Dover, New Jersey

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This article is about about the town in Morris County. For the former Dover Township in Ocean County, see Toms River, New Jersey.
Dover, New Jersey
Dover highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey
Dover highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°53′9″N 74°33′34″W / 40.88583, -74.55944
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Morris
Incorporated April 1, 1869
Government
 - Type Town (New Jersey)
 - Mayor James P. Dodd (2011)
 - Administrator Bibi Stewart Garvin[1]
Area
 - Total 2.7 sq mi (7.0 km²)
 - Land 2.7 sq mi (6.9 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation [2] 561 ft (171 m)
Population (2006)[3]
 - Total 18,387
 - Density 6,788.2/sq mi (2,620.9/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 07801-07802
Area code(s) 973
FIPS code 34-18070[4]
GNIS feature ID 0885196[5]
Website: http://www.dover.nj.us

Dover is a Town in Morris County, New Jersey on the Rockaway River. Dover is 39 miles (63 km) west of New York City and 29 miles west of Newark, New Jersey. As of the United States Census, 2000, the town's population was 18,188. In 1900, 5,938 people lived in Dover; in 1910, 7,468; and in 1940, 10,491.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Dover is located at 40°53′9″N, 74°33′30″W (40.885899, -74.558241)[6].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²), of which, 2.7 square miles (6.9 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.11%) is water.

Hedden County Park, a 380-acre Morris County park, is partly located in Dover, with park entrances in Randolph.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 10,031
—
1940 10,491 4.6%
1950 11,174 6.5%
1960 13,034 16.6%
1970 15,039 15.4%
1980 14,681 -2.4%
1990 15,115 3.0%
2000 18,188 20.3%
Est. 2006 18,387 [3] 1.1%
Population 1930 - 1990.[7]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 18,188 people, 5,436 households, and 3,919 families residing in Dover. The population density was 6,788.2 people per square mile (2,620.3/km²). There were 5,568 housing units at an average density of 2,078.1/sq mi (802.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 69.45% White, 6.83% African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 15.99% from other races, and 4.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 57.94% of the population.

11.27% of Dover residents identified themselves as being of Colombian American ancestry in the 2000 Census, the second highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States (behind neighboring Victory Gardens, New Jersey which had 15.27% of residents so identified) with 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.[8]

There were 5,436 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.29 and the average family size was 3.55.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 106.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,423, and the median income for a family was $57,141. Males had a median income of $31,320 versus $27,413 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,056. About 8.2% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

On May 31, 1722, Joseph Latham and his wife Jane deeded 527 acres over to John Jackson of Flushing, New York. Joseph Latham was deeded the land in 1713 by virtue of land purchased from the Indians by the Proprietors of West Jersey.

The 527 acres of land rested mostly in what is today’s Mine Hill Township, however, the eastern portion of the land included today’s Hurd Park, Park Heights Avenue to the foot of the mountain and Granny’s Brook, which was later renamed to Jackson’s Brook.

Historical records show that a small Indian village was settled at the site of Hurd Park and thus the reason for the naming of the nearby Indian Falls. Jackson settled on the eastern portion of his land along Granny’s Brook at the site of what would later become the Ross Ribbon Factory on Park Heights Avenue.

Iron ore at the time was so plentiful that it was easily picked off the surface of the ground at the nearby Dickerson Mine in Mine Hill. Horse back saddles would bring the ore to Jackson’s Forge and he would process the ore into bars that would then be transported to points eastward, namely the factories at Paterson.

It is believed that Jackson had a pretty good business until hard time hits in 1750 by an Act of the British Parliament known as the “Iron Act.” It stated that all iron ore processing and manufacturing of iron products would cease in the colonies and that all raw iron was to be shipped to England for manufacturing and then the finished products sold back to the colonies.

By 1753 John Jackson went bankrupt and all his property and belongings were sold off at a Sheriff’s sale. Quaker Hartshorne Fitz Randolph purchased his property and annexed to his existing property to become part of Randolph Township.

Dover was incorporated as a village in 1826 and on April 1, 1869 as a town. The town charter was amended in 1875. In its past, Dover has had extensive iron and mill works, machine shops, stove, furnace, and range works, boiler and bridge works, rolling mills, drill works, knitting and silk mills, and a large hosiery factory (MacGregors).

