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* [[James Rebhorn]] (born 1948), actor, ''[[Independence Day (film)|Independence Day]]'', ''[[Meet the Parents]]''.<ref>Filichia, Peter. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0F34B98B1C0B0CCE&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=S51C57XOMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "Actor reflects on 'Luck,' parenthood and hard work"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', [[May 3]], [[2002]]. Acecssed [[August 1]], [[2007]]. "James Rebhorn, 53, is one of those actors whose name you may not know, but you never forget his face, from such films as 'Meet the Parents,' 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' Now the South Orange resident is appearing on Broadway in Arthur Miller's first play, 'The Man Who Had All the Luck,' which closed after only four performances in 1944."</ref>
* [[James Rebhorn]] (born 1948), actor, ''[[Independence Day (film)|Independence Day]]'', ''[[Meet the Parents]]''.<ref>Filichia, Peter. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0F34B98B1C0B0CCE&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=S51C57XOMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "Actor reflects on 'Luck,' parenthood and hard work"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', [[May 3]], [[2002]]. Acecssed [[August 1]], [[2007]]. "James Rebhorn, 53, is one of those actors whose name you may not know, but you never forget his face, from such films as 'Meet the Parents,' 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' Now the South Orange resident is appearing on Broadway in Arthur Miller's first play, 'The Man Who Had All the Luck,' which closed after only four performances in 1944."</ref>
* [[Vin Rock]], member of rap group [[Naughty by Nature]].<ref>Roberts, Lee. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=11464715A112CE93&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=K45J4ASBMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "Not as naughty as they might be; Naughty by nature's hometown value keep them anchored in a stormy hip-hop world"]. ''[[The Star-News]]'', [[August 25]], [[1995]]. Accessed [[August 2]], [[2007]]. "The three men have not only refused to leave their South Orange, N.J., neighborhood for more glamorous spots, they've also kept living with their families and have hired friends and family members to run their hometown businesses."</ref>
* [[Vin Rock]], member of rap group [[Naughty by Nature]].<ref>Roberts, Lee. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=11464715A112CE93&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=K45J4ASBMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "Not as naughty as they might be; Naughty by nature's hometown value keep them anchored in a stormy hip-hop world"]. ''[[The Star-News]]'', [[August 25]], [[1995]]. Accessed [[August 2]], [[2007]]. "The three men have not only refused to leave their South Orange, N.J., neighborhood for more glamorous spots, they've also kept living with their families and have hired friends and family members to run their hometown businesses."</ref>
* [[Brian Ronsayro]] (born 1987), MIT Specialist and a Master
* [[Andrew Shue]] (born 1967), actor, ClubMom founder.<ref>[http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2015888.html Zimbabwe RPCV Andrew Shue founds "Do Something"], ''Horizon magazine'', [[September 1]], [[2003]]. "Shue and Do Something president Sanchez grew up together in South Orange, N.J., where, at 14, Shue became a Boy Scout dropout, mostly because the troop's weekend excursions cramped his soccer schedule."</ref>
* [[Andrew Shue]] (born 1967), actor, ClubMom founder.<ref>[http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/467/2015888.html Zimbabwe RPCV Andrew Shue founds "Do Something"], ''Horizon magazine'', [[September 1]], [[2003]]. "Shue and Do Something president Sanchez grew up together in South Orange, N.J., where, at 14, Shue became a Boy Scout dropout, mostly because the troop's weekend excursions cramped his soccer schedule."</ref>
* [[Elisabeth Shue]] (born 1963), actress.<ref>[http://www.nj.com/weblogs/southorange/index.ssf?/mtlogs/njo_southorange/archives/2006_06.html A new Shue], ''South Orange Journal'', [[June 27]], [[2006]]. "Belated congratulations to South Orange's own Elisabeth Shue and her husband, film director Davis Guggenheim--they recently became third-time parents with the birth of their daughter Agnes."</ref>
* [[Elisabeth Shue]] (born 1963), actress.<ref>[http://www.nj.com/weblogs/southorange/index.ssf?/mtlogs/njo_southorange/archives/2006_06.html A new Shue], ''South Orange Journal'', [[June 27]], [[2006]]. "Belated congratulations to South Orange's own Elisabeth Shue and her husband, film director Davis Guggenheim--they recently became third-time parents with the birth of their daughter Agnes."</ref>

Revision as of 21:25, 2 May 2009

For the former township, see South Orange Township, New Jersey (1861-1922).
South Orange Village, New Jersey
Township
Map of South Orange Village in Essex County. Inset; Location of Essex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of South Orange Village in Essex County. Inset; Location of Essex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of South Orange, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of South Orange, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountyEssex
IncorporatedMay 4, 1869
Government
 • TypeSpecial Charter
 • PresidentDouglas Newman
Area
 • Total
2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2)
 • Land2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
[1]
243 ft (74 m)
Population
 (2007)[2]
 • Total
16,061
 • Density5,945.3/sq mi (2,295.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
07079
Area code973
FIPS code34-69255Template:GR[3]
GNIS feature ID0880741Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.southorange.org

South Orange Village is a prosperous suburban district of the New York Metropolitan Area located in South Orange township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 16,964. Seton Hall University is located in South Orange.

