Whitesboro, New Jersey

Whitesboro is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Middle Township in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Until the 2000 census the area had been part of the Whitesboro-Burleigh CDP, which was split in 2010 into separate CDPs for Burleigh and Whitesboro. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 2,205.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Whitesboro CDP, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 19, 2012. Whitesboro was founded as a planned residential community for African Americans and has the majority of the township's black population.

History

Whitesboro was founded about 1901 by the Equitable Industrial Association, which had prominent black American investors including Paul Laurence Dunbar, the educator Booker T. Washington and George Henry White, the leading investor and namesake. He was an attorney who had moved to Philadelphia after serving as the last black Republican congressman representing North Carolina's 2nd congressional district. White and his fellow entrepreneurs wanted to create a self-reliant community for blacks without the discrimination faced by black residents of the southern states. Shares in the planned community were sold to African Americans from North and South Carolina and Virginia.

In 2006, the Johnson Family Historical Trust discovered the value of its original deed to Whitesboro property from the George H. White Realty Company. It has been called one of "America's Untold Treasures" by appraiser Phillip Merrill. The Johnson Family Historical Trust holds rare items important to Whitesboro, such as a 1936 radio formerly owned by James L. Johnson, a nationally recognized ham radio operator. His radios are of interest to Whitesboro and national history in technology.

There are more than 50 known and appraised artifacts from the original investors of the town that will be featured in Whitesboro in upcoming years. A dig for national history is planned to uncover more artifacts at various historical sites in Whitesboro, hosted by the Johnson Family Historical Trust.

In 2024 there was a group, the one controlling the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project, advocating for establishing Whitesboro as an independent municipality.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 3.632 square miles (9.406 km²), including 3.614 square miles (9.360 km²) of land and 0.018 square miles (0.047 km²) of water (0.50%).US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990
United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,205 people, 870 households, and 572 families in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,072 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 53.02% (1,169) White, 37.05% (817) Black or African American, 0.45% (10) Native American, 1.13% (25) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 3.13% (69) from other races, and 5.22% (115) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.75% (193) of the population.

Of the 870 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18; 42.0% were married couples living together; 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.3% were non-families. Of all households, 30.2% were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15.

24.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 89.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 84.8 males.

Government and infrastructure

The township's Martin Luther King Junior Community Center is located in Whitesboro.

In 2024 residents habitually used the ZIP code 08252, but received an advisory that they should use Cape May Courthouse's ZIP code, 08210, instead. Pro-incorporation activists argued that this was a sign that community identity was waning.

Education

It is within the Middle Township School District, which operates Middle Township High School.

Countywide schools include Cape May County Technical High School and Cape May County Special Services School District.

In the era of de jure educational segregation in the United States, a school for black children was maintained in Whitesboro for grades 1-8.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Whitesboro include:
* Stedman Graham (born 1951), a 1,000-point scorer for the Middle Township High School boys varsity basketball team; he is an educator, author, businessman, and speaker who is the longtime partner of media mogul Oprah Winfrey."Embrace Diversity With Stedman Graham: 'Diversity: Leaders Not Labels' Teaches Readers to Harness Their Skills and Achieve Success"
ABC News, September 21, 2006. Accessed June 17, 2007. "Students were bused from Whitesboro to attend Middle Township schools, where I attended an integrated high school."

Whitesboro NJ WWI memorial.jpg, World War I memorial
Whitesboro NJ MLK Community Center.jpg, Martin Luther King Community Center
St._Stephen_AME_Church_NJ.jpg, St. Stephen AME Church

References

External links

Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project
*

''The Cape May County Gazette''
community newspaper

''The Beachcomber''

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Census-designated places in Cape May County, New Jersey
Census-designated places in New Jersey
Middle Township, New Jersey
African-American history of New Jersey
Populated places in New Jersey established by African Americans