West Cape May, New Jersey

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West Cape May Borough highlighted in Cape May County. Inset map: Cape May County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
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West Cape May Borough highlighted in Cape May County. Inset map: Cape May County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.

West Cape May is a Walsh Act borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the 'Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area'. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 1,095.

West Cape May, formerly known as Eldredge, is one of the four jurisdictions that comprise Cape Island in Cape May County and was incorporated as a Borough in late 1884. The Borough’s history goes back to the time of the Lenape Native Americans and several buildings date to the Colonial period. The area has a rich agricultural history which continues to be celebrated each year with a summer farmers’ market, and strawberry, tomato and lima bean festivals. It was once known as the “Lima Bean Capital East of the Rockies.”

The Borough has reported ties to the Underground Railroad. From 1881 to 1931, the Hastings Goldbeating Company was located in the Borough employing women to pound one-inch strips of gold into gossamer-thin sheets used for decorative arts. Women still did the “booking” of gold leaf sheets until 1961. A plaque indicating the location of the factory can be found on Goldbeaten Alley. It was this business along with real estate speculation and subdivision of the land that led to the Borough’s incorporation in 1884.

The historic core of the Borough was placed on the National Register of Historic Places along with sections of the City of Cape May in 1976.

Contents

[edit] Geography

West Cape May is located at 38°56′19″N, 74°55′58″W (38.938621, -74.932708)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²), all land.

West Cape May borders Lower Township and Cape May City

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 1,095 people, 507 households, and 302 families residing in the borough. The population density was 355.3/km² (923.5/mi²). There were 1,004 housing units at an average density of 325.8/km² (846.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.11% White, 14.52% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.55% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population.

There were 507 households out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the borough the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 24.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $47,031. Males had a median income of $36,375 versus $29,583 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,663. About 4.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Borough of West Cape May operates under the Walsh Act Commission form of government. The Board of Commissioners consists of three members, who are elected at-large in non-partisan elections and serve four-year, concurrent terms.

Once the Commissioners take office, they divide up responsibility for the municipal departments. Each Commissioner becomes a Department Director and holds all the executive, administrative, judicial and legislative powers. There is no single chief executive.

In West Cape May, the Departments are currently distributed as follows[1]:

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

West Cape May is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st Legislative District[2].

New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Vineland). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 1st legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Asselta (R) and in the Assembly by Nelson Albano (D, Vineland) and Jeff Van Drew (D, Dennis Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Cape May County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Cape May County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Daniel Beyel (term expires December 31, 2008), Freeholder Vice-Director Ralph E. Sheets, Jr. (2008), Ralph E. Bakley, Sr. (2007), Leonard C. Desiderio (2006) and Gerald M. Thornton (2007).

[edit] Education

The West Cape May Elementary School serves 71 students in Prekindergarten through sixth grade, making it one of the schools with the smallest enrollment in the state.

For grades 7 - 12, students attend the schools of the Lower Cape May Regional School District, which serves students from Cape May City, Lower Township and West Cape May, along with students from Cape May Point who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Schools in the district are Richard M. Teitelman School (grades 7 and 8) and Lower Cape May Regional High School (grades 9-12).

[edit] References

  1. ^ West Cape May Form of Government, accessed September 4, 2006
  2. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 66, accessed August 30, 2006

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Municipalities of Cape May County, New Jersey
(County Seat: Cape May Court House)
Boroughs Avalon | Cape May Point | Stone Harbor | West Cape May | West Wildwood | Wildwood Crest | Woodbine
Cities North Wildwood | Ocean City | Sea Isle City | Wildwood
Town Cape May
Townships Dennis Township | Lower Township | Middle Township | Upper Township
CDPs and
Communities		 Cape May Court House | Diamond Beach | Erma | Marmora | North Cape May | Strathmere | Rio Grande | Villas | Whitesboro-Burleigh
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