"The time and circumstances under which the name South Orange originated will probably never be known," wrote historian William H Shaw in 1884, "and we are obliged to fall back on a tradition, that Mr Nathan Squier first used the name in an advertisement offering wood for sale" in 1795.[4]

Of the 566 municipalities in New Jersey, South Orange Village is one of only four with a village form of government; the others are Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park and Ridgewood.

South Orange Village dates back to May 4, 1869, when it was formed within South Orange Township (Now Maplewood). On March 4, 1904, the Village of South Orange was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature and separated from South Orange Township.[5] In 1981, the name was changed to "South Orange Village Township" to take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies.[6] The change was intended to allow South Orange to qualify for a pool of federal aid allocated to municipalities that allowed townships to receive as much as double the revenue-sharing aid per capita received by the four other types of New Jersey municipalities — borough, city, town or village.[7]

Geography

South Orange is located at 40°44′52″N 74°15′32″W / 40.74778°N 74.25889°W / 40.74778; -74.25889Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.747650, -74.258811)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.4 km²). 2.8 square miles (7.4 km²) of it is land and aside from the East branch of Rahway River, none of it is covered by water.

The East branch of the Rahway River flows through the entire length of the township. Most of the year it is a trickle but can be heavy at times. In the past it would occasionally overflow its banks and flood low-lying parts of town. United States Army Corps of Engineers flood control projects remediated that in the mid 1970s.

The western part of the town sits on the eastern slope of South Mountain (elevation <660 feet (201 m)), leveling into a small valley near the central business district. At the top of the slope, the western edge of the town runs along the eastern border of South Mountain Reservation. The Montrose neighborhood with its large Victorian houses is in the northeast quadrant. Seton Hall University is located in the southeast quadrant near the border of Newark.

Climate

South Orange is on the boundary between regions with a humid subtropical and humid continental climate.

Climate data for South Orange
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: [8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18903,106—
19004,60848.4%
19106,01430.5%
19207,27421.0%
193013,63087.4%
194013,7420.8%
195015,23010.8%
196016,1756.2%
197016,9714.9%
198015,864−6.5%
199016,3903.3%
200016,9643.5%
2007 (est.)16,061[2]
Population 1930 - 1990.[9]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile (2,298.2/km²). There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5/sq mi (768.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 60.41% White, 31.30% African American, 0.09% Native American, 3.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from other races, and 2.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.93% of the population.

There were 5,522 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% 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 3.26.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,611, and the median income for a family was $107,641. Males had a median income of $61,809 versus $42,238 for females. The per capita income for the township was $41,035. About 1.9% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

History

What is now South Orange was part of a territory purchased from the Lenape Native Americans in 1666 by Robert Treat, who founded Newark that year on the banks of the Passaic River. The unsettled areas north and west of Newark were at first referred to as the uplands. South Orange was called the Chestnut Hills for a time.[4]

There are two claimants to the first English settlement in present-day South Orange. In 1677 brothers Joseph and Thomas Brown began clearing land for a farm in the area northwest of the junction of two old trails that are now South Orange Avenue and Ridgewood Road. A survey made in 1686 states, "note this Land hath a House on it, built by Joseph Brown and Thomas Brown, either of them having an equal share of it" located at the present southwest corner of Tillou Road and Ridgewood Road. Minutes of a Newark town meeting of September 27, 1680, record that "Nathaniel Wheeler, Edward Riggs, and Joseph Riggs, have a Grant to take up Land upon the Chesnut Hill by Raway River near the Stone House". The phrasing shows that a stone house already existed near (not on) the property. Joseph Riggs (seemingly the son of Edward Riggs) had a house just south of the Browns' house, at the northwest corner of South Orange Avenue and Ridgewood Road, according to a road survey of 1705. The same road survey locates Edward Riggs's residence near Millburn and Nathaniel Wheeler's residence in modern West Orange at the corner of Valley Road and Main Street.[4]

Wheeler's property in South Orange extended east of the Rahway River including the site of an old house now known as the "Stone House", standing on the north side of South Orange Avenue just to the west of Grove Park. By 1756 or earlier this property was owned by Samuel Pierson. A survey of adjoining property in 1767 mentions "Pierson's house" forming accidentally the earliest documentation of a house on the property, which may be much older. Bethuel Pierson, son of Samuel, lived in this house and when he inherited it in 1773/74 he was said to live "at the mountain plantation by a certain brook called Stone House Brook." Sometime during his ownership (he died in 1791) "Bethuel Pierson had a stone addition added to his dwelling-house, which he caused to be dedicated by religious ceremonies". This would appear to be the stone-walled portion of the "Stone House".[4] Stone House Brook runs west along the north side of the east-west road, past the "Stone House" and joining the Rahway River at about the location of the Brown and Riggs houses already noted. The oldest parts of the Pierson house are the oldest surviving structure in South Orange.

