Rutherford is a

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 ...

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.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 Delawa ...

, United States. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the borough's population was 18,834. Rutherford was formed as a borough 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 September 21, 1881, from portions of Union Township, based on the results of a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...

held on the previous day.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 86. Accessed February 2, 2012. The borough was named for John Rutherfurd, a U.S. Senator who owned land in the area. Rutherford has been called the "Borough of Trees" and "The First Borough of Bergen County", and is known as well for its

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...

-focused downtown area adjacent to the borough's Bergen Line (

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

) railway station.

History

The ridge above the

New Jersey Meadowlands New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of ...

upon which Rutherford sits was settled by

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

Native Americans long before the arrival of Walling Van Winkle in 1687. Union Avenue, which runs from the Meadowlands to the

Passaic River Passaic River ( ) is a river, approximately long, in Northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey, ...

, may have been an Indian trail, but was more likely a property boundary line; it was referenced in the 1668 grant of land by proprietary

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Philip Carteret Rear-Admiral Philip Carteret, Seigneur of Trinity (22 January 1733, Trinity Manor, Jersey – 21 July 1796, Southampton) was a British naval officer and explorer who participated in two of the Royal Navy's circumnavigation expeditions in 176 ...

to John Berry. During the early days of settlement, the land that is now Rutherford was part of New Barbadoes Township, as Berry had lived in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

, another English colony, before claiming his grant in New Jersey. New Barbadoes was part of Essex County from 1693 to 1710, when Bergen County was formed. In 1826, the land became part of Lodi Township (of which today's remaining portion is now South Hackensack). When Hudson County was formed in 1840, the area that is today North Arlington, Lyndhurst, Rutherford and East Rutherford became part of Harrison Township (of which today's remaining portion is

Harrison Harrison may refer to: People * Harrison (name) * Harrison family of Virginia, United States Places In Australia: * Harrison, Australian Capital Territory, suburb in the Canberra district of Gungahlin In Canada: * Inukjuak, Quebec, or " ...

town). However, the area reverted to Bergen County in 1852 and became known as Union Township. Part of the region was known as Boiling Springs for a powerful and ceaseless spring located in the vicinity. Despite its name, the spring actually consisted of cold groundwater seeps rather than hot springs. The

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeastern United States, originally connecting New York City — more specifically Jersey City, New Jersey, where Erie's Pavonia Terminal, long demolished, used to stand — with Lake ...

built its Main Line from

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Daniel Van Winkle, a descendant of Walling, donated land in 1866 for a train station at Boiling Springs. Several resorts were built along the Passaic, with guests disembarking at Boiling Springs station and taking Union Avenue to the river. Later, the railroad opened a station closer to the river, at Carlton Hill, and a horsecar line (briefly on rails) along Jackson Ave took travelers to the resort area. At the time, much of the property in Rutherford was farmland owned by the estate of John Rutherfurd, a former New Jersey legislator and

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...

, whose homestead was along the Passaic River, near present-day Rutherford Avenue. Van Winkle opened a real estate office at Depot Square (now Station Square) to sell the land of the ''Rutherfurd Park Association'', and began to lay out the area's street grid. The main roads were Orient Way, a wide boulevard heading south-southwest from Station Square, and Park Avenue, which headed west-southwest from Station Square to bring traffic to the new Valley Brook Race Course in what is now Lyndhurst. In the 1870s, the area began to be called "Rutherford". The definitive reason for the change in spelling of the final syllable from "furd" to "ford" is unknown, though the change may have been the result of name recognition of the

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

politician

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...

, who was elected

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

in 1876, or could have been because of a clerical error by the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

. The Post Office opened a facility called "Rutherford" in 1876. On September 21, 1881, the Borough of Rutherford was formed by formal vote of secession from Union Township. By then, the community had about 1,000 residents.

Historic sites

Rutherford is home to the following locations on 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 ...

: *

Iviswold Iviswold, also known as "The Castle", is a house originally constructed in 1869 located in what is now Rutherford, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It was placed on the List of Registered Historic Places in New Jersey on November 4 ...

