Weehawken, New Jersey
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Weehawken is a
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, ...
in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of
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 ...
. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...
. 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 population was 17,197.QuickFacts Weehawken township, Hudson 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 th ...
. Accessed June 26, 2022.


Name

The name ''Weehawken'' is generally considered to have evolved from the Algonquian language Lenape spoken by the Hackensack and Tappan. It has variously been interpreted as "maize land", "place of gulls", "rocks that look like trees", which would refer to the Palisades, atop which most of the town sits, or "at the end", among other suggested translations. Three U.S. Navy ships have been named for the city. The USS ''Weehawken'', launched on November 5, 1862, was a ''Passaic''-class monitor, or ironclad ship, which sailed for the Union Navy during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, encountered battles at the Charleston, South Carolina coast, and sank in a moderate gale on December 6, 1863. The ''Weehawken'' was the last ferry to The West Shore Terminal on March 25, 1959, at 1:10 am, ending 259 years of continuous ferry service. Weehawken Street in
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 ...
's
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
was the site of a colonial
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...
ferry landing. The name and the place have inspired mention in multiple works of popular culture.


History

Weehawken was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature, on March 15, 1859, from portions of Hoboken and
North Bergen North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by ...
. A portion of the township was ceded to Hoboken in 1874. Additional territory was annexed in 1879 from
West Hoboken West Hoboken was a municipality that existed in Hudson County, New Jersey, from 1861 to 1925. It merged with Union Hill to form Union City on June 1, 1925. The town is notable for being the first city in which Mallomars were sold.Barron, Jam ...
.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 148. Accessed October 25, 2012.
The township's written history began in 1609, when
Henry Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. In 1607 and 16 ...
, on his third voyage to the New World, sailed down what was later named the North River on the Half Moon and weighed anchor in Weehawken Cove. At the time it was the territory of the Hackensack and Tappan, of the Turtle Clan, or Unami, a branch of the Lenni Lenape. They were displaced by immigrants to the province of
New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva ...
, who had begun to settle the west bank of the Hudson at Pavonia in 1630. On May 11, 1647,
Maryn Adriansen Maryn Adriansen (1600 – c.1654) (also spelled Maryn Adriaensen, Marinus Adriaensz, Marijn Adriaensz, Marin Adriaensz, Marinus Ariaens) was an early settler to New Netherland. Originally emigrating under an Indenture agreement he later became a pro ...
received a patent for a plantation (of 169 acres) at ''Awiehaken''. In 1658, Director-General of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant negotiated a deal with the Lenape to purchase all the land from ''"the great rock above Wiehacken"'', west to ''Sikakes'' (
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,Constable Hook). In 1661, Weehawken became part of
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...
when it (and most of northeastern New Jersey) came under the jurisdiction of the court at Bergen Square. In 1674, New Netherland was ceded to the British, and the town became part of the Province of East Jersey. John Luby, in 1677, acquired several parcels comprising along the Hudson. Most habitation was along the top of the cliffs since the low-lying areas were mostly marshland. Descriptions from the period speak of the dense foliage and forests and excellent land for growing vegetables and orchard fruits. As early as 1700 there was regular, if sporadic ferry service from Weehawken. In 1752, King George II made the first official grant for ferry service, the ferry house north of Hoboken primarily used for farm produce, and likely was sold at the
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
landing that became Weehawken Street. 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 ...
, Weehawken was used as a lookout for the patriots to check on the British, who were situated in New York and controlled the surrounding waterways. In fact, in July 1778,
Lord Stirling William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling (1726 – 15 January 1783), was a Scottish-American major general during the American Revolutionary War. He was considered male heir to the Scottish title of Earl of Stirling through Scottish lin ...
asked Aaron Burr, in a letter written on behalf of General
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
, to employ several persons to "go to Bergen Heights, Weehawk, Hoebuck, or any other heights thereabout to observe the motions of the enemy's shipping" and to gather any other possible intelligence. Early documented inhabitants included a Captain James Deas, whose stately residence at Deas' Point was located atop a knoll along the river. Lafayette had used the mansion as his headquarters and later
Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...
came to gaze at Manhattan. Not far from Deas' was a ledge 11 paces wide and 20 paces long, situated above the Hudson on the Palisades. This ledge, long gone, was the site of 18 documented duels and probably many unrecorded ones in the years 1798–1845. The most famous is the duel between General Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury, and Colonel Aaron Burr, sitting third Vice President of the United States, which took place on July 11, 1804; this duel was re-enacted on its 200th anniversary (July 11, 2004) by descendants of Hamilton and Burr. Three years earlier, a duel was held at this spot between Hamilton's son, Philip Hamilton, and
George Eacker George I. Eacker ( 1774 – January 4, 1804) was a New York lawyer. He is best known for having fatally shot Philip Hamilton, the eldest son of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, in a duel on November 23, 1801, in Weehawken, N ...
."The American Experience – The Duel – People & Events – Philip Hamilton's Duel"
, PBS. Accessed March 21, 2022. "When Alexander Hamilton's 19-year-old son rose to his father's defense on November 20, 1801, he took the first step of a violent process that had become an American social convention – the duel.... The weapons chosen were pistols; the dueling site the heights of Weehawken, New Jersey, just across the Hudson from New York."
(Another source, however, puts the duel in Paulus Hook in Jersey City.) Phillip, who had been defending his father's honor, suffered a fatal wound in his hip and his left arm and died two days later on November 24, 1801. In the mid-19th century,
James G. King James Gore King (May 8, 1791 – October 3, 1853) was an American businessman and Whig Party politician who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term from 1849 to 1851. Ea ...
built his estate Highwood on the bluff that now bears his name, and entertained many political and artistic figures of the era, including Daniel Webster. With the ferry, the Hackensack Plank Road (a toll road that was a main artery from Weehawken to Hackensack), and later, the West Shore Railroad, built during the early 1870s, the waterfront became a transportation hub. The wealthy built homes along the top of the New Jersey Palisades, where they might flee from the sweltering heat of New York, and breathe the fresh air of the heights. Weehawken became the playground of the rich during the middle to late 19th century. A series of wagon lifts, stairs, and even a passenger
elevator An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They ...
designed by the same engineer as those at the
Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed ...
(which at the time was the world's largest) were put in place to accommodate the tourists and summer dwellers. The Eldorado Amusement Park, a pleasure garden which opened in 1891, drew massive crowds.


