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Pitman, New Jersey
Borough
Broadway Theater in Pitman, September 2010
Broadway Theater in Pitman, September 2010
Official seal of Pitman, New Jersey
Seal
Motto(s): 
"The Small Town With A Big Heart"
"Everybody Likes Pitman"
Map of Pitman highlighted within Gloucester County. Inset: Location of Gloucester County in New Jersey.
Map of Pitman highlighted within Gloucester County. Inset: Location of Gloucester County in New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Pitman, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Pitman, New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey is located in Gloucester County, New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey
Location in Gloucester County, New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey is located in the United States
Pitman, New Jersey
Pitman, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Gloucester
Incorporated May 24, 1905
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 2.26 sq mi (5.85 km2)
 • Land 2.22 sq mi (5.75 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)  1.81%
Area rank 390th of 565 in state
17th of 24 in county
Elevation
125 ft (38 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 8,780
 • Estimate 
(2023)
8,880
 • Rank 271st of 565 in state
13th of 24 in county
 • Density 3,958.5/sq mi (1,528.4/km2)
 • Density rank 159th of 565 in state
3rd of 24 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08071
Area code(s) 856
FIPS code 3401559070
GNIS feature ID 0885354

Pitman is a borough in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,780, a decrease of 231 (−2.6%) from the 2010 census count of 9,011, which in turn reflected a decline of 320 (−3.4%) from the 9,331 in the 2000 census. The borough was named for Rev. Charles Pitman, a Methodist minister.

History

Historic American Buildings Survey MAP OF AREA - SURVEYED AND PLOTTED BY JOSEPH B. LIVEZEY (no date) - Pitman Grove Camp Meeting, North, South, East, and West Avenues, Pitman, HABS NJ,8-PIT,1-21
Map of Pitman including the Grove
Pitman Broadway
The intersection at Broadway leads to Uptown Pitman, lined with shops, restaurants, and bakeries

In 1871, land was chosen in both Glassboro and Mantua Township to be set aside for a Methodist summer camp meeting. The New Jersey Conference Camp Meeting Association was officially chartered and given authority over the land grant in 1872, and began planning the campground and organizing meetings. The land had an auditorium located on a central meeting ground, and twelve roads originated from the central area as spokes on a wheel.

This area became known as the Pitman Grove, and while worshipers' tents originally lined each of the twelve roads, cottages slowly replaced the tents and formed the foundation of the town of Pitman. By the 1880s, the number of cottages had climbed to 400 and residents had begun staying year-round, both of which led to the establishment of the first public school in 1884. By 1887, businesses had cropped up north of the Grove in an area then-named Arbutus Hill, and in 1892, Alcyon Park was established. The Grove directors resisted the secularization of the Methodist retreat, but in 1904, Grove residents voted 122 to 35 for incorporation as an autonomous borough. On May 24, 1905, Governor of New Jersey Edward C. Stokes signed a law granting the incorporation.

The Pitman Grove was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Until August 2014, Pitman was a dry town. In 2015, the borough council authorized an ordinance permitting liquor licenses and a pair of local breweries opened in Pitman's Uptown business district in 2016 under the terms of a state law that allows the sale of beer by the glass in tasting rooms. In November 2016, nearly 65% of voters approved a non-binding referendum allowing the issuance of liquor licenses.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.26 square miles (5.85 km2), including 2.22 square miles (5.75 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.11 km2) of water (1.81%). The borough borders the Gloucester County municipalities of Glassboro, Mantua Township, and Washington Township.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 1,950
1920 3,385 73.6%
1930 5,411 59.9%
1940 5,507 1.8%
1950 6,960 26.4%
1960 8,644 24.2%
1970 10,257 18.7%
1980 9,744 −5.0%
1990 9,365 −3.9%
2000 9,331 −0.4%
2010 9,011 −3.4%
2020 8,780 −2.6%
2023 (est.) 8,880 −1.5%
Population sources:
1910–2000 1910–1920 1910
1910–1930 1940–2000
2000 2010 2020

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 9,011 people, 3,489 households, and 2,327 families in the borough. The population density was 3,976.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,535.2/km2). There were 3,705 housing units at an average density of 1,634.8 per square mile (631.2/km2). The racial makeup was 96.08% (8,658) White, 1.14% (103) Black or African American, 0.09% (8) Native American, 0.62% (56) Asian, 0.03% (3) Pacific Islander, 0.64% (58) from other races, and 1.39% (125) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.46% (222) of the population.

Of the 3,489 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18; 51.1% were married couples living together; 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 33.3% were non-families. Of all households, 28.6% were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.

22.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 86.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 83.0 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $67,234 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,656) and the median family income was $92,120 (+/− $9,726). Males had a median income of $50,119 (+/− $5,616) versus $46,806 (+/− $6,937) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,777 (+/− $2,034). About 4.4% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Pitman School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 1,134 students and 118.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Elwood Kindle Elementary School with 174 students in grades K-5, Memorial Elementary School with 196 students in grades PreK-5, W. C. K. Walls Elementary School with 174 students in grades PreK-5, Pitman Middle School with 256 students in grades 6-8 and Pitman High School with 324 students in grades 9-12.

Guardian Angels Regional School is a K-8 school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden and accepts students from Clayton. Its PreK-3 campus is in Gibbstown while its 4-8 campus is in Paulsboro. Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Pitman is one of the sending parishes.

Transportation

2018-09-07 15 32 57 View north along New Jersey State Route 47 (Delsea Drive) at Pitman Avenue along the border of Pitman and Glassboro in Gloucester County, New Jersey
Route 47 northbound the east edge of Pitman

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 37.20 miles (59.87 km) of roadways, of which 29.77 miles (47.91 km) were maintained by the municipality and 7.43 miles (11.96 km) by Gloucester County.

Route 47 is the main highway directly serving Pitman, running along the borough's eastern border with Glassboro. County Route 553, and County Route 553 Alternate are the main county roads passing through Pitman. Route 55 passes just to the west of Pitman in neighboring Mantua Township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between the borough and Philadelphia on the 313, 408 and 412 routes.

The community is a planned stop on the Glassboro–Camden Line, an 18-mile (28.97 km) diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system that was projected for completion in 2019. However, as of 2019, completion is not expected until 2025.

Notable people

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

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

  • George Anastasia (born 1947), author and journalist
  • Madeline Brewer (born 1992), Actress best known for her roles in "Orange is the New Black" and "The Handmaid's Tale"
  • Joe Crispin (born 1979), Gloucester County's all-time leading scorer for boys' high school basketball (2,651 career points) who played in the NBA for the Lakers and Suns
  • Jon Crispin (born 1981), Gloucester County's fourth all-time leading boys' scorer (2,319 career points) in high school. Played collegiately for two seasons at Penn State with brother Joe, then transferred and spent last two seasons with the UCLA Bruins
  • Preston Foster (1900–1970), actor
  • Harry Gamble (1930–2014), football coach and executive
  • Erica Scanlon Harr (born 1982), Miss New Jersey 2004
  • John E. Hunt (1908–1989), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975
  • C. Austin Miles (1868–1946), prolific writer of thousands of hymns and gospel songs, who was best known for his 1912 hymn "In the Garden"
  • Jane Moffet (1930–2018), utility player who played for four seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
  • Patti Smith (born 1946), singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist
  • John E. Wallace Jr. (born 1942), former Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court
  • Don Wildman (born 1961), actor and television host

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Pitman (Nueva Jersey) para niños

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