– 223 Montross Avenue (added 2004). Located on the campus of Felician College, a $9 million renovation project of the Iviswold castle that took 14 years was completed in 2013. Originally constructed by Floyd W. Tomkins in 1869, the house was expanded to three levels, 25 rooms and by textbook publisher David Brinkerhoff Iverson after he acquired the home in 1887, based on a design by architect William H. Miller. * Kip Homestead – 12 Meadow Road (added 1983). *

Rutherford station Rutherford is a New Jersey Transit railroad station served by the Bergen County Line. The station straddles the border between Rutherford and East Rutherford in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The station building and Hoboken Termi ...

– Station Square (added 1984). New Jersey Transit initiated a $1 million project in 2009 to renovate the station, which had been constructed in 1898, to restore the interior of the structure. * William Carlos Williams House – 9 Ridge Road (added 1973). * Yereance-Berry House – 91 Crane Avenue (added 1983).

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 th ...

, the borough had a total area of 2.89 square miles (7.49 km²), including 2.78 square miles (7.20 km²) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.29 km²) of water (3.88%). Rutherford is an inner-ring suburb 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 ...

, located west of

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 Buildi ...

. The borough is bounded by the

bordering

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People * Clifton (surname) * Clifton (given name) Places Australia *Clifton, Queensland, a town ** Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong * Clifton, Western Australia Canada * Clifton, Nova Sc ...

and

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...

in Passaic County to the west, the

bordering East Rutherford to the north and east, the

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the subur ...

bordering

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,Berrys Creek Berry's Creek (sometimes referred to as ''Berrys Creek'' or ''Berry Creek'') is a tributary of the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Bergen County, New Jersey. The creek watershed contains a diverse array of wetlands, marshes, and ...

, Wall Street West and Rutherford Avenue bordering Lyndhurst to the south and southwest.

Demographics

2020 Census

As of the 2020 Census, Rutherford borough had a population of 18,834 with 6,835 households. Of that population, 71.3% was white, 2.3% was black or African American, 0.2% was American Indian and Alaska Native, 16.2% was Asian, 7.7% was two or more races, and 22.7% was Hispanic or Latino. Of the total population, 50.6% were female. There were 455 veterans living in the borough and 24.5% were foreign born persons. The median household income was $106,817 with a per capita income of $48,764. 5.8% of the population lived beneath the poverty threshold. 95.0% of persons 25 years and older had a high school diploma, or more. And 51.9% of persons 25 years and older had a bachelor's degree or higher. 94.1% of the households had a computer and 89.8% had a broadband internet subscription.

2010 Census

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 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 ...

was $85,783 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,632) and the median family income was $104,293 (+/− $6,102). Males had a median income of $70,071 (+/− $8,275) versus $55,080 (+/− $4,045) 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 $41,662 (+/− $3,383). About 3.6% of families and 4.6% 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 ...

, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. Same-sex couples headed 65 households in 2010, an increase from the 48 counted in 2000.

2000 Census

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 c ...

there were 18,110 people, 7,055 households, and 4,670 families residing in the borough. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 6,451.7 people per square mile (2,488.4/km²). There were 7,214 housing units at an average density of 2,570.0 per square mile (991.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 81.99%

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 ...

, 2.70%

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 ...

, 0.04% Native American, 11.34% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.86% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 8.59% of the population. There were 7,055 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% 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 ...

living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.16. In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $63,820, and the median income for a family was $78,120. Males had a median income of $51,376 versus $39,950 for females. The

for the borough was $30,495. About 2.3% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the

, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Rutherford is the site of Architectural Window Manufacturing Corporation's plant and Blue Foundry Bank's (formerly Boiling Springs Savings Bank) corporate headquarters. Rutherford, together with Lyndhurst and North Arlington, was the site of the

EnCap EnCap was a proposal to build golf courses and homes on remediated landfills in the New Jersey Meadowlands in three communities in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States: Lyndhurst, North Arlington and Rutherford. In November 2007, Donald Tru ...

project, an effort to remediate landfills on the site and construct homes and golf courses on top of the remediated site. On May 27, 2008, the

New Jersey Meadowlands Commission The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC; formerly the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission) was a regional zoning, planning and regulatory agency in northern New Jersey. Its founding mandates were to protect the delicate balance of n ...

terminated its agreement with EnCap Golf Holdings, the company that had the contract to redevelop the site, after the company had missed targets to clean up the landfills as part of the project. The Highland Cross Development is a proposed project that is to consist of 800 units of housing, including 160 affordable units, two hotels and a large retail component. Rutherford officials have been working to get approval for the project in the face of opposition from the 14 mayors of the Hackensack Meadowlands Municipal Committee.

