Fanwood, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fanwood, New Jersey
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Borough
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Fanwood station on the Raritan Valley Line
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Location of Fanwood in Union County highlighted in yellow (left). Inset map: Location of Union County in New Jersey highlighted in black (right).
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Census Bureau map of Fanwood, New Jersey
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 Fanwood, New Jersey
Location in Union County, New Jersey
Fanwood, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Fanwood, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New Jersey |
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| County | Union | |
| Incorporated | October 2, 1895 | |
| Named for | Fannie Wood | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Borough | |
| • Body | Borough Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1.34 sq mi (3.47 km2) | |
| • Land | 1.34 sq mi (3.47 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0.00% | |
| Area rank | 465th of 565 in state 18th of 21 in county |
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| Elevation | 157 ft (48 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,774 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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7,655 | |
| • Rank | 301st of 565 in state 18th of 21 in county |
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| • Density | 5,801.5/sq mi (2,240.0/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 94th of 565 in state 10th of 21 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Code |
07023
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| Area code(s) | 908 exchanges: 322, 490, 889 | |
| FIPS code | 3403922860 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885216 | |
Fanwood is a small town, called a borough, in Union County, New Jersey. It's located in the northern-central part of the state. Fanwood is a commuter town, which means many people who live here travel to New York City for work.
Fanwood is part of the larger New York metropolitan area. It sits in the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions. In 2020, about 7,774 people lived in Fanwood. This was a small increase from 2010. The borough officially became a town on October 2, 1895. It was named after an author named Fannie Wood.
Contents
History of Fanwood
Fanwood has a cool history tied to trains! In 1831, a company got permission to build a railroad through this area. The train line reached Fanwood in 1837. A train station, first called Scotch Plains station, was built in 1839.
Later, the railroad company became the Central Railroad of New Jersey. They moved the tracks and built a new station in 1874. This new station was called Fanwood station. Around the same time, a company started building a neighborhood called Fanwood Park near the station. The streets in this new community were curvy and unique. The president of the railroad, John Taylor Johnston, named the area after his wife, Frances, also known as Fanny. In 1878, Fanwood Township was created from nearby towns.
Fanwood Park Historic District
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Fanwood Park Historic District
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Urner/Gibbs House
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| Location | North Avenue and North Martine Avenue Fanwood, New Jersey |
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| Area | 52 acres (21 ha) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 04000516 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 27, 2004 |
The Fanwood Park Historic District is a special area of 52 acres. It's located along North Avenue and North Martine Avenue. This district is important because of its unique buildings and how the community was planned. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The district includes 57 important buildings. One of these is the Fanwood station, which is also a historic landmark. A key building is the Urner/Gibbs house, built in 1894. It was a wedding gift for a daughter!
Geography of Fanwood
Fanwood covers about 1.34 square miles (3.47 square kilometers) of land. It's a small area, and all of it is land, with no large bodies of water inside its borders.
The borough shares its edges with two other towns. To the southwest, it borders Plainfield. In all other directions, Fanwood is surrounded by Scotch Plains. A small stream called the Robinsons Branch of the Rahway River flows through Fanwood.
Population and People
Fanwood has seen its population grow over the years.
- In 1900, there were only 399 people.
- By 1960, the population had grown to 7,963.
- In the 2010 United States census, 7,318 people lived in Fanwood.
- The 2020 United States census counted 7,774 residents.
Most people in Fanwood are White (about 84.7%). About 5.3% are Black or African American, and 6.75% are Asian. About 6.26% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Many households (41%) in Fanwood have children under 18. The average age of people living in Fanwood is about 40.5 years old.
Economy
Fanwood has been working to improve its downtown area. In 2014, the town received an award for its downtown development plan. This award recognized Fanwood's smart growth efforts.
Education in Fanwood
Students in Fanwood attend public schools in the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District. This district serves students from pre-kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. It includes students from both Fanwood and Scotch Plains.
The district has eight schools:
- Five elementary schools (Pre-K/K–4)
- Two middle schools (5–8)
- One high school (9–12)
All the schools are located in Scotch Plains. As of 2018–19, the district had about 5,649 students. The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School is where most students from both towns go for high school.
Schools in the District
- Howard B. Brunner Elementary School (Pre-K–4)
- J. Ackerman Coles School (Pre-K–4)
- Evergreen School (Pre-K–4)
- William J. McGinn School (K–4)
- School One (Pre-K–4)
- Park Middle School (5–8)
- Terrill Middle School (5–8)
- Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (9–12)
Transportation
Roads and Highways
_just_east_of_Union_County_Route_655_(Martine_Avenue)_in_Fanwood,_Union_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
Fanwood has about 26.35 miles of roads. Most of these roads are taken care of by the town itself. Route 28, also known as South Avenue, goes through Fanwood. This road connects Fanwood to nearby towns like Plainfield and Scotch Plains. Another important road is South and North Martine Avenue. It links Fanwood to U.S. Route 22.
Public Transportation Options
The Fanwood station is a train station on the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line. The station has two buildings. One is a Victorian building on the north side of the tracks. The ticket office is on the south side.
Trains from Fanwood can take you to Newark Penn Station. From there, you can connect to Hoboken Terminal or Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. During weekday rush hours, some trains go directly to New York Penn Station without a transfer. This is called a "one-seat ride." There are also nine trains each weekday that offer this direct service during off-peak hours.
NJ Transit also offers bus service. You can take the 113 bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. There's also a local bus, the 822 route. If you need to fly, Newark Liberty International Airport is only about 25 minutes away.
Notable People from Fanwood
Many interesting people have lived in Fanwood! Here are a few:
- Edith Ajello (born 1944), a politician who served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
- Gerry Cooney (born 1956), a famous boxer.
- Emma Kenney (born 1999), an actress known for her role as Debbie Gallagher on the TV show Shameless.
- Hiram Maxim (1840–1916), a brilliant inventor. He invented the Maxim gun, a curling iron, and even fire sprinklers!
- Hiram Percy Maxim (1869–1936), another inventor and a pioneer in radio. He founded the American Radio Relay League.
- Sada Thompson (1927–2011), a well-known actress.
See also
In Spanish: Fanwood para niños
