Swedesboro, New Jersey


Swedesboro is a borough within Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,711, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 127 from the 2,584 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 529 from the 2,055 counted in the 2000 census. Swedesboro and surrounding Gloucester County constitute part of South Jersey.
Swedesboro was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 9, 1902, from portions of Woolwich Township. The borough was named for its early settlers from Sweden.
Swedesboro has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA since 2000.
WWW historicswedesboro.com

History

Originally populated by the Lenape Native Americans, Swedesboro was settled as part of New Sweden around 1650. The Swedes and Finns were fishermen, hunters and farmers.
Swedesboro, initially named Sveaborg by the Swedish settlers, along with Bridgeport and Finns Point, was one of only three settlements established in New Jersey as a part of the New Sweden colony. The oldest extant log cabin in the U.S., C. A. Nothnagle Log House was built by Antti Niilonpoika in Swedesboro. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is Trinity Episcopal "Old Swedes" Church, which was established as a Swedish Lutheran Church in 1703; the present building dates to 1784.
As a result of the Second Northern War, New Sweden passed into Dutch hands in 1655. In 1667, the English subsequently annexed the region along the Delaware River after the Second Anglo-Dutch War. The English Colonial government needed a road between the communities of Burlington and Salem and built the Kings Highway in 1691, which opened the southern portion of Gloucester County to more settlers, who were drawn to the area by the fertile sandy soil, prime farmland and vast tracts of oak, birch, maple and pine trees. Originally, the community was called Raccoon until it was changed to Swedesboro in 1765.
Through the late 1800s, Raccoon Creek, which runs for, was a navigable water route that was naturally deep enough to transport wood and farm produce to Philadelphia via the Delaware River. The creek was named for the Narraticon Native Americans who lived in the area and gave their name as Raccoon to the first European settlement. The Van Leer Log Cabin was once used as a trading post with Native Americans and later a station for the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape to free negro communities.
Trinity Church Cemetery is the burial place of Governor of New Jersey Charles C. Stratton, Congressman Benjamin Franklin Howey, and other notables.
Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, visited the borough as part of a 1976 tour of the United States.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.77 square miles, including 0.73 square miles of land and 0.04 square miles of water.
Unincorporated communities, localities, and places located partially or completely within the township include Ivyside. Swedesboro is an independent municipality surrounded on all sides by Woolwich Township, making it one of only 21 "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,584 people, 938 households, and 645 families in the borough. The population density was. There were 1,004 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup was 69.81% White, 15.02% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.48% from other races, and 3.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.07% of the population.
Of the 938 households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18; 45.2% were married couples living together; 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.2% were non-families. Of all households, 24.8% were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.27.
27.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.1 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $65,085 and the median family income was $70,050. Males had a median income of $47,974 versus $43,721 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,623. About 9.1% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 2,055 people, 771 households, and 528 families residing in the borough. The population density was. There were 860 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the borough was 76.93% White, 16.50% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 3.36% from other races, and 2.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.52% of the population.
There were 771 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $49,286, and the median income for a family was $58,721. Males had a median income of $41,346 versus $33,125 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,857. About 7.8% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Swedesboro is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 of 564 municipalities statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is composed of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A 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 Swedesboro 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 Swedesboro is Democrat Thomas W. Fromm, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. The Swedesboro Borough Council consists of Council President Salvatore "Sam" Casella, Shaun Booker, David Flaherty, Joanna Gahrs, Diane F. Hale and George J. Weeks.

Federal, state and county representation

Swedesboro is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 3rd state legislative district.

Education

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade attend the Swedesboro-Woolwich School District, a consolidated school district that serves students from both Swedesboro and Woolwich Township. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,495 students and 138.7 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1. Schools in the district are
Margaret C. Clifford School with 230 students in grades Pre-K–K,
Governor Charles C. Stratton School with 402 students in grades 1–2,
General Charles G. Harker School with 653 students in Grades 3–5, and
Walter H. Hill School with 210 students in Grade 6.
Public school students in seventh through twelfth grades are educated by the Kingsway Regional School District, which also serves students from East Greenwich Township, South Harrison Township and Woolwich Township, with the addition of students from Logan Township who attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship in which tuition is paid on a per-pupil basis by the Logan Township School District. Swedesboro accounts for one tenth of district enrollment. As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 2,868 students and 207.8 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 13.8:1. The schools in the district are
Kingsway Regional Middle School with 1,023 students in grades 7–8, and
Kingsway Regional High School with 1,802 students in grades 9–12. Under a 2011 proposal, Kingsway would merge with its constituent member's K–6 districts to become a full K–12 district, with various options for including Logan Township as part of the consolidated district.
Students from across the county are eligible to apply to attend Gloucester County Institute of Technology, a four-year high school in Deptford Township that provides technical and vocational education. As a public school, students do not pay tuition to attend the school.
Guardian Angels Regional School is a K-8 school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden and accepts students from Swedesboro. Its PreK-3 campus is in Gibbstown while its 4-8 campus is in Paulsboro.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Gloucester County.
There are several main roads serving Swedesboro. The most significant are County Route 538 and County Route 551. U.S. Route 322 and the New Jersey Turnpike can be accessed in neighboring Woolwich Township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between Salem and Philadelphia on the 401 route.
The Woodbury and Swedesboro Railroad was incorporated in 1854 to build a rail line from Woodbury to Swedesboro, but construction never commenced. This line was ultimately built by the Swedesboro Railroad, opening in October 1869 under lease to the West Jersey Railroad. In February 1883, the Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad opened an extension of the line southward to Woodstown and a junction with the Salem Railroad at Riddleton, which was also leased by the West Jersey Railroad. The combined lines were operated as the Salem Branch.
The line continues to operate today as a freight railroad. The line north of Swedesboro, the former Swedesboro Railroad, is operated by the Southern Railroad of New Jersey. The line to the south, the former Woodstown and Swedesboro Railroad, is operated by SMS Rail Lines.

Wineries

Notable people

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