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Florham Park, New Jersey

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Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,857.

In 2007, Florham Park will be home to the New York Jets training camp, where the Jets will relocate to from their existing facility at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Florham Park beat out Berkeley Heights, Jersey City, Millburn and Wood-Ridge, who had all been finalists contending to be the host of the new facility.[Jets Choose Florham Park for New Headquarters], 1010-WINS, March 30, 2006

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Geography

Florham Park is located at [40°46′38″N, 74°23′25″W] (40.777250, -74.390278)[Geographic references#1GR1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 19.3 km² (7.4 mi²). 19.2 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.27%) is water.

The Borough of Florham Park is located in the Southeastern part of Morris County and is bordered on the South by Madison and Chatham Boroughs; on the North by Hanover and East Hanover Townships; on the West by Morris Township; and on the East by the Passaic River.

Demographics

As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 8,857 people, 3,239 households, and 2,474 families residing in the borough. The population density was 460.3/km² (1,191.3/mi²). There were 3,342 housing units at an average density of 173.7/km² (449.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.00% White, 0.99% African American, 0.01% Native American, 3.87% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.15% of the population.

There were 3,239 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $88,706, and the median income for a family was $102,047. Males had a median income of $74,410 versus $49,551 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $42,133. About 2.4% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Florham Park Borough is governed under the Borough form of municipal government. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year. The Council President is elected annually by the members of the Borough Council from among its members.

The Mayor of Florham Park is Frank D. Tinari. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Joseph R. Morano, John P. Conway, Fred Boy, R. Scott Eveland, Charles A. Germershausen and Thomas M. Hadley.

Federal, state and county representation

Florham Park Borough is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th Legislative District.

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District, covering western portions of Essex County, all of Morris County, and sections of Passaic County, Somerset County and Sussex County, is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Union City).

The 26th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert Martin (R, Morris Plains) and in the Assembly by Alex DeCroce (R, Morris Plains) and Joseph Pennacchio (R, Morris Plains). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Morris County's Freeholders are: Margaret Nordstrom (Freeholder Director), John Inglesino (Freeholder Deputy Director), Douglas R. Cabana, Frank J. Druetzler, Cecilia G. Laureys John J. Murphy and Jack Schrier.

Education

The Florham Park School District serves students in grades K through 8. The schools in the district (with 2003-04 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics are [Briarwood Elementary School] (now grades K-2, 352 students), [Brooklake Elementary School] (now grades 3-5, 297 students) and [Ridgedale Middle School] (grades 6-8, 298 students).

Students in grades 9 - 12 are served by the Hanover Park Regional High School District, attending Hanover Park High School in East Hanover, together with students from East Hanover Township. The district also serves students from the neighboring community of Hanover Township at Whippany Park High School in the Whippany section of Hanover Township. Hanover Park High School, which opened in 1956, has a current enrollment of 841 in grades 9 through 12, and 180 in the senior class.

The College of Saint Elizabeth is located in Florham Park.

History

The area that is now Florham Park was first settled by the English sometime between 1680 and 1700, and the community was long recognized as a prime farming area. The area was known for the manufacture of quality brooms, which was the source of one of its names - Broomtown. Through its history, the area was known as Hoppingtown, Broomtown, Columbia, Afton, and finally Florham Park. It was part of Hanover Township, then Chatham Township before being incorporated as Florham Park in 1899. 
Florence Vanderbilt (1854–1952), granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, renowned as the richest man in America, and her husband, financier Hamilton McKown Twombly, came to the Morris County countryside in 1887, joining over 100 other millionaires who owned sprawling country retreats. They fancied an English-style country mansion in a stately park setting. "Florham," built on 840 acres, one of America's finest Gilded Age homes, was the result. The couple named their new estate "Florham," a combination of their first names, Florence and Hamilton. 


The second part to the name "Florham Park" received its name from a second mansion in town that was on about 1,000 acres of land.  It used to lie where the current Brooklake Country Club is located. It was owned by Dr. Leslie Ward — one of the founders of the Prudential Insurance Company and the first vice president of the company — and was named "Brooklake Park", partially because of the beautiful lake that was on the property.  


Both of these families were supporters of many civic projects including the petitioning of the State of New Jersey to create their own town. On March 20, 1899, the governor signed the bill, making Florham Park a borough. The new town was named after Florence and Hamilton Twombly's and Dr. Ward's estates.



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