Gloucester City, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gloucester City, New Jersey
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City
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| City of Gloucester City | ||
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View of downtown Gloucester City from the Walt Whitman Bridge
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Location of Gloucester City in Camden County highlighted in red (right). Inset map: Location of Camden County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (left).
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Census Bureau map of Gloucester City, New Jersey
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 Gloucester City, New Jersey
Location in Camden County, New Jersey
Gloucester City, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Gloucester City, 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 | Camden | |
| European settlement | 1623 | |
| Incorporated | February 25, 1868 | |
| Named for | Gloucester, England | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Special charter | |
| • Body | City Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2.76 sq mi (7.15 km2) | |
| • Land | 2.31 sq mi (6.00 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.45 sq mi (1.16 km2) 16.41% | |
| Area rank | 359th of 565 in state 15th of 37 in county |
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| Elevation | 23 ft (7 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,484 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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11,507 | |
| • Rank | 219th of 565 in state 12th of 37 in county |
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| • Density | 4,960.7/sq mi (1,915.3/km2) | |
| • Density rank | 113th of 565 in state 11th of 37 in county |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT)) | |
| ZIP Codes |
08030
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| Area code(s) | 856 exchanges: 456, 742 | |
| FIPS code | 34007268200 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0885234 | |
Gloucester City is a city in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 11,484, an increase of 28 (+0.2%) from the 2010 census count of 11,456, which in turn reflected a decline of 28 (−0.2%) from the 11,484 counted in the 2000 census. It is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia and the Port of Philadelphia.
Gloucester City was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 25, 1868, from the remaining portions of Union Township, which was then dissolved. Additional territory was annexed in 1925 from Centre Township and in 1927 from Haddon Township. The city's name derives from Gloucester, England.
Gloucester City is known for its Irish American population, which was ninth-highest in the United States by percentage in the 2000 Census.
The city had the 23rd-highest property tax rate in New Jersey, with an equalized rate of 4.343% in 2020, compared to 3.470% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%.
Contents
History
The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau. The one built in the 1620s at today's Gloucester City was for trade, mostly in beaver pelts, with the indigenous population of Susquehannock and Lenape. The region along the Delaware River and its bay was called the Zuyd Rivier and marked the southern flank of the province of New Netherland.
From 1638 to 1655 the area was part of New Sweden, which had been established by Peter Minuit, who had been Director of New Netherland, and was responsible for the famous purchase of the island of Manhattan. The location was disadvantageous since the richest fur-trapping area was on the west side of the river, where Swedish could intercept trade with the natives. In 1651, Peter Stuyvesant, director-general of New Netherland, dismantled the structure and relocated to a position on the other side of the river, in part to menace the Swedish, calling it Fort Casimir.
After the arrival of English Quakers on the Delaware, in 1677, a permanent settlement, at first called Axwamus, was established on the site of the present city. This was surveyed and laid out as a town in 1689. In 1868 it was chartered as a city.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 2.76 square miles (7.15 km2), including 2.31 square miles (5.98 km2) of land and 0.45 square miles (1.17 km2) of water (16.41%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Cloversdale, Gloucester Heights, Highland Park and Newbold.
The city borders the municipalities of Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Camden, Haddon Township, and Mount Ephraim. Gloucester City also borders Westville in Gloucester County and the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, across the Delaware River.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 3,682 | — | |
| 1880 | 5,347 | 45.2% | |
| 1890 | 6,564 | 22.8% | |
| 1900 | 6,840 | 4.2% | |
| 1910 | 9,462 | 38.3% | |
| 1920 | 12,162 | 28.5% | |
| 1930 | 13,796 | 13.4% | |
| 1940 | 13,692 | −0.8% | |
| 1950 | 14,357 | 4.9% | |
| 1960 | 15,511 | 8.0% | |
| 1970 | 14,707 | −5.2% | |
| 1980 | 13,121 | −10.8% | |
| 1990 | 12,649 | −3.6% | |
| 2000 | 11,484 | −9.2% | |
| 2010 | 11,456 | −0.2% | |
| 2020 | 11,484 | 0.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 11,507 | 0.4% | |
| Population sources: 1870–2000 1870–1920 1870 1880–1890 1890–1910 1870–1930 1940–2000 2000 2010 2020 |
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2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 11,456 people, 4,248 households, and 2,804 families in the city. The population density was 4,937.8 per square mile (1,906.5/km2). There were 4,712 housing units at an average density of 2,031.0 per square mile (784.2/km2). The racial makeup was 90.52% (10,370) White, 3.07% (352) Black or African American, 0.14% (16) Native American, 2.68% (307) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.82% (209) from other races, and 1.76% (202) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.70% (767) of the population.