A deed of 1800 locates a property as being in "the Township of Newark, in the Parish of Orange, at a place called South Orange", marking the end of the name Chestnut Hills. Orange had been named after the ruler of England, William of Orange. Most of modern South Orange became part of Orange Township in 1806, part of Clinton Township in 1834, and part of South Orange Township in 1861. Gordon's Gazetteer circa 1830 describes the settlement as having "about 30 dwellings, a tavern and store, a paper mill and Presbyterian church".[10]

A country resort called the Orange Mountain House was established in 1847 just north of town. Guests could enjoy the "water cure" from natural spring water and walk in the grounds that extended up the slope of South Mountain. The main house was right on Ridgewood Road. The hotel burned down in 1890. The only remnants today are the names of Mountain Station and the Mountain House Road leading west from it to the site of the hotel.[11]

South Orange could be reached by the Morris and Essex Railroad which opened in 1837 between Newark and Morristown. As of 1869, the M&E became part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad which ran from Hoboken to Buffalo with through trains to Chicago.[12]

The Montrose neighborhood was developed after the Civil War. Its large houses on generous lots attracted wealthy families from Newark and New York City during the decades from 1870 to 1900. The Orange Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1880 at a location in Montrose, and in 1886 it was the location of the first US national tennis championships. The club moved to larger grounds on Ridgewood Road in 1916. Major tournament events were held at the club throughout the grass court era, and even into the mid-1980s professional events would occasionally be held there.

What is now the Baird Community House was up until about 1920 the clubhouse for a golf course that encompassed what is now Meadowlands Park. In fact, until regrading was performed during the 1970s, the outline of one of the course's sandtraps was still visible near the base of Flood's Hill, a spot that has historically been one of the favorite sleigh riding spots in Essex County.

The construction of Village Hall in 1894 and the "old" library building in 1896 indicate how the village was growing by that date[11]. Horsecar service from Newark started in 1865, running via South Orange Avenue to the station. Electric trolley cars began running the line in 1893 and by about 1900 a branch of this line also ran down Valley Street into Maplewood. Another separate trolley line, eventually dubbed the "Swamp Line", ran from the west side of the station north through what is now park land and along Meadowbrook Lane into West Orange where it ended at Main St.[13] An old postcard photo shows a station shelter at Montrose Ave. The DL&W rebuilt the railroad through town in 1914-1916, raising the tracks above street level and opening new station buildings at South Orange and Mountain Station. In September 1930, a frail Thomas Edison (he would die about a year later) inaugurated electric train service on the M&E between Hoboken and South Orange, with further extensions of service to Morristown and Dover being initiated over the coming months.[14]

The South Orange Library Association was organized by William Beebe, president of the Republican Club, where on November 14, 1864, a group of men and women met. Books were donated and the library was established in a corner room on the second floor of the Republican Club where it remained until 1867 when it was moved to a second floor room of the building next door on South Orange Avenue, near Sloan Street. It stayed there until 1884, when the building, with the library still on its second floor, was moved by horses up South Orange Avenue to the northwest corner of Scotland Road. Although supported as yet only by members' dues and a few gifts of money which were put into an endowment fund, in 1886 a new association was formed to establish a free circulating library and reading room which took over the loan books and other property of the old association. It was during this period, before Village Hall was built, that Village Trustees met in the Library's room. On May 1, 1889, the library was moved to a ground floor space at 59 South Orange Avenue.

At an annual meeting in 1895, Library Trustees considered the question of obtaining a library building and Eugene V. Connett's offer of a library site on the corner of Scotland Road and Taylor Place, with condition that $7,500 be subscribed, was accepted and the subscription was met. On May 8, 1896, the library was moved into the building on that corner. A referendum held on April 27, 1926, showed that citizens had voted ten to one in favor of the town taking over full support of the library. It thereupon became "The South Orange Public Library." In February, 1929, the Village Trustees passed an ordinance providing funds to construct a rear wing on the library and to provide a Children's Room in the basement, book stacks and a balcony on the floor above, together with rehabilitation work on the older part of the building. In November of 1968, the new library building on the corner of Scotland Road and Comstock Place was dedicated.

Part of the village as viewed from the South Orange station platform

Good transportation and a booming economy caused South Orange and neighboring towns to begin a major transformation in the 1920s into bedroom communities for Newark and New York City. Large houses were built in the blocks around the Orange Lawn Tennis club, while in other areas, especially south of South Orange Avenue, more modest foursquare houses were put up for the growing American middle class. The only large area not developed by 1930 was the high ground west of Wyoming Avenue.