Geography

Weehawken is part of the
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
. Situated on the western shore of the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...
, along the southern end of the New Jersey Palisades across from Midtown
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 ...
, it is the western terminus of the Lincoln Tunnel. Weehawken is one of the towns that comprise North Hudson, sometimes called NoHu in the artistic community.Paul, Mary; and Matzner, Caren
"Scores of artists find a place in N. Hudson WNY, Union City, Weehawken, and North Bergen becoming 'NoHu'"
''The Union City Reporter'', April 17, 2008, pages 1, 6 and 19. Accessed January 14, 2012.
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 township had a total area of 1.48 square miles (3.82 km2), including 0.78 square miles (2.03 km2) of land and 0.69 square miles (1.79 km2) of water (46.69%). The township borders the municipalities of Hoboken, Union City and
West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...
in Hudson County; and the
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 ...
borough of
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 ...
, across the Hudson River. While the Palisades defines Weehawken's natural topography, the Lincoln Tunnel (which cuts the town in half) looms as an inescapable man-made feature. Geographically, Weehawken has distinct neighborhoods: Downtown, the Heights, Uptown (which includes Kingswood Bluff, known as "The Bluff"), and the Waterfront, which since the 1990s has been developed for transportation, commercial, recreational and residential uses. Though some are long abandoned (e.g., Grauert Causeway), there are still several outdoor public staircases (e.g., Shippen Steps) throughout the town, and more than 15 "dead-end" streets. At its southeastern corner is Weehawken Cove which, along with the rail tracks farther inland, defines Weehawken's border with Hoboken. Its northern boundary is shared with
West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...
. Traversing Weehawken is Boulevard East, a scenic thoroughfare offering a sweeping vista of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline.Sherman, Lauren; and Gaulkin, Ellen Robb
''Weehawken''
Arcadia Publishing, 2009. . Accessed October 23, 2015.
Local zoning laws prohibit the construction of high-rise buildings that would obstruct sight-lines from higher points in town. In a 1999 decision that blocked the development of a pair of waterfront towers that would have stood , a judge cited the panoramic vistas from Weehawken as "a world-class amenity that encourages people to live, work and locate businesses in the area". In 2021, the development company Roseland donated 14.5 acres of the Palisades cliff face to the town in order to preserve its beauty and its history. The turn of the 20th century saw the end of the large estates,
casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
s, hotels, and theaters as tourism gave way to subdivisionsSenft, Bret
"If You're Thinking of Living In/Weehawken; Insular With a Magnificent Skyline View"
''
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 ...
'', September 25, 1994. Accessed February 9, 2015.
(such as Highwood Park and Clifton Park) and the construction of many of the private homes still seen in town. This coincided with the influx of the Germans, Austrians, and Swiss, who built them and the breweries and embroidery factories in nearby Union City and
West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...
. While remaining essentially residential, Weehawken continued to grow as Hudson County became more industrial and more populated. Shortly after
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, a significant contingent of Syrian immigrants from Homs (a major textile center in its own right) moved into Weehawken to take advantage of the burgeoning textile industry.


Demographics


2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey 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 $62,435 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,887) and the median family income was $90,903 (+/− $17,797). Males had a median income of $53,912 (+/− $7,426) versus $50,129 (+/− $3,238) for females. The per capita income for the township was $45,206 (+/− $5,011). About 10.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.


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 13,501 people, 5,975 households, and 3,059 families residing in the township. The population density was 15,891.3 people per square mile (6,132.7/km2). There were 6,159 housing units at an average density of 7,249.4 per square mile (2,797.7/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 73.05%
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 ...
, 3.58%
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 ...
, 0.20% Native American, 4.67% Asian, 0.10%
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 ...
, 13.94% from other races, and 4.47% 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 40.64% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Weehawken township, 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 th ...
. Accessed November 12, 2012.
DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Weehawken township, Hudson 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 th ...
. Accessed November 12, 2012.
There were 5,975 households, out of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.8% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.02. In the township the population was spread out, with 16.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 42.4% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $50,196, and the median income for a family was $52,613. Males had a median income of $41,307 versus $36,063 for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,269. About 9.3% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over. Weehawken, with a population density about equal to that of Jersey City, is among the most densely populated municipalities in the United States.


Economy

Weehawken has a retail district along Park Avenue (its boundary with Union City) and large office and apartment/townhouse developments along the Hudson River. Weehawken is a mostly residential community, but has a business district at Lincoln Harbor between the Lincoln Tunnel and Weehawken Cove.
UBS UBS Group AG is a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Co-headquartered in the cities of Zürich and Basel, it maintains a presence in all major financial centres as the largest Swi ...
, Swatch Group USA, Hartz Mountain Telx Technologies ( colocation center) are among the corporations which maintain offices in the neighborhood, which also hosts a Sheraton Hotels and Resorts-branded hotel.


