Madison, New Jersey

Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as, "The Rose City."

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Geography

Madison is located at 40°45′31″N, 74°24′58″W (40.758750, -74.416098)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, it has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 16,530 people, 5,520 households, and 3,786 families. The population density was 3,935.6 people per square mile (1,519.6/km²). There were 5,641 housing units at an average density of 1,343.1/sq mi (518.6/km²). The racial makeup of the population was 89.69% White, 3.00% African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.77% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.97% of the population.

There were 5,520 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.05.

The population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 17.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household was $82,847, and the median income for a family was $101,798. Males had a median income of $62,303 versus $42,097 for females. The per capita income was $38,416. About 2.0% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

During the British colonial period, the earliest settlers of European descent arrived in this portion of New Jersey about 1715 and established "Bottle Hill" at the crossroads of Ridgedale Avenue and Kings Road. The Luke Miller house at 105 Ridgedale Avenue is thought to be the oldest remaining home, having been built around 1730. Morris County, created in 1739, was divided into three townships. The portion of Madison north of Kings Road was put under the governance of Hanover Township and the portion to the south, under the governance of Morris Township. A meeting house for the Presbyterian Church of South Hanover, as Madison was called at the time, was started in 1747 where the Presbyterian Cemetery still exists between Kings Road and Madison Avenue.

During a reorganization of Morris County in 1806, Chatham Township was formed to include the villages of the current Madison, Chatham, and Florham Park as well as the lands still governed by the current Chatham Township, and thus the governmental division of the village was ended. In 1834, the name of the village was changed to Madison. On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed on December 24, 1889, the village 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 each year from 1894-1898, followed by an exchange of land in 1899 with Chatham Township.^[4]   Madison's growth accelerated after the Civil War. The railroad provided good transportation for its farm produce. Later, the railroad made possible the establishment of a flourishing rose growing industry, still commemorated in Madison's nickname, The Rose City.^[5] The Morris and Essex Lines became one of America's first commuter railroads, attracting well-to-do families and contributing to the development of "Millionaire's Row," which stretched from downtown Madison to downtown Morristown.^{[citation needed]}

The rose industry and the large estates in the area attracted working class people of all kinds. As a result, Madison very early developed a diverse population, both in terms of socio-economic status and ethnic background. The original settlers were of British stock; French settlers came after the American Revolution; African Americans have been members of the community from early in the 19th century; Irish came in the mid-19th century; and then Germans and Italians around the turn of the 20th century. To this day there is a substantial population of Italian descent in Madison. Today Madison remains a diverse community, with many of the more recent newcomers arriving from Central and South America, and from Asia.

Government

Local government

  Madison operates under the borough form of New Jersey government, with a mayor and a six-member borough council. The mayor serves a four-year term and is elected directly by the voters. Borough council members serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The Mayor of Madison is Ellwood R. Kerkeslager (term ends December 31, 2007; in office since January 1, 1999). Members of the borough council are Council President Carmela Vitale (term ends 2008; in office since 2003), Astri J. Baillie (ends 2007; since 2002), Donald J. Bowen (ends 2007; since 2002), Robert H. Conley (ends 2008; in office since July 6, 2005), John M. Elias (ends 2009), and Mary-Anna Holden (ends 2009; since 1998).^[6]

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, voters returned two incumbents to fill the two three-year seats up for grabs on the borough council. Democrat John Elias and Republican Mary-Anna Holden were re-elected, with Holden chosen for her fourth term in office.^[7]

As of January 1, 2008, incumbent Astri J. Baillie and newcomer Jeannie Tsukamoto will be council members. Tsukamoto will be replacing Donald J. Bowen as a council member. Voters also elected Mary-Anna Holden to succeed the current mayor, Ellwood R. Kerkeslager.^[8]

Federal, state and county representation

Madison is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District.^[9]

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 21st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield) and in the Assembly by Jon Bramnick (R, Westfield) and Eric Munoz (R, Summit). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

As of 2007, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Margaret Nordstrom, Freeholder Deputy Director John Inglesino, Douglas R. Cabana, William J. Chegwidden, Gene F. Feyl, John J. Murphy and Jack Schrier.^[14]

Education

Public schools

The Madison Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district consist of three elementary schools — Central Avenue School (K-6), Kings Road School (K-6), and Torey J. Sabatini School (PreK-6) — Madison Junior School (7 and 8), and Madison High School. Madison High School also serves the residents of neighboring Harding Township, including parts of Green Village.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Neil O'Donnell, actress Janeane Garofalo and Armor for Sleep bassist Anthony Dilonno are notable Madison High alumni.