There were at one time two rock quarries within the village supplying trap rock for construction. Kernan's operated as late as the 1980s at the top of Tillou Road. The town's other larger businesses were lumber and coal yards clustered around the railroad station that supplied them. The town's business district is still located in the blocks just east of the station.

The old Morris and Essex Railroad is still operated today by NJ Transit. Midtown Direct, initiated in 1996, offers service directly into Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, and has since caused a surge in real estate prices as the commute time to midtown dropped from about 50 minutes to 30, as the service eliminated the need for passengers to transfer to PATH trains at Hoboken. As a result, demand for commuter parking permits in lots adjoining the train and bus stations is extremely high.

Historic designations

  • South Orange is proud of its historical focus and has a number of places listed on the State and national Historic Register.
  • Old Stone House by the Stone House Brook (ID#1364), 219 South Orange Avenue
  • Baird Community Center (ID#3146), 5 Mead Street
  • Chapel of the Immaculate Conception (ID#4121), 400 South Orange Avenue
  • Eugene V. Kelly Carriage House (Father Vincent Monella Art Center) (ID#1360), Seton Hall University, South Orange Avenue
  • Montrose Park Historic District (ID#3147), roughly bounded by South Orange Avenue, Holland Road, the City of Orange boundary and the NJ Transit railroad right-of-way
  • Mountain Station Railroad Station (ID#1361), 449 Vose Avenue
  • Old Main Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Historic District (ID#3525), Morris and Essex Railroad Right-of-Way (NJ Transit Morristown Line), from Hudson, Hoboken City to Warren, Washington Township, and then along Warren Railroad to the Delaware River.
  • Prospect Street Historic District (ID#4), bounded by South Orange Avenue on the north, Tichenor Avenue on the east, Roland Avenue on the south and railroad track on the west
  • South Orange Fire Department (ID#41), First and Sloan avenues
  • South Orange Railroad Station (ID#1362), 19 Sloan Street
  • South Orange Village Hall (ID#1363), corner South Orange Avenue and Scotland Road
  • Temple Sharey Tefilo Israel (ID#78), 432 Scotland Road

Local character

File:Scan10018.JPG
Gaslights on Vose Avenue near dusk.

The town is one of only a few in New Jersey to retain gas light street illumination (others include Riverton, Palmyra, Glen Ridge and some parts of Orange). The gaslight has long been the symbol of South Orange (together with the distinctive Village Hall); a local tavern, the Gaslight, is named for them. Many of the major roads in town do have modern mercury vapor streetlights (built into gaslight frames), but most of the residential sections of the town are still gaslit. A proposal to replace all the gaslights in town with electric streetlights was explored as both a cost-saving and security measure during the 1970s. And although the changeover to electric was rejected at the time, the light output of the lamps was subsequently increased to address the concern that the streets of South Orange were too dimly lit. Be that as it may, there have been claims that South Orange has more operating gaslights than any other community in the United States.

Architecture is extremely varied. Most of the town is single-family wood framed houses, but there are a few apartment buildings from various eras as well as townhouse-style condominiums of mostly more recent vintage. Houses cover a range that includes every common style of the Mid-Atlantic United States since the late nineteenth century, and in sizes that range from brick English Cottages to giant Mansard-roofed mansions. Tudor, Victorian, Colonial, Ranch, Modern, and many others are all to be found. Most municipal government structures date from the 1920s, with a few being of more modern construction.

Many residents commute to New York City, but others work locally or in other parts of New Jersey. South Orange has a central business district with restaurants, banks, and other retail and professional services. There are a few small office buildings, but no large-scale enterprise other than Seton Hall University.

Government

South Orange provides the usual facilities for a municipality of this size; fire, police, a library of about 70,000 volumes, a municipal pool, a recreation center, parks, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, trash and yard waste removal provided by contractors, community access cable TV, among others. As noted above, the school board is shared with adjacent Maplewood.

Local government

South Orange is governed under a Special Charter granted by the New Jersey Legislature by a six member board of trustees and a village president (equivalent to a mayor), all unpaid positions. Trustees are elected in nonpartisan elections on an at-large basis to staggered four-year terms of office.[15] Local political parties are formed on an ad-hoc basis, generally focused on key issues of local concern; national political parties do not officially participate in township elections.

