Piscataway, New Jersey


Piscataway is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of the New York metropolitan area, in the Raritan Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 60,804, an increase of 4,760 from the 2010 census count of 56,044, which in turn reflected an increase of 5,562 from 50,482 at the 2000 census.
The name may be derived from the area's earliest European settlers who came from near the Piscataqua River, a landmark defining the coastal border between New Hampshire and Maine, whose name derives from peske and tegwe, or alternatively from pisgeu and awa or from a Lenape language word meaning "great deer". The area was appropriated in 1666 by Quakers and Baptists who had left the Puritan colony in New Hampshire.
Piscataway Township was formed on December 17, 1666, and officially incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as part of the state's initial group of 104 townships. The community, the fifth-oldest municipality in New Jersey, has grown from Native American territory, through a colonial period and is one of the links in the earliest settlement of the Atlantic Ocean seacoast that ultimately led to the formation of the United States. Over the years, portions of Piscataway were taken to form Raritan Township, Dunellen, Middlesex and South Plainfield.
Rutgers University's main campus spills into the township. SHI Stadium, home field for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, is in Piscataway as well as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
WWW piscatawaynj.org

History

The earliest settlers of the area were the Lenape Native Americans; a group of four European settlers coming from New Hampshire acquired of land in 1666 that had been occupied by Native Americans.
In 1666, the first proprietary Governor of the Province of New Jersey, Philip Carteret, granted 12 new settlers from Massachusetts a 100 square mile allotment of land that was later founded as the townships of Piscataway and Woodbridge. Similar types of settlements established by religious dissenters fleeing Puritan colonies in New England were being formed in other parts of New Jersey, notably the Elizabethtown Tract in Northern New Jersey near the mouth of the Raritan River and extending upwards into modern day Essex County, and the Monmouth Tract in Central New Jersey near the Raritan Bay and extending southward along the Jersey Shore to the Barnegat Inlet.
Additional settlers from the Piscataqua River area of New Hampshire moved to Piscataway, bringing the name. Coming from a lumbering, shipbuilding and fishing background, these settlers, consisting of mostly Baptists and Quakers, were comfortable with their new surroundings, and looking forward to starting a new life away from political and religious persecution in the north. They were also enterprising and pioneering families who were already experienced in wilderness settlement. Before the original settlers, there were pioneer scouts who surveyed these new lands and waterways. The town name of Piscataway came from these early pioneers who originally came from the town of Piscataqua. During the original land purchase, the pioneers had signed 12 Articles of Agreement with Governor Carteret, which served as the legal basis for the government of Piscataway and Woodbridge and which shaped the democratic development of self-government. In short, these articles were mainly designed to provide liberty and land ownership for new families and to allow them to establish their own government representatives and religious freedoms.
After a few line and boundary changes, Piscataway and its outer plantations were reported to total 40,000 acres, with 66 square miles of land in 1685. The Lenape Native Americans occupied the entire Piscataway area, but were dispelled as the encroachment of European settlers increased. Across multiple generations, the Lenape established defined trails that European settlers appropriated in order to traverse through the wilderness area and partition new lands. Over time, many of these primitive trails became the main routes of travel between communities and became the basis of roads that still exist today. The trails along the Raritan River were named after a local population of Native Americans called the Raritangs. Piscataway Township is the fifth-oldest municipality in New Jersey and among the fifty oldest municipalities in the United States.
On February 8, 1777, the Battle of Quibbletown, a running battle took place between approximately 2,000 British and Hessian troops under the command of British General Charles Lord Cornwallis and the local patriot militia led by Colonel Charles Scott and a separate militia commanded by Brigadier General Nathaniel Warner.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 18.96 square miles, including 18.79 square miles of land and 0.17 square miles of water.
The township lies on the south side of the Raritan Valley, a line of cities in Central Jersey, along with New Brunswick, Highland Park and South Plainfield. Piscataway is 45 minutes southwest of New York City and 53 minutes northeast of Philadelphia.
Piscataway is bordered by nine municipalities: Dunellen, Edison, Highland Park, Middlesex, New Brunswick and South Plainfield in Middlesex County; Franklin Township and South Bound Brook in Somerset County; and Plainfield in Union County.
Piscataway is often segmented by local residents into unincorporated communities, localities and place names which include Arbor, Bound Brook Heights, Fellowship Farm, Fieldville, Johnson Park, Lake Nelson, New Brunswick Highlands, [New Market, Middlesex, New Jersey|Middlesex County, New Jersey|New Market], Newtown, North Stelton, Possumtown, Randolphville, Raritan Landing, Riverview Manor, Society Hill The original settlement of Piscatawaytown is located in present-day Edison.
Camp Kilmer, constructed starting in 1941 on of Piscataway and Edison, was activated in June 1942 by the United States Army as a staging area and part of an installation of the New York Port of Embarkation. Troops were quartered at Camp Kilmer in preparation for transport to the European Theater of Operations in World War II, ultimately becoming the largest processing center for troops heading overseas and returning from World War II, processing over 2.5 million soldiers. Following the failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Camp Kilmer was reactivated and used to process 30,000 refugees who were resettled in the area and across the country. The camp was officially closed in 2009.
Significant portions of Piscataway make up the Livingston and Busch Campuses of Rutgers University.
The Arbor and New Brunswick Highland sections of Piscataway were African American neighborhoods in the past.
The New Market section historically comprised the Quaker village of Quibbletown. The early name of the village originated from the fact that settlers of different religious denominations quibbled about whether the Sabbath should be observed on Saturday or on Sunday in the village.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 56,044 people, 17,050 households, and 12,958 families in the township. The population density was. There were 17,777 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 38.46% White, 20.69% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 33.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.59% from other races, and 3.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.22% of the population.
Of the 17,050 households, 35.0% had children under the age of 18; 59.9% were married couples living together; 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.0% were non-families. Of all households, 18.6% were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.33.
20.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 17.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.8 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $88,428 and the median family income was $95,483. Males had a median income of $57,308 versus $48,606 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $31,254. About 2.5% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% 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 50,482 people, 16,500 households, and 12,325 families residing in the township. The population density was. There were 16,946 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the township was 48.81% White, 20.31% African American, 0.21% Native American, 24.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.08% from other races, and 2.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.93% of the population.
As of the 2000 Census, 12.49% of Piscataway's residents identified themselves as being of Indian American ancestry, which was the fourth highest of any municipality in the United States and the third highest in New Jersey—behind Edison and Plainsboro Township —of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.
There were 16,500 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $68,721, and the median income for a family was $75,218. Males had a median income of $47,188 versus $36,271 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,321. About 2.7% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Corporate residents of Piscataway include:
The world headquarters of Telcordia Technologies had been located in Piscataway, until a June 2011 deal in which Ericsson acquired the company in a deal valued at $1.15 billion.

