Sayreville, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sayreville, New Jersey
Borough
Washington Road (CR 535) in Sayreville descending into the South River valley
Seal
Sayreville, New Jersey Location in Middlesex County, New Jersey Show map of Middlesex County, New Jersey Sayreville, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Sayreville, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Middlesex
Incorporated	April 6, 1876 (as township)
Reincorporated	April 29, 1919 (as borough)
Named for	James R. Sayre Jr.
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	18.66 sq mi (48.33 km2)
• Land	15.83 sq mi (41.00 km2)
• Water	2.83 sq mi (7.34 km2)  15.24%
Area rank	153rd of 565 in state 8th of 25 in county
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	45,345
• Estimate  (2023)	45,496
• Rank	47th of 565 in state 10th of 25 in county
• Density	2,864.5/sq mi (1,106.0/km2)
• Density rank	227th of 565 in state 19th of 25 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	08871, 08872 - Sayreville 08859 - Parlin 08879 - South Amboy
Area code(s)	908, 732 and 848
FIPS code	342365790
GNIS feature ID	0885386

Sayreville is a borough in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Sayreville is within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, located on the south banks of the Raritan River, and also located on the Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 45,345, an increase of 2,641 (+6.2%) from the 2010 census count of 42,704, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,327 (+5.8%) from the 40,377 counted in the 2000 census.

Sayreville was originally incorporated as a township on April 6, 1876, from portions of South Amboy Township. On April 2, 1919, the borough was reincorporated as the Borough of Sayreville and ratified by a referendum held on April 29, 1919.

History

Native Americans were the first settlers of Sayreville. Tribes of the Navesink lived along the South River where Jernee Mill Road is located today. This was noted on a 1656 New Netherland map by Adriaen van der Donck, a Dutch surveyor and map maker. Attempting to buy land from the Native Americans, European settlers travelled up the Raritan River in 1663. During the 20th century, amateur archaeologists found thousands of Indian artifacts at the location shown on the map.

Predating the incorporation of Sayreville, the Morgan Inn (later known as the Old Spye Inn) was established in 1703 in what is now the Morgan section of Sayreville. Charles Morgan III and his descendants, including Major General James Morgan and Lieutenant Nicholas Morgan, played significant roles in the Revolutionary War. The Morgan family lived in the area for over 200 years and many family members, including Evertsons, are buried in the privately owned Morgan Cemetery, which overlooks Raritan Bay. The Morgans were said to be related to the famous pirate, Captain Henry Morgan, who is said to have visited the Inn on more than one occasion, although this would have been impossible, considering Morgan died in Jamaica in 1688 and the Old Spye Inn wasn't built until 1703.

It was from an episode during the Revolutionary War that the Morgan Inn gained its new name, the Old Spye Inn. According to local legends, a local British loyalist, Abe Mussey, was captured by Continental Army troops in 1777 while signaling to British ships in Raritan Bay. He was tried as a spy at the Inn, convicted in a one-day trial, and sentenced to death by hanging. Mussey's execution was carried out using a tree near the Inn's entrance. Mussey was reported to be buried behind the Inn in an unmarked grave. The Inn was destroyed by fire in 1976, but its ruins remain on the National Register of Historic Places.

Originally known as Roundabout (for the river bends in the area) and then as Wood's Landing, the community was renamed in the 1860s for James R. Sayre Jr. of Newark, who co-founded Sayre and Fisher Brick Company in the 1850s together with Peter Fisher. It was one of the many companies that took advantage of the extensive clay deposits that supported the brick industry from the early 19th century until 1970. From its inception, Sayre & Fisher quickly grew into one of the largest brick-making companies in the world. Production grew from 54 million bricks annually in 1878, to 178 million bricks a year in 1913, and had reached a total of 6.2 billion bricks in the 100 years through its centennial in 1950.

In 1898, DuPont began production of gunpowder at its plant on Deerfield Road, and later off Washington Road. The company later built additional facilities in Sayreville for the production of paint and photo products.

At one time the Raritan River Railroad passed through Sayreville and had several spurs to service Sayre & Fisher and other local industries. A train running on the line was featured in "The Juggernaut," a 1914 episode of the silent movie serial The Perils of Pauline. The episode was staged on the line, including the construction of a bridge over Ducks Nest Pond in Sayreville. The fishing pond is located in the back of Bailey Park, near the DuPont and Hercules factories.