As of May 21, 2007, the Village President of South Orange is Douglas Newman. Members of the Board of Trustees are Deborah Davis Ford, Michael Goldberg, Stacey Jennings, Howard Levison, Terriann Moore-Abrams and Mark Rosner.[16][17]

Federal, state and county representation

South Orange is split between the Eighth and Tenth Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 27th Legislative District.[18]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 8th congressional district is represented by Rob Menendez (D, Jersey City).[19][20] For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 10th congressional district is represented by LaMonica McIver (D, Newark).[21] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Andy Kim (Moorestown, term ends 2031).[22][23]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 27th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by John F. McKeon (D, West Orange) and in the General Assembly by Rosy Bagolie (D, Livingston) and Alixon Collazos-Gill (D, Montclair).[24] Template:NJ Governor

Essex County is governed by a directly elected county executive, with legislative functions performed by the Board of County Commissioners. As of 2025, the County Executive is Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. (D, Roseland), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.[25] The county's Board of County Commissioners is composed of nine members, five of whom are elected from districts and four of whom are elected on an at-large basis. They are elected for three-year concurrent terms and may be re-elected to successive terms at the annual election in November.[26] Essex County's Commissioners are:

Robert Mercado (D, District 1 – Newark's North and East Wards, parts of Central and West Wards; Newark, 2026),[27] A'Dorian Murray-Thomas (D, District 2 – Irvington, Maplewood and parts of Newark's South and West Wards; Newark, 2026),[28] Vice President Tyshammie L. Cooper (D, District 3 - Newark: West and Central Wards; East Orange, Orange and South Orange; East Orange, 2026),[29] Leonard M. Luciano (D, District 4 – Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Millburn, North Caldwell, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange; West Caldwell, 2026),[30] President Carlos M. Pomares (D, District 5 – Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and Nutley; Bloomfield, 2026),[31] Brendan W. Gill (D, at large; Montclair, 2026),[32] Romaine Graham (D, at large; Irvington, 2026),[33] Wayne Richardson (D, at large; Newark, 2026),[34] Patricia Sebold (D, at-large; Livingston, 2026).[35][36][37][38][39]

Constitutional officers elected countywide are: Clerk Christopher J. Durkin (D, West Caldwell, 2025),[40][41] Register of Deeds Juan M. Rivera Jr. (D, Newark, 2029),[42][43] Sheriff Amir Jones (D, Newark, 2027),[44][45] and Surrogate Alturrick Kenney (D, Newark, 2028).[46][47]

Politics

On the national level, South Orange leans strongly toward the Democratic Party. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry received 77% of the South Orange vote, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received approximately 22%.

Education

The township shares a common school system, the South Orange-Maplewood School District, with the adjacent town of Maplewood. The district has a single high school, Columbia High School, located in Maplewood (but nearly on the town border), two middle schools and several elementary schools in each town.

Schools in the district (with 2006-07 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[48]) are:

Elementary Schools (K-5)

Middle Schools (6-8)

High School (9-12)

Private schools

Our Lady of Sorrows School is a K-8 elementary school operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[49]

Marylawn of the Oranges High School is an all-girl, private, Roman Catholic high school. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Higher Education

Seton Hall University is located in South Orange. The University was founded in 1856 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark and named after Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint. South Orange has a college feel with this Division I university located along the east side of South Orange Avenue, the community's main boulevard. The school serves approximately 9,700 students.

Local arts

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is located at 1 SOPAC Way, nestled right next to the NJ Transit South Orange station. The performance venue is a 415-seat proscenium theater, with a 5-screen Clearview Cinemas movie theater, and a dance studio/rental space in the same complex.

SOPAC presents music, family, dance, theater, and comedy programs throughout the year. Notable artists and companies who have performed at SOPAC include Paquito D'Rivera, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Olympia Dukakis, Richie Havens, Yo-Yo Ma, Eddie Palmieri, Madeleine Peyroux, Paula Poundstone, Anoushka Shankar, Phoebe Snow, Angie Stone, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Dionne Warwick, and Nancy Wilson.

The plans for SOPAC were first spoken of during the mid-1990s, and in the early 2000s the project was set into motion, with Seton Hall University partnering with SOPAC and construction in August 2004. The complex opened on November 3, 2006 to the general public.

SOPAC is still relatively young for an arts organization, but is making big strides in programming, arts education, and reaching out to the community. Partnerships with NJ-based companies like Lydia Johnson Dance and Battery Factory Theater have expanded their arts education initiative. SOPAC also partners with Seton Hall University to present Seton Hall Arts Council events throughout the year. These events include the Classical Concert Series, Jazz 'n the Hall, and Seton Hall Theatre--student theater productions.

Local media

WSOU-FM, "Seton Hall's Pirate Radio", is a non-commercial radio station licensed to South Orange and has studios and offices on the campus of Seton Hall University. The station operates at 89.5 FM.
South Orange Patch is a news and information site serving South Orange. It has sister sites in next door Maplewood, NJ and Millburn, NJ. All three sites were launched in February 2009 by Patch Media.

