Tinton Falls, New Jersey

History

The area that is now known as Tinton Falls was originally settled in the late 1600s, probably beginning with the initial land purchases from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans in 1664. Water power and iron ore were likely the incentives that encouraged settlement: shortly after [the land was purchased], a man by the name of James Grover had an ironworks built along the river. Grover was likely the founder of the community, which, in the 1600s, was named "New Shrewsbury". At this time, the waterfall was known to be about 30 feet (9.1 m) high; erosion and the destruction of the dam near the ironworks have led to its diminishment.

The ironworks

Grover's ironworks was the central fixture of the community, and it was one of the oldest built in the country, predated only by buildings in Jamestown and Massachusetts. In 1675, a half-interest in the ironworks company was purchased by Colonel Lewis Morris, [who obtained a title granting him 3,540 acres (14.3 km²) along the Shrewsbury River]. Morris also obtained land owned by Bartholomew Applegate, who had built a corn mill on the other side of the river. Morris, who procured the land for iron mining, named his holdings "Tintern Manor," after his family lands in Monmouthshire, England. Tintern Abbey, located in Monmouthshire, Wales, is often accepted as the namesake of Tinton Falls.

In 1691, Colonel Morris died, leaving the ironworks and Tinton Manor (a corruption of "Tintern Manor") to his nephew of the same name. By 1714, the ironworks had become less profitable, but mention of a Tinton Falls ironworks can be found as late as 1844. Morris brought in dozens of African slaves to mine the ore resulting in the nickname the "Iron Plantation", with the highest number of slaves being in Tinton Falls at that time in the colony of New Jersey, though in mid-18th century it had the largest number of emancipated slaves in the 13 colonies, as residents followed the preaching of abolitionist John Woolman.

Separation from Shrewsbury Township

In 1693, Tinton Manor and the surrounding lands were defined as part of Shrewsbury Township. At this time, Shrewsbury included all of the land in eastern Monmouth County, but saw the departure of a large number of new municipalities over the years, including the borough of Shrewsbury in 1926. In July 1950, Tinton Falls and Wayside left Shrewsbury Twp., renaming themselves the Borough of New Shrewsbury. To avoid postal confusion and mix-ups with the surrounding borough and township of Shrewsbury, the residents of New Shrewsbury voted to rename the community as "The Borough of Tinton Falls" in 1975.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Tinton Falls borough had a total area of 15.623 square miles (40.463 km²), including 15.487 square miles (40.110 km²) of land and 0.136 square miles (0.352 km²) of water (0.87%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Wayside. Green Grove, Hockhockson, Macedonia, Pine Brook, Reevytown, West Shrewsbury and Wileys Corner are other unincorporated communities located partly or completely within the borough.

The township borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Colts Neck Township, Eatontown, Middletown Township, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township and Wall Township.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 17,892 people, 8,355 households, and 4,462 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,155.3 per square mile (446.1/km²). The borough contained 8,766 housing units at an average density of 566.0 per square mile (218.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 82.39% (14,741) White, 9.34% (1,672) Black or African American, 0.13% (23) Native American, 4.67% (835) Asian, 0.02% (4) Pacific Islander, 1.31% (235) from other races, and 2.14% (382) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.25% (1,118) of the population.

Out of a total of 8,355 households, 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. 42.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 27.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the borough, 19.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.9 years. For every 100 females the census counted 78.9 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 74.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $78,894 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,470) and the median family income was $99,231 (+/- $8,633). Males had a median income of $72,478 (+/- $8,954) versus $53,956 (+/- $7,492) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,149 (+/- $2,077). About 3.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 15,053 people, 5,883 households, and 3,976 families residing in the borough. The population density was 965.7 people per square mile (372.8/km²). There were 6,211 housing units at an average density of 398.4 per square mile (153.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 78.80% White, 13.04% African American, 0.24% Native American, 4.96% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.70% of the population.

There were 5,883 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the borough the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $68,697, and the median income for a family was $79,773. Males had a median income of $58,098 versus $37,857 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $31,520. About 2.6% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Jersey Shore Premium Outlets is an outdoor shopping mall that opened in November 2008 with 120 outlet stores and a food court, offering a gross leasable area of 435,000 square feet (40,400 m²).

The Tinton Falls Solar Farm is a 19.9-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant, that contains 85,000 ground-mounted solar panels that has been the state's largest, and was one of the largest solar farms in the northeast United States at the time of its construction.

Commvault Systems, founded in 1996, is a publicly traded data management and information management software company. Commvault's global headquarters are in Tinton Falls.

Parks and recreation

Overlook by the Falls, located near the town's waterfalls (the namesake for the town), is a wildlife area where trails have been added to allow visitors to view the falls and the local fauna.

Borough parks include Hockhockson Park, with three baseball fields and basketball courts, Liberty II Park, with two football fields, a softball field and basketball courts, Riverdale West Park, with two soccer fields and a basketball court and the Sycamore Recreation Complex, which offers six lighted multi-purpose fields, among the borough's other parks and recreation facilities.

Shark River Park, the first included in the Monmouth County Park System when it was established in 1961, covers 961 acres (389 ha) along the Shark River in portions of Tinton Falls, Neptune Township and Wall Township.

The Twin Brook Golf Center is a public 9-hole golf course, 18-hole miniature golf course, and driving range.