Private schools

Saint Vincent Martyr School (SVMS) is a Catholic school that serves students in grades PK-3 through six. SVMS is a recipient of the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon award for 2005-2006.^[10]

Higher education

Drew University is located in Madison, on a shady campus next to downtown.

A portion of Fairleigh Dickinson University's College at Florham is located in Madison on the former estate of Florence Vanderbilt and Hamilton Twombly.

In 1967 the trustees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, UMDNJ, had wanted to build a consolidated school on a 150-acre (607,000 m²) estate in Madison. Hitherto, UMDNJ's medical facilities were in Newark, and its dental facilities were in Jersey City. Newark, already reeling from industrial job losses, made a desperate offer to compete with the bucolic Morris County suburb. Mayor Addonizio, offered to condemn and raze 150 acres (607,000 m²) of the densely populated Central Ward of Newark. After the 1967 Newark riots, the decision was made for the university to remain in Newark and to abandon plans to move to Madison.

Transportation

New Jersey Transit's Madison station provides commuter service on the Morristown Line, with trains heading to Hoboken Terminal, and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan via the Kearny Connection.

Business

Madison's downtown is a thriving central business district. It is supported by a downtown development commission and a downtown manager. The Madison Civic Commercial Historic District, which includes much of "downtown" as well as the borough hall and the train station, is listed on the State Register of Historic Places. The borough hall and the train station were donated to the community by Geraldine R. Dodge. Vacant commercial space is a rarity. In recent years Madison has become noted for the number and quality of its restaurants.

Giralda Farms, a planned office development, occupies 175 acres (0.7 km²) of the former Geraldine R. Dodge estate in Madison. Five of a possible seven projects have been completed. These include the corporate headquarters of Atlantic Mutual Insurance, Maersk Lines, and Wyeth (formerly called American Home Products), and the offices of Schering-Plough. Development regulations for the former estate require that 85% of the land be maintained as open space with almost all vehicle parking underground.

Sister City

Madison's sister city is Madison, Connecticut.

Points of interest

• Drew University
• Florence and Robert Zuck Arboretum
• Museum of Early Trades and Crafts
• Fairleigh Dickinson University

Film and television

• Episodes of the television series, The Sopranos, were filmed in Madison. A scene was filmed on the Drew University campus. Another scene was filmed at Rod's Ranch House.
• Portions of A Beautiful Mind were filmed at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
• Madison is the setting of the 2005 film, Guess Who starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher. The train station and the municipal building are backdrops to this movie. An entire panorama of the town is shown during the final credits.
• Main street and parts of Woodland Avenue were filmed in The Family Stone starring Sarah Jessica Parker
• Hartley Dodge Memorial (Borough Hall) appears in a scene of The World According to Garp starring Glenn Close and Robin Williams.
• Scenes from the Rich and Famous (1981) George Cukor's final film, were shot on Lincoln Place, and show the Madison Theatre and the train station as backdrops.
• The book The Bourne Identity mentions "a private airfield in Madison, New Jersey". The film version does not include this reference.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents include:

• Tucker Carlson, pundit who currently hosts Tucker, a national television news show on MSNBC.
• Janeane Garofalo, actor, comedian, author and activist moved to Madison at age nine, where she remained until she graduated high school.^[11]
• Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria, daughter of Tsar Boris III and Tsaritsa Ioanna of Bulgaria and the sister of HM Tsar Simeon II of Bulgaria, the deposed monarch.
• Don Newcombe, former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (1949-51 and 1954-58), Cincinnati Reds (1958-60) and Cleveland Indians (1960).^[12]
• Charles H. Totty (1873-1939), horticulturalist.^[13]

References

• Madison, New Jersey is at coordinates 40°45′32″N 74°24′58″W / 40.75875, -74.416098Coordinates: 40°45′32″N 74°24′58″W / 40.75875, -74.416098