Community information

  • The town has a municipal swimming pool open to all residents. Residents may purchase a Photo I.D. badge for an annual fee of $20, which provides access to the South Orange Community Pool and full access to other community facilities and programs[50]; non-residents may use the pool for a small fee on a per visit basis on a guest pass that must be purchased by a resident. The non-resident also must go to the pool with a resident. In most area towns, municipal pool memberships are restricted or costly, but the pool in South Orange was built on land willed to the town for common use. The original pool, built in the 1920s, was reportedly the first free community pool to be built in the United States. It was replaced by an Olympic-size pool in 1972.
  • The town was the first in the nation to have an Affinity credit card scheme, the idea of the municipal affinity credit card being originated by former village president William Calabrese.
  • When the town was wired for telephones and electricity in the early 20th century, the poles and wires were not allowed to run along the curb lines of streets as they do in most towns. In some sections they run along property lines in the middle of blocks, and in others they run underground. This is aesthetically pleasing but complicates access to the lines, and it delayed the introduction of cable television. Occasional proposals to replace gas lights with electric lights run across the obstacle that there is no source of electric power along the streets.
  • The former telephone company system of identifying exchanges is still evidenced by the 761, 762, and 763 prefixes used for most lines in South Orange and Maplewood, which would have originally been referred to as SO1, SO2, and SO3.
  • South Orange and Maplewood share one of the largest online communities in the nation, featuring a very active message board at www.maplewoodonline.com.
  • South Orange's full official name is the "Township of South Orange Village." This name was originally adopted in lieu of the Village of South Orange because it allowed South Orange to receive more federal aid that was directed to Townships during the 1970s as many federal authorities were unfamiliar with the New Jersey municipal system, in which a township is not formally different from any other municipal designation. Other municipalities in New Jersey also adopted similar strategies, notably the Township of the Borough of Verona.
  • South Orange was the first municipality in New Jersey to recognize civil unions for homosexual couples. Exactly one hour after unions became legal in South Orange, they were recognized in neighboring Maplewood.
  • The News-Record weekly newspaper reports on both South Orange and Maplewood, and there are other shared institutions as well.
  • Teenagers from Columbia High School were the first to play the game of Ultimate Frisbee.
  • New York Yankee greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played at least one exhibition game during the 1920s for the South Orange baseball team at Cameron Field. Reportedly, the game was attended by more than 12,000 fans and featured a tape-measure home run by Gehrig, which was noted to have traveled over the railroad tracks before hitting a house on Vose Avenue, approximately 600 feet away, where an apartment house stands presently.
  • Portions of the Nickelodeon show The Adventures of Pete & Pete were filmed in South Orange for the first season and part of the second, ending with the episode Halloweenie.
  • Actor and director Zach Braff was born and raised in South Orange, and filmed portions of his film Garden State in South Orange and surrounding areas.
  • In his song "Hold Down the Block," Nas makes reference to South Orange. The song is from his 2006 album "Hip Hop is Dead."

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of South Orange include:

