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Metuchen, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Metuchen
Main Street, Metuchen, in spring
Main Street, Metuchen, in spring
Nickname(s): 
The Historic Brainy Borough
Map of Metuchen in Middlesex County. Inset: Middlesex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Metuchen in Middlesex County. Inset: Middlesex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Metuchen, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey
Location in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey is located in the United States
Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Middlesex
Incorporated March 20, 1900
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 2.85 sq mi (7.39 km2)
 • Land 2.85 sq mi (7.38 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0.07%
Area rank 348th of 565 in state
18th of 25 in county
Elevation
95 ft (29 m)
Population
 • Total 13,574
 • Estimate 
(2019)
14,543
 • Rank 184th of 566 in state
18th of 25 in county
 • Density 4,910.4/sq mi (1,895.9/km2)
 • Density rank 113th of 566 in state
9th of 25 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08840
Area code(s) 732
FIPS code 3402145690
GNIS feature ID 0885298

Metuchen ( mə-TUTCH-ən) is a suburban borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The borough is a bedroom suburb of New York City, located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. The borough, along with Edison (which completely surrounds Metuchen), is a regional commercial hub for Central New Jersey. The borough is 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of New Brunswick, 19 miles (31 km) southwest of Newark, 26 miles (42 km) southwest of Jersey City, and 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 13,574, reflecting an increase of 734 (+5.7%) from the 12,840 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 36 (+0.3%) from the 12,804 counted in the 1990 Census.

Metuchen was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1900, from portions of Raritan Township (now known as Edison).

History

PostcardMetuchenNJMainStFromRRStation1911
View from train station 1911

Until 1870, what is now Metuchen was part of Woodbridge Township. Because the settlers in the western part of the township were so far removed from the village of Woodbridge, they early developed a separate identity. The name "Metuchen" first appeared in 1688/1689, and its name was derived from the name of a Native American chief, known as Matouchin or Matochshegan. In 1701, an overseer of roads was appointed for "Metuchen district". In 1705, Main Street was laid out at the same time as the road from Metuchen to Woodbridge, which one source calls a "reworking of the original road".

Sometime between 1717 and 1730, a meeting house was constructed for weekday meetings conducted by the pastor of the Woodbridge Presbyterian Church. In 1756, Metuchen Presbyterians succeeded in forming their own congregation, attesting to their growing numbers. In 1770, the congregations merged, with Metuchen getting 2/5 of the pastor's services and Woodbridge 3/5s; by 1772 Metuchen had grown sufficiently to warrant 50% of his time. In 1793, the two churches again separated.

From the late 18th to the early 19th century Metuchen grew little. A map of 1799 shows ten buildings in the center of town along Main Street. By 1834, a Presbyterian church, a store, two taverns and about a dozen dwellings could be found. The opening of the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike (now Middlesex Avenue, portions in concurrency with Route 27) in 1806, and the Perth Amboy and Bound Brook Turnpike in 1808 seem not to have spurred growth to any appreciable extent. Not until the beginning of the railroad era did commercial and residential development surge.

In 1836, the New Jersey Railroad was completed to New Brunswick. The construction of a station at Main Street made it inevitable that this would develop as the principal street. A business section soon began to appear between Middlesex Avenue and the railroad tracks, and commercial and service establishments gradually began to assume a more modern aspect (the typical 18th century tavern, for example, was replaced by the equally typical 19th century hotel).

The second half of the 19th century was a period of social, cultural and religious diversification in Metuchen. Between 1859 and 1866 the Reformed Church was organized, the first Catholic mass was celebrated and St. Luke's Episcopal Church was founded. In 1870 both the Building and Loan Association and the library opened, the same year that Raritan Township was incorporated. As the largest village in the new township, Metuchen naturally became its commercial and cultural center and acquired substantial political control. In 1873, the town hosted Howard Newton Fuller and the Rutgers College Glee Club in the first ever performance of their alma mater. In 1879, the literary and debating society was formed, and in 1883 the Village Improvement Society. By 1882, Metuchen School #15 had an enrollment of 256 pupils, and by 1885 the New Jersey Gazette listed 37 businesses.

