Butler, New Jersey

History

The area now known as Butler was originally called "West Bloomingdale" and was sparsely populated. Water power brought manufacturing entities to the area. In 1857, The Pequannock Valley Paper Company moved from Bergen County and in 1868 the Newbrough Hard Rubber Company built a factory, both based along the Pequannock River. These were two significant economic entities that contributed to the growth of the Borough. In 1871, the New Jersey Midland Railroad extended track through Butler from Paterson, making an important transportation connection for both passengers and freight. The northern terminus for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway's passenger service was located at Butler until 1966. The railroad still carries freight through Butler.

The growing community was given the name "Butler" in 1881 after Richard Butler, who had taken ownership of the Hard Rubber Company. A Post Office was established and a larger railroad station was built. This station has been the Borough Museum since about 1977. The Hard Rubber Company eventually merged with other businesses and became the American Hard Rubber Company in 1898. A "Soft" Rubber Company built a factory just along Main Street. The borough continued to grow as other factories and supporting businesses were established. The population in 1920 was 2,265 people. By 1950, it was 4,063.

Butler's largest fire began just after midnight, February 26, 1957, when one of the nation's largest rubber reclaiming mills (Pequanoc Rubber Company on Main Street) was destroyed by a blaze estimated to have caused a loss of as much as $3 million at the time. The mill occupied the site on upper Main Street, an irregular shaped complex 600 feet by 300 feet and three to four stories high; it produced over 100 tons of reusable sheet rubber daily from 200 tons of scrap. One Butler Heights resident remembers the fire being so bright she could read a newspaper in her yard at 3am at a distance of a mile. The glow reportedly was visible for 100 miles, mutual aid response was required by volunteer fire companies from a dozen nearby fire companies.

Numerous organizations exist in town and, along with the neighboring towns of Kinnelon and Bloomingdale, many "Tri-Boro" organizations serve the area, including the local Little League & Volunteer First Aid Squad.

Butler was the location of a health resort run by Benedict Lust called "Yungborn" that opened on September 15, 1896.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.089 square miles (5.410 km²), including 2.036 square miles (5.273 km²) of land and 0.053 square miles (0.137 km²) of water (2.53%).

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 7,539 people, 3,031 households, and 1,976 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,703.2 per square mile (1,429.8/km²). The borough contained 3,169 housing units at an average density of 1,556.6 per square mile (601.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 88.95% (6,706) White, 1.11% (84) Black or African American, 0.16% (12) Native American, 3.02% (228) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 4.95% (373) from other races, and 1.80% (136) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 11.41% (860) of the population.

Out of a total of 3,031 households, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the borough, 20.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females the census counted 100.7 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 99.6 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $78,614 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,375) and the median family income was $102,435 (+/- $7,072). Males had a median income of $69,407 (+/- $4,399) versus $46,286 (+/- $4,815) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,678 (+/- $3,263). About 3.2% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 7,420 people, 2,868 households, and 2,024 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,568.9 people per square mile (1,377.3/km²). There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 1,405.9 per square mile (542.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.89% White, 0.62% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.85% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.11% of the population.

There were 2,868 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $57,455, and the median income for a family was $66,199. Males had a median income of $45,975 versus $35,815 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,113. About 2.5% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Butler is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, 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 consists of 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 Butler, the most common system used in the state, 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.

As of 2016, the Mayor of Butler is Republican Robert W. Alviene, whose term of office ends December 31, 2018. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Edwin J. Vath (R, 2016), Robert Fox (R, 2018), Sean McNear (R, 2017), Robert H. Meier (R, 2018), Stephen Regis (R, 2016) and Raymond Verdonik (R, 2017).

Federal, state and county representation

Butler is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). 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 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 26th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Pennacchio (R, Montville) and in the General Assembly by BettyLou DeCroce (R, Parsippany-Troy Hills) and Jay Webber (R, Morris Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. The Freeholder Board sets policies for the operation of six super-departments, more than 30 divisions plus authorities, commissions, boards and study committees. Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator, John Bonanni. As of 2016, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Kathryn A. DeFillippo (Roxbury Township, term ends December 31, 2016), Deputy Freeholder William "Hank" Lyon (Montville, 2017), Douglas Cabana (Boonton Township, 2016), John Cesaro (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, 2018), Thomas J. Mastrangelo (Montville, 2016) Christine Myers (Mendham Township, 2018), and Deborah Smith (Denville, 2018). Constitutional officers are County Clerk Ann F. Grossi (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, 2018), Sheriff Edward V. Rochford (Morris Plains, 2016) and Surrogate John Pecoraro (Mendham Borough, 2019).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,551 registered voters in Butler, of which 863 (19.0%) were registered as Democrats, 1,458 (32.0%) were registered as Republicans and 2,224 (48.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 55.1% of the vote (1,811 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.5% (1,430 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (44 votes), among the 3,302 ballots cast by the borough's 4,774 registered voters (17 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 55.1% of the vote (1,968 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.7% (1,561 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (32 votes), among the 3,573 ballots cast by the borough's 4,759 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 57.4% of the vote (1,986 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 41.4% (1,430 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (26 votes), among the 3,458 ballots cast by the borough's 4,822 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 71.7.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.9% of the vote (1,320 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 29.8% (571 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (25 votes), among the 1,949 ballots cast by the borough's 4,723 registered voters (33 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.9% of the vote (1,286 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 33.4% (755 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.0% (159 votes) and other candidates with 1.5% (33 votes), among the 2,260 ballots cast by the borough's 4,615 registered voters, yielding a 49.0% turnout.

Education

The Butler Public Schools serves students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's three schools had an enrollment of 1,130 students and 99.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.38:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Aaron Decker School for grades preK-4 (369 students), Richard Butler School for grades 5-8 (280) and Butler High School for grades 9-12 (481).

Students from Bloomingdale attend Butler High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Bloomingdale School District.

St. Anthony of Padua School was a Catholic school operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson that was closed in June 2012 in the face of declining enrollment, after having served the community for 130 years.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 27.84 miles (44.80 km) of roadways, of which 23.29 miles (37.48 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.40 miles (3.86 km) by Morris County and 2.15 miles (3.46 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Public transportation

NJ Transit bus service is provided on the 194 route to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, with seasonal service to Mountain Creek in Vernon Township on the 304 route. In September 2012, as part of budget cuts, NJ Transit suspended service to Newark on the 75 line.

Notable people

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

Points of interest