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of South Orange Village, Geographic Names Information System, accessed October 16, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Census data for South Orange Village township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 19, 2008.
  3. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d William H Shaw, "History of Essex and Hudson Counties", Philadelphia: Everts and Peck, 1884. Cite error: The named reference "Shaw" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 132.
  6. ^ New Jersey State Commission on County and Municipal Government, Modern Forms of Municipal Government, 1992, Chapter VI: Municipal Names and Municipal Classification
  7. ^ "Opponent of Distribution Formula For Federal Aid Steps Up Attack; As South Orange Moves to Become Township, Montclair Aide Calls for Equitable Sharing", The New York Times August 29, 1977. p. 59.
  8. ^ "Average weather for South Orange, New Jersey". Weather.com. Retrieved December 20 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |from= ignored (help)
  9. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  10. ^ Naoma Welk, South Orange, Charleston SC: Arcadia, 2002
  11. ^ a b Beatrice P Herman, The Trail to Upland Plantations, Worrall, 1976
  12. ^ Thomas T Taber III, The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad / In the Nineteenth Century, Muncy PA: T Taber, 1977
  13. ^ Edward Hamm, Jr, The Public Service Trolley Lines in New Jersey, Polo IL: Transportation Trails, 1991
  14. ^ Thomas T Taber III, The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad / In the Twentieth Century, Muncy PA: T Taber, 1977
  15. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 125.
  16. ^ "Voters seek new leadership", The Star-Ledger, May 8, 2007. Accessed May 17, 2007."South Orange's old guard was handily defeated tonight in the election for village president and four members on the board of trustees as a slate called Pure Progress swept the election by a wide margin. Douglas Newman, a local businessman who headed the ticket, denied William Calabrese a fourth term as president in the non-partisan election. He got 2,516 to Calabrese's 1,427.... Newman ran with Mark Rosner, an incumbent first elected in 1999; and newcomers Deborah Davis Ford, Howard Levison, and Michael Goldberg, who ran for the unexpired two-year term."
  17. ^ Village Government, South Orange Village Township. Accessed July 15, 2008.
  18. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 64. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  19. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  20. ^ Biography, Congressman Albio Sires. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Congressman Sires resides in West New York with his wife, Adrienne."
  21. ^ "McIver sworn in to fill late New Jersey Rep. Payne's seat". The Hill. September 23, 2024.
  22. ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
  23. ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/andy-kim-new-jersey-senate/
  24. ^ Legislative Roster for District 27, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 9, 2024.
  25. ^ Essex County Executive, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  26. ^ General Information, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020. "The County Executive, elected from the County at-large, for a four-year term, is the chief political and administrative officer of the County.... The Board of Chosen Freeholders consists of nine members, five of whom are elected from districts and four of whom are elected at-large. They are elected for three-year concurrent terms and may be re-elected to successive terms at the annual election in November. There is no limit to the number of terms they may serve."
  27. ^ Robert Mercado, Commissioner, District 1, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  28. ^ Wayne L. Richardson, Commissioner President, District 2, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  29. ^ Tyshammie L. Cooper, Commissioner, District 3, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  30. ^ Leonard M. Luciano, Commissioner, District 4, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  31. ^ Carlos M. Pomares, Commissioner Vice President, District 5, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  32. ^ Brendan W. Gill, Commissioner At-large, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  33. ^ Romaine Graham, Commissioner At-large, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  34. ^ Newark Native Elected As County Commissioner: A'Dorian Murray-Thomas, Patch. Accessed January 10, 2024.
  35. ^ Patricia Sebold, Commissioner At-large, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  36. ^ Members of the Essex County Board of County Commissioners, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  37. ^ Breakdown of County Commissioners Districts, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  38. ^ 2021 County Data Sheet, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2022.
  39. ^ County Directory, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2022.
  40. ^ About The Clerk, Essex County Clerk. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  41. ^ Members List: Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  42. ^ About the Register, Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed July 20, 2022.
  43. ^ Members List: Registers, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  44. ^ Armando B. Fontura, Essex County Sheriff's Office. Accessed June 10, 2018.
  45. ^ Members List: Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  46. ^ The Essex County Surrogate's Office, Essex County Surrogate. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  47. ^ Members List: Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2020.
  48. ^ Data for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 24, 2009.
  49. ^ Essex County Catholic Elementary Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed February 24, 2009.
  50. ^ Department of Recreation and Cultural Affairs, South Orange Village Township. Accessed July 15, 2006.
  51. ^ Begley, Adam. "Case of the Brooklyn Symbolist", The New York Times, August 30, 1992. Accessed September 19, 2008. "The grandson of first-generation Jewish immigrants, he was born in Newark in 1947, grew up in South Orange and attended high school in Maplewood, 20 miles southwest of New York."
  52. ^ a b "Theater; Two Mature Lives on Stage and Screen, Now Playing in New Jersey", The New York Times, September 19, 1999. "She and her husband, Lee Leonard, the host of Jersey Talking on News 12 in Edison, have been living in South Orange for four years."
