Chatham Township is a suburban
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
located in
Morris County,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, United States. As of the
2010 United States census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, the township's population was 10,452,
[ reflecting an increase of 366 (+3.6%) from the 10,086 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 725 (+7.7%) from the 9,361 counted in the 1990 Census. The long-established hamlet of Green Village (also within Harding Township) is located in Chatham Township.
The presence of the Chatham station along the ]Morris and Essex Lines
The Morris & Essex Lines are a group of former Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad (DL&W) railroad lines in New Jersey now owned and operated by NJ Transit. The lines include service offered on the Morristown Line and the Gladstone Branch. P ...
in neighboring Chatham Borough proved a vital role in population increases in Chatham Township, which began to be developed for residential use due to its easy commute to nearby Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
.
''New Jersey Monthly
''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...
'' magazine ranked Chatham Township first in the state in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places to Live" in New Jersey.
The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
, township residents had a median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
of $176,364, ranked 3rd in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475. In March 2018, Bloomberg ranked Chatham as the 64th highest-income place in the United States and as having the 8th-highest income in New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
.
In 2012, Forbes.com
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
listed Chatham as 375th in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $776,703.
History
Formation
Chatham Township was incorporated by an act of the 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 ...
on February 12, 1806, from portions of Hanover Township and Morris Township.[Snyder, John P]
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 191. Accessed September 23, 2012. At the time Chatham Township was created, it included the communities of Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
, Green Village and Bottle Hill (Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
), together with the extensive rural areas surrounding these communities, with each community retaining its own distinct existence and identity. Before the close of that century however, the township would lose all except one of the settlements under its jurisdiction, as they seceded from the township and established their own municipal governments.
The community known as ''Bottle Hill'' was established in the early eighteenth century in Morris Township when the area was within the English 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 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after the ...
. Bottle Hill changed its name to Madison in 1834 to honor President James Madison
James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
. On December 27, 1889, Madison was incorporated as an independent borough and its former village boundaries were expanded between 1891 - 1899 with annexed portions of rural lands that had formerly been within the township.[
The settlement of ]Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
had been established in 1710 as ''John Day's Bridge'' and, in 1773 when New Jersey was an English province, adopted the name of ''Chatham'' to honor William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him Chatham or William Pitt the Elder to distinguish ...
, a British supporter of the colonial cause.[Cheslow, Jerry]
"If You're Thinking of Living In/Chatham; Rich Past, Bustling but Homey Present"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', April 17, 1994. Accessed September 23, 2012. This village also had been within Morris Township and it was an active community in the Revolutionary War. On August 19, 1892, Chatham seceded from the new township that had taken its name and adopted the village form of government established in the United States for the new state of New Jersey. Shortly thereafter, Chatham adopted the borough form of government on March 1, 1897.[
Florham Park was formed from portions of the township on March 20, 1899.][Weis, Eleanor]
Florham Park History
NJMorrisCountyOnline.com, November 3, 2005. Accessed July 17, 2011. "The growing settlement was always a legal part of a larger township; first Whippany; then Hanover Township (1718) which ran from the Passaic to the Delaware River; then Chatham Township (1806) until Florham Park was founded on March 20, 1899."
Most of Green Village has always been within the township's jurisdiction.
In 1773, the village ''John Day's Bridge'', a community governed by the English township of Morris since its settlement in 1710, was renamed as, ''Chatham'', in honor of Sir William Pitt, a British prime minister and the first Earl of Chatham
Earl of Chatham, 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 Burto ...
, who was most favorable toward the colonists of the 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 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after the ...
in issues with the British government.[ Participation in the Revolutionary War was significant by the residents of ]Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
. 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 the state of New Jersey following the revolution. That form of local government dates back to New Jersey's Township Act of 1798. Chatham Township was formed on February 12, 1806, with jurisdiction over the area of present-day Chatham Borough several communities and settlements, including some that had been part of Hanover and Morris Townships.[ A great deal of open, swampy, and mountainous land was included with the hamlets.
For a while, the new township included what are now ]Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
, Chatham Borough and Florham Park, as well as all of Green Village and all of the lands still governed by Chatham Township, but over time these settlements began to secede because of contention over insufficient funding of their projects. 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.[History]
Chatham Township. Accessed March 23, 2020.
Of the pre-revolutionary settlements included in its jurisdiction when it was formed, only portions of Green Village have remained governed by Chatham Township, which has never had a community center.
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
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
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 to 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 municipality that is now Florham Park was originally part of Hanover Township, before being included in the township formed in 1806 as Chatham Township. When it seceded from Chatham Township, it incorporated as a borough as Florham Park on March 20, 1899.][
The boundaries of Chatham Township have remained unchanged since 1899.
Post-]World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
suburban development ensued in the 1950s when farm lands, greenhouses, and flower nurseries began to be sold off.[ Families moved out to this rural suburban area as ownership of automobiles increased dramatically.
