Fanwood, New Jersey


Fanwood is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on a ridge in northern-central New Jersey, the borough is a commuter town of New York City in the New York metropolitan area. Fanwood is located in the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,774, an increase of 456 from the 2010 census count of 7,318, which in turn reflected an increase of 144 from the 7,174 counted in the 2000 census.
Fanwood was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 2, 1895, from portions of Fanwood Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. The borough was named for Fannie Wood, an author.
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History

In 1831, the Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad received a legislative charter to construct a railroad through the area. The line reached here in 1837 and a station, known as the Scotch Plains station, was built in 1839. The company became the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1849. The line was later moved to reduce the grade and a new station, known as the Fanwood station, was built in 1874. At the same time, the Central New Jersey Land Improvement Company began development of Fanwood Park, a residential community around the station. The development featured curvilinear streets. John Taylor Johnston, then president of CNJ, named the community after his wife, Frances, also known as Fanny, according to his daughter, Emily. In 1878, Fanwood Township was created from Plainfield and Westfield Townships.

Historic district

The Fanwood Park Historic District is a historic district located along North Avenue and North Martine Avenue in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 27, 2004, for its significance in architecture, community planning and development, landscape architecture, and transportation. The district has 57 contributing buildings, including the Fanwood station, which was previously listed individually on the NRHP. A key contributing property, the Georgian Revival style Urner/Gibbs house was built in 1894 by Benjamin Urner, as a wedding gift for his daughter who had married William M. Gibbs.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.34 square miles, all of which was land.
The borough is bordered by Plainfield in the southwest and by Scotch Plains in all other directions.
The Robinsons Branch of the Rahway River additionally flows through Fanwood en route to the Robinson's Branch Reservoir.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 7,318 people, 2,627 households, and 2,070 families in the borough. The population density was 5,454.1 per square mile. There were 2,686 housing units at an average density of 2,001.9 per square mile. The racial makeup was 84.72% White, 5.30% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 6.75% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races, and 2.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.26% of the population.
Of the 2,627 households, 41.0% had children under the age of 18; 68.7% were married couples living together; 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 21.2% were non-families. Of all households, 18.8% were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.19.
27.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.3 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $127,450 and the median family income was $135,833. Males had a median income of $92,262 versus $62,845 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,194. About 0.6% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 7,174 people, 2,574 households, and 2,054 families residing in the borough. The population density was. There were 2,615 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the borough was 88.30% White, 5.14% African American, 0.10% Native American, 4.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.74% of the population. Among Fanwood residents, 23.2% identified as being of Italian ancestry, 23.0% as being of Irish ancestry and 20.6% as having German ancestry.
There were 2,574 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $85,233, and the median income for a family was $99,232. Males had a median income of $65,519 versus $40,921 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $34,804. About 1.6% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

In 2014 Fanwood was recipient of a 2014 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award for its downtown development plan.

Government

Local government

Fanwood is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes 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. The borough form of government used by Fanwood is a "weak mayor / 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 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 council is Fanwood's legislative body and may pass, adopt, amend and repeal any ordinance or where permitted, any resolution, for any purpose required for the government of the municipality, and also controls and regulates the finances of the municipality. The council may investigate any activity of the municipality, remove any officer of the municipality for cause other than those excepted by law and shall have all the executive responsibilities of the municipality not placed by general law, in the office of the mayor. The mayor of Fanwood is responsible for serving as the chief executive officer of borough government. The mayor presides over the borough council, appoints various boards and committees, oversees borough administration, and serves as the borough's ceremonial head.
, the mayor of Fanwood Borough is Democrat Colleen M. Mahr, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Fanwood Borough Council are Council President Gina Berry, Jeffrey Banks, Anthony Carter, Erin A. McElroy-Barker, Katherine Mitchell and Patricia Walsh.
In January 2019, Jeffrey Banks was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Russell Huegel until he resigned from office to accept the position as the borough's municipal attorney.

Fire department

The Fanwood Fire Department is a volunteer fire department with 30 members that operate out of one fire station. The department has two engines, one quint and a chief's vehicle. The Fanwood Volunteer Fire Company predates the incorporation of the borough, having first been established in 1890 with its first firehouse constructed in 1897.

Federal, state, and county representation

Fanwood is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,033 registered voters in Fanwood, of which 1,614 were registered as Democrats, 1,210 were registered as Republicans and 2,205 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 68.8% were registered to vote, including 95.1% of those ages 18 and over.

Education

Public school students in Fanwood attend the schools of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Fanwood and Scotch Plains. The district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and a comprehensive high school. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 5,758 students and 451.7 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1. Schools in the district are
Howard B. Brunner Elementary School with 415 students in grades PreK–4,
J. Ackerman Coles School with 548 students in grades PreK–4,
Evergreen School with 425 students in grades PreK–4,
William J. McGinn School with 549 students in grades K–4,
School One Elementary School with 412 students in grades PreK–4,
Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School with 933 students in grades 5–8,
Terrill Middle School with 834 students in grades 5–8 and
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School with 1,551 students in grades 9–12. Seats on the nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with two seats assigned to Fanwood.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Union County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Route 28 passes through the borough, connecting Plainfield and Scotch Plains.
Another major thoroughfare is South and North Martine Avenue, which connects Fanwood to U.S. Route 22.

Public transportation

The Fanwood station is an NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line. The building on the north side of the tracks is a Victorian building and, like the north building at Westfield station, is used by a non-profit organization. The ticket office is in the station building on the south side of the tracks. The station provides service to Newark Penn Station, and from there to Hoboken Terminal or Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.
Currently riders can take one seat rides to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan during rush hour on weekdays, with transfer at Newark Penn Station required to reach to New York Penn Station at all other times, including weekends. The Raritan Valley Railroad Coalition has been promoting the economic benefits of one-seat ride access to New York City since 1998. RVRC has succeeded in gaining one-seat rides during off peak hours during the week; there are nine trains in each direction where riders do not need to transfer at Newark Penn Station. The ultimate goal of RVRC is to extend such one-seat rides during rush hours, which would have been achieved with the Access to the Region's Core tunnel program, but this was cancelled by then Governor Chris Christie.
NJ Transit offers bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 113 and local service on the 822 route.
Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away to the east.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Fanwood include: