Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population was 10,174,[8][9][10] reflecting a decline of 133 (-1.3%) from the 10,307 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 597 (-5.5%) from the 10,904 counted in the 1990 Census.[19] Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County.[20]
Woodbury was originally formed as a borough on March 27, 1854, within Deptford Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 22, 1854. On January 2, 1871, Woodbury was reincorporated as a city, based on the results of a referendum held that day.[21]
The Inspira Health Network is based in Woodbury.[22] The now-defunct Woodbury Country Club operated in Woodbury from 1897 to 2010, closing due to declining membership and mounting debt that led to a bankruptcy filing by the club.[23]
As recounted by the historian William McMahon, the Native Americans called the place where the city of Woodbury was to be founded, "Piscozackasing", or, 'place of the black burrs'.[24]
Woodbury was founded in 1683 by Henry Wood, a Quaker from the Northwest of England, who had left Great Britain due to religious persecution. Wood was incarcerated in Lancaster gaol for practicing as a Quaker and left his home in the village of Tottington, near Bury, Lancashire, in a boat to set up a community in the new world where he and his family could practice his religion freely. His surname and his home town went to make up the name of the city he founded Woodbury.[25][26][27]
In 2000, the Borough of Bury, England, and the City of Woodbury were twinned as part of millennium celebrations in both countries. The twinning ceremony was the culmination of a week where more than 300 school children and college students, local dignitaries and local residents from Bury took part in sporting and cultural events held in and around Woodbury with local people. During the week there was a symbolic meeting and reconciliation of the Vicar of Henry Wood's former church in Tottington and the Quaker's meeting house in Woodbury and an ecumenical service attended by many of the residents and visitors.[28]
In 1787, a fossil bone recovered in Woodbury from local Cretaceous strata was discussed by the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.[29] The remains were only retrospectively identified as dinosaurian,[29] as dinosaurs would not be scientifically recognized as a distinct group of reptiles until Sir Richard Owen presented his treatise on British fossil reptiles to the British Association in August 1841.[30]
Woodbury was the first city in the United States to mandate recycling. This effort was led by then-councilman and later mayor Donald P. Sanderson in the 1970s, and an ordinance was finally passed in December 1980. The idea of towing a "recycling" trailer behind a trash collection vehicle to enable the collection of trash and recyclable material at the same time emerged. Sanderson was asked to speak in municipalities throughout the country and other towns and cities soon followed suit.[31]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 2.059 square miles (5.333km2), including 2.009 square miles (5.203km2) of land and 0.050 square miles (0.130km2) of water (2.43%).[1][2] Woodbury has a few lakes that feed off of Woodbury Creek.
The city borders Woodbury Heights, West Deptford Township and Deptford Township.
Woodbury has a humid subtropical climate (Kppen climate classification Cfa) typical of New Jersey with warm summers and cold winters.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,174 people, 4,088 households, and 2,420 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,064.0 per square mile (1,955.2/km2). There were 4,456 housing units at an average density of 2,217.9 per square mile (856.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.01% (6,716) White, 24.91% (2,534) Black or African American, 0.23% (23) Native American, 1.28% (130) Asian, 0.28% (28) Pacific Islander, 3.19% (325) from other races, and 4.11% (418) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.66% (1,085) of the population.[8]
There were 4,088 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.10.[8]
In the city, the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.0 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 90.3 males.[8]
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $58,629 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,598) and the median family income was $74,276 (+/- $7,880). Males had a median income of $57,019 (+/- $3,425) versus $37,363 (+/- $6,910) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $28,845 (+/- $2,571). About 7.8% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.[44]
As of the 2000 United States Census[16] there were 10,307 people, 4,051 households, and 2,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,961.4 people per square mile (1,913.2/km2). There were 4,310 housing units at an average density of 2,074.7 per square mile (800.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 72.45% White, 22.83% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.[42][43]
There were 4,051 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% 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 3.08.[42][43]
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.[42][43]
The median income for a household in the city was $41,827, and the median income for a family was $53,630. Males had a median income of $40,429 versus $30,570 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,592. About 11.2% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.[42][43]
Woodbury is governed under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a City Council comprising nine council members. A Mayor is elected at-large directly by the voters for a four-year term of office. The City Council consists of nine members, three from each of three wards, elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat from each ward coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[6][45]
As of 2017[update], the Mayor of the City of Woodbury is Democrat Jessica M. Floyd, whose term ends December 31, 2020.[3] Members of the Woodbury City Council are:[46][47][48][49][50][51]