Sports

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
announced plans in 2011 to host a street race on a circuit stretching in Weehawken and West New York called
Grand Prix of America The Grand Prix of America was a failed Formula One World Championship race proposal. In 2011, plans were revealed for the race for target planned entry into the 2013 Formula One World Championship. The plan was to hold the race on the proposed ...
, that was planned to have its first event in June 2013. The three-day event was anticipated to attract 100,000 people and bring in approximately $100 million in economic activity. The 2013 race was dropped from the calendar, with Formula One President and CEO Bernie Ecclestone stating that the promoters were in breach of contract and that new proposals from other parties would be welcome.Staff
"New Jersey Grand Prix organizers in breach of contract says Ecclestone"
''
Autoweek ''Autoweek'' is a car culture publication based in Detroit, Michigan. It was first published in 1958 and in 1977 the publication was purchased by Crain Communications Inc, its current parent company. The magazine was published weekly and focused ...
'', December 23, 2013. Accessed March 6, 2018. "Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that the organizers of the proposed Grand Prix in New Jersey are in breach of their race contract and have not paid him since signing the agreement in 2011. Speaking to Autoweek over lunch in London, Ecclestone also said that several groups are considering whether to take over the race from the current management to ensure that it goes ahead. The race, known as the Grand Prix of America, is planned to run on 3.2-miles of public roads in Port Imperial, a district in the New Jersey towns of West New York and Weehawken."
The race was repeatedly added then removed from future Formula One provisional calendars, and dropped completely from the provisional calendar by 2016.


Points of interest

Though the panoramic view (from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to George Washington Bridge) may be its most famous attraction, Weehawken is also home to other sites of historic, aesthetic, and engineering importance: * The city's main commercial thoroughfare is Park Avenue, which is populated mostly by locally owned stores, eateries and bars.Smith, Ray (March 11, 2012). "The State of Main Street". ''
The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the '' Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983 ...
: Progress Report''. pp. 4, 11.
* Hamilton Park, on Boulevard East, is located at the site of the former Eldorado Amusement Resort. * King's Bluff, a historic district at "the end of the Palisades", includes many of Weehawken's most expensive homes, in an eclectic array of architectural styles * The Weehawken Water Tower on Park Avenue was built in 1883 as part of the
Hackensack Water Company Complex The Hackensack Water Company Complex is a set of historic buildings in Weehawken, New Jersey, registered in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Hackensack Water Company, a predecessor of Suez North America, developed water supply an ...
, and inspired by Palazzo Vecchio in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
, Italy. The Tower is cited on the Federal Maritime Chart as the "Red Tower" and serves as a warning to ships traveling south along the Hudson that they are approaching New York Bay. * The former North Hudson Hospital is located on Park Avenue. * Hackensack Plank Road, an early colonial thoroughfare first laid out in 1718, climbs from Downtown to ''The Heights'' and further north, originally connecting Hoboken and Hackensack. * The "Horseshoe" on Shippen Street is a cobbled double hairpin street leading to Hackensack Plank Road and Shippen Street Steps, at the bottom of which is located Weehawken's original town hall, and is the home of VFW Post 1923 and the Weehawken Historical Commission. * Hackensack Number Two, a reservoir previously part of Hudson County's water system along with No. 1 (demolished), in the Gregory/Highpoint Historic District, is named for the
river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...
from which water was pumped into them. * The
Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...
is the eight-lane circular viaduct that leads into the
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unit ...
style Lincoln Tunnel Toll Plaza. Nearby are the ventilation towers at Lincoln Harbor. * The Weehawken Public Library, which was built in 1904 as the home the son of William Peter Sr., wealthy brewer/beer baron of the William Peter Brewing Company, is located at 49 Hauxhurst Avenue. It opened as a library in 1942, and underwent renovations from 1997 to 1999. * The Atrium, which is home to Hudson River Performing Arts Center-sponsored events. * NY Waterway's Weehawken Port Imperial Ferry Terminal, a state-of-the-art facility opened in 2006, is located at the site of the United Fruit Company, which was the largest banana import facility in the nation from the time of its opening in 1952. * Reservoir Park, located at 20th to 22nd Streets on Palisade Avenue, opened on September 25, 2015, The passive park at the border of Union City and Weehawken, was created on the site of a reservoir that had been owned by United Water but hadn't been used since 1996. * The West Shore Railroad Tunnel, carved through the cliffs, is now used for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. * The ''
Hudson Riverfront 9/11 Memorial The ''Hudson Riverfront 9/11 Memorial'', also known as the ''Weehawken 9/11 Memorial'', is a memorial in Weehawken, New Jersey. It commemorates the '9/11 boat lift', the emergency rescue response, and those who perished (including five Weehawken ...
'' on the Hudson River Walkway near the foot of Pershing Road consists of two trident-shaped beams that served as supports for the twin towers of the World Trade Center. File:Hamilton Park, Jersey City.JPG, View from Hamilton Park File:Weehawken Water Tower jeh.jpg, Water Tower File:12.17.09WeehawkenLibraryByLuigiNovi1.jpg, Public Library File:A355, September 11th Memorial, Hudson River Walk, Weehawken, New Jersey, USA, 16 April 2012.JPG, 9/11 Memorial


Hamilton Monument

The Alexander Hamilton Monument on Hamilton Avenue, next to Hamilton Park, is the site of the second memorial to the
Burr–Hamilton duel The Burr–Hamilton duel took place in Weehawken, New Jersey, between Aaron Burr, the Vice President of the United States, and Alexander Hamilton, the first and former Secretary of the Treasury, on the morning of July 11, 1804. The duel was th ...
between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The first, on the original duel site, was constructed in 1806 by the Saint Andrew Society, of which Hamilton had been a member. A 14-foot (4.3-m)
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
cenotaph, consisting of an
obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...
, topped by a flaming urn and a plaque with a quote from Horace, surrounded by an iron fence, was raised about where Hamilton was believed to have fallen.Willie. 2004
"The Changing Face of the Hamilton Monument"
. Weehawken Historical Commission. pp. 3–4.
Duels continued to be fought at the site, and the marble was slowly vandalized and removed for souvenirs, disappearing entirely by 1820. The tablet turned up in a junk store and found its way to the New-York Historical Society in
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 ...
, where it still resides. From 1820 to 1857, the site was marked by two stones, with the names Hamilton and Burr, placed where they were thought to have stood during the duel. When a road from Hoboken to Fort Lee was built through the site in 1858, an inscription on a boulder where a mortally wounded Hamilton was thought to have rested—one of the many pieces of
graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
left by visitors—was all that remained. No primary accounts of the duel confirm the boulder anecdote. In 1870, railroad tracks were built directly through the site, and the boulder was hauled to the top of the Palisades, where it remains today, located just off the Boulevard East. In 1894, an iron fence was built around the boulder, supplemented by a bust of Hamilton and a plaque. The bust was thrown over the cliff on October 14, 1934, by vandals, and the head was never recovered; a new bust was unveiled on July 12, 1935. The plaque was stolen by vandals in the 1980s, and an abbreviated version of the text was inscribed on the indentation left in the boulder, which remained until the early 1990s, when a
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...
pedestal was added in front of the boulder, and the bust was moved to the top of the pedestal. New historical markers were added on July 11, 2004, the 200th anniversary of the duel.