Arts and culture

William Carlos Williams William Carlos Williams (September 17, 1883 – March 4, 1963) was an American poet, writer, and physician closely associated with modernism and imagism. In addition to his writing, Williams had a long career as a physician practicing both pedia ...

, the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

–winning

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

who died in 1963, was born in Rutherford in 1883. For most of his adult life, he maintained a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

's office in the house in which he lived, at 9 Ridge Road, at the corner of Park Avenue, even as he continued his artistic endeavors. The Rivoli Theatre was opened in 1922 as a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

house but was quickly converted into a movie palace. It was known for a large crystal chandelier suspended from the center of the auditorium. On January 9, 1977, the Rivoli was severely damaged in a fire. Soon afterward, a plan was developed to restore the Rivoli and turn it into a performing arts center. The William Carlos Williams Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1981 and contains three movie screens as well as two performance halls. Since 1995, the Williams Center's primary focus has been on concerts, ballet, opera, and theater for children. Yereance-Berry house 1938

The Meadowlands Museum, which focuses on local history and began as a project of parents of children in the public schools in 1961 and was originally based in a room at Sylvan School, moved to the Yereance-Berry House at 91 Crane Avenue in 1974. The GFWC Woman's Club of Rutherford is a non-profit volunteer organization that was organized in 1889. The club is located in the former Iviswold carriage house. The Rutherford Community Band was founded in 1941 and performs free concerts at venues throughout the borough, including the Hutzel Memorial Band Shell in Lincoln Park.

Annual cultural events

Rutherford holds an annual

street fair A street fair celebrates the character of a neighborhood. As its name suggests, it is typically held on the main street of a neighborhood. The principal component of street fairs are booths used to sell goods (particularly food) or convey informa ...

Labor Day Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United St ...

which is the longest running street fair in New Jersey and usually attracts 20,000 people. The first annual Rutherford West End Festival was held October 3, 2009, in the West End section of town. The Rutherford Multicultural Festival is an annual event that provides traditional entertainment and food from around the world. In 2017, the first annual Rutherford Downhill Derby provided kids and adults with the opportunity to design, build and race gravity powered race carts. In 2018, the Rutherford Pride Alliance was founded. A year later, the Rutherford council unanimously approved of raising the LGBTQ flag to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.

Parks and recreation

Rutherford Memorial Park, in the northwest corner of town along the Passaic, was set aside as parkland by the voters in 1951. Its include two

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

diamonds, five

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

diamonds, a

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

stadium, six

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

courts, two

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

courts, and three

playground A playground, playpark, or play area is a place designed to provide an environment for children that facilitates play, typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some are designed for other age groups, or people ...

s. Other active recreation parks include Tamblyn Field, near Route 3. The borough also has several smaller passive parks, including Lincoln Park across from borough hall, which was renovated in 2004. It includes a band shell and several monuments, including a cannon dating to the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, and is home to the borough's

9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...

memorial, containing a piece of steel debris recovered from the site of the attacks. Sunset Park is located just north of the intersection of Union and Jackson Avenues and is on the western-facing side of a rather steep hill. A plan to redesign the park is currently being developed. Firefighters' Memorial Park is a pocket park located at the intersection of Park and Mortimer Avenues. Lincoln Park has been host to town events, concerts, and memorials for decades. The Rutherford Community Band plays concerts during the summer. Other summer concerts are sponsored by the borough, as well as several movie nights in the park. In the fall, it has hosted the Bergen County Cultural Festival, which is funded and run by the Civil Rights Commission. The Nereid Boat Club occupies a former boat sales building on the Passaic, at the foot of Newell Avenue. The

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

club, established in Nutley in 1875, relocated to Rutherford in 1996.