The township experienced even more extensive residential development, starting with the 1960s and 1970s, when rezoning enabled residential development of the open spaces and several farms and woodlands were sold off to developers.][ Cunningham, John T.br>''Chatham Township'']
pp. 7-8, Arcadia Publishing, 2001, Charleston, South Carolina. . Accessed July 20, 2016. For several generations, the largest, the Schwartz Farm had produced dairy products that were sold in local stores and schools and that were delivered to homes on scheduled routes. Former rose farms became two major shopping centers near the corner of Shunpike Road and Southern Boulevard. The corner was known as Hickory Tree, named for a hickory tree planted during President Madison's term.[
Heyl Roses in Green Village was the last and oldest commercial rose and cut flower grower in New Jersey, until its closure in 1999.
]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the township had a total area of 9.35 square miles (24.22 km2), including 9.08 square miles (23.51 km2) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.70 km2) of water (2.91%).
Chatham Township is located about west of New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on the eastern edge of Morris County. Chatham Township's neighboring municipalities to the south are Summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
, New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It is the location of the national capital city of Nassau, whose boundaries are coincident with the island; it had a population of 246 ...
, and Berkeley Heights in Union County. Long Hill Township and Harding Township (and its New Vernon section) to the west, Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
to the north, and Chatham Borough to the east all of which lie within Morris County.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Floral Hill, Great Swamp, Green Village (partially in Harding Township), Hickory Tree, Mount Vernon and The Orchard.
Green Village is the site of the Rolling Knolls Landfill, a landfill identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
as a Superfund
Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...
site. The landfill is bordered on two sides by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Established in 1960, it now is among what has grown to be more than 550 refuges in the United States National Wildlife Refuge System.
The initial portion of the ...
, and was formerly known as Miele's Dump, after owner Robert Miele. In operation from the 1930s until the late 1960s, the landfill accepted a wide variety of waste material from municipal and industrial sources, including residential septage and pharmaceutical materials. In 2010, the township designated the site as a redevelopment zone, with the possibility that the area could be remediated as a solar farm.
Weather
Chatham Township has a humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
and is slightly more variant (lows are colder, highs are warmer) than its neighbor east: New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Demographics
Census 2010
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted
In economics, nominal value is measured in terms of money, whereas real value is measured against goods or services. A real value is one which has been adjusted for inflation, enabling comparison of quantities as if the prices of goods had not c ...
dollars) median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $127,679 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,764) and the median family income was $182,216 (+/− $30,473). Males had a median income of $144,400 (+/− $29,559) versus $61,912 (+/− $8,237) for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $78,905 (+/− $6,319). About 1.2% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.
Based on data from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
, Chatham Township had a per capita income of $78,905 (ranked 14th in the state), compared to per capita income in Morris County of $47,342 and statewide of $34,858.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
there were 10,086 people, 3,920 households, and 2,771 families residing in Chatham Township. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
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
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.45% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.06% Native American, 4.81% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.15% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.95% of the population.[Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Chatham township, Morris County, New Jersey]
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
. Accessed September 23, 2012.[DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Chatham township, Morris County, New Jersey]
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
. Accessed September 23, 2012.
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, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
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 (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
was $65,497. About 1.9% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.[
]
Government
Local government
Chatham Township is governed under the Township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', ]Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...
, March 2013, p. 94. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as mayor. The ceremonial 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
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Ashley Felice ( R, term on committee ends December 31, 2023; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor
The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments.
Duties and functions
Many elected dep ...
Mark Hamilton (D, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Stacey Ewald ( D, 2022), Celeste Fondaco (D, 2022) and Mark Lois (R, 2024).[Mayor and Committee]
Chatham Township. Accessed May 25, 2022. "The Township form of government is the oldest form of municipal government in New Jersey.... Under the current township government laws, the township committee remains the backbone of the municipality's government. Voters elect the township committee's five members. The elections are partisan and the committee members serve three-year staggered terms. The Township Committee elects the mayor for a one-year term."[''Morris County Manual 2022'']
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county's population was enumerated at 509,285, Clerk. Accessed May 1, 2022.[''Morris County Municipal Elected Officials For The Year 2022'']
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county's population was enumerated at 509,285, Clerk, updated March 3, 2022. Accessed May 1, 2022.[General Election Winners For November 2, 2021]
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county's population was enumerated at 509,285, Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2022.[General Election 2020 November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results]
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county's population was enumerated at 509,285, , updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.[General Election November 5, 2019, Official Results]
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county's population was enumerated at 509,285, , updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 31, 2020.
Federal, state, and county representation
Chatham Township is located in the 11th Congressional District[Plan Components Report]
New Jersey Redistricting Commission
The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; t ...
, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 27th state legislative district.[Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District]
New Jersey Department of State
The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...
