Plainfield, New Jersey

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Plainfield, New Jersey
Map of Plainfield in Union County
Map of Plainfield in Union County
Coordinates: 40°36′55″N 74°24′58″W / 40.61528, -74.41611
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Union
Incorporated April 5, 1847
Government
 - Type City (New Jersey)
 - Mayor Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs (2009)
Area
 - Total 6.0 sq mi (15.6 km²)
 - Land 6.0 sq mi (15.6 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation [1] 95 ft (29 m)
Population (2006)[2]
 - Total 47,353
 - Density 7,921.7/sq mi (3,058.6/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 07060-07063
Area code(s) 908
FIPS code 34-59190[3]
GNIS feature ID 0885355[4]
Website: http://www.plainfield.com

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).[5]

Plainfield is nicknamed "The Queen City".[6]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Plainfield is located at 40°36′55″N, 74°24′58″W (40.615352, -74.416070)[7].

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 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1860 3,224
—
1870 5,095 58%
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%
1970 46,862 3.4%
1980 45,555 −2.8%
1990 46,567 2.2%
2000 47,829 2.7%
Est. 2006 47,353 [2] −1%
historical data source: [8][9]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 47,829 people, 15,137 households, and 10,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,921.7 people per square mile (3,057.4/km²). There were 16,180 housing units at an average density of 2,679.8/sq mi (1,034.3/km²). 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

A typical Bungalow style house in Plainfield.
A typical Bungalow style house in Plainfield.

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. Plainfield is now home to former New Jersey governor James McGreevey.

[edit] Civil disturbance

Plainfield was affected by the Plainfield riots in July 1967. This civil disturbance occurred in the wake of the larger Newark riots. One Plainfield police officer died, about fifty people were injured, and several hundred thousand dollars of property was damaged by looting and arson. The New Jersey National Guard restored order after three days of unrest. [10]

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

A historic home in Plainfield, New Jersey.
A historic home in Plainfield, New Jersey.

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.[11]

Members of the Plainfield City Council are:[12]

  • Ward 1: William Reid (D; 2010)
  • Ward 2: Cory Storch (D; 2011)
  • Ward 3: Don Davis (D; 2008)
  • Ward 4: Elliott Simmons (D; 2009)
  • Wards 1&4 at large: Linda Carter (D; 2011
  • Wards 2&3 at large: Rashid Burney (D; 2010)
  • At large: Council President 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.[13]

Home of former Governor Jim McGreevey in Plainfield.
Home of former Governor Jim McGreevey in Plainfield.

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).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 22nd 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, Fanwood).[14] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[15]

Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis. As of the January 2008 reorganization, Union County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman Angel G. Estrada (Elizabeth), Freeholder Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella (Roselle Park), Chester Holmes (Rahway), Bette Jane Kowalski (Cranford), Rick Proctor (Rahway), Deborah P. Scanlon (Union), Daniel P. Sullivan (Elizabeth), Rayland Van Blake (Plainfield) and Nancy Ward (Linden).[16]

[edit] Education

The Plainfield Public School District serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.[17] Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[18]) are ten K-5 elementary schools — Barlow (365 students), Cedarbrook (448), Clinton (340), Cook (233), Emerson (411), Evergreen (473), Jefferson (404), Stillman (260) Washington Community School (466 students, including pre-K) and Woodland (258) — both Hubbard Middle School (697) Maxson Middle School (957) for grades 6-8 and Plainfield High School (1,816) for grades 9-12.

[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 on the 113 and 114 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 59, 65 and 66 (Limited) to Newark; and local service on the 822 and 819 routes.[19]

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away.

[edit] Plainfield Teacher's College hoax

  • 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.[20]

