Chatham Township, New Jersey
Chatham Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 10,086.
Chatham was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 12, 1806, from portions of Hanover Township and Morris Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 10, 1806. Madison was formed from portions of the township on December 27, 1889. On August 19, 1892, Chatham village was formed within the township, formally separating as Chatham Borough on March 1, 1897. Florham Park was formed from portions of the township on March 9, 1899.[3]
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Geography
Chatham Township is located at 
40°43′42″N, 74°24′56″W (40.728203 -74.415657)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Chatham Township has a total area of 24.2 km˛ (9.4 mi˛). 24.2 km˛ (9.3 mi˛) of it is land and 0.1 km˛ (0.04 mi˛) of it (0.21%) is water.
Green Village is an unincorporated area that is also in parts of Harding Township. Green Village is the site of the Rolling Knolls Landfill, a landfill identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a Superfund site. The landfill is bordered on two sides by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and was formerly known as Miele's Dump, after owner Robert Miele.
Government
Local government
The township form of government is the oldest form of municipal government in New Jersey since it became an American state. That form of local government dates back to the act of 1798 and during a reorganization of Morris County in 1806, Chatham Township was formed to include several colonial villages and settlements that had been made part of previously existing townships. A great deal of open, swampy, and mountainous land was included with the villages. For a while, the new township included what are now, Madison, Chatham, and Florham Park, as well as all of Green Village and all of the lands still governed by Chatham Township, but soon the principle villages began to secede because of contention over the funding of their projects.
On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed three days earlier, the village of Madison seceded from Chatham Township and adopted the borough form of government in order to develop a local water supply system for its population of 3,250. Madison annexed additional portions of Chatham Township in 1891, and annexed more each year from 1894-1898, followed finally, by an exchange of some lands in 1899 with Chatham Township.
In the midst of these changes, in 1892 "...Chatham Village found itself at odds with the rest of the township. Although village residents paid 40 percent of the township taxes, they got only 7 percent of the receipts in services. The village had to raise its own money to install kerosene street lamps and its roads were in poor repair. As a result, the village voted on August 9, 1892, to secede from the township."[5]
The village that is now Florham Park first was part of Hanover Township, before being included in the township formed in 1806 as Chatham Township. It also seceded from Chatham Township and incorporated as Florham Park in 1899.
Green Village remained in the township until 1922, when portions of it became part of Harding Township, another new township. Its main intersection remains in Chatham Township.
The boundaries of Chatham Township finally settled down and have remained the same since 1922. Residential developments began in the late 1950s when farm lands and greenhouses began to be sold off and ownership of automobiles increased dramatically. By the 1960s its post WWII boom in housing was in full swing in Chatham Township.
Voters elect the township committee's five members. The elections are partisan and the committee members serve three-year staggered terms. The township committee elects the mayor from among its members for a one-year term. The mayor serves as the chair of the township committee and has powers vested in the mayor's office by general law.
The township committee is the legislative branch of the community's government and establishes policies for the administration of the various departments. The committee appoints the township administrator who is responsible for carrying out those policies and overseeing the day to day operations.
Subcommittees of the township committee are public safety; public works; planning, engineering, and land use; parks and recreation; general administration; and finance. Two members of the township committee serve on each and provide oversight to the departments.
Members of the Chatham Township Committee are Mayor Kevin R. Tubbs, Deputy Mayor Bailey Brower, Jr., Nicole Hagner, Jack Hartford and William O'Connor.[6]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Chatham Township is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District.[7]
New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 21st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield) and in the Assembly by Jon Bramnick (R, Westfield) and Eric Munoz (R, Summit). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
As of 2007, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Margaret Nordstrom, Freeholder Deputy Director John Inglesino, Douglas R. Cabana, William J. Chegwidden, Gene F. Feyl, John J. Murphy and Jack Schrier.[11]
History
In 1773, Chatham was named in honor of Sir William Pitt, an English prime minister and the first Earl of Chatham who was most favorable toward the colonists in issues with the British government. Participation in the revolutionary war was significant by the citizens of Chatham. Nearby Morristown was the military center of the revolution, where the winter headquarters were established twice, and revolutionary troops were active in the entire county area regularly.
Chatham Township was incorporated in 1806, and included the areas that are now the boroughs of Chatham, Madison, and Florham Park.[8] Today, Chatham Township shares some joint public services with Chatham Borough, including the library and school district.
Education
Public Schools
Chatham Borough and Chatham Township held elections in November 1986 to consider joining their (at the time separate) school districts. This proposal was supported by the voters of both communities and since then, the two municipalities have shared a regionalized school district, the School District of the Chathams. Chatham's school district is also considered one of the best in the state, along with one of the top public schools in the nation. Chatham High School was awarded the "Blue Ribbon Award", which is the most prestigious award given to High Schools.
Private school
The Darcy School, founded in 1998, is a private coeducational day school located in Chatham Township, serving students in preschool through eighth grade. The school has a total enrollment of 115 students.
Transport
New Jersey Transit provides ample public transport to Chatham Township.
Rail transport
New Jersey Transit stops at the Chatham station to provide commuter service on the Morristown Line, with trains heading to the Hoboken Terminal and to New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.
Bus transport
New Jersey Transit local bus service is provided on the MCM3 and MCM8 routes.[9]
Notable residents
- Chris Carlin, radio producer and sportscaster at WFAN Sports Radio 66 in New York City.[10]
References
- ^ a b Census data for Chatham township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 15, 2007.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Chatham, Geographic Names Information System, accessed April 12, 2007.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 191.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ If You're Thinking of Living In/Chatham; Rich Past, Bustling but Homey Present, The New York Times, April 17, 1994.
- ^ Chatham Township Committee, Chatham Township. Accessed April 12, 2007.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ History of Chatham Township, Chatham Township. Accessed December 13, 2006.
- ^ Morris County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed June 21, 2007.
- ^ Chris Carlin profile, WFAN. Accessed June 19, 2007. "Chris grew up in Chatham Township, New Jersey, and attended Oratory Prep High School in Summit."
- ^ Meet the Freeholders, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed May 29, 2007.