Kenilworth, New Jersey


Kenilworth is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,427, an increase of 513 from the 2010 census count of 7,914, which in turn reflected an increase of 239 from the 7,675 counted in the 2000 census.
Kenilworth was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 13, 1907, from portions of Cranford and [Union Township, Union County, New Jersey|Union County, New Jersey|Union Township], based on the results of a referendum held on June 18, 1907.
WWW kenilworthnj.com

History

In the late 1890s, the New Orange Industrial Association purchased land in Cranford and [Union Township, Union Township, Union County, New Jersey|Union County, New Jersey|Union] that was subdivided into building lots. The firm brought in several large industries and lured Upsala College from Brooklyn with an offer of cash and free land for its campus.
Because New Orange was often confused with one of The Oranges in Essex County, the name "Kenilworth" was chosen when the borough was incorporated in 1907. The name Kenilworth came from a literary society which the businessmen belonged to. The Kenilworth Club was named in honor of the novel Kenilworth written in 1821 by Sir Walter Scott. The novel refers to England's Kenilworth Castle located in Kenilworth, England.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.15 square miles, including 2.15 square miles of land and <0.01 square miles of water.
The upper reaches of Rahway River Parkway along tributaries of the Rahway River run through the borough.
The borough is bordered to the north and east by Union Township, to the southeast by Roselle Park, to the southwest by Cranford, and to the northwest by Springfield Township.

Parks and recreation

Lenape Park is a wildlife reserve and park that is part of the Rahway River Parkway in Union County. The park also includes portions of Cranford, Springfield and Westfield. An approximately 4.5-mile off-road paved pedestrian path stretches eastbound from Mountainside Police Headquarters in Mountainside, through Echo Lake Park in Westfield, Lenape Park in Westfield and Cranford, Black Brook Park in Kenilworth, and ending near 505 North Michigan Avenue in Kenilworth.

Kenilworth RVRR rail trail

Area residents have proposed a 7.3-mile pedestrian linear park along the "main line" of the abandoned Rahway Valley Railroad that would run through Kenilworth. The rail trail would run eastbound from Overlook Medical Center on the edge of downtown Summit and head south through Springfield, Union, over [U.S. U.S. Route 22 in New Jersey|Route 22 in New Jersey|Route 22] to Kenilworth. In Kenilworth, it would pass between Party City and Burger King on Route 22, run behind Retro Fitness, running south past the Galloping Hill Golf Course, and end at the southwest edge of Roselle Park at the Cranford border.
A northern portion of the rail trail on the RVRR main line is under construction as the Summit Park Line, with a footbridge over Morris Avenue installed in October 2022. In parallel, advocates have been pushing for immediate development of the portion of the RVRR Main Line south of Route 22, running past the Galloping Hill Golf Course through Kenilworth and Roselle Park. The New Jersey Department of Transportation, which owns the railbed, has been working to clear it in anticipation of possible future trail use for pedestrians and cyclists.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 7,914 people, 2,841 households, and 2,102 families in the borough. The population density was 3,668.3 per square mile. There were 2,924 housing units at an average density of 1,355.3 per square mile. The racial makeup was 88.07% White, 2.91% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 3.84% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.31% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.52% of the population.
Of the 2,841 households, 31.6% had children under the age of 18; 55.2% were married couples living together; 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 26.0% were non-families. Of all households, 21.2% were made up of individuals and 10.5% 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 3.26.
21.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.0 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $76,500 and the median family income was $84,097. Males had a median income of $58,327 versus $42,589 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $31,959. About 4.0% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 7,675 people, 2,854 households, and 2,117 families residing in the borough. The population density was. There were 2,926 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the borough was 92.30% White, 2.30% African American, 0.25% Native American, 2.88% Asian, 1.80% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 8.64% of the population.
There were 2,854 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $59,929, and the median income for a family was $66,500. Males had a median income of $40,808 versus $34,698 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,343. About 1.9% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Kenilworth include Maingear, a privately held computer manufacturer specializing in custom gaming computers, desktops, custom laptops, media center computers and workstations, all of which are manufactured in the United States.
Merck & Co. announced plans in October 2013 to move its global headquarters to Kenilworth from Whitehouse Station in Readington Township, on a site that the company had previously used as a manufacturing facility, with the relocation to be completed by 2015. The campus had been used as the global headquarters for Schering-Plough, which was acquired by Merck in 2009. In April 2020, Merck announced that it would be moving its global headquarters from Kenilworth to Rahway by the end of 2023.

Arts and culture

Since 2004, the Hudson Shakespeare Company has brought their Shakespeare in the Park programs to the Kenilworth Library known as the "Bard on the Boulevard". The Friends of the Kenilworth Library, with the assistance of a grant from the Union County Office of Cultural Affairs, sponsor these events.