In 1918 during World War I, Sayreville was heavily damaged by TNT explosions at the Gillespie Shell Loading Plant. The disaster killed dozens and injured hundreds of local victims, damaged hundreds of buildings, required an emergency declaration of martial law, and scattered wide areas of ammunition remnants that continue to surface occasionally.

Sayreville's clay deposits have earned scientific notice as one of the world's major sources of museum-quality fossils found in amber (see New Jersey amber). This prehistoric tree resin managed to encase over a hundred species of insects and plants from approximately 90 million years ago, when Sayreville had a tropical climate. The fossils have been extensively researched and published by David Grimaldi, curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 18.68 square miles (48.37 km²), including 15.83 square miles (41.00 km²) of land and 2.85 square miles (7.37 km²) of water (15.24%).

The borough is located on the southern bank of the Raritan River across from Woodbridge Township and Perth Amboy, and is bordered on the southwest and south by Old Bridge Township. The borough also borders East Brunswick, Edison, South Amboy, and South River in Middlesex County, and Staten Island in New York City.

Low-lying areas near the Raritan River are subject to flooding associated with storm surges. The borough is approximately 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Lower Manhattan, 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Staten Island and 57 miles (92 km) northeast of Philadelphia. Area codes 908, 732 and 848 are used in Sayreville.

Sayreville uses four ZIP Codes; 08871 and 08872 are post offices located in the borough itself, while 08879 is the South Amboy ZIP Code serving the Morgan and Melrose sections of Sayreville, South Amboy, and the Laurence Harbor neighborhood of Old Bridge Township. ZIP Code 08859 is the Parlin post office, which serves adjoining portions of Sayreville and Old Bridge Township.

There are several distinct neighborhoods in Sayreville. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the borough include: Crossmans, Ernston, Gillespie, Laurel Park, MacArthur Manor, Melrose, Morgan, Morgan Heights, Phoenix, Runyon, Sayre Woods, Sayreville Junction, and Sayreville Station.

Climate

Sayreville has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Sayreville usually has hot and humid summers, cool to cold winters, and precipitation is spread through the year. The average in July is 76.1 °F (24.5 °C) and thunderstorms are common during the spring and summer. Sayreville also holds the record for the hottest temperature in the state of New Jersey, recorded on July 10, 1936, at 110 °F (43 °C) in Runyon, a neighborhood of Sayreville.

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 42,704 people, 15,636 households, and 11,414 families in the borough. The population density was 2,695.7 per square mile (1,040.8/km²). There were 16,393 housing units at an average density of 1,034.8 per square mile (399.5/km²). The racial makeup was 67.04% (28,630) White, 10.71% (4,573) Black or African American, 0.23% (100) Native American, 16.12% (6,882) Asian, 0.04% (18) Pacific Islander, 3.50% (1,495) from other races, and 2.36% (1,006) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.31% (5,258) of the population.

Of the 15,636 households, 33.0% had children under the age of 18; 55.7% were married couples living together; 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.0% were non-families. Of all households, 22.4% were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.22.

22.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $71,808 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,796) and the median family income was $84,929 (+/− $6,096). Males had a median income of $63,523 (+/− $3,061) versus $46,180 (+/− $3,434) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $32,259 (+/− $1,187). About 4.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Sayreville Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 6,407 students and 552.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Cheesequake School with 253 students in PreK, Jesse Selover Preschool with 225 students in PreK (in addition to programs for children with disabilities), Emma L. Arleth Elementary School with 486 students in grades K-3, Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary School with 479 students in grades K-3, Harry S. Truman Elementary School with 440 students in grades K-3, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School with 328 students in grades K-3, Samsel Upper Elementary School with 838 students in grades 4-5, Sayreville Middle School with 1,349 students in grades 6-8 and Sayreville War Memorial High School with 1,750 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.

Our Lady of the Victories School (opened in 1890) and St. Stanislaus Kostka School (opened in 1915) are Pre-K–8 Catholic schools that operate under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

Redevelopment

Amboy Cinemas, Sayreville, NJ July 2023

Although the borough remains an industrial community, the addition of many technology companies and a growing residential population has changed the landscape of this central New Jersey town.

