| Salem, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Old Salem Courthouse | |
| The City of Salem highlighted in Salem County. Inset map: Salem County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Salem, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Salem |
| Formed | October 1693 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 as Township |
| Incorporated | February 25, 1858 as City |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | City |
| • Mayor | Earl R. Gauge |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.8 sq mi (7.2 km2) |
| • Land | 2.6 sq mi (6.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[2] | |
| • Total | 5,146 |
| • Density | 1,837.9/sq mi (714.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08079 |
| Area code(s) | 856 |
| FIPS code | 34-65490[3][4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0880233[5] |
| Website | http://www.salemcitynj.com/ |
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146.[2] It is the county seat of Salem County,[6] the most rural county in the state of New Jersey.[7] The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".[8]
The town and colony of Salem was founded in 1675 by John Fenwick. On February 25, 1858, it was reincorporated as Salem City.[9]
Contents |
Salem is located at (39.569584, -75.467622),[10] along the Salem River.[11]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), of which 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (6.79%) is water.
Salem borders Elsinboro Township, Pennsville Township, Mannington Township, Quinton Township, and Lower Alloways Creek Township.
Fort Nya Elfsborg was a settlement that was part of New Sweden. Fort Nya Elfsborg was built shortly after Johan Printz, governor of New Sweden, arrived in the colony in 1643. Named after the old Älvsborg Fortress off shore from Gothenburg, Sweden, it was located on the Delaware River near Alloway Creek. Fort Nya Elfsborg was one of the earliest European settlements in the State of New Jersey. In 1655 Peter Stuyvesant, on behalf of the Dutch West India Company, re-asserted control over the region, which was later captured by the British in 1664.[12]
Salem City is the county seat of Salem County. The Salem County Courthouse serves the county while the Old Salem County Courthouse, situated on the same block, serves Salem City. The Old Salem County Courthouse is the oldest active courthouse in New Jersey and is the second oldest courthouse in continuous use in the United States.[13] The present courthouse was erected in 1735 during the reign of King George II using locally manufactured bricks. The building was enlarged in 1817 and additionally enlarged and remodeled in 1908. Its distinctive bell tower is essentially unchanged and the original bell sits in the courtroom.[13]
Judge William Hancock of the King's Court presided at the courthouse at the beginning of the American Revolution and was accidentally killed by the British troops during the Hancock House Massacre committed by the British against local militia during the Salem Raid in 1778.[14] The courthouse was afterward the scene of treason trials wherein suspected Loyalists were put on trial for having allegedly aided the British raid of Salem. Four men were convicted and sentenced to death for treason; however, they were pardoned by Governor William Livingston and exiled from New Jersey.[15]
The courthouse is also the site of the legend of Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson proving the edibility of the tomato. Before 1820, Americans often assumed tomatoes were poisonous. In 1820, Colonel Johnson, according to legend, stood upon the courthouse steps and ate tomatoes in front of a large amazed crowd assembled to watch him do so.[16] Modern scholars doubt the veracity of this story, however.[17]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,052 |
|
|
| 1860 | 3,865 | 26.6% | |
| 1870 | 4,555 | 17.9% | |
| 1880 | 5,056 | 11.0% | |
| 1890 | 5,516 | 9.1% | |
| 1900 | 5,811 | 5.3% | |
| 1910 | 6,614 | 13.8% | |
| 1920 | 7,435 | 12.4% | |
| 1930 | 8,047 | 8.2% | |
| 1940 | 8,618 | 7.1% | |
| 1950 | 9,050 | 5.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,941 | −1.2% | |
| 1970 | 7,648 | −14.5% | |
| 1980 | 6,959 | −9.0% | |
| 1990 | 6,883 | −1.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,857 | −14.9% | |
| 2010 | 5,146 | −12.1% | |
| Population 1930-1990[18][19] 2010[2][20] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,857 people, 2,383 households, and 1,463 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,244.3 people per square mile (866.4/km2). There were 2,863 housing units at an average density of 1,097.0 per square mile (423.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 37.46% White, 56.77% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 1.38% from other races, and 3.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population.
There were 2,383 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.7% were married couples living together, 29.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,846, and the median income for a family was $29,699. Males had a median income of $35,389 versus $24,354 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,559. About 24.7% of families and 26.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.3% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Salem is governed under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor, who is elected at large. The City Council is made up of eight members, with four members representing each of two wards. Council members are elected on a staggered basis in partisan elections, with one seat from each ward up for election each year.[1]
The Mayor of Salem is Robert Davis.[21]
Salem is in the 2nd Congressional district. New Jersey's Second Congressional District is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor City). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
Salem is in the 3rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Stephen M. Sweeney (D, West Deptford Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by John J. Burzichelli (D, Paulsboro) and Celeste Riley (D, Bridgeton).[22]
Salem County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders who are elected at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2011, Salem County's Freeholders are Director Lee R. Ware (Elsinboro Township), Deputy Director David Lindenmuth (Woodstown), Julie A. Acton (Pennsville Township), Bruce L. Bobbitt (Pilesgrove Township), Dale A. Cross (Pennsville Township), Ben Laury (Elmer) and Beth E. Timberman (Woodstown).[23]
Roads and highways passing through Salem include Route 45 and Route 49. Nearby highways and structures include Interstate 295, the New Jersey Turnpike, and the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
The Salem City School District serves public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.[24]
Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[25]) are John Fenwick School for PreK-2 (384 students), Salem Middle School for grades 3-8 (469) and Salem High School for grades 9-12 (476).
Public school students from Elsinboro, Lower Alloways Creek Township, Mannington Township and Quinton Township attend the district's high school for grades 9-12 as part of sending/receiving relationships.[26]
Notable current and former residents of Salem include:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||