Sports

SHI Stadium was originally constructed in 1994 with 41,500 seats as the home of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team and was expanded to a capacity of 52,454 in 2009 after a $100 million expansion.
Jersey Mike's Arena is the home of the Rutgers University men's and women's basketball teams. The venue was originally named the Rutgers Athletic Center, still called the RAC by many, and can accommodate 9,000 attendees. The athletic center was the home of the professional New Jersey Nets for the four seasons from 1977–1981 after moving from New York and before the Meadowlands Arena was completed.
Yurcak Field is a multi-purpose soccer and lacrosse stadium, built in 1994, and holds 5,000 people. The stadium is officially named "The Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium at Yurcak Field" in honor of Ronald N. Yurcak, a 1965 All-American Rutgers lacrosse player. Rutgers University host their home games at this stadium.

Government

Local government

In November 1966, Piscataway voters, under the Faulkner Act, approved a Charter Study and elected a Charter Study Commission to recommend the form of government best suited to the township's needs. The Commission recommended Mayor-Council Plan F. Voters approved the plan in a referendum in November 1967 and the new form of government was inaugurated on January 1, 1969. The township is one of 71 municipalities statewide governed under this form. Under Plan F the Mayor is the administrator and the Council is the legislative body. A full-time business administrator, appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council, and responsible to the Mayor, supervises the day-by-day operation of municipal government. The Township Council has seven members, one representing each of four wards, and three at-large members. The Mayor and Council members serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either the three at-large seats or the four ward seats up for vote in even years as part of the November general election.
, the mayor of Piscataway is Democrat Brian C. Wahler, whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Members of the Township Council are Council President Gabrielle Cahill, Council Vice President Dennis Espinosa, Sharon Carmichael, Michele Lombardi, Laura Leibowitz, Sarah Rashid and Frank Uhrin.
In May 2021, the Township Council appointed Linwood D. Rouse to fill the at-large seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Chanelle Scott McCullum until she stepped down to take a seat on the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners following the death of Commissioner Kenneth Armwood. Rouse served on an interim basis until the November 2021 election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.
Camille Fernicola was appointed to fill the at-large seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Michael Griffith until his death in November 2014. In the November 2015 general election, Fernicola was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.
Chanelle McCullum was appointed in April 2013 to fill the vacant at-large seat of Kenneth Armwood, who had been the township council president until he was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. McCullum was elected in November 2013 to serve the balance of the unexpired term through its expiration in December 2016.