  53. ^ Worth-Baker, Marcia."Mother's Always Right: Kelly Bishop has played the mother many times over", Maplewood matters, accessed April 22, 2007. ""Ask Kelly Bishop, South Orange resident and star of Gilmore Girls, what drew her to the role of Emily Gilmore, and she recalls, 'The pilot was simply the best script I ever read.'"
  54. ^ Scrubs cast profile of Zach Braff, accessed December 26, 2006
  55. ^ Andre Braugher, TV.com, accessed April 7, 2007. "Braugher has been busy at home as well; in 1991 he married writer/actress Ami Brabson, who portrayed his wife on Homicide, and they are currently residing in South Orange, New Jersey, with their two sons, Michael (born in 1992) and Isaiah (born in 1996)."
  56. ^ “Hagar” Cartoonist Featured in Conference at Augustana, Augustana College (South Dakota) press release, dated September 6, 2005. Accessed August 19, 2007. "Browne was born in South Orange, N.J., in 1952, and grew up in suburban Wilton, Conn."
  57. ^ Martinez, Michael. "College Basketball '87: Seton Hall; Carlesimo starts to lookup", The New York Times, January 11, 1987. Accessed December 23, 2007. "The team's pivotal player is Mark Bryant, a 6-foot-9-inch junior from South Orange, who had 24 points and 15 rebounds against Georgetown."
  58. ^ Hallman, Charley. "Gopher Notebook", 'St. Paul Pioneer Press, April 10, 1989. Accessed August 3, 2007. "Delany, 41, a native of South Orange, N.J., is a lawyer with experience as both counsel for the North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee and that state's justice department."
  59. ^ a b c Rockland, Kate. "Where the Midtown Direct, Oz and Springsteen Meet", The New York Times, December 25, 2005. Accessed February 3, 2008. "Mr. McCourt recently helped John Dossett and Michele Pawk, two stars of the Abba musical Mamma Mia! move into a house in his neighborhood."
  60. ^ "AN OLD-TIME ARTIST DEAD.; WHAT AMERICAN ART OWES TO ASHER BROWN DURAND.", The New York Times, September 20, 1886. Accessed July 15, 2008.
  61. ^ New Jersey Governor John Franklin Fort, National Governors Association. Accessed August 1, 2007.
  62. ^ That thing: Lauryn Hill sets Grammy record, CNN.com, February 24, 1999. "Hill, a native of South Orange, New Jersey, saw her musical career take off after critics heard her gritty alto performance on the Fugees' 1993 debut, 'Blunted on Reality.'"
  63. ^ Baker, Steven; and oppock, Julia. "Nightline Playlist: Wyclef Jean - The Haitian Hip-Hop Artist Shares the Inspiration Behind His Music", ABC News, December 8, 2007. Accessed December 28, 2008. "Jean was thrust into music at the age of 3 when he sang at his father's church. He immigrated to the United States with his family in 1981, living in Brooklyn for a year and then moving to South Orange, N.J. "
  64. ^ Radanovich, John. "Stacey Kent is the American Songbook idol", The Record (Bergen County), October 22, 2004.
  65. ^ Rhodes, Richard. "Father of the Sexual Revolution: A new biography of the man who studied sex the same way he studied insects.", The New York Times, November 2, 1997. Accessed July 30, 2007. "Kinsey suffered a rigid, inhibited childhood, growing up in Hoboken and South Orange, N.J., under the thumb of a dictatorial petit-bourgeois father who taught at the Stevens Institute."
  66. ^ Walter Irving McCoy biography, United States Congress. Accessed August 3, 2007.
  67. ^ Filichia, Peter. "Actor reflects on 'Luck,' parenthood and hard work", The Star-Ledger, May 3, 2002. Acecssed August 1, 2007. "James Rebhorn, 53, is one of those actors whose name you may not know, but you never forget his face, from such films as 'Meet the Parents,' 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' Now the South Orange resident is appearing on Broadway in Arthur Miller's first play, 'The Man Who Had All the Luck,' which closed after only four performances in 1944."
  68. ^ Roberts, Lee. "Not as naughty as they might be; Naughty by nature's hometown value keep them anchored in a stormy hip-hop world". The Star-News, August 25, 1995. Accessed August 2, 2007. "The three men have not only refused to leave their South Orange, N.J., neighborhood for more glamorous spots, they've also kept living with their families and have hired friends and family members to run their hometown businesses."
  69. ^ Zimbabwe RPCV Andrew Shue founds "Do Something", Horizon magazine, September 1, 2003. "Shue and Do Something president Sanchez grew up together in South Orange, N.J., where, at 14, Shue became a Boy Scout dropout, mostly because the troop's weekend excursions cramped his soccer schedule."
  70. ^ A new Shue, South Orange Journal, June 27, 2006. "Belated congratulations to South Orange's own Elisabeth Shue and her husband, film director Davis Guggenheim--they recently became third-time parents with the birth of their daughter Agnes."
  71. ^ Madigan, Nick. "Producer honoree Silver agonizes over 'the process': The 'gyroscopic force of inertia' in films make filmmaking difficult", Variety (magazine), August 27, 2001. Accessed July 30, 2007. "Silver acknowledges that his movies may not leave the same legacy as the classics he watched growing up in South Orange, N.J., like The Guns of Navarone, Lawrence of Arabia or The Dirty Dozen."
  72. ^ Wang, Katie. "S. Orange trustees wrong on art project: 3 admit U.S. grant cannot be applied", The Star-Ledger, March 15, 2006. Accessed August 1, 2007. "Art enthusiasts initiated the project nearly four years ago as a way to recognize Smith, who was raised in the historic Montrose section of South Orange."
  73. ^ "Kevin Spacey: The unusual suspect", BBC News, February 5, 2003, accessed April 22, 2007. "Kevin Spacey was born Kevin Spacey Fowler in South Orange, New Jersey in 1959, the son of a secretary and a technical writer."
  74. ^ Jeff Van note, database Football. Accessed December 23, 2007.
  75. ^ Suhay, Lisa. "Jerseyana; Uncovering the Tracks Left by State's Women", The New York Times, December 12, 1999. Accessed March 26, 2008. "So such prominent New Jerseyans as the author Judy Blume from Elizabeth; the choreographer Ruth St. Denis and the ballerina Patricia McBride of Newark; the singers Lauren Hill and Dionne Warwick of South Orange, Whitney Houston, Connie Francis and Sarah Vaughan, all of Newark; the actresses Brooke Shields of Englewood and Daisey Fuentes of Newark, and the author Ann Morrow Lindbergh must die before qualifying for a stop on the tour."
  76. ^ Moore, Elizabeth."A toast to Montrose Neighborhood to celebrate comeback: S. Orange section has place in history", The Star-Ledger, February 5, 2004. Accessed August 1, 2007. "Weinberg, who grew up in South Orange, used to live on Montrose Avenue and first played drums at the Marshall School in South Orange"
  77. ^ Burkhart, Ford. "Aaron D. Wyner, 58; Helped Speed Data Around the Globe", The New York Times, October 13, 1997. Accessed November 9, 2007.

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