Government


Local government

Weehawken operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of municipal government. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of a five-member Township Council, whose members are elected to serve four-year terms of office on a concurrent basis in non-partisan elections held in May. Two council members are elected from the township
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 ...
and the remainder are chosen from each of three wards. The council selects a mayor from among its members in a reorganization meeting held in the first week of July after the election.''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. 135.
, the mayor of Weehawken is Richard F. Turner (at-large), whose term of office ends June 30, 2026. Turner has served in office since he first became mayor in 1990 after Stanley Iacono chose not to run for reelection. Other members of the Township Council are Deputy Mayor Rosemary J. Lavagnino (2nd Ward), David J. Curtis (3rd Ward), Carmela Silvestri-Ehret (1st Ward) and Robert Sosa (at large), all serving terms of office expiring on June 30, 2026.Mayor and Township Council
Township of Weehawken. Accessed December 1, 2022.
2022 Municipal Election May 10, 2022 Official Results
Hudson County, New Jersey, updated June 1, 2022. Accessed December 1, 2022.
Elected Officials
Hudson County, New Jersey Clerk. Accessed December 1, 2022.
In October 2021, the Township Council appointed Robert Sosa to fill the Third Ward seat expiring in June 2022 that had been held by Raul I. Gonzalez until he resigned from office after announcing that he was moving out of Weehawken. Sosa had previously served on the council after initially having been elected to serve in 1978. Giovanni D. Ahmad is the township manager.


Federal, state and county representation

Weehawken is located in the 8th Congressional DistrictPlan Components Report
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.
and is part of New Jersey's 33rd state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.
''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.
Prior to the 2010 Census, Weehawken had been part of the , a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 66, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.
Hudson County Board of County Commissioners District 7 comprises
Weehawken Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.
,
West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...
, and Guttenberg and is represented by Caridad Rodriguez.


Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 7,335 registered voters in Weehawken, of which 3,717 (50.7%) were registered as Democrats, 850 (11.6%) were registered as Republicans and 2,753 (37.5%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 15 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. 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 74.7% of the vote (3,692 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 23.6% (1,169 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (83 votes), among the 4,969 ballots cast by the township's 7,995 registered voters (25 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 62.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 72.4% of the vote (3,895 cast), 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 26.1% (1,406 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (52 votes), among the 5,381 ballots cast by the township's 8,230 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.4%. 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 65.0% of the vote (3,250 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 33.8% (1,688 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (26 votes), among the 4,997 ballots cast by the township's 7,293 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 68.5. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, 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 ...
received 55.5% of the vote (1,407 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 42.2% (1,070 votes), and other candidates with 2.4% (60 votes), among the 2,637 ballots cast by the township's 8,135 registered voters (100 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 32.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 69.9% of the vote (2,209 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 25.1% (792 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 3.8% (119 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (27 votes), among the 3,161 ballots cast by the township's 7,220 registered voters, yielding a 43.8% turnout.


Public safety

Weehawken is served by North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR). Engine 3 and Engine 5 are assigned to two fire stations located in the township. Weehawken Volunteer First Aid and the Weehawken Police Department were among the many Hudson County agencies that responded to the January 2009 crash of
Flight 1549 US Airways Flight 1549 was a regularly scheduled US Airways flight from New York City (LaGuardia Airport), to Charlotte and Seattle, in the United States. On January 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 serving the flight struck a flock of birds short ...
, for which they received accolades from the survivors.


Mayors

* Simon Kelly, 1887 to 1897. * Edward W. Berger . * Morris Frost, in 1908 for a week. * William H. Wood . * George Gonzales . * William M. Brady in 1917. * Emile W. Grauert (1855–1931), 1912 to April 20, 1931. He was born in 1855 in
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 ...
and later worked as an architect. His mayorship was possibly split over non-consecutive terms. He died in the mayor's office on April 20, 1931, from a heart attack."Widow, 72, Succeeds Weehawken Mayor"
''
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 ...
'', May 14, 1931. Accessed November 14, 2019. "Mrs. Clara E. Grauert, 72-year-old widow of Emile W. Grauert, who at the time of his death on April 20. had completed twenty-one years as Mayor of Weehawken, N. J., was sworn in last night at the Weehawken City Hall as her husband's successor."
* Clara E. Grauert, the 72-year-old widow of Emile W. Grauert starting in 1931 filling the office of her husband. * John Meister in 1949. * Charles F. Krause Jr. in 1956. * Stanley D. Ianoco from before 1972 to 1979. * Wally P. Lindsley (born 1949), from 1979 to 1982. * Stanley D. Ianoco, 1982 to 1990, in his second non-consecutive turn. * Richard F. Turner (born 1950), from 1990 to present.