Federal, state and county representation

Piscataway is located in the 6th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 17th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 31,266 registered voters in Piscataway Township, of which 11,355 were registered as Democrats, 3,034 were registered as Republicans and 16,859 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 18 voters registered to other parties.

Emergency services

Fire and EMS

Piscataway is divided into four fire districts which are served by a total of two volunteer rescue squads and six volunteer fire companies, one of which combines both fire and EMS services. The fire districts are the zones in which fire departments operate, and although the volunteer EMS squads follow the basic regions of the districts, only North Stelton Fire Rescue EMS is a part of a fire district. In 2021, the town council voted to privatize EMS services. Calls are now handled by Hackensack Meridian Health, rather then the volunteer rescue squads that used to provide services.
;District 1
  • Arbor Rescue Squad, 1790 W. 7th Street
  • River Road Rescue Squad, 101 Shirley Parkway
  • New Market Fire Company, 801 South Washington Avenue
  • North Stelton Fire Rescue, 70 Haines Avenue
;District 2
  • River Road Rescue Squad, 101 Shirley Parkway
  • River Road Fire Company, 102 Netherwood Avenue
  • Holmes Marshall Fire Company, 5300 Deborah Drive
  • Possumtown Fire Company, 85 Stratton Street South
;District 3
  • Arbor Rescue Squad, 1790 W. 7th Street
  • Arbor Hose Company, 1780 West Seventh Street
;District 4
  • North Stelton Volunteer Fire Company, 70 Haines Avenue
;Fire Prevention
  • Fire Marshall's Office, 555 Sidney Road

Police

The primary law enforcement agency in the township is the Piscataway Police Department. Rutgers University Police Department operates on its campuses within Piscataway. The New Jersey State Police patrols the section of Interstate 287 that bisects the township.

Education

The Piscataway Township Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 7,161 students and 530.1 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 13.5:1. In addition to its high school, there are four schools for K–3, two intermediate schools serving grades 4–5 and three middle schools for students in grades 6–8. Schools in the district are
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School,
Grandview Elementary School,
Knollwood Elementary School,
Randolphville Elementary School,
Arbor Intermediate School,
Martin Luther King Intermediate School,
Conackamack Middle School,
Quibbletown Middle School,
Theodore Schor Middle School and
Piscataway High School.
;Middlesex County schools:
Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Magnet Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at its schools in East Brunswick, Edison, Perth Amboy, Piscataway and Woodbridge Township, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.
Other Middlesex County schools in Piscataway include:
  • Nuview Academy Piscataway Campus, 1 Park Avenue – Programs for students with symptoms of; Depression, ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Thought Disorder, or Anxiety Disorder.
  • Bright Beginnings Learning Center, 1660 Stelton Road – Programs for students with Autism.
  • Piscataway Regional Day School, 1670 Stelton Road – Programs for students with Autism.
  • Raritan Valley Academy, 1690 Stelton Road – Programs for students with behavioral disabilities, learning and/or language disabilities.
;Private schools:
  • Lake Nelson Seventh-day Adventist Academy, opened in February 1959, serves students in Pre-K to tenth grade.
  • Timothy Christian School is a K–12 that was founded in 1949.
  • An-Noor Academy, a Pre-K–12 school that has served the area's Muslim community since 2000.
;Colleges and continuing education:

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Middlesex County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Piscataway is served by a number of roads and highways. Interstate 287 traverses the township and includes exits 6, 7, 8 and 9. Reconstruction of the River Road (CR 622) Bridge at exit 9 was completed in 2024. County roads include CR 501 and CR 529. Route 18 runs along Hoes Lane to Interstate 287, which passes through the center of the township for about.
Other limited access roads that are accessible include the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick and neighboring Edison.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 114 route, to Newark on the 65 and 66 routes and local service on the 819 route. Train service is not available in Piscataway, but service is available on the Raritan Valley Line at the Dunellen station and on the Northeast Corridor at the Edison station.
Taiwanese airline EVA Air provides a private bus service to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for customers based in New Jersey. This service stops in Piscataway.

Points of interest

Notable people

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