Government

Local government

Rutherford is governed under 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 New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a Mayor and a Borough Council, with all positions 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 ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year 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 land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 154. The Borough form of government used by Rutherford is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...

/ strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. The Borough operates with numerous committees to assist the government in carrying out its responsibilities. In addition to statutory bodies such as the planning board and zoning board of adjustment, dozens of volunteers staff other committees appointed annually, providing recommendations to the council. , the

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 ...

of the Borough of Rutherford is Democrat Frank Nunziato, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Rutherford Borough Council are Council President Mark Goldsack (D, 2022), Maria Begg-Roberson (D, 2024), Matthew Cokeley (D, 2023), Raymond L. Guzmán (D, 2024), Stephanie McGowan (D, 2023) and Thomas Mullahey (D, 2022).Mayor and Council
Borough of Rutherford. Accessed May 20, 2022. "Rutherford was incorporated in 1881 under the Borough form of government, the most common type in New Jersey. With a seven member governing body, the mayor of the Borough is elected every four years and two council members are elected at large each year for 3-year terms."''2021 County and Municipal Directory''

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Precinct Summary Results Report - Combined 2020 Bergen County General Election - November 3, 2020 Official Results

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bergen County November 5, 2019 General Election Statement of Vote

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Plan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 36th 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 ...

. 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.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 10,609 registered voters in Rutherford, of which 3,436 (32.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,287 (21.6% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 4,875 (46.0% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 11 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Bergen

Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 16, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 58.7% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 74.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide). In the 2016 presidential election, 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 4.796 votes (54.0% vs. 54.2% countywide), 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 P ...

with 3.681 votes (41.4% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 405 votes (4.6% vs. 4.6%), among the 8,978 ballots cast by the borough's 11,661 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.0% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, 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 (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

received 4,771 votes (57.7% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of 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 ...

with 3,313 votes (40.1% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 111 votes (1.3% vs. 0.9%), among the 8,266 ballots cast by the borough's 11,229 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.6% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 4,824 votes (53.7% vs. 53.9% countywide), ahead of 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 te ...

with 3,973 votes (44.2% vs. 44.5%) and other candidates with 117 votes (1.3% vs. 0.8%), among the 8,984 ballots cast by the borough's 11,275 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.7% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County).2008 General Election Results for Rutherford
''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee G ...

''. Accessed August 30, 2011. In the 2004 presidential election, 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, he ...

received 4,539 votes (52.2% vs. 51.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 4,030 votes (46.3% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 96 votes (1.1% vs. 0.7%), among the 8,698 ballots cast by the borough's 11,077 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.5% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

received 56.6% of the vote (2,918 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 42.2% (2,174 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (59 votes), among the 5,299 ballots cast by the borough's 10,653 registered voters (148 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

received 2,910 ballots cast (48.0% vs. 48.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 2,642 votes (43.6% vs. 45.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 421 votes (6.9% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 6,062 ballots cast by the borough's 10,957 registered voters, yielding a 55.3% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Bergen County, by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

and by the

New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge T ...

. In the 1920s, the original Route 17 came through downtown Rutherford. Following the

1927 New Jersey State Highway renumbering In 1927, New Jersey's state highways were renumbered. The old system, which had been defined in sequence by the legislature since 1916, was growing badly, as several routes shared the same number, and many unnumbered state highways had been d ...

, the new New Jersey Route 2 (later Route 17) was built in 1928, skirting the southeast edge of the borough, between the residential area and the

. In 1948, a new bypass road along the southwest edge of the borough was built to bring traffic from

and points west to the Lincoln Tunnel. The construction of the highway spur Route S3 (now Route 3) caused the demolition or relocation of numerous borough homes. In 2013, the Route 3 bridge over the Passaic River was replaced, and further improvements were made to the Rutherford section of the highway. The swing span of the Union Avenue Bridge over the Passaic was replaced in June 2002 as part of a $9.5 million project. A short portion of the New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur (

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

) passes through the southern section of Rutherford, but the closest interchange is located in neighboring East Rutherford (exit 16W).