Education

The
Weehawken School District The Weehawken School District is a comprehensive community state school, public school district consisting of three schools serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Township (New Jersey), Township of Weehawken, New Jer ...
serves public school 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 ...
. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,458 students and 120.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.District information for Weehawken Public School District
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 financ ...
. Accessed April 1, 2020.
Schools in the district (with 2018–19 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 financ ...
) are Daniel Webster School served 418 students in Pre-K through 2nd grade, Theodore Roosevelt School served 420 students in grades 3–6 and Weehawken High School served 569 students in grades 7–12 The school system is known for its small classes and high ratings. The Woodrow Wilson Arts Integrated School (grades 1–8), located in Weehawken, was part of the Union City School District. Hoboken Catholic School, a consolidation of existing Catholic schools, is located in Hoboken. A K–8 school, it was formerly co-sponsored by St. Lawrence Church in Weehawken and four Hoboken churches before the archdiocese's Lighting the Way program changed the allocation of money for schools in the archdiocese. The Weehawken Public Library has a collection of approximately 43,000 volumes and circulates 40,600 items annually. and is a member of the
Bergen County Cooperative Library System The Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS, pronounced "buckles") is a consortium of public libraries in the four northeastern New Jersey Gateway Region counties of Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, and Essex. Founded on October 1, 1979, the orga ...
. The landmark building, extensively renovated and updated in 1999.


Transportation


Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Hudson County and by the Port Authority of NY & NJ. Route 495 travels east-west between the Lincoln Tunnel and the New Jersey Turnpike ( Interstate 95) with interchanges for Route 3 and U.S. Route 1/9 in North Bergen Township.
County Route 505 The following highways are numbered 505: Canada * Alberta Highway 505 * Manitoba Provincial Road 505 * New Brunswick Route 505 * Ontario Highway 505 (former) Costa Rica * National Route 505 Israel * Route 505 (Israel) Japan * Japan Natio ...
also passes through the township.


Public transportation

Public transportation in Weehawken is provided by bus, ferry, and light rail. Bus service is provided along busy north-south corridors on Park Avenue, Boulevard East and Port Imperial Boulevard by NJ Transit and privately operated jitneys within Hudson County, and to
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 ...
and Bergen County. NJT 123, 126,
128 128 may refer to * 128 (number), a natural number * AD 128, a year in the 2nd century AD * 128 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 128 (New Jersey bus) See also * List of highways numbered * * 12/8 (disambiguation) {{numberdis ...
, 156,
158 Year 158 ( CLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tertullus and Sacerdos (or, less frequently, year 911 ''Ab urbe ...
, 159, 165,
166 Year 166 ( CLXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pudens and Pollio (or, less frequently, year 919 ''Ab urbe condita' ...
,
168 Year 168 ( CLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Apronianus and Paullus (or, less frequently, year 921 ''Ab urbe co ...
originate/terminate at the
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 ...
. NJT 23 and 89 travel between
Nungessers Nungessers is the name of the confluence of roads that meet at the Hudson and Bergen county line at North Bergen and Fairview in northeastern New Jersey. The area is the former site of the Nungesser's Gutenberg Racetrack, a late 19th-century ga ...
and Hoboken Terminal, where transfer is possible to PATH and NJT commuter rail. NJ Transit buses 84 and 86 travel between
Nungessers Nungessers is the name of the confluence of roads that meet at the Hudson and Bergen county line at North Bergen and Fairview in northeastern New Jersey. The area is the former site of the Nungesser's Gutenberg Racetrack, a late 19th-century ga ...
and Journal Square or Pavonia/Newport in Jersey City. Routes 68 and 67 provide minimal peak service from Lincoln Harbor to the Jersey Shore. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) service is available westbound to Bergenline and Tonnelle Avenue and southbound to Hoboken, Jersey City and
Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...
at the Lincoln Harbor station and Port Imperial station, where transfer to NY Waterway ferries to Midtown and Lower
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 ...
is possible.
Bieber Transportation Group Bieber Transportation Group was an American bus company based in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, operating intercity commuter buses, charter buses, and tours. The company provided bus service from the Reading and Lehigh Valley regions of eastern Pennsyl ...
formerly provided intercity bus service from
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
, Kutztown, Wescosville, and Hellertown in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
to Port Imperial in Weehawken, where NY Waterway ferries provided a connection to New York City; the ferry ride was included in the ticket price for the bus. The service started on August 27, 2018 and ended on November 6, 2018, with Bieber resuming direct bus service into New York City. NY Waterway headquarters are located at
Weehawken Port Imperial Port Imperial is an intermodal transit hub on the Weehawken, New Jersey, waterfront of the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan, served by New York Waterway ferries and buses, Hudson–Bergen Light Rail, and NJT buses. The district lies ...
. In 2013, a planned regional bike share system was announced by the Mayors of Weehawken and two cities to its south. Hudson Bike Share, launched in Hoboken in 2015, expanded to Weehawken in 2017.


Media and culture

Weehawken is located within the New York media market, with most of its daily papers available for sale or delivery. '' The Jersey Journal'' is a local daily paper covering news in the
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
. Local weeklies include the free bilingual paper, ''Hudson Dispatch Weekly'', (named for the former daily '' Hudson Dispatch''), ''
The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the '' Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983 ...
'', the ''
Weehawken Reporter Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.
'', the Spanish language ''El Especialito''. and the ''
River View Observer ''River View Observer'' is a monthly newspaper owned by Ad Vantage Publishing Inc., headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.
''. The ''Weehawken Sequence'', an early 20th-century series of approximately 100 oil sketches by local artist
John Marin John Marin (December 23, 1870 – October 2, 1953) was an early American modernist artist. He is known for his abstract landscapes and watercolors. Biography Marin was born in Rutherford, New Jersey. His mother died nine days after his birth ...
, who worked in the city, is considered among, if not the first, abstract paintings done by an American artist. The sketches, which blend aspects of
Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passa ...
, Fauvism and Cubism, have been compared to the work of
Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionism, abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his "Drip painting, drip technique" of pouring or splas ...
. The Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to build a world-class performing arts center on the waterfront. Since 2004, it has presented both indoor and outdoor events at Lincoln Harbor.