Government

Local government

Kenilworth 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 Kenilworth 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 mayor of Kenilworth is Democrat Linda Karlovitch, serving a four-year term of office ending December 31, 2027. Members of the Kenilworth Borough Council are Council President William Mauro, Patrick Boyle, Joseph Finistrella, Toni Giordano Picerno, Douglas Piper, and Savino Scorese.

Mayors of Kenilworth

#MayorYears in OfficeNotes
1Charles C. Boyd 1907–1909First mayor
2William J. Hoiles 1910–1913
3John Hiller 1914–1915
4Charles C. Boyd 1916–1919
5Oswald Nitschke 1919–1922
6William J. Hoiles 1922–1923
7Charles A. Kosmutza 1924–1925
8August J. Stahl 1926–1927
9Oswald Nitschke 1928–1929
10August J. Stahl 1930–1931
11Oswald Nitschke 1932–1933
12Charles A. Kosmutza 1934–1935
13Anthony Grippo 1936–1939
14Max J. Berzin 1940–1947
15Fred V. Pitten 1948–1951
16William Lister 1952–1953
17Robert Krueger 1954–1955
18Walter E. Boright 1956–1961
19William J. Ahern, Jr. 1962–1969
20William E. Conrad, Jr. 1970–1975
21Livio Mancino 1976–1987
22Joseph A. Benintente 1988–1990Ill during term; Dennis Schultz served as acting mayor for most of 1989; resigned in January 1990
23Eugene Pepe 1990Acting mayor until 1990 election
24Joseph J. Rego 1990–1995
25Michael A. Tripodi 1996–2003
26Gregg F. David 2004–2007
27Kathi Fiamingo 2008–2014First female mayor; resigned after becoming a tax judge
28Scott Klinder 2014Acting mayor until 2014 election
29Fred Pugliese 2014–2015
30Anthony DeLuca 2016–2019
31Linda Karlovitch 2020–

Federal, state, and county representation

Kenilworth is located in the 10th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 20th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,891 registered voters in Kenilworth, of which 1,496 were registered as Democrats, 1,076 were registered as Republicans and 2,317 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 61.8% were registered to vote, including 79.1% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 1,775 votes, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,535 votes and other candidates with 39 votes, among the 3,376 ballots cast by the borough's 5,167 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,064 votes, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,564 votes and other candidates with 54 votes, among the 3,721 ballots cast by the borough's 5,039 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,949 votes, ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,589 votes and other candidates with 32 votes, among the 3,608 ballots cast by the borough's 4,927 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2%.

Education

The Kenilworth Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 1,473 students and 135.3 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. Schools in the district are
Warren G. Harding Elementary School with 681 students in grades PreK-6 and
David Brearley Middle School / David Brearley High School with 774 students in grades 7-12.
Students from Winfield Township attend David Brearley High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Winfield Township School District.
Kenilworth is home to St. Theresa School, a Roman Catholic school operating under the Archdiocese of Newark founded in 1955 that serves students in pre-school through eighth grade through the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Churches

There are six churches that are located in Kenilworth. The six churches are the Ignite United Methodist church, the First Baptist church, the Union Baptist church, the non-denominational Kenilworth Gospel Chapel, the Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal church, and the Saint Theresa Roman Catholic church.

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.
Kenilworth is served by two county routes, County Route 509 and County Route 617. CR 509 runs west–east through the borough, connecting it to Cranford, Springfield and Westfield in one direction and Union and Roselle Park in the other. CR 617 runs north–south, connecting Union and U.S. Route 22 at its north end to Roselle Park and Route 28 at its south end. The Garden State Parkway cuts northeast–southwest through the town, with Interchange 138 at CR 509 serving much of the town's long-distance travelers.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between Kenilworth and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan in New York City and to New Jersey points, including the city of Elizabeth and nearby Union County College in Cranford. Local service is available on the 58 route, which is a direct descendant of Kenilworth's trolley route in the early 20th century.
The closest NJ Transit rail station is Roselle Park, less than a mile from the Kenilworth border and offering direct service into New York Penn Station on the Raritan Valley Line.
The Rahway Valley Railroad passed through the community but is currently out of service, the final train on the line having left the borough in April 1992. Originally established as the New York and New Orange Railroad, the line stretched from Aldene to Summit. The headquarters of the railroad were located in Kenilworth, originally in Kenilworth's Victorian-style station house until that was severely damaged in a 1974 fire, after which railroad offices were moved into a trailer and then an unused railroad club car.
Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately from Kenilworth.

Notable people

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