Public transportation

Thanks to its easy access to

by rail, Rutherford became an early

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

. Following the initial wave of settlement in the late 19th century, an additional building boom occurred in the 1920s, when the majority of the borough's current housing stock was constructed. Public Service Railway brought trolley lines into Rutherford around the start of the 20th century. The lines extended east to Jersey City, south to Newark, north to Hackensack, and west to

. By the late 1940s, the trolleys were replaced by bus service. After the opening of the

Lincoln Tunnel The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and unsigned Ne ...

in 1937, the Inter-City Bus Company began bus service direct from Paterson to New York City. The line was taken over by

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

in the early 1980s. Today, NJ Transit offers service to and from New York City's

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 bus ...

on several routes. The

163 Year 163 ( CLXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laelianus and Pastor (or, less frequently, year 916 ''Ab urbe condi ...

offers rush hour service only, as Rutherford is not typically along its route. The 190 offers local service along Union Avenue and Orient Way. The 191, 192 and 195 routes all serve the portion of Rutherford that is adjacent to Route 3, as well as the portion of Route 17 that goes through Rutherford. The 76 bus provides service between Hackensack and Newark. Rutherford's train station, which was built by the

in 1898, serves passengers on NJ Transit's

Bergen County Line The Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either dir ...

. Service is available to

Suffern Suffern is a village that was incorporated in 1796 in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. Suffern is located 31 miles northwest of Manhattan. As of the 2010 census, Suffern's population was 10,723.Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York and under contract with the Connectic ...

's Port Jervis Line, as well as all other Bergen County Line stations as Rutherford is the last stop before

Secaucus Junction Secaucus Junction (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages and signed simply as Secaucus) is a NJ Transit Rail Operations commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey. The $450 million, station opened on December 15, 2003, and was ded ...

. Service is also provided to

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by nine NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, one Metr ...

with connections to Hudson–Bergen Light Rail, PATH, and NY Waterway service, and customers can connect at Secaucus for trains to

New York Penn Station Pennsylvania Station, also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station, is the main intercity railroad station in New York City and the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere, serving more than 600,000 passengers ...

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...

, and points west and south along the Morris & Essex Lines,

North Jersey Coast Line The North Jersey Coast Line is a commuter rail line running from Rahway to Bay Head, New Jersey, traversing through the Jersey Shore region. Operated by New Jersey Transit, the line is electrified as far south as Long Branch. On rail system m ...

, Northeast Corridor Line, and Montclair-Boonton Line. Access to the

Raritan Valley Line The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region in central New Jersey, United States. ...

is available at either Hoboken or at

Newark Penn Station Pennsylvania Station (also known as Newark Penn Station) is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, ...

via Secaucus.

Emergency services

Police

The Rutherford

Police The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...

Department (RPD) provides emergency and protective services to the borough of Rutherford. The RPD consists of 33 officers and five cadets currently in training
The current chief is John Russo who was appointed on March 26, 2013
The RPD responds to approximately 11,000 calls per year and conducts criminal investigations through its detective bureau. The police department was originally organized in June 1879 as the Rutherford Protective and Detective Association.

Fire

The Rutherford Fire Department (RFD) is an all-volunteer fire department. The RFD was organized in May 1871 and consists of one

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the bo ...

, one deputy chief and three assistant chiefs. There are five fire companies in three fire houses. Each company has a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and a Lieutenant. The department is staffed by 75 fully trained

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions als ...

s. The RFD utilizes three

Engines An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power g ...

, a

Ladder truck A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an ...

, a Heavy rescue vehicle, Heavy Rescue, a Special Service Unit and two boats. Two of Rutherford's firefighters—Edwin L. Ward in 1965 and Thomas E. Dunn in 1994—have died in the line of duty.

Ambulance

The Rutherford First Aid-Ambulance Corps is a volunteer service that was organized in 1949. The corp consists of 40 members that operate under the supervision of the Captain, First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant. The corps provides basic life support, and is staffed primarily by certified Emergency Medical Technicians. CPR-trained Ambulance driver, drivers are also sometimes on duty. They operate three Emergency Medical Services in the United States#Ambulances, Type III ambulances.

