Lindenwold, New Jersey

History

The Borough of Lindenwold was created on April 23, 1929, from Clementon Township, one of seven municipalities created from the now-defunct township, and one of five new municipalities (including Hi-Nella Borough, Pine Hill Borough, Pine Valley Borough and Somerdale Borough) created on that same date. The borough's first official meeting was held on the following May 31 in the old Fire Hall at Linden Avenue and Berlin Road. The name "Lindenwold" (German for "linden woods") was suggested by Wilmer Bedford, a local resident who had been reading a German book that included the word. Bedford sought to have linden trees planted along the borough's streets, but local officials chose cheaper trees as an alternative.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.954 square miles (10.241 km²), including 3.892 square miles (10.081 km²) of land and 0.062 square miles (0.160 km²) of water (1.56%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Kirkwood and Lucastown.

Lindenwold borders the Camden County municipalities of Berlin Borough, Berlin Township, Clementon Borough, Gibbsboro, Gloucester Township, Laurel Springs, Pine Hill, Somerdale, Stratford, and Voorhees Township.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 17,613 people, 7,426 households, and 4,211 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,525.1 per square mile (1,747.2/km²). The borough contained 8,251 housing units at an average density of 2,119.8 per square mile (818.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 48.08% (8,469) White, 34.66% (6,104) Black or African American, 0.44% (78) Native American, 2.80% (493) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 10.34% (1,822) from other races, and 3.65% (643) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 20.85% (3,673) of the population.

Out of a total of 7,426 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.9% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the borough, 22.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females the census counted 90.6 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 87.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $47,462 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,694) and the median family income was $55,906 (+/- $3,257). Males had a median income of $34,580 (+/- $5,293) versus $35,523 (+/- $3,099) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $22,793 (+/- $1,111). About 9.8% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 17,414 people, 7,465 households, and 4,299 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,415.5 people per square mile (1,706.5/km²). There were 8,244 housing units at an average density of 2,090.3 per square mile (807.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 61.42% White, 28.22% African American, 0.48% Native American, 3.53% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.24% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.56% of the population.

There were 7,465 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $36,080, and the median income for a family was $40,931. Males had a median income of $34,990 versus $26,514 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,659. About 11.3% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Lindenwold 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 Lindenwold, 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 Lindenwold Borough is Democrat Richard E. Roach Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2019. Members of the Lindenwold Borough Council are Council President Cheryle Randolph-Sharpe (D, 2018), Ronald D. Burrows (2017), Joseph DiDomenico (D, 2016), Linda Hess (2017), Justin M. Jackson Jr. (D, 2018) and Joseph C. Strippoli (D, 2016).

Federal, state and county representation

Lindenwold is located in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 4th 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 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 4th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Fred H. Madden (D, Washington Township, Gloucester County) and in the General Assembly by Paul Moriarty (D, Washington Township, Gloucester County) and Gabriela Mosquera (D, Gloucester Township). 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, whose seven members chosen at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2015, Camden County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Collingswood, term as freeholder ends December 31, 2017; term as director ends 2015), Freeholder Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (Pennsauken Township, term as freeholder ends 2016; term as deputy director ends 2015), Michelle Gentek (Gloucester Township, 2015), Ian K. Leonard (Camden, 2015), Jeffrey L. Nash (Cherry Hill, 2015), Carmen Rodriguez (Merchantville, 2016) and Jonathan L. Young, Sr. (Berlin Township, November 2015; serving the unexpired term of Scot McCray ending in 2017)

Camden County's constitutional officers, all elected directly by voters, are County clerk Joseph Ripa, Sheriff Charles H. Billingham, and Surrogate Patricia Egan Jones. The Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo was appointed by the Governor of New Jersey with the advice and consent of the New Jersey Senate (the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 9,970 registered voters in Lindenwood, of which 4,510 (45.2%) were registered as Democrats, 714 (7.2%) were registered as Republicans and 4,742 (47.6%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 80.2% of the vote (4,936 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 18.7% (1,152 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (67 votes), among the 6,206 ballots cast by the borough's 10,991 registered voters (51 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 56.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 76.4% of the vote (5,208 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 20.5% (1,400 votes), with 6,813 ballots cast among the borough's 9,556 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.3%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 71.1% of the vote (4,295 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 27.3% (1,650 votes), with 6,042 ballots cast among the borough's 9,306 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 64.9.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 52.6% of the vote (1,406 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 45.7% (1,221 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (46 votes), among the 2,744 ballots cast by the borough's 11,121 registered voters (71 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 24.7%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 61.8% of the vote (1,871 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 30.6% (927 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.5% (135 votes), with 3,027 ballots cast among the borough's 9,848 registered voters, yielding a 30.7% turnout.

Education

The Lindenwold Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are two elementary schools for PreK-4 — Lindenwold School 4 (455 students) and Lindenwold School 5 (600) — Lindenwold Middle School for grades 5-8 (641) and Lindenwold High School for grades 9-12 (536).

At the end of the 2007-08 school year, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden closed Saint Lawrence Regional School and merged it together with schools in Somerdale and Stratford to create John Paul II Regional School.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 44.90 miles (72.26 km) of roadways, of which 31.41 miles (50.55 km) were maintained by the municipality, 12.14 miles (19.54 km) by Camden County and 1.35 miles (2.17 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Public transportation

The Lindenwold station is home to the eastern terminus and main operations facility for the PATCO Speedline. It is also a stop on NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line, which runs from 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to the Atlantic City Rail Terminal.

NJ Transit offers bus service between the borough and Camden on the 403 route, with local service on the 451 and 459 routes, and service to Atlantic City on the 554.

Notable people

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