. Accessed February 1, 2020.[''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government'']
New Jersey League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...
. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Chatham Township had been in the 21st state legislative district.[''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government'']
, p. 56, New Jersey League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...
. Accessed May 22, 2015.
Morris County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners
A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...
comprised of seven members who are elected at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either one or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator, John Bonanni.[''Morris County Manual 2022'']
Morris County Clerk. Accessed June 1, 2022. , Morris County's Commissioners are
Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen ( R, Chatham Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2023; term as director ends 2022),
Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus (R, Washington Township, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022),
Douglas Cabana (R, Boonton Township, 2022),
Kathryn A. DeFillippo (R, Roxbury, 2022),
Thomas J. Mastrangelo (R, Montville, 2022),
Stephen H. Shaw (R, Mountain Lakes
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
, 2024) and
Deborah Smith (R, Denville
Denville Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, New Jersey, located west of Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 16,635, reflecting ...
, 2024).[
The county's constitutional officers are the ]County Clerk
A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...
and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term). , they are
County Clerk Ann F. Grossi (R, Parsippany–Troy Hills, 2023),
Sheriff James M. Gannon (R, Boonton Township, 2022) and
Surrogate Heather Darling (R, Roxbury, 2024).
Politics
As of May 17, 2016, there were a total of 7,925 registered voters in Chatham Township, of which 1,528 (19.28%) were registered as Democrats, 3,266 (38.4%) were registered as Republicans
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and 3,131 (39.5%) were registered as either Unaffiliated or as Libertarians
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and Minarchism, minimize the ...
or Greens
Greens may refer to:
*Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc.
Politics Supranational
* Green politics
* Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics
* Global Greens
* Europ ...
.
In the 2016 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*7 January: Kirib ...
, Democrat Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
received 50.29% of the vote (3,057 cast), ahead of Republican Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
with 44.35% (2,696 votes), and other candidates with 5.3% 326 votes, including 119 write-in votes, among the 6,169 ballots cast by the township's 8,282 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.4%
In the 2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January: E ...
, Republican Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
received 61.7% of the vote (3,393 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
with 37.6% (2,064 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (39 votes), among the 5,521 ballots cast by the township's 7,810 registered voters (25 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
received 53.8% of the vote (3,259 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 44.6% (2,699 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (59 votes), among the 6,053 ballots cast by the township's 7,639 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.2%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
received 59.3% of the vote (3,499 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...
with 39.5% (2,334 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (48 votes), among the 5,905 ballots cast by the township's 7,614 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.6.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 75.3% of the vote (2,594 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono
Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...
with 23.6% (814 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (39 votes), among the 3,499 ballots cast by the township's 7,748 registered voters (52 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 60.7% of the vote (2,583 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 29.1% (1,236 votes), Independent Chris Daggett
Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...
with 9.5% (405 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (13 votes), among the 4,252 ballots cast by the township's 7,407 registered voters, yielding a 57.4% turnout.
Shared services
Chatham Township shares various joint public services with Chatham Borough: the recreation program, the library (since 1974), the school district (created in 1986), the municipal court, and medical emergency squad (since 1936).
Together with Chatham Borough, Harding Township, Madison and Morris Township, Chatham Township is a member of a joint municipal court, which was created in 2010 and is located in Madison.
Education
Public schools
The School District of the Chathams is a regional public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
serving students in pre-kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...
through twelfth grade
Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
from Chatham Borough, New Jersey and Chatham Township. Chatham Borough 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.
As of the 2020–2021 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 3,930 students and 342.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio
Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...
of 11.5:1.[District information for School District Of The Chathams]
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...
. Accessed February 15, 2022. Schools in the district (with 2020–2021 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...
) are
Milton Avenue School with 284 students in grades Pre-K–3,
Southern Boulevard School with 414 students in grades K–3,
Washington Avenue School with 314 students in grades K–3,
Lafayette School with 592 students in grades 4–5,
Chatham Middle School with 984 students in grades 6–8 and
Chatham High School with 1,315 students in grades 9–12. The district's board of education
A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution.
The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...
is comprised of nine members who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration; the seats on the board are allocated to the constituent municipalities based on population, with Chatham Township assigned five seats.
For the 2004–2005 school year, Chatham High School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
, the highest award an American school can receive. Milton Avenue School was one of 11 in the state to be recognized in 2014 by the United States Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. The district's high school was the 1st-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''New Jersey Monthly
''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...
'' magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 20th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 8th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.
Private school
Chatham Day School is a private coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
al day school located in Chatham Township, serving students in preschool through eighth grade. The school has a total enrollment of 115 students. Founded in 1998, the school changed its name from The Darcy School after finding a permanent campus in Chatham Township in 2005.
Transportation
Roads and highways
, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Morris County.