Of the 4,248 households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18; 42.3% were married couples living together; 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.0% were non-families. Of all households, 27.4% were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.31.
24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.4 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $52,222 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,589) and the median family income was $58,825 (+/− $7,975). Males had a median income of $49,032 (+/− $3,038) versus $36,560 (+/− $2,335) for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,718 (+/− $1,341). About 12.2% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Gloucester City was selected in 2004 as one of two zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6+5⁄8% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in August 2004, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in August 2024.
Sports
Gloucester Point Grounds is a former baseball stadium that was the part-time home to the Philadelphia Athletics from 1888 to 1890, with the Athletics playing games there on Sunday to avoid blue law restrictions in Philadelphia.
John L. Sullivan World Champion Boxer had an exhibition match with William Muldoon Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion in Gloucester in 1889.
Annie Oakley performed in Gloucester City on July 2, 1888 at the grandstand Gloucester Point Grounds along the Gloucester Beach in New Jersey as part of the Pawnee Bill Frontier Exhibition. Oakley would return to Gloucester City for exhibitions in 1898.
Education
The Gloucester City Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Students from Brooklawn attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Brooklawn Public School District.
As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 2,189 students and 173.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Cold Springs Elementary School with 850 students in grades Pre-K–3, Gloucester City Middle School with 780 students in grades 4–8 and Gloucester City High School with 515 students in grades 9–12.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operates Gloucester Catholic High School, a co-educational Roman Catholic high school for grades 7-12 that opened in 1928. Saint Mary School was a Catholic grammar school that served grade levels from three- and four-year-old pre-school to eighth grade, which was closed by the diocese at the end of the 2010–2011 school year, in the wake of declining enrollment and rising deficits that were beyond the ability of the diocese to cover.
Transportation
Roads and highways
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As of May 2010[update], the city had a total of 39.97 miles (64.33 km) of roadways, of which 29.52 miles (47.51 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.10 miles (11.43 km) by Camden County, 2.63 miles (4.23 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.72 miles (1.16 km) by the Delaware River Port Authority.
Interstate 76 is the main highway passing through Gloucester City. It enters Gloucester City from Philadelphia, skims the north side of the city, briefly enters Camden, then reenters Gloucester City as it turns south towards its eastern terminus at Interstate 295 beyond the city limits.
The Walt Whitman Bridge is the suspension bridge carrying Interstate 76 west over the Delaware River to Philadelphia. The bridge, which extends for almost 12,000 feet (3,700 m) between abutments, opened to traffic on May 16, 1957. U.S. Route 130 also travels through Gloucester City.
Public transportation
NJ Transit bus service is available to Philadelphia on routes 401 (from Salem), 402 (from Pennsville), 408 (from Millville), 410 (from Bridgeton) and 412 (from Sewell), with local service on the 457 route between the Moorestown Mall and Camden.
The city is expected to be a stop on the Glassboro–Camden Line, a planned 18-mile (28.97 km) diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Gloucester City include:
- James Barton (1890–1962), vaudevillian, stage performer and character actor in films and television
- Agnus Berenato (born 1956), former women's basketball program head coach at Rider University (1982–1985), Georgia Tech (1989–2003) and University of Pittsburgh (2012–2013)
- Jack Collins (born 1943), former Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
- Edward Durr (born 1963), politician and truck driver who represents the 3rd Legislative district in the New Jersey Senate
- Lucinda Florio (1947–2022), teacher and advocate for education and literacy, who, as the wife of former New Jersey Governor James Florio, served as the First Lady of New Jersey
- Francis J. Gorman (1924–1987), politician who served seven terms in the New Jersey General Assembly
- Patrick T. Harker (born 1958), President of the University of Delaware (2007–2015)
- Eliza Leslie (1787–1858), author of popular cookbooks during the nineteenth century
- Betsy Ross (1752–1836), best known as the creator of the flag that shares her name, the Betsy Ross Flag
Popular culture
- Gloucester City is cited by some as the birthplace of rock and roll. Bill Haley & His Comets—originally a country music band called "Bill Haley and the Saddlemen"—were the house band playing at the Twin Bar for 18 months starting in the early 1950s and are said to have modified their performing style while on stage there to an early form of rock and roll.
- In 1881, painter Thomas Eakins completed two versions of "Shad-Fishing at Gloucester on the Delaware River". A watercolor version is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, while an oil on canvas version is on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, just across the Delaware River from Gloucester City.
- On November 4, 1773, Elizabeth Griscom married John Ross at Huggs Tavern. Elizabeth is better known as Betsy Ross, a flag maker during the early days of the United States. Huggs Tavern was torn down in the 1920s; the former site of the tavern is part of what is now Proprietor's Park.
See also
In Spanish: Gloucester City (Nueva Jersey) para niños
