end of what was Tanner's Landing Road (now Main Street). Tanner's Landing was a principal port for the area for many years.

Though the source of this information does not state exactly when, the land took on its second official name of Granville. The name originated from the importance of the Phillips Mill, and the grain producing farms in the region. The name held until 1880s.

During the century, Granville became home to its own church, two lighthouses and small businesses. Roadways were beginning to form from repeated use of horse and buggies. The beach was already a favorite to visitors. Population was about 300 people, who mostly farmed and clammed for a living.

On Sunday, March 22, 1877, at "half past 9 o'clock," Granville welcomed the newly assigned pastor of the Granville Methodist Episcopal Church, William W. Ramsay. At 19 years of age, Ramsay was slated to serve in the church for one year. His success at the helm of church led to another year in Granville, after which he decided to make the village his permanent home.

Ramsay and his wife, Eliza S. Wood, purchased the land that is 69 Church Street and opened a general store in 1881. In the coming years, Ramsay took greater and greater interest in Granville and eventually arranged a petition to establish a post office. The list of 132 names was passed on to John Kean
John Kean (New Jersey)
John Kean was an American lawyer, banker and Republican Party politician from Elizabeth, New Jersey. He represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate from 1899 to 1911 and served two separate terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 1883 to 1885, and from 1887 to 1889...

 of Elizabeth
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...

, a candidate for Congress. His efforts led to the opening of the post office in 1884, with Mrs. Ramsay serving as its first postmaster. That year, the name Keansburg was adopted.

Further development continued with the creation of postcards depicting the village and land purchases, including some key buys by William A. Gehlhaus and the Keansburg Beach Company. A school was built at the cost of $30,000 in 1890 and sat on what is today the corner of Ramsay Avenue and Church Street (now Fallon Manor).
After the town's decline, small beach houses were cheaply sold and converted into year-round housing. Efforts to reduce crime seem to be working, slowly but surely, in many areas. Further evidence of a possible comeback include the Keansburg beautification project, building of new condominiums across the street from the boardwalk, the construction of a skateboard park, the hiring of a part-time recreation program director and the opening of the first free-standing public library in the borough. The Keansburg Waterfront Public Library, founded in 2004, is the result of a concerted effort on the part of townspeople and the borough government to provide a high quality library with resources that address the needs and interests of the community. Currently, the library is open on a limited basis and is staffed by a part-time library director, library assistant and two additional part-time pages. In spite of this, the library has seen an overwhelmingly positive response from patrons in the community.

Interesting facts

  • The infamous Irish Mobster Jimmy Coonan owned a house on Forest Avenue.
  • Defaced statues of Adolf Hitler
    Adolf Hitler
    Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

    , and later Joseph Stalin
    Joseph Stalin
    Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...

    , used to be on display in the "Spook House" on the boardwalk.
  • There was, at one time, a ferris wheel
    Ferris wheel
    A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...

     on the boardwalk, but it was removed sometime before 2005.
  • James Gandolfini
    James Gandolfini
    James J. Gandolfini, Jr. is an Italian American actor. He is best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos, about a troubled crime boss struggling to balance his family life and career in the Mafia...

    , most famous for his portrayal of Tony Soprano on HBO's hit The Sopranos
    The Sopranos
    The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

    , filmed the movie Kiddie Ride on the Boardwalk and throughout the borough. Movie just went through the Sundance Film Festival
    Sundance Film Festival
    The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...

     and is soon to be released.
  • A memorial to the Irish Potato Famine was dedicated in Friendship Park on Main Street by the Ancient Order of Hibernians
    Ancient Order of Hibernians
    The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...

     Volunteer Pat Torphy Division.

Local government

Keansburg operates under the Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)
Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Council-Manager government.The council consists of 5, 7, or 9 members elected by the public...

 form of municipal government. Keansburg is governed by a five-member Borough Council, elected on a non-partisan basis to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even years.

Members of the Keansburg Borough Council are Anthony DePompa (2012), Lisa Strydio (2012), Arthur Boden (2014), Mayor James Cocuzza, Sr. (2014) and George Hoff (2012).

Federal, state and county representation

Keansburg is in the 6th Congressional district.

Keansburg is in the

Emergency services

Keansburg Fire Company #1 was incorporated October 13, 1912. It was the first fire company in town. Located on the corner on Main Street and Manning Place.

The New Point Comfort Volunteer Fire Company, located in Keansburg, was organized in 1912 and incorporated on August 2, 1913 at the New Point Comfort Hotel located on Beachway Avenue. The company was first named the New Point Comfort Chemical Engine Company, and was later renamed the New Point Comfort Fire Company #1. Having its first building on Oak Street, it later moved to a larger property at 192 Carr Avenue in the 1950s, where it is currently located.

New Point Comfort Volunteer Fire Company is one of two fire companies in Keansburg, along with an EMS unit, that make up the Keansburg Fire Department, which was established in 1923.

Two engines, a 1998 e-one Hush and a 2009 e-one Typhoon, and a fire police van are housed in the building, along with a 1947 Antique Mack Pumper, which was purchased new and used for active firefighting services till the 1970s.

In November 1998 the fire company established the Keansburg EMS and housed it on their property, where it is now a separate organization, responding to over 1,600 calls each year in only a one-square-mile area.

Education

Students in kindergarten through twelfth grade are served by the Keansburg School District
Keansburg School District
Keansburg School District is a school district based in Keansburg, New Jersey. KSD, an Abbott District, serves the borough of Keansburg.As of the 2007-08 school year, the district's four schools had an enrollment of 1,859 students and 171.0 classroom teachers , for a student–teacher ratio of...

, an Abbott District
Abbott District
Abbott districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with New Jersey’s state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of Abbott v. Burke, a case filed by the Education Law...

. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 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
Port Monmouth Road School (PreK-2, 665 students),
Joseph C. Caruso School (3-4, 233 students),
Joseph R. Bolger Middle School (5-8, 526 students) and
Keansburg High School
Keansburg High School
Keansburg High School is a four-year community public high school serving students in grades nine through twelve from Keansburg, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Keansburg School District....

 (9-12, 529 students).

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Keansburg include:
  • James Coonan
    James Coonan
    James "Jimmy C" Coonan is an Irish-American mobster and racketeer from Manhattan, New York who is currently serving a 75-year prison term.-Biography:...

     (born 1946), former boss of The Westies Irish gang.
  • Jason Mewes
    Jason Mewes
    Jason Edward Mewes is an American television, film actor, and internet radio show host best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's films.-Early life:...

     (born 1974), actor.
  • Salvatore Naturile
    Salvatore Naturile
    Salvatore Antonio Naturile, also known as Donald Matterson and "Sal" was an American bank robber who, along with John Wojtowicz, inspired the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon. In the film he is portrayed by actor John Cazale.-Early life:Little is known about Naturile's background except for...

    , bank robber who was involved in robbery-hostage situation and later shot dead by FBI special agents
  • Lou Taylor Pucci
    Lou Taylor Pucci
    Lou Taylor Pucci is an American actor who first appeared on film in Rebecca Miller's well received Personal Velocity: Three Portraits in 2002....

     (born 1985), actor.
  • Horace M. Thorne (1918–1944), awarded the Medal of Honor
    Medal of Honor
    The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

     for valor during World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

    .
  • Barbara Trzeszkowski, former Superintendent of schools, gained notoriety when Governor 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...

     attempted to reduce her retirement benefits.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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