In popular culture

The name and the place have inspired mention in multiple works of popular culture. For example, on the Fox Channel animated television series, '' Futurama'', Weehawken is the home of the former DOOP headquarters. In visual art, Weehawken is the subject of the American painter Edward Hopper's '' East Wind Over Weehawken''. Additionally, the Broadway musical ''
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...
'' includes a scene depicting the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, as well as the duel between Phillip Hamilton and
George Eacker George I. Eacker ( 1774 – January 4, 1804) was a New York lawyer. He is best known for having fatally shot Philip Hamilton, the eldest son of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, in a duel on November 23, 1801, in Weehawken, N ...
. In Dr. Seuss's classic children's book ''
Horton Hatches the Egg ''Horton Hatches the Egg'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published in 1940 by Random House. The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant, who is tricked into sitting on a bird's ...
'', Horton the Elephant visits Weehawken while he is in the circus, and in Dr. Seuss's ''
The Lorax ''The Lorax'' is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, the titular character, who "speaks for the trees" and confronts the Once-ler, a business magnate who causes ...
'', the Onceler gives directions to the land of the Truffula trees that include "...turn left at Weehawken." In the
Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...
animated musical, ''Central Park'', a rap about Weehawken recorded by
Daveed Diggs Daveed Daniele Diggs (born January 24, 1982) is an American actor, rapper, and singer-songwriter. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping, and in 2015, he originated the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jeffer ...
is sung by Helen, one of the characters. Jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk lived during his final decade until his death in 1982 in a modernist home at 63 Kingswood Road owned by Jazz patron and heiress Pannonica de Koenigswarter—which she bought from film director
Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major ...
and later dubbed "the Mad Pad" and "the Cathouse." The 1980 Italian science fiction/horror film ''
Contamination Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that spoils, corrupts, infects, makes unfit, or makes inferior a material, physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc. Types of contamination ...
'' features an
Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
home on the corner of Boulevard East and 46th Street, in the scene in which a disgraced former astronaut is visited by the colonel who disgraced him.


Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Weehawken include: *
Maryn Adriansen Maryn Adriansen (1600 – c.1654) (also spelled Maryn Adriaensen, Marinus Adriaensz, Marijn Adriaensz, Marin Adriaensz, Marinus Ariaens) was an early settler to New Netherland. Originally emigrating under an Indenture agreement he later became a pro ...
(1600–1654), first European settler in Weehawken * Ed Alberian (1920–1997), entertainer, whose credits include early television's Clarabell the Clown on the '' Howdy Doody Show'', ''The Beachcomber Bill Show'', and'' Let's Have Fun'' * Adele Astaire (1896–1981), Fred Astaire's elder sister, dancer and entertainer in vaudeville, on Broadway and the West End * Fred Astaire (1899–1987), Hollywood actor/dancerHague, Jim
"New commission will capture town's history"
''
The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the '' Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983 ...
'', February 15, 2000. Accessed November 13, 2012. "But as Fleckenstein is quick to point out, there are other historic facts about the township. Like the fact that famed actor/dancer Fred Astaire once called Weehawken home."
*
Myril Axelrod Bennett Myril Axelrod Bennett (April 4, 1920 – January 21, 2014) was one of the first female executives in the advertising industry. Biography She was born Myril Jessica Davidson on April 4, 1920, in Weehawken, New Jersey, and was raised in Jersey Ci ...
(1920–2014), an early female executive in the advertising industry * Eleanor Barooshian (1950–2016), singer and a member of the band
the Cake The Cake was a 1960s girl group consisting of Jeanette Jacobs, Barbara Morillo and Eleanor Barooshian. They were managed and produced by Charles Greene and Brian Stone, two Sunset Strip impresarios who also managed Sonny & Cher, Buffalo Spri ...
*
Francis Bitter Francis Bitter (July 22, 1902 – July 26, 1967) was an American physicist. Bitter invented the Bitter plate used in resistive magnets (also called Bitter electromagnets). He also developed the water cooling method inherent to the design of Bi ...
(1902–1967), son of Karl Bitter, physicist known for his research with magnets and long career at MIT * Karl Bitter (1867–1915), sculptor, established atelier in town, where he lived and worked until his death * John H. Bonn (1829–1891), founder of North Hudson County RailwayJohn Hillric Bonn, Genealogical History Of Hudson And Bergen Counties New Jersey, Cornelius Burnham Harvey, Editor, 1900
/ref> * Marlene Caride (born 1963), politician who has represented the 36th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2012 and was nominated in 2017 to lead the
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
*
Justin Casquejo Justin Casquejo is an American free solo climber and stunt performer who has scaled several skyscrapers in Manhattan, New York City, as well as a water tower in his hometown, Weehawken, New Jersey. He has been arrested, charged, and convicted fo ...
, free solo climber and
stunt performer A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
*
Helen Castillo ''Project Runway Season 12'' is the twelfth season of the television show ''Project Runway'', appearing on Lifetime. The season began airing on July 18, 2013 with 15 designers competing to become "the next great American designer." Kate Pankoke, a ...
, fashion designer and cast member of season 12 of the reality television series '' Project Runway'' who was born and raised in Weehawken *
Jack Cusick John Peter Cusick (June 12, 1928 - November 17, 1989) was a right-handed shortstop in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Boston Braves. Signed as an amateur free agent out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1946, Cusick wa ...
(1928–1989), right-handed
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
who played for the Chicago Cubs and
Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...
* John Diebold (1926–2005), computer scientist, considered to be an automation evangelist * John J. Eagan (1872–1956), Democratic Party politician who represented
New Jersey's 11th congressional district New Jersey's 11th congressional district is a suburban district in northern New Jersey. The district includes portions of Essex, Morris, and Passaic Counties; it is centered in Morris County. The 11th congressional district, along with the 12 ...
in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 1913 to 1921 * Ronald Enroth (born 1938), Professor of Sociology at Westmont College * Gary T. Erbe (born 1944), self-taught oil painter who is best known for his '' trompe-l'œils'' * John Erskine (1879–1951), educator and author, who reflects on the town in ''The Memory of Certain Persons'' * Edward Feigenbaum (born 1936), computer scientist who collaborated on the development of the first expert system Dendral *
Peter Fiordalisi Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
(1904–1988), modern artist whose work was inspired by the New Jersey Palisades *
Marie L. Garibaldi Marie Louise Garibaldi (November 26, 1934 – January 15, 2016) was a United States Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. When appointed by Governor Thomas Kean in 1982, Garibaldi became the first woman to serve on New Jersey's h ...
(1934–2016), former Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court who became the first woman to serve on New Jersey's highest court when she was appointed by Governor Thomas Kean in 1982 * João Gilberto (1931–2019), Brazilian singer and guitar player, composer and bossa nova pioneer ratliff, Ben
"João Gilberto, an Architect of Bossa Nova, Is Dead at 88"
''
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 ...
'', July 6, 2019. Accessed October 26, 2020. "After divorcing Astrud and, in 1965, marrying another singer, Heloísa Buarque de Holanda — known in her own career as Miúcha — Mr. Gilberto moved to Weehawken, N.J., and then to Brooklyn."
* Nancy Giles,
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the '' CBS Evening News'', '' CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 4 ...
reporter who, during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, produced "A brisk walk with Nancy Giles", which documented her walk around the town, in particular up the inclined block on which Weehawken High School is located and up Boulevard East *
Baker Grace Baker Grace (born Chloe Baker) is an American musician and songwriter. Early life and education Baker Grace grew up in Weehawken, New Jersey, where she learned as a child to sing in part because of her musician father, producer and multi-ins ...
, musician and songwriter * Emile Griffith (1938–2013), professional boxer who was a World Champion in the
welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
, junior middleweight and
middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...
classes *
Janet Hamill Janet Hamill (born July 29, 1945 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American poet and spoken word artist. Her poem "K-E-R-O-U-A-C" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and her fifth collection, titled ''Body of Water'', was nominated for the Wil ...
(born 1945), poet and spoken word artist * Barry Harris (1929–2021), jazz pianist and educator *
Glenn Hauman Glenn Hauman is an American editor, publisher, writer of novels and short stories, book illustrator, and comic book colorist. He has worked in a variety of roles in print and electronic publishing, including software and website development, as w ...
(born 1969), writer, artist, editor and electronic publisherGlenn Hauman
SFBookcase. Accessed August 19, 2011.
"A Star Trek Wedding"
NPR. March 26, 2005
*
Robert Hilferty Robert Hilferty (December 14, 1959 – July 24, 2009) was an American journalist, filmmaker, and AIDS activist based in New York City. Career Hilferty began his career in 1988 working as a production assistant for Robert Altman on ''The Cai ...
(1959–2009), journalist, filmmaker and AIDS activist * Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter (1897–1982), director of the
Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
(1947–1950) *
Bob Kennedy Robert Daniel Kennedy (August 18, 1920 – April 7, 2005) was a right fielder/third baseman, manager and executive in Major League Baseball. From 1939 to 1957, Kennedy played for the Chicago White Sox (1939–42, 1946–48, 1955–56, 1957), Cl ...
(1928–1991), defensive back and halfback who played in the All-America Football Conference for the Los Angeles Dons *
A. J. Khubani Ajit "A. J." Khubani (born December 16, 1959) is an American inventor, entrepreneur and marketing executive. Known as the "Infomercial King," Khubani is the founder and CEO of the infomercial firm Telebrands and a pioneer of the infomercial industr ...
(born 1959), founder, president and CEO of Telebrands Corp. *
James G. King James Gore King (May 8, 1791 – October 3, 1853) was an American businessman and Whig Party politician who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term from 1849 to 1851. Ea ...
(1791–1853), businessman and politician who represented from 1849 to 1851 *
Nica de Koenigswarter Baroness Kathleen Annie Pannonica de Koenigswarter (''née'' Rothschild; 10 December 1913 – 30 November 1988) was a British-born jazz patron and writer. A leading patron of bebop, she was a member of the Rothschild family. Personal life Kath ...
