Gloucester City is a city in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 11,456, reflecting a decline of 28 (-0.2%) from the 11,484 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 1,165 (-9.2%) from the 12,649 counted in the 1990 Census. It is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia and the Port of Philadelphia.
Gloucester City was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 25, 1868, from the remaining portions of Union Township, which was then dissolved. Additional territory was annexed in 1925 from Centre Township and in 1927 from Haddon Township.
Gloucester City is known for its Irish American population, which was ninth-highest in the United States by percentage in the 2000 Census.
Geography
Gloucester City is located at 39°53′30″N 75°07′00″W (39.891609,-75.1167). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 2.782 square miles (7.206 km2), of which, 2.320 square miles (6.009 km2) of it was land and 0.462 square miles (1.197 km2) of it (16.62%) was water.
The city borders Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Camden, Haddon Township, and Mount Ephraim. Gloucester City also borders Gloucester County and the Delaware River.
Demographics
Census 2010
At the 2010 United States Census, there were 11,456 people, 4,248 households, and 2,804 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,937.8 per square mile (1,906.5/km2). There were 4,712 housing units at an average density of 2,031.0 per square mile (784.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.52% (10,370) White, 3.07% (352) Black or African American, 0.14% (16) Native American, 2.68% (307) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.82% (209) from other races, and 1.76% (202) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.70% (767) of the population.
There were 4,248 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the city, 24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.7 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $52,222 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,589) and the median family income was $58,825 (+/- $7,975). Males had a median income of $49,032 (+/- $3,038) versus $36,560 (+/- $2,335) for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,718 (+/- $1,341). About 12.2% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 11,484 people, 4,213 households, and 2,839 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,213.7 people per square mile (2,015.5/km2). There were 4,604 housing units at an average density of 2,090.2 per square mile (808.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.14% White, 0.69% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
As of the 2000 Census, 34.2% of Gloucester City residents were of Irish ancestry, the ninth-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and third-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.
There were 4,213 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,855, and the median income for a family was $46,038. Males had a median income of $35,659 versus $24,907 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,912. About 7.7% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Gloucester City is governed under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The Mayor is elected at-large and serves a four-year term. Members of the council are elected from three wards to three-year staggered terms, so that there are no council seats up for vote in one year in the three-year cycle. The Mayor and Common Council are responsible for making public policy that addresses the needs of the City and its residents. The Mayor and Common Council also appoint members of the Planning and Zoning Board, as well as the Board of Health.
As of 2015, the Mayor of Gloucester City is William James, whose term of office ends December 31, 2018. Members of the City Council are:
- First Ward: John Hutchinson (2016) and Daniel T. Spencer, Jr. (2015)
- Second Ward: James "Bowie" Johnson (2015) and Bruce Parry (2016)
- Third Ward: Nancy Randolph Baus (2015) and Patrick Keating (2016)
Federal, state and county representation
Gloucester City is located in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.
New Jersey's First Congressional District is represented by Donald Norcross (D, Camden). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).
For the 2014-2015 Session, the 5th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D, Camden, serving the unexpired term of Donald Norcross until November 2015) and in the General Assembly by Angel Fuentes (D, Camden) and Gilbert "Whip" Wilson (D, Camden). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).
Camden County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, its seven members chosen at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms office on a staggered basis, with wither two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2014, Camden County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Collingswood, term ends December 31, 2014), Freeholder Deputy Director Edward McDonnell (Pennsauken Township, 2016), Michelle Gentek (Gloucester Township, 2015), Ian K. Leonard (Camden, 2015), Scot N. McCray (Camden, 2014), Jeffrey L. Nash (Cherry Hill, 2015) and Carmen Rodriguez (Merchantville, 2016). Constitutional officers elected countywide are County Clerk Joseph Ripa, Sheriff Charles H. Billingham and Surrogate Patricia Egan "Pat" Jones.
The sheriff of Camden County is Charles H. Billingham, a resident of Gloucester City who had previously served as the city's mayor.
Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,726 registered voters in Gloucester City, of which 3,320 (49.4%) were registered as Democrats, 660 (9.8%) were registered as Republicans and 2,744 (40.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 65.6% of the vote (2,624 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 32.6% (1,303 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (72 votes), among the 4,058 ballots cast by the city's 7,177 registered voters (59 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 56.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 59.2% of the vote here (2,611 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 37.0% (1,631 votes), with 4,411 ballots cast among the city's 6,711 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.7%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 58.9% of the vote here (2,698 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 38.3% (1,755 votes), with 4,578 ballots cast among the city's 6,653 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 68.8.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 59.0% of the vote (1,309 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.2% (870 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (41 votes), among the 2,310 ballots cast by the city's 7,097 registered voters (90 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 32.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 54.8% of the vote here (1,473 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 36.0% (969 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.2% (113 votes), with 2,689 ballots cast among the city's 6,708 registered voters, yielding a 40.1% turnout.