The decade of the 1890s was a period of expansion for public utilities. In 1894, telegraph service was begun and in 1897 telephone service begun by the N.Y. and N.J. Telephone Company. In the same year the Midland Water Company commenced operation and supplied hydrants for "newly formed" volunteer fire companies. In 1899, a new street lighting system was installed. At about the same time a bicycling organization was formed, the Metuchen Wheelmen, which lobbied for improved roads. Trolley service began in 1900. In addition, commerce had grown to such an extent that the New Brunswick Directory listed 91 businesses in 1899.

Metuchen attracted an influx of artists, literary figures and noted intellectuals during this time, acquiring the nickname "the Brainy Boro". One of the Borough's two post offices is named Brainy Boro Station.

The new century began with the borough's incorporation, in 1900.

On November 19, 1981, Metuchen became the Seat of the newly established Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. The diocese includes Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren counties and more than 500,000 Catholics.

Metuchen Borough Hall, dedicated in 2005, replaced a structure built in 1924 during the City Beautiful movement.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.766 square miles (7.166 km2), including 2.764 square miles (7.160 km2) of land and 0.002 square miles (0.006 km2) of water (0.09%).

The Borough of Metuchen is completely surrounded by Edison, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Jefferson Park and Robinvale.

Metuchen has been a state-designated "town center" since 1996 and "transit hub". Since 2001 It has been recognized for its smart growth development. Plans to build a residential and commercial center with 700 parking spaces on a parking lot adjacent to the train station were announced in July 2014.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 770
1900 770 0.0%
1910 2,138 177.7%
1920 3,334 55.9%
1930 5,748 72.4%
1940 6,557 14.1%
1950 9,879 50.7%
1960 14,041 42.1%
1970 16,031 14.2%
1980 13,762 −14.2%
1990 12,804 −7.0%
2000 12,840 0.3%
2010 13,574 5.7%
2019 (est.) 14,543 7.1%
Population sources:
1890 1900-1920
1900-1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 13,574 people, 5,243 households, and 3,744 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,910.4 per square mile (1,895.9/km2). There were 5,440 housing units at an average density of 1,967.9 per square mile (759.8/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 77.92% (10,577) White, 4.88% (662) Black or African American, 0.07% (10) Native American, 12.96% (1,759) Asian, 0.02% (3) Pacific Islander, 1.39% (189) from other races, and 2.76% (374) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.89% (935) of the population.

There were 5,243 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 88.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $94,410 (with a margin of error of +/- $10,474) and the median family income was $126,123 (+/- $7,549). Males had a median income of $78,974 (+/- $8,613) versus $57,271 (+/- $5,731) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $46,949 (+/- $3,227). About 1.9% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Commuting had become a way of life for Metuchen residents by the start of the 20th century. Daily commuters numbered 400 out of a population of 1,786 by the year 1900. Accessibility to New York City and New Brunswick enhanced the borough's reputation as a place to live, and the modern suburban ideal of small-town life where tired businessmen could escape the pace of the city grew in popularity.

Roads and highways

2021-06-23 09 36 52 View north along Interstate 287 (Middlesex Freeway) from the overpass for the rail line just south of New Jersey State Route 27 (Lincoln Highway) on the border of Edison Township and Metuchen in Middlesex County, New Jersey
View northbound along I-287 on the south edge of Metuchen

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 47.06 miles (75.74 km) of roadways, of which 38.91 miles (62.62 km) were maintained by the municipality, 5.73 miles (9.22 km) by Middlesex County and 2.42 miles (3.89 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The biggest change to affect Metuchen between the World Wars was the rise of the automobile. In the 1920s, service stations were built, and the construction of U.S. Route 1 just south of Metuchen in 1930 diverted traffic away from Middlesex Avenue, helping the borough retain its residential character.

Both Route 27 and CR 531 pass through and intersect at the heart of the borough, while Interstate 287 runs along the southern border. Metuchen also includes portions of CR 501, CR 660 and CR 669.

Other limited access roads are nearby, such as the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) in surrounding Edison Township and the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge Township.