No Interstate, U.S. or state highways cross Chatham Township. The only significant roads are minor county routes such as County Route 646 and County Route 647. However, Interstate 78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland Tunn ...
and Interstate 287 are both located in adjacent municipalities.
Public transportation
NJ Transit stops at the Chatham station to provide commuter service on the Morristown Line, with trains heading to the Hoboken Terminal and to Penn Station Pennsylvania Station is a name applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad to several of its grand passenger terminals.
Pennsylvania Station or Penn Station may also refer to
Current train stations
* Baltimore Penn Station
* Pennsylvania Station (Cinci ...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...
. It is a short drive from most of the township to the stations in Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
and Chatham, while the southern part of the township is closer to the Murray Hill station on the Gladstone Branch
The Gladstone Branch (also known as the Gladstone Line) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit from Gladstone station, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, to either Hoboken Terminal or New York Penn Station. It is one of two branches of th ...
.
NJ Transit local bus service had been provided on the MCM8
DNA replication licensing factor MCM8 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MCM8'' gene.
The protein encoded by this gene is one of the highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) that are essential for the initiation of ...
route.
Mail service
Chatham Township residents receive mail service through the post offices for Green Village and Chatham, depending on their ZIP Code. Green Village, a community partially located within Chatham Township, has a ZIP Code of 07935 and a post office located at 372 Green Village Road. The remaining area of Chatham Township (which constitutes the majority of its area) is served by the Chatham post office, whose ZIP Code is 07928. The main Chatham post office is located at 219 Main Street, across from the library, and its annex is in the old post office, around the corner at 19 Railroad Plaza facing the fire station.
Points of interest
* The Mount Vernon School, built 1860, once served as the township hall and is now the Red Brick Schoolhouse Museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
for its significance in education, politics/government, and social history.
* The Price-Baldwin House on Southern Boulevard, originally built , was expanded by Edward Price, a successful farmer and blacksmith, in the 1830s.
* The Lewis Noe Farmstead, built , played a role during the American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.
File:PRICE-BALDWIN HOUSE, CHATHAM, MORRIS COUNTY, NJ.jpg, Price-Baldwin House
File:LEWIS NOE FARMSTEAD, CHATHAM, MORRIS COUNTY, NJ.jpg, Lewis Noe Farmstead
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Chatham Township include:
* Madame Bey
Hranoush Sidky Bey (circa 1881 – January 30, 1942), better known as Madame Bey, also Hranuş Sıdki Hanım, was an American boxing trainer. She ran a boxing camp for world champion boxers in Chatham Township, New Jersey, in the United States. ...
(–1942), Turkish-born opera singer who ran a camp for boxers from 1923 until her death
* Lincoln Brower
Lincoln Pierson Brower (September 10, 1931 – July 17, 2018) was an American entomologist and ecologist, known for his work on monarch butterflies through six decades, including on their automimicry, chemical ecology and conservation. G. Paste ...
(1931–2018), was an American entomologist
Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...
and ecologist
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
, best known for his research on monarch butterflies
* Dan Canter (born 1961), soccer defender who played three seasons in the North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to:
*North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league
*North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
and three in Major Indoor Soccer League, in addition to playing with the United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.
The U.S. team ha ...
* Dave Given
Dave Given (born May 14, 1954) is an American former professional ice hockey right winger. He played one game in the World Hockey Association for the Vancouver Blazers. He is an alumnus of Brown University.
Given grew up in Chatham Township, Ne ...
(born 1954), former ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
right winger
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
who played one game in the World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
for the Vancouver Blazers
The Vancouver Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1975. The Blazers played at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, sharing the facility with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hocke ...
* Kathleen Hagen (1945–2015), physician who was convicted of murdering her parents by asphyxiation in their Chatham Township home
* Don Herrmann (born 1947), former wide receiver in the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
who played for the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
and the New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
* Deep Katdare (born 1970), financier and former actor
* Peter Kuhn (1955–2009), race car driver who won both the USAC and SCCA Formula Super Vee championships in 1980
* Andrew Prendeville
Andrew Prendeville (born October 5, 1981) is an American professional Auto racing, automobile racer.
In 2004, Prendeville took second place in the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 national championship. In 2002, at the Valvoline Runoffs, he won the ...
(born 1981), professional automobile racer
* Anne M. Thompson, specialist in atmospheric chemistry
* Billy Walsh (born 1975), former professional soccer player who played for the MetroStars[Yannis, Alex]
"Soccer; Great Run Of Rutgers Is Stopped By Virginia"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', December 10, 1994. Accessed August 6, 2015. "Pollard also started the winning goal, which was scored in the 54th minute by Billy Walsh, a freshman from Chatham Township, N.J."
References
External links
Chatham Township website
*
{{Morris County, New Jersey
1806 establishments in New Jersey
Populated places established in 1806
Township form of New Jersey government
Townships in Morris County, New Jersey