née
Rothschild Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by sign ...
, (1913–1988), known as the "bebop baroness" for her patronage of many jazz musiciansFriedwald, Will
"The Ballad of a Jazz Royal"
''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', July 7, 2011. Accessed July 9, 2014. "Finally, in 1958, the baroness moved to a mansion in Weehawken, N.J., which became what might have been the metropolitan area's greatest jazz salon ever. Monk, Barry Harris and other greats lived there for long periods, and more incredible music was heard there than in most concert halls."
Thelonious Junior biography
''
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
''. Accessed July 8, 2011. "He made three final performances with an orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and appeared with a quartet at the Newport Jazz Festival New York in 1975 and in 1976, but otherwise spent his final years in seclusion in Weehawken, New Jersey, at the home of the Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, his lifelong friend and patron."
* Franck de Las Mercedes (born 1972), postmodern artist * Ed Lucas (1939–2021), blind sportswriter *
Lori Majewski Lori Majewski is a U.S.-based entertainment writer. She is the author (with Jonathan Bernstein) of ''Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs that Defined the 1980s''. Since 2016 she has been an on-air personality at the SiriusXM mus ...
, entertainment writer, communications strategist and consultant *
John Marin John Marin (December 23, 1870 – October 2, 1953) was an early American modernist artist. He is known for his abstract landscapes and watercolors. Biography Marin was born in Rutherford, New Jersey. His mother died nine days after his birth ...
(1870–1953), early American modernist artist *
Trade Martin Trade Martin is an American musician, songwriter and producer. Martin worked with Johnny Power in the late 1950s, recording as Johnny & the Jokers and together launching the label Rome Records, active from 1960 to 1962. The label signed the g ...
(born 1945), composer, songwriter, and producer * Steven Massarsky (1948–2007), lawyer and businessman who founded Voyager Communications * David Mearns (born 1958), marine scientist and deep water search and recovery expert, specializing in the discovery of the location of historic shipwrecks *
Alice Duer Miller Alice Duer Miller (July 28, 1874 – August 22, 1942) was an American writer whose poetry actively influenced political opinion. Her feminist verses influenced political opinion during the American suffrage movement, and her verse novel ''The W ...
(1874–1942), poet and novelist whose work actively influenced political thought during the American suffrage movement and the nations's entry into World War II * Miúcha (1937–2018), Brazilian singer and composer * Thelonious Monk (1917–1982), jazz pianist *
Liam O'Brien Liam Christopher O'Brien (born May 28, 1976) is an American voice actor, writer, and director. He is a regular cast member of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' actual play series '' Critical Role,'' playing Vax'ildan ("Vax"), Caleb Widogast, and Ory ...
(born 1976), voice actor, writer, and voice director * William E. Ozzard (1915–2002), New Jersey Senate
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 ...
, 1963 * Kate Pierson (born 1948), vocalist and one of the lead singers and founding members of The B-52's *
William Ranney William Tylee Ranney (May 9, 1813 – November 18, 1857) was a 19th-century American painter, known for his depictions of Western life, sporting scenery, historical subjects and portraiture. In his 20-year career, he made 150 paintings and 80 draw ...
(1813–1857), painter best known for his depictions of Western life, sporting scenery, historical subjects and portraiture *
Dan Resin Dan Resin (February 22, 1931 – July 31, 2010) was an American actor. Early life Resin was born in South Bend, Indiana. He was three years old when his parents divorced. Resin met his future wife in the seventh grade. He graduated from I ...
(1931–2010), actor known as Dr. Beeper in the film '' Caddyshack'', and as the Ty-D-Bol man in toilet cleaner commercials *
Henry Reuterdahl Henry Reuterdahl (August 12, 1870 – December 21, 1925) was a Swedish-American painter highly acclaimed for his nautical artwork. He had a long relationship with the United States Navy. In addition to serving as a Lieutenant Commander in the ...
(1870–1925), Swedish-American painter highly acclaimed for his nautical artwork *
Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...
(1918–1998), choreographer, famous for '' West Side Story'' and many works for the
New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company ...
*
Wilbur Ross Wilbur Louis Ross Jr. (born November 28, 1937) is an American businessman who served as the 39th United States Secretary of Commerce from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Ross was previously chairman and chief executive officer ...
(born 1937), United States Secretary of Commerce and investor known for restructuring companies in industries such as steel, coal, telecommunications, foreign investment and textiles * Gerard Schwarz (born 1947), conductor, currently with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra *
Theodore Seltzer Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...
(died 1957), manufacturer of Bengay * Kenneth Steiglitz, professor of computer science at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
* Fred Stickel (1921–2015), newspaperman, notably publisher of ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...
'' * Frank Tashlin (1913–1972), film director, whose credits include '' The Glass Bottom Boat'' and '' The Alphabet Murders'' * Paul van K. Thomson (1916–1999),
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
priest, author and educator *
Amani Toomer Amani Askari Toomer (born September 8, 1974) is a former American football wide receiver and punt returner who played his entire career for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He registered over 1,000 receiving yards each ...
(born 1974), wide receiver 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 divisio ...
Mullins, Michael D
"Was it the shoes? Local fan says he has secret of Giants' success, as city plans celebration"
, ''
The Hudson Reporter ''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the '' Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983 ...
'', February 19, 2008. Accessed February 6, 2013. "City officials said that besides quarterback Eli Manning, who lives in the Hudson Tea Building on 15th Street, linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Mathias Kiwanuka are Hoboken residents. Several Giants live in surrounding municipalities, including Amani Toomer and Derrick Ward, who both live in Weehawken."
*
Percie Vivarttas Percie Chater Charlton (9 April 1867 – 30 September 1954) was an Australian cricketer who played in two Tests in England in 1890 and played first-class cricket for New South Wales from 1888 to 1897. Cricket career Charlton was regarded as an ...
, architect whose work includes Temple Beth-El in Jersey City *
Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major ...
(1894–1969), film noir director who built a home in the 1940s that was sold in 1958 to Nica de Koenigswater * Derrick Ward (born 1980), running back 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 divisio ...
* Daniel Webster (1782–1852), statesman * Grant Wright (1865–1935), cartoonist, illustrator and painterStaff
"Grant Wright, 70, Dies In East of Pneumonia"
''
Peoria Star The ''Journal Star'' is the major daily newspaper for Peoria, Illinois, and surrounding area. First owned locally, then employee-owned, it became a Copley Press entity in 1996. In 2007, the paper was sold to Fairport, New York-based GateHouse M ...
'', October 21, 1935. Accessed August 11, 2014. "Grant Wright aged 70, one of the leading landscape painters in the country, and known to practically every older resident of Peoria, died yesterday morning at the North Hudson Hospital at Union City, N.J., following a short illness. Death was caused by pneumonia. He was admitted to the hospital Saturday night, being taken from his home, 327 Park Avenue, Weehawken, N.J."


See also

* Bergen, New Netherland * Bergen Township, Bergen County, New Jersey (Historical 1693) * Gateway Region *
Gold Coast, New Jersey The Hudson Waterfront is an urban area of northeastern New Jersey along the lower reaches of the Hudson River, the Upper New York Bay and the Kill van Kull. Though the term can specifically mean the shoreline, it is often used to mean the conti ...
* Hudson River Waterfront Walkway * National Register of Historic Places listings in Hudson County, New Jersey * North Hudson, New Jersey


References


External links

* * {{authority control 1859 establishments in New Jersey Faulkner Act (council–manager) North Hudson, New Jersey Populated places established in 1859 New Jersey populated places on the Hudson River Townships in Hudson County, New Jersey