At the January 2017 reorganization meeting, the City Council chose Kenneth McIlvaine from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the Third Ward seat expiring in December 2017 that was vacated by Jessica Floyd when she took office as mayor.[52]
The Democratic sweep in November 2012 of the three council seats and mayor gave the party a 6-3 majority on the 2013 council.[53]
Woodbury is located in the 1st Congressional District[54] and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.[9][55][56]
New Jersey's First Congressional District is represented by Donald Norcross (D, Camden).[57] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021)[58] and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).[59][60]
For the 20162017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 5th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D, Barrington) and in the General Assembly by Arthur Barclay (D, Camden) and Patricia Egan Jones (D, Barrington).[61] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township).[62] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[63]
Gloucester County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis in partisan elections, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. At a reorganization meeting held each January, the Board selects a Freeholder Director and a Deputy Freeholder Director from among its members. As of 2016[update], Gloucester County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger (D, West Deptford Township; term ends December 31, 2018),[64] Deputy Freeholder Director Giuseppe "Joe" Chila (D, Woolwich Township; 2018),[65] Lyman J. Barnes (D, Logan Township; 2017),[66] Daniel Christy (D, Washington Township; 2016),[67] Frank J. DiMarco (D, Deptford Township; 2016),[68] Heather Simmons (D, Glassboro; 2017)[69] and Jim Jefferson (D, Woodbury; 2017).[70][71][72][73] Constitutional officers elected countywide are County Clerk James N. Hogan,[74] Surrogate Helene M. Reed (Monroe Township)[75] and Sheriff Carmel Morina (Greenwich Township).[76][77][72]
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,368 registered voters in Woodbury, of which 2,255 (35.4%) were registered as Democrats, 1,162 (18.2%) were registered as Republicans and 2,948 (46.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to other parties.[78]
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 67.7% of the vote (2,972 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 30.9% (1,356 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (65 votes), among the 4,430 ballots cast by the city's 6,623 registered voters (37 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 66.9%.[79][80] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 66.9% of the vote (3,216 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 30.9% (1,487 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (58 votes), among the 4,806 ballots cast by the city's 6,829 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.4%.[81] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 60.1% of the vote (2,735 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 38.3% (1,742 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (43 votes), among the 4,547 ballots cast by the city's 6,521 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 69.7.[82]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.6% of the vote (1,499 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.4% (1,007 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (51 votes), among the 2,608 ballots cast by the city's 6,370 registered voters (51 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.9%.[83][84] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 51.8% of the vote (1,416 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 36.4% (995 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.5% (232 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (34 votes), among the 2,732 ballots cast by the city's 6,649 registered voters, yielding a 41.1% turnout.[85]
The Woodbury Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's four schools had an enrollment of 1,511 students and 127.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentteacher ratio of 11.85:1.[86] Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[87]) are Evergreen Avenue Elementary School[88] (grades preK-5; 315 students), Walnut Street Elementary School[89] (K-5; 92), West End Memorial Elementary School[90] (K-5; 340) and Woodbury Junior-Senior High School[91] (6-12; 764).[92][93]
St. Margaret Regional School is a PreK-8 elementary school founded in 1963 that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.[94][95]
As of May 2010[update], the city had a total of 36.26 miles (58.35km) of roadways, of which 29.15 miles (46.91km) were maintained by the municipality, 5.04 miles (8.11km) by Gloucester County and 2.07 miles (3.33km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[96]
Route 45 (Mantua Avenue / Broad Street) enters the city at its southernmost point from West Deptford Township and proceeds for 1.8 miles (2.9km) before heading along the Deptford Township / West Deptford Township border at the north end of the city.[97]
County Route 551 (Salem Avenue) enters from West Deptford Township in the southwest and proceeds for 0.5 miles (0.80km) before beginning a concurrency with Route 45.[98]
NJ Transit bus service between the city and Philadelphia is available on the 401 (from Salem), 402 (from Pennsville Township), 410 (from Bridgeton) and 412 (from Sewell) routes, with local service offered on the 455 (Cherry Hill Township to Paulsboro) and 463 (between Woodbury and the Avandale Park/Ride in Winslow Township) routes.[99][100]
Beginning in the 1860s passenger train service was provided successively by the Camden and Woodbury Railroad, West Jersey Railroad, West Jersey & Seashore Railroad and the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines ending in the 1971. The station was built in 1883 and renovated in 2000.[101]
A stop on the proposed GlassboroCamden Line, an 18-mile (28.97km) diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system projected for completion in 2019, is planned.[102]
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Woodbury include:
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