Wall Township, New Jersey
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| Wall, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Monmouth |
| Incorporated | March 7, 1851 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Township (New Jersey) |
| - Mayor | John P. Devlin |
| Area | |
| - Total | 31.4 sq mi (81.4 km²) |
| - Land | 30.6 sq mi (79.3 km²) |
| - Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) |
| Elevation [1] | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 25,997 |
| - Density | 825.1/sq mi (318.6/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07719 |
| Area code(s) | 732 |
| FIPS code | 34-76460[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882112[4] |
| Website: http://www.wallnj.com | |
Wall Township is a Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 25,261.
Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851. Over the years, portions of the township have been taken to form North Spring Lake (May 1884), Ocean Beach (March 9, 1885, now Belmar), Manasquan (December 30, 1887), Spring Lake, (March 14, 1892), Sea Girt (March 29, 1917), Brielle (April 10, 1919), South Belmar (March 12, 1924, now Lake Como) and Spring Lake Heights (March 19, 1927).[5]
Allenwood (2000 census population of 935) and West Belmar (2,606) are census-designated places and unincorporated areas located within Wall Township.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 31.4 square miles (81.4 km²), of which, 30.6 square miles (79.3 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (2.55%) is water.
Wreck Pond is a tidal pond located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Wall Township and the boroughs of Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights, and Sea Girt. The pond is the center of the Wreck Pond Watershed, which covers about 12 square miles (31 km²) in eastern Monmouth County.
[edit] History
The township of Wall is named for Garret D. Wall, a lawyer who commanded a Trenton volunteer company during the War of 1812 and was stationed at Sandy Hook. Wall served five years as clerk of the New Jersey Supreme Court and as quartermaster general of the state for more than 20 years.
- 1776 Glendola Protestant Bible Church is built. A new church is dedicated in 1964.
- 1822 Allaire Village, James P. Allaire purchases what becomes known as the "Howell Works" in Wall. By 1836 it is renowned as the largest producing bog iron manufacturing site in the State of New Jersey. Allaire was named posthumously for its most successful owner and operator, James P. Allaire. Today Allaire Village Inc., a non-profit organization, is licensed by the State of New Jersey to operate the site now known as "The Historic Village at Allaire." The village and surrounding acres were later preserved and gifted to the State of New Jersey to form Allaire State Park as a memorial to the last private owner of the site, famed Hearst editor, Arthur Brisbane (see below). Brisbane built a large palatial residence on his Allaire property that would later serve as the Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center.
- 1830 Christ Church in Allaire is erected by James Peter Allaire to serve the ironworkers and their families at his bustling Howell Works.
- 1834 Wall United Methodist Church starts worship.
- 1840 The Allgor-Barkalow Homestead at 1701 New Bedford Road is built, although some accounts indicate construction of part of the building began in the 18th century. The building now houses the museum of the Old Wall Historical Society.
- 1846 The Howell Works, owned by James P. Allaire, closes as an iron manufacturing center. It is not until 1907, when famed Hearst editor Arthur Brisbane buys the Allaire property that the village is "brought back to life."
- 1851 The township of Wall is formed from a portion of Howell.
- 1855 The Blansingburg schoolhouse at Sea Girt Avenue is in session. The building is relocated in 1999 to the Allgor-Barkalow Homestead Museum property for refurbishing.
- August 1895 Allenwood Protestant Church on Allaire-Allenwood Road is dedicated.
- Around 1900 The newly formed Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America, with its home office in England, purchases a 93 acre farm from a Mr. Woolley. The farm becomes the site of the company's receiver equipment for commercial transatlantic radio operation.
- 1907 Famed Hearst editor, Arthur Brisbane, purchases over 8,000 acres (32 km²) of the Allaire family property and sets out to revitalize the former village James P. Allaire created. By 1907 the village was often considered "deserted" by many local journalists. Brisbane also set out to build his "dream house" at Allaire, adjacent to the lake that now bears his name. It was at Allaire that Brisbane (and later his family) could enjoy his favorite hobby - horseback riding. His home was later donated to the State of New Jersey and became part of the Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center. It still stands today. Brisbane brought new life to Allaire through development of the "Allaire Inn," a model horse and produce farm, and other endeavors. Silent film companies, a toy factory, Great Depression Work Programs, military training facilities, and a Boy Scout Camp were invited or allowed to use Brisbane's Allaire Estate courtesy of Arthur Brisbane. As early as 1925 Brisbane began to preserve the former buildings that were part of James P. Allaire's Howell Iron Works Company, and begins to make plans of establishing his property at Allaire into a forest preserve and historic facility.
- December 1909 The Wall Fire Company # 1 was formed creating the first volunteer fire company to serve the township. Today the company remains all volunteer and serves the residents of the West Belmar section of town, also known as Wall Fire District # 1.