Randy Corman, Executive Director of the Sayreville Economic and Redevelopment Agency (SERA), has been heading up the development of the parcel of land commonly referred to as the National Lead Site / Amboy Cinemas lot since about 2000. This new development would clear woods, trees, and wetlands and install an entire city complete with commercial, industrial, residential, and recreational facilities, all near the Middlesex County Utilities Authority (Sewerage Authority) and the Middlesex County Fire Academy. There has also been much litigation as to the makeup of the members and public opinion about this project has never been put to a ballot. In addition, it has been claimed that closed-door meetings have been held in violation of the state's Open Public Meetings Act.

The master plan of the area was finalized in 2012, with plans to create a mixed-use development which includes a shopping center, luxury mall, apartments, town homes, offices, and multiple marinas. Phase 1 of the plan has begun construction as of 2013. Plans include a luxury mall with 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m²) of space, 620,000 square feet (58,000 m²) of luxury shopping, entertainment, restaurants and groceries, a 200,000 square feet (19,000 m²) Bass Pro Shops, a 700,000 square feet (65,000 m²) regional power center, 1,400 apartments and 600 homes, along with waterfront dining, hotels and office space.

Flood plain

Following extensive flooding near the river during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, many residents accepted an offer funded by the federal government in 2013 to buy out 250 houses in the floodplain.

Transportation

Roads and highways

View north along the Garden State Parkway in Sayreville

As of May 2010^[update], the borough had a total of 130.58 miles (210.15 km) of roadways, of which 101.75 miles (163.75 km) were maintained by the municipality, 17.93 miles (28.86 km) by Middlesex County, 6.17 miles (9.93 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 4.73 miles (7.61 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Several major roads and highways pass through the borough.

The Garden State Parkway is the most prominent highway serving Sayreville. U.S. 9 and Route 35 also pass through. While they don't pass directly through Sayreville, the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95), Interstate 287, Route 440, U.S. 1, Route 18, Route 34 and Route 36 are all nearby and easily accessible.

The Governor Alfred E. Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway, crosses the Raritan River connecting Sayreville to Woodbridge Township; with a total of 15 travel lanes and six shoulder lanes, is one of the world's widest and busiest motor vehicle bridges

Three highway bridges span the Raritan River from Sayreville. The Edison Bridge on U.S. 9 connects Woodbridge Township on the north with Sayreville on the south; originally constructed in 1940 as a single span with four lanes, the bridge was replaced in 2003 with a six-lane structure that was constructed at a cost of $48 million. The Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway also connects Woodbridge Township on the north with Sayreville on the south; while the original bridge was completed and opened in July 1954, a project completed in 2009 provides a total of 15 lanes on two spans, earning it a description as the "world's widest highway bridge". The Victory Bridge carries Route 35, connecting Sayreville with Perth Amboy; from the time of its construction in 1926 until the Edison Bridge was completed in 1939, all traffic heading across the Raritan River was funneled through the Victory Bridge, whose original single-span swing bridge was replaced under a project completed in 2005 that provides two spans of traffic, including a 134-metre (440 ft) main span that was the longest precast cantilever segmental construction in the United States at the time of its construction.

Public transportation

NJ Transit offers service between the borough and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan via the 131 and 139 bus routes. Service within New Jersey is offered to Newark on the 67, to Jersey City on the 64, and to other local destinations on the 815 and 817 routes.

Academy Bus provides additional weekday rush-hour service for commuters to Manhattan.

The Raritan River Railroad provided passenger service to Sayreville's Parlin Station from 1888 through 1938. The railroad is now defunct along this part of the line. Proposals have been made to use the line as a light rail route.

Old Bridge Airport in Old Bridge Township offers short-distance flights to surrounding areas. The closest major airports are Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth, via the New Jersey Turnpike, which is roughly 21 miles (34 km) (about 32 minutes drive) from the center of Sayreville, and John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, traveling via the Belt Parkway after crossing through Staten Island, which is roughly 33 miles (53 km) away.

Community

The Starland Ballroom

Sayreville is home to the Starland Ballroom concert venue, which opened in December 2003.

The community is home to the EPIC Church International, a non-denominational "megachurch" founded in 1980 that has a weekly attendance over 10,000, which was ranked 44th by Outreach magazine on its 2013 list of the "100 Largest Churches in America", and is the largest church in New Jersey.

Sayreville has many community recreational facilities, home to many sports such as soccer, football, and basketball.

Sayreville has a skate park, located in Kennedy Park, for skaters and bikers all around New Jersey.

Notable people

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

See also

In Spanish: Sayreville para niños