Today, Dover has a large Hispanic population with the largest concentrations being of Mexican, Colombian ,Dominican and Puerto Rican ancestry, Hispanics have been a demographic majority since 1980, and are growing quickly. As of the 2000 Census, Dover's population was 57.9% Hispanic, making it the municipality with the fifth highest Hispanic population percentage in New Jersey and one of eight New Jersey municipalities with a Hispanic majority. The surrounding Morris County area is predominantly non-Hispanic (9.8% Hispanic or Latino, of any race).[9] While Dover is not currently financially disadvantaged in comparison to average towns nationwide, it is considerably less affluent (with a median household income of $53,423) than Morris County as a whole (with a median household income of $84,010), thus giving the town a reputation of being poor.[9]

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Dover Town operates using the Town form of government and is governed by a Mayor and Board of Aldermen. The Mayor is elected at large. The Board of Aldermen consists of eight members, with two Aldermen elected to two-year terms from each of the four wards. One Aldermanic seat comes up each year in each ward.

The Mayor of Dover Town is James P. Dodd, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2011.[10]

Members of the Board of Aldermen are:[11]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Dover Town is in the Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th Legislative District.[12]

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 Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 25th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Anthony Bucco (R, Boonton) and in the Assembly by Michael Patrick Carroll (R, Morris Plains) and Richard A. Merkt (R, Brookside).[13] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[14]

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats up for election each year.[15] As of 2008, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Margaret Nordstrom, Deputy Freeholder Director Gene F. Feyl, Douglas R. Cabana, William J. Chegwidden, John J. Murphy, James W. Murray and Jack J. Schrier.[16]

[edit] Education

The Dover School District serves students in Prekindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[17]) are Academy Street Elementary School (K-5, 551 students), East Dover Elementary School (3-6, 188 students), North Dover Elementary School (PreK-5, 815 students), Dover Middle School (7&8, 511 students) and Dover High School (9-12, 888 students).

Students in grades K - 12 from Victory Gardens attend the Dover Public School system as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Students in grades 7-12 from Mine Hill Township also participate in the Dover district as part of a sending/receiving relationship.[18]

[edit] Transportation

Roads and highways traveling in or near Dover include County Route 513, Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46, New Jersey Route 10 and New Jersey Route 15. The Dover exit off Route 80 (Exit 35) is a popular stop for highway travelers, being that it is halfway between the Delaware Water Gap and New York City. The Rockaway Townsquare Mall, located in neighboring Rockaway Township, is right off the exit, and offers a multitude of shopping centers, restaurants, sporting goods stores and entertainment venues.

[edit] Bus & Rail service

Dover is also served by Morris County Metro routes 2 & 10 regularly as well as NJ Transit's Morristown Line and Montclair-Boonton Line at the Dover train station on Dickerston Street. Lakeland Bus Lines maintains a garage & terminal on Blackwell Street near the border with Rockaway Township and has regular service to Sparta, Mount Olive, Rockaway, Boonton, Montclair, Newark and New York City.

[edit] Taxi

Dover is served by numerous local taxi services within the town. Taxis can be found waiting outside of the supermarkets, bars, bus stations and the train station. The town has made efforts to control the amount of taxis operating in the town and passed an ordinance limiting the number of taxis in the town to 60. However some companies are now setting up in neighboring towns to avoid the ordinance.

[edit] Air

Dover is located approximately 15 minutes west of Morristown Municipal Airport, and approximately 25 minutes west Liberty International Airport in Newark, NJ. Taxis, trains and buses provide regular service to Liberty, La Guardia, and John F. Kennedy International Airport. Trains to NYC airports require transfers in NY Penn Station and buses require a transfer at NY Port Authority Bus Terminal.

[edit] Community

The community of Dover is centered around a developed downtown area that is filled with many eateries. A vast percentage of these are owned and run by Hispanics of different countries, and feature their ethnic food.[19] Dover is a haven for all kinds of eating experiences, from sushi to pizza and coffee shops to renowned Irish and Italian food places. The majority of these eateries are located on and around the Blackwell Street business district.

Every Sunday from April to December, there is a flea market downtown.[20]

Dover has been described as a walking town as most parts of town are within about a 1/2 mile of the downtown area and most streets have sidewalks.

DOVER CIVIC CREED I believe in Dover and its possibilities; and I shall do my part to make it a better place in which to live. I believe in good goverenment for Dover, and I shall assume my share of the Civic responsibility that rests on the shoulders of all our citizens. I believe in supporting local enterprises that make for Community development; and shall contribute my moral support and energy to any worthy cause Championed by them. I believe in partonizing home merchants, for they are greatly responsible for our having good schools and churches, better roads and promotion of the general welfare of this community. I believe in making Dover clean and attractive, for a healthy atmosphere is an inducement to honest and right-thinking citizens. I believe in boosting my home town at every possible opportunity; that thinking, talking and acting progress is the quickest and surest way to bring permanent prosperity to Dover -- the Best Town in America -- because it is MY HOME TOWN.

