Plainfield, New Jersey

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Map of Plainfield in Union County
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Map of Plainfield in Union County

Plainfield is a City in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 47,829.

Originally a part of Elizabeth and Westfield townships, Plainfield became its own township on March 4, 1847. It was incorporated as a village in 1867. On April 2, 1869, Plainfield became a city.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Plainfield is located at 40°36′55″N, 74°24′58″W (40.615352, -74.416070)GR1.

The city is located on the southwestern edge of Union County and is bordered by nine municipalities. Scotch Plains lies to the north and east, and Fanwood to the northeast. Bordered to the south are South Plainfield and Piscataway, and to the southwest lies Dunellen, all which are in Middlesex County. Green Brook lies to the southwest, North Plainfield lies to the north and Watchung borders to the northwest. All three of these municipalities are in Somerset County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.6 km² (6.0 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 47,829 people, 15,137 households, and 10,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,057.4/km² (7,921.7/mi²). There were 16,180 housing units at an average density of 1,034.3/km² (2,679.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 21.45% White, 61.78% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 10.78% from other races, and 4.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.16% of the population.

There were 15,137 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.49.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,683, and the median income for a family was $50,774. Males had a median income of $33,460 versus $30,408 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,052. About 12.2% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

It was settled in 1684 by Quakers, and incorporated as a city in 1869. Formerly a bedroom suburb in the New York metropolitan area, it has become the urban center of 10 closely allied municipalities, with diversified industries, including printing and the manufacture of chemicals, clothing, electronic equipment, and vehicular parts. Among the several 18th-century buildings remaining are a Friends' meetinghouse (1788), the Martine house (1717), and the Nathaniel Drake House (1746), known as George Washington's headquarters. Nearby Washington Rock is a prominent point of the Watchung Mountains and is reputed to be the vantage point from which Washington watched British troop movements.

In music history, Plainfield is known as the birthplace of P-Funk. George Clinton founded The Parliaments while working in a barber shop in Plainfield. Parliament - Funkadelic was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

[edit] Civil disturbance

Plainfield was affected by the Plainfield riots in 1967. This civil disturbance was directly related to the much larger Newark riots that occurred at the same time.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Mayor, elected for a four year term of office, is the chief elected official. The Mayor exercises executive powers for the City of Plainfield and is responsible for direct appointments as well as advise and consent appointments of the Executive Cabinet, Corporation Counsel, and members of boards, commissions and committees. The Mayor of Plainfield is Sharon Robinson-Briggs, whose 4-year term ends on December 31, 2009. Robinson-Briggs is the city's first female mayor[1].

The Plainfield City Council is the governing/legislative body of the City. Composed of seven elected officials, the primary purpose is to enact municipal laws via ordinances and resolutions. Formal meetings are held on the first and third Monday of every month except in the case of a holiday, then the meeting is held the next evening. Members of the City Council are[2]:

  • Ward 1 - Rayland Van Blake (2006)
  • Ward 2 - Cory Storch (2007)
  • Ward 3 - Don Davis (2008)
  • Ward 4 - Elliott Simmons (2009)
  • Council-at-Large - Ray Blanco (2008)
  • Council-at-Large, Wards 1 and 4 - Linda Carter (2007)
  • Council-at-Large, Wards 2 and 3 - Rashid Burney (Appointed January 19, 2005 until the next General Election to fill the unexpired term of Adrian O. Mapp)

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Plainfield is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District[3].

New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, covering portions of Middlesex County and Monmouth County, is represented by Frank Pallone (D). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 22nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Scutari (D, Linden) and in the Assembly by Jerry Green (D, Plainfield) and Linda Stender (D, Scotch Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of the January 2006 reorganization, Union County's Freeholders are: Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella, Freeholder Vice Chairman Bette Jane Kowalski, Angel G. Estrada, Chester Holmes, Adrian O. Mapp, Rick Proctor, Deborah P. Scanlon, Daniel P. Sullivan and Nancy Ward.

[edit] Education

The Plainfield Public School District includes the following schools (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics:

Elementary Schools (grades K-5)

Middle Schools (grades 6-8)

High School (grades 9-12)

  • Plainfield High School [1] - 1,895 students

"College"

  • Plainfield Teacher's College, a mythical institution created as a hoax by a duo of college football fans in 1941. The phony college's equally nonexistent football team had its scores carried by major newspapers including the New York Times before the hoax was discovered.

[edit] Transportation

Plainfield has two New Jersey Transit rail stations on the Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The main Plainfield station is in the downtown and a second, smaller Netherwood station is in the Netherwood section, east of the downtown. NJ Transit also provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan inNew York City and to New Jersey locations.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away.

[edit] Famous residents and natives

[edit] References

  1. ^ Office of the Mayor, accessed July 9, 2006
  2. ^ Plainfield City Council, accessed July 9, 2006
  3. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 55, accessed August 30, 2006
  4. ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.

[edit] External links

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