Plainfield, New Jersey

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Map of Plainfield in Union County
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.

Plainfield was originally formed as a township on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19, 1857, it became part of the newly-created Union County. Plainfield was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 21, 1869, from portions of Plainfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. The city and township coexisted until March 6, 1878, when Plainfield Township was dissolved and parts absorbed by Plainfield City and the remainder becoming Fanwood Township (now known as Scotch Plains).[1]

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

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 3,224
–
1870 5,095 58.0%
1880 8,125 59.5%
1890 11,267 38.7%
1900 15,369 36.4%
1910 20,550 33.7%
1920 27,700 34.8%
1930 34,422 24.3%
1940 37,469 8.9%
1950 42,366 13.1%
1960 45,330 7.0%
1970 46,862 3.4%
1980 45,555 -2.8%
1990 46,567 2.2%
2000 47,829 2.7%
historical data source: [2][3]

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

Plainfield is governed by a mayor and a seven-member City Council, all of whom serve four-year terms in office.

The Mayor of the City of Plainfield is Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs (D), whose four-year term of office ends on December 31, 2009.[4]

Members of the Plainfield City Council are:[5]

  • Ward 1: Rayland Van Blake (D; 2006)
  • Ward 2: Cory Storch (D; 2007)
  • Ward 3: Don Davis (D; 2008)
  • Ward 4: Elliott Simmons (D; 2009)
  • Wards 1&4 at large: Linda Carter (D; 2007)
  • Wards 2&3 at large: Rashid Burney (D; 2006)
  • At large: Harold Gibson (D; 2008)

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Plainfield is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District.[6]

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 Bob 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] Trivia

[edit] References

  1. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 240.
  2. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  3. ^ Wm. C. Hunt, Chief Statistician for Population. Fourteenth Census of The United States: 1920; Population: New Jersey; Number of inhabitants, by counties and minor civil divisions (ZIP). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  4. ^ Office of the Mayor, accessed February 28, 2007
  5. ^ Plainfield City Council, accessed February 28, 2007
  6. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 55, accessed August 30, 2006
  7. ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 
  8. ^ "The best keyboardist you've never heard of", St. Petersburg Times, June 28, 2002

[edit] External links

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Municipalities of Union County, New Jersey
(County seat: Elizabeth)
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