Public transportation

The Metuchen station provides service to many destinations along NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station.

NJ Transit local bus service is available on the 810, 813 and 819 routes.

Education

Public schools

The Metuchen School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,300 students and 182.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Mildred B. Moss Elementary School with 122 students in Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, Campbell Elementary School with 702 students in grades 1-4, Edgar Middle School with 722 students in grades 5-8 and Metuchen High School with 729 students in grades 9-12.

Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at Middlesex County Academy in Edison, the Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge Township and at its East Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Piscataway technical high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

There have been two historical schools named for Benjamin Franklin. The Old Franklin Schoolhouse is a one-room school on Route 27 (Middlesex Avenue) near Main Street built in 1807 and used until 1870. In 1906, it was acquired and restored by the Borough Improvement League and is currently used as a community music venue. A larger Franklin School, built in 1906, once stood at the intersection of Middlesex and Lake Avenues but fell into disrepair in the mid-1980s. It has since been demolished to make way for a residential development called Franklin Square.

Private schools

The borough is home to St. Joseph High School, a private all-boys Catholic prep school, notable for its academics and sports awards, that is conducted by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and operated under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Francis Cathedral School, a PreK-8 school also operated as part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen, was one of eight private schools recognized in 2017 as an Exemplary High Performing School by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program of the United States Department of Education.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Metuchen, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Metuchen include:

  • Marqus Blakely (born 1988), two-time America East Men's Basketball Player of the Year, winner of 2010 slam dunk contest.
  • Charles Brown (1946–2004), actor.
  • Henry T. Brown (1932–2020), chemical engineer who was the first African American in borough government.
  • Barbara Buono (born 1953), New Jersey State Senator.
  • John Ciardi (1916–1986), poet.
  • David Copperfield (born 1956), magician and illusionist.
  • Scott Cowen (born 1946), president of Tulane University.
  • Paula Danziger (1944–2004), children's author who wrote more than 30 books, including her 1974 debut young adult novel, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit.
  • Betsy Dunn, politician who served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2017 to 2019.
  • Bernard J. Dwyer (1921–1998), politician, who served in the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey from 1981 to 1993.
  • Gail Fisher (1935–2000), first black actress to win an Emmy.
  • James Florio (born 1937), Governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994.
  • Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (1852–1930), author and novelist.
  • Samuel L. Greitzer (1905–1988), mathematician who was founding chairman of the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad.
  • Robert Hegyes (1951–2012), actor who played the character "Epstein" in the 1970s TV series Welcome Back, Kotter.
  • Cecelia Holland (born 1943), historical novelist.
  • Ed Kalegi (born 1967), voice actor, radio personality, host and actor.
  • Robert Kaplow (born c. 1954), teacher and novelist whose coming-of-age novel was made into a film titled Me and Orson Welles.
  • Jerome H. Lemelson (1923–1997), inventor and holder of more than 550 patents.
  • Lonny Price (born 1959), actor, writer and director.
  • Thomas Mundy Peterson (1824–1904), first African-American to vote in an election under the just-enacted provisions of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • Hester Martha Poole (1833–1932), American writer, poet, art critic, artist, and an advocate for women's rights.
  • Brian Ralph (born 1973), alternative cartoonist, whose graphic novel, Daybreak, was adapted for the Netflix series Daybreak.
  • Nancy A. Roseman, 28th president of Dickinson College.
  • Tom Ruegger, animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist and lyricist, who created Animaniacs and Histeria!.
  • Quinn Shephard (born 1995), actress, writer, director and producer, whose directorial debut film Blame was shot in Metuchen.
  • Robert Taub (born 1955), concert pianist, recording artist, scholar, author and entrepreneur.
  • Jack Waldman (1952–1986), jazz and rock musician, composer, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.
  • Marvin Webster (1952–2009), former professional basketball player who spent half his NBA career with the New York Knicks.
  • Richard Wenk (born 1956), screenwriter and director best known for his work on The Expendables 2 (2012), The Equalizer (2014), and The Magnificent Seven (2016).
  • Julian E. Zelizer (born 1969), author and professor of political history at Princeton University.

See also

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