Education
The Gloucester City Public Schools serve students in preschool through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide, which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Students from Brooklawn attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship.
As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's three schools had an enrollment of 2,050 students and 198.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentâ€"teacher ratio of 10.32:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Cold Springs Elementary School (grades PreK-3; 842 students), Mary Ethel Costello Elementary School (4-6; 374) and Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School (7-12; 834).
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operates Gloucester Catholic High School, a co-educational four-year Roman Catholic high school. Saint Mary School was a Catholic grammar school that served grade levels from three- and four-year-old pre-school to eighth grade, which was closed by the diocese at the end of the 2010-2011 school year, in the wake of declining enrollment and rising deficits that were beyond the ability of the diocese to cover.
Commerce
Portions of the City of Gloucester within an Urban Enterprise Zone where, in addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax rate at eligible merchants (versus the 7% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.
Fort Nassau
The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau. The one built in the 1620s at today's Gloucester City was for trade, mostly in beaver pelts, with the indigenous population of Susquehannock and Lenape. The region along the Delaware River and its bay was called the Zuyd Rivier and marked the southern flank of the province of New Netherland.
From 1638-1655 the area was part of New Sweden, which had been established by Peter Minuit, who had been Director of New Netherland, and was responsible for the famous purchase of the island of Manhattan. The location was disadvantageous since the richest fur-trapping area was on the west side of the river, where Swedish could intercept trade with the natives. In 1651, Peter Stuyvesant, director-general of New Netherland, dismantled the structure and relocated to a position on the other side of the river, in part to menace the Swedish, calling it Fort Casimir.
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010, the city had a total of 39.97 miles (64.33Â km) of roadways, of which 29.52 miles (47.51Â km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.10 miles (11.43Â km) by Camden County, 2.63 miles (4.23Â km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.72 miles (1.16Â km) by the Delaware River Port Authority.
Interstate 76 travels through Gloucester City, passes into Camden and re-enters the city where it reaches its northern terminus.
The Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge carrying Interstate 76, spanning the Delaware River, connecting Philadelphia and Gloucester City. The bridge, which extends for almost 12,000 feet (3,700Â m) between abutments, opened to traffic on May 16, 1957. U.S. Route 130 also travels through Gloucester City.
Public transportation
New Jersey Transit bus service is available to Philadelphia on routes 401 (from Salem), 402 (from Pennsville), 408 (from Millville), 410 (from Bridgeton) and 412 (from Swell), with local service on the 457 route between the Moorestown Mall and camden.
The city is a planned stop on the Glassboroâ€"Camden Line, an 18-mile (28.97 km) diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system projected for completion in 2019.
Sports
From 1888 to 1890 the Philadelphia Athletics of the now-defunct American Association played 30 Sunday games in Gloucester City.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Gloucester City include:
- James Barton (1890-1962), vaudevillian, stage performer and character actor in films and television.
- Agnus Berenato (born 1956), former head women's basketball coach at Rider University (1982-1985), Georgia Tech (1989-2003) and University of Pittsburgh (2012-2013).
- Jack Collins (born 1943), former Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly.
- Patrick T. Harker (born 1958), President of the University of Delaware since 2007.
- Eliza Leslie (1787-1858), author of popular cookbooks during the nineteenth century.
- Johnny Gaudreau, hockey player for the Calgary Flames.
Popular culture
- Gloucester Point Grounds is a former baseball ground located in Gloucester City that was the part-time home to the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association from 1888 to 1890, with the Athletics playing games there on Sunday to avoid blue law restrictions in Philadelphia.
- Gloucester City is cited by some as the birthplace of rock and roll. Bill Haley & His Comets â€" originally a country music band called "Bill Haley and the Saddlemen" â€" were the house band playing at the Twin Bar for 18 months starting in the early 1950s and are said to have modified their performing style while on stage there to an early form of rock and roll.
- In 1881, painter Thomas Eakins completed two versions of "Shad-Fishing at Gloucester on the Delaware River". A watercolor version is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, while an oil on canvas version is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, just across the Delaware River from Gloucester City.
- On November 4, 1773, Elizabeth Griscom married John Ross at Huggs Tavern. Better known as Betsy Ross, Elizabeth is credited with designing and producing the first American flag. Huggs Tavern was torn down in the 1920s; the former site of the tavern is part of what is now Proprietor's Park.
References
External links
- Gloucester City municipal information
- Gloucester City Public Schools
- Gloucester City Public Schools's 2012â€"13 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Gloucester City Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
- Gloucester City Library
- History of the Gloucester Race Track