- January 1921 The Allenwood Hospital, Squankum and Allenwood roads, opens primarily as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. In 1957, a 16-room building is dedicated to Geraldine L. Thompson, who served as president of the hospital's board of managers. In the 1960s, the facility becomes an annex to the John L. Montgomery Medical Home in Freehold, a county-run nursing home, and is renamed the Geraldine L. Thompson Medical Home.
- 1924 The Marconi signal site is abandoned.
- 1927 The Marconi signal site is inhabited by the Ku Klux Klan. They are ejected in March 1928.
- September 1939 Wall First Aid is organized. Now known as Wall Township First Aid & Rescue Squad.
- 1936 Famed Hearst newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane is laid to rest near his palatial residence at Allaire, after passing away on December 25, 1936. A private ceremony for the family and immediate friends was held at the family grave site, after an ellaborate funderal service in New York City. The grave site was located next to Brisbane's library tower and on the highest knoll of the Allaire property. The family later removed his remains to a family plot in Batavia, NY after the State of New Jersey neglected to maint the grave site as outlined in the deed of gift in 1940 (see below).
- 1940 Using an old World War I tank that he converted into a bulldozer, Edward I. Brown begins clearing a vast scrub-pine tract off Route 34 for an airport. The tract of land was formerly owned by famed Hearst editor, Arthur Brisbane, who lived at Allaire from 1907 until his death in 1936. After serving as a Navy pilot during World War II, Brown resumes work on building his airport -- today's Monmouth Executive Airport -- in 1945.
- December 1940 Mrs. Arthur Brisbane fulfills the dream and intent of her late husband, famed Hearst editor Arthur Brisbane, in gifting the Historic Village at Allaire,Allaire Village, and over 1,200 acres (4.9 km²) of adjacent land to the New Jersey Department of Conservation and Development. This gift now forms the heart of Allaire State Park and was to be a memorial to her late husband, Arthur Brisbane, for the sole purpose of establishing "a recreational park area and historic village." Brisbane's legacy and philanthropic efforts at Allaire have recently been given its proper place in history by noted local historian Hance Sitkus and his book "Images of America, Allaire."
- November 1941 The United States Army purchases the Marconi site and renames it Camp Evans after Col. Paul Wesley Evans, a World War I signal officer.
- 1940s The Roadside Diner, formerly the Circle Diner and Rusty's, is delivered to its Route 34 site by the Silk City Diner Co. The diner is used for filming of a scene for the 1983 movie Baby It's You and also appears on the cover of the 1994 Bon Jovi album "Cross Road: 14 Classic Grooves." In 2008, it is featured in the music video for "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" by Bruce Springsteen.
- May 1950 Wall Township Speedway opens on Route 34.
- 1953 The Circus Drive-In restaurant on Route 35 opens for business.
- 1954 Exit 98 opens on the Garden State Parkway giving high speed motor vehicle access to New York City
- 1957 After nearly 20 years of neglect since the Brisbane family donated the property, the State of New Jersey finally takes an interest in restoring the land donated to them to establish Allaire State Park and the Historic Village at Allaire. The Park opens to limited visitation.
- September 1959 Wall High School opens.
- 1960 Wall Community First Aid Squad 52-22, established.
- June 1961 Thirty-two people are injured by an explosion of a boiler at a bingo game held at the Fireman's Hall, 16th Avenue and Route 71.
- July 1961 The Wall Public Library opens.
- July 1973 The Collingwood Circle Center, which houses the Wall Indoor Racquet Club and Ice arena at Route 33 and Shafto Road, opens.
- 1974 The Wall Herald is launched by Monmouth County Airport owner Ed Brown. He sells it in 1997 and the name is changed to the Shore Herald.
- May 1976 The Josiah I. Allen house on Allenwood-Lakewood Road, which stood for more than 200 years, is destroyed by fire.
- June 1976 Peddler's Village opens at Route 35 and Atlantic Avenue. Two fires, in July 1979 and June 1980, damage stores there. In 1988, the business is converted to a factory outlet center called Circle Factory Outlet.
- 1981 Interstate 195 is extended into Wall Township giving direct high speed access to Trenton, the State capital.
- January 1981 Fire destroys the 54-year-old restaurant landmark Le Deauville Inn, located on Gully and Remsen Mill roads in the Glendola section.
- October 1988 A Brick Township man who spent more than nine years building a small-engine plane is killed when the aircraft, on its maiden flight, crashes at the edge of a wooded area on Squankum Road.
- September 1988 At a kickoff dinner at Wall High School, state Attorney General W. Cary Edwards says the township is "ahead of the rest of the state" in its formation of the Wall Township Community Alliance Committee for the purpose of fighting drug abuse.
- January 1991 The Manasquan Reservoir System Water Treatment Plant on Hospital Road is dedicated.
- December 2000 The American Civil Liberties Union sues the township over its holiday display, contending that the religious symbols violate the constitutional separation of church and state.
- December 2002 Glendola Fire Company District 2 hires Wall Townships first career fireman Christopher Rosenfeld.
- May 2005 Glendola Fire Department hired 10 additional per diem firemen.
(Source: http://orig.app.com/day/story/0,2379,354676,00.html)
- March 2008 Owners of the Wall Township Speedway (A.K.A. Wall Stadium) announced the closing of the landmark which has been in operation since the 1950s. (Source: Asbury Park Press)
For more, visit (http://www.wallnj.com/history1.htm).
See Camp Evans for information about the Marconi Wireless Belmar Station (inhabited by the United States Navy and the Ku Klux Klan), The King's College, the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Black history, the development of Radar, Joseph McCarthy and other items of Wall Township History.
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 3,540 |
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| 1940 | 4,383 | 23.8% | |
| 1950 | 7,386 | 68.5% | |
| 1960 | 11,929 | 61.5% | |
| 1970 | 16,498 | 38.3% | |
| 1980 | 18,952 | 14.9% | |
| 1990 | 20,244 | 6.8% | |
| 2000 | 25,261 | 24.8% | |
| Est. 2006 | 25,997 | [2] | 2.9% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[6] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 25,261 people, 9,437 households, and 6,926 families residing in the township. The population density was 825.1 people per square mile (318.5/km²). There were 9,957 housing units at an average density of 325.2/sq mi (125.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.09% White, 0.61% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 9,437 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $73,989, and the median income for a family was $83,795. Males had a median income of $61,022 versus $37,011 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,954. About 1.7% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Wall is governed under the Township form of government, which is the oldest form of government in New Jersey, having been first established in 1798, and enhanced by the Township Act of 1989. All committee members are elected at large. Each year, at the annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to preside as mayor for the year, and another to serve as deputy mayor. It is the only form of government in which the mayor is not elected directly by the voters of the municipality. There are 11 municipalities in Monmouth County using the Township form of government[7].
The members of the Wall Township Committee as of 2008 are Mayor John P. Devlin, Deputy Mayor Michael J. Clayton, and Committeemen Edward H. Thomson, III, Clinton C. Hoffman and Jeffrey W. Foster.[8]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Wall Township is in the Fourth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 11th Legislative District.[9]
New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Mercer County, Monmouth County and Ocean County, is represented by Christopher Smith (R). 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 11th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Sean T. Kean (R, Wall Township) and in the Assembly by Mary Pat Angelini (R, Ocean Township) and Dave Rible (R, Wall Township).[10] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[11]
Monmouth County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2008, Monmouth County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry (R, Matawan), Freeholder Deputy Director Robert D. Clifton (R, Matawan), William C. "Bill" Barham (R, Monmouth Beach), John D'Amico, Jr. (D, Oceanport) and Barbara McMorrow (D, Freehold Township).[12]
[edit] Education
The Wall Township Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through high school (K-12). Schools in the district are Allenwood School (K-5) 1993 Blue Ribbon Central School Old Mill School West Belmar School Wall Intermediate School (6-8) Wall High School for grades 9-12. Wall Primary School serves the district's preschool disabled children.
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Wall Township include:
- Ashley Alexandra Dupre a.k.a. Kristen, the 'high end call girl' whose dalliance with New York State Governor Elliot Spitzer lead to his resignation.
- Jessie Poland, Musician currently signed to Geffen Records
- Peter Criss (1945-), Musician with the band KISS.
- Sean T. Kean (1963-), represents the 11th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly, served on the Wall Township Planning Board from 2001-2002.[13]
- Guglielmo Marconi, Radio pioneer.[14]
- Rusty Schweickart (1935-), Astronaut.[14]
- F. Paul Wilson (1946-), Author
[edit] References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Wall, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Wall township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 8, 2007.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 186-7.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Form of Government, Wall Township. Accessed September 29, 2006.
- ^ Wall Township Committee, Wall Township. Accessed January 14, 2008.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 65. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed January 29, 2008.
- ^ Assembly Member Sean T. Kean, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 9, 2007.
- ^ a b Carney, Leo H. " WALL: A TOWNSHIP OF MANY FACES", The New York Times, January 3, 1988. Accessed April 11, 2008. "Among its 20th-century residents have been the Italian electrical engineer and inventor Guglielmo Marconi and Russell L. Schweickart, one of the Apollo 9 astronauts."
[edit] External links
- Wall Township website
- Wall Township Public Schools
- Wall Township Public Schools's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Wall Township Public Schools
- Wall Township Police Department
- Wall Community First Aid Squad
- Wall Township First Aid & Rescue Squad
- www.infoage.org: Information on the former Marconi Wireless/Camp Evans site and the science center being established there.
- WDOS-FM Radio- a Streaming Radio Station based out of Wall NJ
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