Local government

The Borough of Tinton Falls operates under the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, using the Mayor-Council form of municipal government (Plan 6), implemented by direct petition as of July 1, 1985. The Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer of the Borough and is elected for a four-year term. The Borough Business Administrator reports to, and may act on behalf of the Mayor, in the Mayor's absence. The Borough Council is the legislative body, made up of five members elected at-large for four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for election every other year as part of the November general election, with the mayoral seat up for vote at the same time that two council seats are being chosen by voters. The Borough Council voted in May 2010 to shift its non-partisan elections from May to the November general election, as part of an effort to increase participation of voters and to cut costs associated with the May elections, with savings estimated at nearly $100,000 during the first decade after the change was implemented in the November 2011 vote.

As of 2016, the mayor of Tinton Falls is Gerald M. Turning, whose term of office ends December 31, 2017. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Gary Baldwin (2019), Deputy Council President Christopher Pak (2019), Nancyanne Fama (2019), John Manginelli (2017; elected to serve an unexpired term) and John Roche (2017).

Federal, state and county representation

Tinton Falls is located in the 4th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Tinton Falls had been in the 12th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Tinton Falls had been part of the 12th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District is represented by Christopher Smith (R). 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 11th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Jennifer Beck (R, Red Bank) and in the General Assembly by Joann Downey (D, Freehold Township) and Eric Houghtaling (D, Neptune Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Monmouth County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of five members who are elected at-large to serve three year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director. As of 2014, Monmouth County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry (R, Colts Neck Township; term ends December 31, 2014), Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr. (R, Spring Lake; 2014), Thomas A. Arnone (R, Neptune City; 2016), John P. Curley (R, Middletown Township; 2015) and Serena DiMaso (R, Holmdel Township; 2016). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk M. Claire French (Wall Township), Sheriff Shaun Golden (Farmingdale) and Surrogate Rosemarie D. Peters (Middletown Township).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 12,196 registered voters in Tinton Falls, of which 3,425 (28.1%) were registered as Democrats, 2,731 (22.4%) were registered as Republicans and 6,033 (49.5%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 51.9% of the vote (4,788 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 46.9% (4,329 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (108 votes), among the 9,286 ballots cast by the borough's 12,714 registered voters (61 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 73.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 51.9% of the vote (5,065 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 45.9% (4,483 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (104 votes), among the 9,763 ballots cast by the borough's 12,498 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 50.7% of the vote (4,476 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 48.0% (4,236 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (72 votes), among the 8,825 ballots cast by the borough's 11,432 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.2.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.7% of the vote (3,811 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.3% (1,759 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (58 votes), among the 5,696 ballots cast by the borough's 12,784 registered voters (68 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.9% of the vote (3,740 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 35.1% (2,307 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.6% (437 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (51 votes), among the 6,576 ballots cast by the borough's 12,354 registered voters, yielding a 53.2% turnout.

Fire departments

Tinton Falls is covered by four fire companies, split into two fire districts. Wayside Fire Company (36-2), founded in 1919, and Pinebrook Fire Company (36-3) are in Fire District 1. Tinton Falls Fire Company No. 1 (36-1), established in 1932, and Northside Engine Company (36-4), founded in 1955, which make up Fire District 2.

Education

Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the three schools in the Tinton Falls School District, together with students from the neighboring community of Shrewsbury Township and the dependent children of military families based at Naval Weapons Station Earle. All three of the district's schools are located in Tinton Falls. Shrewsbury Township is represented with one seat out of nine on the district's board of education. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's three schools had an enrollment of 1,553 students and 130.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.88:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Mahala F. Atchison Elementary School (Grades K-3, 665 students), Swimming River Elementary School (Grades 4-5, 352 students) and Tinton Falls Middle School (Grades 6-8, 536 students).

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Monmouth Regional High School, located in Tinton Falls. The school also serves students from Eatontown, Shrewsbury Township and Naval Weapons Station Earle. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 985 students and 76.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.9:1. Students may also apply to attend one of the magnet schools in the Monmouth County Vocational School District — Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Academy of Allied Health & Science, High Technology High School, Biotechnology High School, and Communications High School.

Ranney School is a coeducational, nonsectarian K-12 private school founded in 1960, and its campus occupies 60 acres (240,000 m²) off of Hope Road.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 96.93 miles (155.99 km) of roadways, of which 65.99 miles (106.20 km) were maintained by the municipality, 17.77 miles (28.60 km) by Monmouth County, 4.22 miles (6.79 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 8.95 miles (14.40 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Passing through Tinton Falls are the Garden State Parkway, Route 18, Route 33, and Route 66. Tinton Falls houses exits 100 (including the Monmouth Service Area), 102, 105, and 109 on the parkway, including a high-speed toll gate, and the southern start/end of the express and local carriageways, although the borough is listed only on signs for exit 105.

Major county roads that pass through Tinton Falls are County Route 537 (Tinton Avenue) which crosses the northern portion of the borough from Colts Neck Township in the west to Eatontown in the east, and County Route 547 (Shafto Road), which enters from Wall Township at the borough's southwest corner and proceeds northeast towards Eatontown.

Other limited access road that are accessible outside the borough include Interstate 195 in neighboring Wall Township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit offers train service on the North Jersey Coast Line at the Red Bank station. NJ Transit local bus service is available on the 833 and 836 routes.

Points of interest

Notable people

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