Education

The Rutherford School District serves the borough's public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,652 students and 208.7 classroom teachers (on an full-time equivalent, FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.7:1.District information for Rutherford School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Public education began in Rutherford prior to 1900, but the oldest school structure that is still standing is the former Park School, built in 1902. It is currently the home of the Rutherford borough hall, on Park Avenue. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Kindergarten Center (opened in 2014), Lincoln School (490 students; in grades Pre-K–3), Washington School (326; 1–3), Pierrepont School (595; 4–6), Union School (424; 7–8) and Rutherford High School (New Jersey), Rutherford High School (762; 9–12), built in 1922 and expanded in 1959 and 2005. Rutherford formerly had three "neighborhood" schools for grades K–5 (Washington, Lincoln, and Sylvan) which fed into two "magnet" schools for 6–8. The magnet schools also served as elementary schools for their neighborhoods. Sylvan School was closed at the end of the 2004–2005 school year and has become a handicapped preschool, as well as office space for the special services department. Public school students from the borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen County Technical High School, Teterboro Campus, Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Bergen County Technical High School, Paramus Campus, Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district. Iviswold2009

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church was established in Rutherford in the 1890s and opened a school shortly thereafter. The parish offers The Academy at Saint Mary for preschool through eighth grade and St. Mary High School (Rutherford, New Jersey), St. Mary High School, founded in 1929. Both schools are operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. In 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University was founded in Rutherford as a two-year college, anchored by the Iviswold, Iviswold Castle on Montross Avenue, which was built in the 1880s as a summer home by David B. Ivison. After FDU expanded to a four-year college and then to offering graduate programs, it acquired other, larger campuses, and eventually left Rutherford, offering the campus for sale due to financial difficulties. In the fall of 1997, the Rutherford campus was purchased by Felician College, an independent private Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic institution, which often has cultural and community events.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Rutherford include: * Alfred Andriola (1912–1983), cartoonist * Maxwell Becton (1868–1951), co-founder of Becton Dickinson * Erin Conaton (born 1970), former United States Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness who had previously served as United States Under Secretary of the Air Force, Under Secretary of the Air Force * Howard Crook (born 1947), lyric tenor * Wilhelmina Marguerita Crosson (1900–1991), educator and school administrator known for her innovative teaching methods who was one of the first African-American female schoolteachers in Boston * Crowbar (wrestler), Crowbar (born 1974), former professional wrestler * George Dayton (senator), George Dayton (1827–?), represented Bergen County in the New Jersey Senate from 1875 to 1877 * Fairleigh S. Dickinson (1866–1948), co-founder of Becton Dickinson and the named benefactor of Fairleigh Dickinson University * Fairleigh Dickinson Jr. (1920–1996), member of the New Jersey Senate in 1968 * Kathleen Donovan (born 1952), County Executive of

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

center (basketball), center who played two seasons in the Basketball Association of America for the Philadelphia Warriors * Daniel Holsman, politician who represented Bergen County in the New Jersey Senate from 1863 to 1865 * Kim Kyung-jun (born 1987), violinist * William Labov (born 1927), linguist * John Cridland Latham (1888–1975), Medal of Honor recipient * Thomas Le Clear (1818–1882), painter * Robert Leckie (author), Robert Leckie (1920–2001), author * John Marin (1870–1953), early modernist artist * Pamela McCorduck (1940–2021), author who wrote about the history and philosophical significance of artificial intelligence, the future of engineering, and the role of women and technology * Bernie McInerney (born 1936), character actor * René A. Morel (1932–2011), luthier * Charlie Morrow (born 1942), sound artist, composer, conceptualist and performer * Richard Cooper Newick (1926–2013), multihull sailboat designer * Peggy Noonan (born 1950), author of seven books and was Special Assistant to former President Ronald Reagan * Thomas R. Pickering (born 1931), United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1989 to 1992 * Kate Pierson (born 1948), singer with The B-52's * Two Tears, Kerry Davis (Born 1970), recording artist; member of American all-female punk rock, punk band Red Aunts and creator of Two Tears * John Rutherfurd (1760–1840), United States Senator * Calvin J. Spann (1924–2015), an original Tuskegee Airman and fighter pilot with the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group * Brian Kim Stefans (born 1969), poet * Walter H. Stockmayer (1914–2004), chemist and university teacher * Ellen R. Thompson (1928–2014), composer and music educator * Daniel Van Winkle (1816–1886), developer who sold the land of the Rutherfurd Park Association and laid out the street grid pattern for Rutherford * Winant Van Winkle (1879–1943), represented Bergen County in the New Jersey Senate from 1935 to 1940 * Walker Whiting Vick (1878–1926), an aide to Woodrow Wilson * Siobhan Vivian (born 1979), novelist, editor and screenwriter * Victor Victori (born 1943), portraitist, painter, sculptor and author * Alexander Russell Webb (1846–1916), writer and publisher *