[edit] Popular culture

[edit] Famous residents and natives

[edit] References

  1. ^ USGS GNIS: City of Plainfield, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Census data for Plainfield city, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  3. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 240.
  6. ^ City of Plainfield, accessed April 5, 2007. "On behalf of the City of Plainfield, I greet you with the passion and enthusiasm that hopefully you share for our Queen City, Plainfield, New Jersey."
  7. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  8. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990. Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Plainfield Burning: Black Rebellion in the Suburban North", Thomas J. Sugrue and Andrew M. Goodman, Journal of Urban History, vol. 33 (May 2007), pp. 368-401.
  11. ^ Office of the Mayor, accessed April 16, 2008.
  12. ^ City Council, City of Plainfield. Accessed April 16, 2008.
  13. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  14. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  15. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  16. ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed February 20, 2008.
  17. ^ Abbott Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 31, 2008.
  18. ^ Data for the Plainfield Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed [{April 16]], 2008.
  19. ^ Union County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit. Accessed June 21, 2007.
  20. ^ Johnson, Bruce. "Plainfield State and Chung Were Too Good to Be True", Westfield Leader, October 13, 2005. Accessed May 13, 2007. "Never heard of Plainfield State? Well, that’s because neither Plainfield State Teachers College nor Johnny Chung actually existed... On the spur of the moment, he decided to call The New York Times and said, “I want to report a score... Plainfield Teachers 21 (his secretary was from Plainfield) … Regency 12.” The next morning, there was the score in The New York Times!"
  21. ^ Ernest Robinson Ackerman, United States Congress. Accessed June 25, 2007.
  22. ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 
  23. ^ Joe Black, baseball pioneer and retired Greyhound Corp. executive, dies - Census - Obituary, Jet (magazine), June 3, 2002, accessed April 26, 2007. "A native of Plainfield, NJ, Black graduated from Morgan State in Baltimore."
  24. ^ Goldblatt, Jennifer. "Blume's Day", The New York Times, November 14, 2004. Accessed February 5, 2008. "It wasn't until after Ms. Blume had gotten her bachelor's degree in education from New York University in 1961, was married and raising her son, Larry, and her daughter, Randy, and living in Plainfield and later Scotch Plains, that she started to commit her stories and characters to paper, cramming writing sessions in while the children were at preschool and at play."
  25. ^ NOT TO WRITE WAS NOT TO BE ALIVE, The New York Times, November 1, 1981, accessed April 26, 2007. "Van Wyck Brooks grew up in Plainfield, N.J., second son of a wellto-do Episcopalian and Republican family."
  26. ^ "Field Day in Plainfield", Time (magazine), July 13, 1953, accessed April 26, 2007. "In Helsinki last summer, a big (6 ft. 3 in., 210 lbs.) Negro high-school boy from Plainfield, N.J. trudged wearily into a locker room in the Olympic stadium. Worn down by the two-day competition in the Olympics' most demanding test, Decathlon Man Milton Campbell gave World Champion Bob Mathias a congratulatory backslap, then flopped on a cot."
  27. ^ Earl Clark, CSTV. Accessed January 2, 2008.
  28. ^ Fried, Johnathan. "JERSEY FOOTLIGHTS; A Funkmaster Comes Home", The New York Times, October 17, 1999, accessed April 26, 2007. "The Mothership landed on Oct. 6 when George Clinton, Plainfield native and funkmaster, brought his band to the Community Theater in Morristown for the second night of a monthlong national tour."
  29. ^ "71st Annual Hot Stove Awards Dinner, Feb. 11, Honors Union County Athletes, Young and Old", Union County, New Jersey press release dated February 2, 2007. Accessed November 14, 2007. "Manny Collins was a standout at both wide receiver and defensive back for the Plainfield High School Cardinals and earned All-County, All-Conference and All-Area honors."
  30. ^ Gormley, Ken. "IN MEMORIAM: ARCHIBALD COX", Harvard Law Review, November 2004. Accessed May 13, 2007. "He grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, the son of a distinguished New York patent attorney."
  31. ^ Lyons, Leonard S. "The Great Jazz Pianists: Speaking of Their Lives and Music", accessed May 13, 2007. "Bill Evans Grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey."
  32. ^ J. Michael Fay, United States Department of State. Accessed December 10, 2007.
  33. ^ Artist Biographies, The Cleveland Museum of Art. Accessed December 13, 2007.
  34. ^ Strauss, Robert. "NEW JERSEY & CO.; All Eyes Are on Fort Lee", The New York Times, April 23, 2000. Accessed December 14, 2007. "Alerted by a viewer, Mr. Haines -- a Plainfield native who now lives in Monmouth County -- researched tapes and noted that when Mr. Greenspan, the head of the Federal Reserve, carried a fat briefcase to the meetings, interest rates rose; a thin briefcase indicated lower rates."
  35. ^ "Kenya Crumel and Byron Hurt", The New York Times, 2006-10-01. Retrieved on 2008-03-07. 
  36. ^ Robyn Kenney, USA Field Hockey. Accessed December 20, 2007.
  37. ^ James Edgar Martine, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed April 16, 2008.
  38. ^ Mary McCormack cast member profile, The West Wing. Accessed September 30, 2007. "Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, McCormack is a graduate of Trinity College and resides in Los Angeles."
  39. ^ Kocieniewski, David. "Ex-Governor Is Back in Public, This Time as an Author", The New York Times, September 20, 2006. Accessed April 16, 2008. "While his resignation forced Mr. McGreevey to move out of Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion in Princeton, his new home in Plainfield has gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, a circular driveway and a housecleaner who arrived on Tuesday driving a white Mercedes-Benz."
  40. ^ New Jersey Governor William Nelson Runyon, National Governors Association. Accessed August 3, 2007.
  41. ^ Percy Hamilton Stewart biography, United States Congress. Accessed July 10, 2007.
  42. ^ Fred Van Eps -- Banjoist, Biography by Tim Gracyk. Accessed May 24, 2008.
  43. ^ Six Individuals, One Team Inducted into the 13th Hall of Fame Class, University of Wyoming, February 19, 2005. Accessed July 10, 2007. "Vic Washington. Hometown: Plainfield, N.J."
  44. ^ "The best keyboardist you've never heard of", St. Petersburg Times, June 28, 2002.

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