(Sponsored by a group of local businessmen, January 3, 1927)

[edit] Parks

  • Hamilton Field is one of Dover's recreation centers, featuring a football field with bleachers, soccer fields, and a historic cinder track that is used by walkers and joggers. It is located at Route 46 and McFarlan Street.
  • JFK Commons Park consists of several walking / jogging trails, a children's play park, and the towns Gazebo. JFK Park plays host to the town's annual Christmas tree lighting. It is located at Route 46 and Bergen Street.
  • Crescent Field boasts a new turf soccer field and is also the site for many of the town's events, including the Colombian Festival. It is located on Second Street.
  • Water Works Park consists of a baseball field, picnic area, and accessible banks of the Rockaway River. It is located off Princeton Avenue.
  • Overlook Park consists of a basketball court, plain field, and a large play area. It is located on Overlook Ave.
  • Hurd Park. A passive park with no playgrounds or ballfields. Ideal location for wedding and graduation photographs with its Greek style pavilion having fluted columns and a circular gazebo-like center with a red-tiled roof and a scenic backgound. Donated to the town in 1911 by John Hurd, the park is also host to the 1922 WWI Doughboy Statue, one of a few found around the country. The park also displays a Civil War Memorial, a Spansish American War Memorial and a brick-walk memorial naming those on stone bricks who served in the Armed Forces. The park is also adjacent to India Falls, a scenic walk along the Jackson Brook to Hedden Park.
  • Hedden Park on Reservoir Avenue. An active park, mostly in Randolph Township, with a picnic pavilion and tables, stone cooking grills for picnics in the woods, paddle boats in season, playrounds, ball fields and hiking trails.
  • Triangle Park. In downtown Dover at the foot of Prospect Street, the small park is maintained by Dover's Renaissance Club and the home of Hudson Favell's "Story Poles." Most recently a wood carved replica of the World Trade Towers were added along with two steel beams from the original collapsed building.
  • King Field. A north Dover sports complex hosting three little league baseball fields, one with lights, and a medium sized soccer field used mostly for practices when in season.

[edit] Health care

Dover is served by St. Clare's Dover General Hospital, located on Route 46. It is the local medical facility for Dover and other communities in western Morris County. Saint Clare's Denville Hospital is located 5 miles east of Dover in Denville, and Morristown Memorial Hospital is located 11 miles east of Dover in Morristown. The Zufall Health Center is located on Warren Street and provides basic medical and dental services to low-income residents of Dover and neighboring towns.

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Dover include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Contact Information, Town of Dover. Accessed December 20, 2007.
  2. ^ USGS GNIS: Town of Dover, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 20, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Census data for Dover town, United States Census Bureau, accessed July 25, 2007.
  4. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  7. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  8. ^ Colombian Communities, Epodunk. Accessed August 23, 2006.
  9. ^ a b Morris County, New Jersey: 2005 American Community Survey, United States Census Bureau, accessed January 1, 2007.
  10. ^ Mayor's page, Town of Dover. Accessed February 27, 2008.
  11. ^ Board of Aldermen, accessed February 27, 2008.
  12. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 56. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  13. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  14. ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  15. ^ What is a Freeholder?, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed February 6, 2008.
  16. ^ Meet the Freeholders, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed February 6, 2008.
  17. ^ Data for the Dover School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 27, 2008.
  18. ^ Dover High School Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2007. "Dover High School, located 40 miles from New York City, services over 900 high school aged students from the Town of Dover, the Borough of Victory Gardens and the Township of Mine Hill. Dover High School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges and the New Jersey State Department of Education."
  19. ^ Dover New Jersey Restaurants and Food Resources, accessed July 11, 2006.
  20. ^ New Jersey Flea Markets, Fairs, & Special Events, accessed July 11, 2006.
  21. ^ William Fred Birch, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed July 25, 2007.
  22. ^ Thomas Jefferson Halsey, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 17, 2007.
  23. ^ Vital Statistcs, X. J. Kennedy. Accessed March 1, 2008.
  24. ^ Jennings, Rob. "When it was '64, we met the Beatles", Daily Record (Morristown), February 9, 2004. Accessed October 15, 2007. "Dennis Ray of Dover, who performed with the Five Satins in the 1980s, later would appear on the same stage the Beatles used in 1964."
  25. ^ Jyles Tucker, San Diego Chargers. Accessed November 21, 2007.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Morris County, New Jersey
County seat: Morristown
Boroughs
Map of New Jersey highlighting Morris County
Towns

Boonton | Dover | Morristown
Townships
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