(1883–1963), poet * Chris Wragge (born 1970), News presenter, news anchor for WCBS-TV * Ramy Youssef (born 1991), stand-up comedian and writer, who is best known for his role as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu comedy series ''Ramy (TV series), Ramy''

Professional athletes

* Brant Alyea (born 1940), baseball player who hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in the majors. and grew up in Rutherford * Jim Blumenstock (1918–1963), fullback who played for the New York Giants in the 1947 season * Deedy Crosson (1898–1973), Negro league shortstop in the 1920s * Jim Garrett (born 1930), college football coach and professional football player * Drew Gibbs (–2021),

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

coach who was head coach of the Kean University Cougars during the 1989 season and was a head coach at Ramapo High School (New Jersey), Ramapo High School * Bill Hands (born 1940), former professional baseball pitcher who was a 20-game winner for the Chicago CubsAdamek, Steve
"Where are they now? Rutherford's Bill Hands"
''

'', May 31, 2010. Accessed May 14, 2016. "But Rutherford (where he (Bill Hands) grew up playing with Brant Alyea, a former big league outfielder) also is still home," * Frank Herrmann (born 1984), pitcher for the Cleveland Indians * Bobby Jones (left-handed pitcher), Bobby Jones (born 1972), former pitcher who played for the New York Mets * Rodney Leinhardt (born 1970), Professional wrestling, professional wrestler * Vin Mazzaro (born 1986), pitcher for the Kansas City Royals * Da'Mon Merkerson (born 1989), football cornerback who played for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League * Shaun O'Hara (born 1977), center for the New York Giants * Pat Pacillo (born 1963), pitcher for Cincinnati Reds who debuted on May 23, 1987 * Leo Paquin (1910–1993), end (American football), end for Fordham University as part of the 1936 line known as the "Seven Blocks of Granite" * Percy Prince (1887–1973), English amateur association football, footballer who played as a centre-forward for Southampton F.C., Southampton and Boscombe F.C., Boscombe in the early 20th century * Eddy Rolon (born 1973), a professional mixed martial artist and submission grappler, has lived in Rutherford since 1996. Rolon is one of the first state licensed MMA competitors in New Jersey as well as the 2001 IFC Battleground Heavyweight champion * Jim Spanarkel (born 1957), former professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers * Michael Strahan (born 1971), former defensive end for the New York Giants * Stan Walters (born 1948), former offensive tackle who played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Philadelphia Eagles * Corey Wootton (born 1987), defensive end for the Chicago BearsCimini, Rich
"Jets need D-line help on Day 2"
ESPN, April 30, 2010. Accessed February 22, 2011. "If Rex Ryan wants a five-technique end for his 3-4 scheme, a candidate is Northwestern's Corey Wootton (6-6, 270). Like Wilson, he's a Jersey kid, born in Rutherford and a former standout at Don Bosco Prep."

References

Sources

* ''Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)'' prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958. * Clayton, W. Woodford; and Nelson, William
''History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men.''
Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1882. * Harvey, Cornelius Burnham (ed.)
''Genealogical History of Hudson and Bergen Counties, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Genealogical Publishing Co., 1900. * Neumann, William
''Rutherford''
Arcadia Publishing, 2012. . * Van Valen, James M
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey.''
New York: New Jersey Publishing and Engraving Co., 1900. * Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858–1942
''History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630–1923''
Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1923.