Totowa, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Totowa, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Totowa
Map of Totowa in Passaic County. Inset: Location of Passaic County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Totowa, New Jersey
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Passaic
Incorporated	March 15, 1898
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	4.08 sq mi (10.56 km2)
• Land	4.00 sq mi (10.36 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)  1.86%
Area rank	294th of 565 in state 8th of 16 in county
Elevation	262 ft (80 m)
Population  (2010 Census)
• Total	10,804
• Estimate  (2019)	10,792
• Rank	225th of 566 in state 12th of 16 in county
• Density	2,704.9/sq mi (1,044.4/km2)
• Density rank	230th of 566 in state 10th of 16 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes	07502, 07511, 07512
Area code(s)	973
FIPS code	3403173140
GNIS feature ID	0885420

Totowa (pronounced "TO-tuh-wuh") is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 10,844, reflecting an increase of 912 (+9.2%) from the 9,892 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 285 (-2.8%) from the 10,177 counted in the 1990 Census.

Totowa was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1898, from portions of Wayne Township and the now-defunct Manchester Township.

History

In 1696, George Willocks, a Scottish land speculator, purchased a tract of land known as Willock's Patent, which included most of modern-day Totowa Borough. Located in the western part of Manchester Township, Willocks Patent was resold to Anthony Brockholls and the Van Houtens. The land was titled the "Totowa Patent," and divided into three parcels. The Totowa Patent and land acquired through the "Garret Mountain Purchase" included modern-day Totowa, Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) and Little Falls.

In 1895, residents of the southern section of Manchester Township began to become disenchanted with governing officials, and following the election of 1896, many independent municipalities were formed. The formation of the Borough of Totowa was discussed at the Willard Park Hotel on Totowa Avenue, and headed by brothers Joseph and Robert Boyle. On March 15, 1898, the Borough of Totowa was officially incorporated under Chapter 56 of the Laws of New Jersey, signed by Governor John Griggs. On April 12, 1898, the first election of the Borough of Totowa was held at the Willard Park Hotel, which would become the unofficial town hall until the municipal building was completed in 1910.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 4.065 square miles (10.528 km²), including 3.994 square miles (10.345 km²) of land and 0.071 square miles (0.183 km²) of water (1.74%).

The borough borders the Passaic County communities of Haledon, Little Falls, Paterson, Wayne and Woodland Park.

Demographics

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,804 people, 3,783 households, and 2,826 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,704.9 per square mile (1,044.4/km²). There were 3,918 housing units at an average density of 980.9 per square mile (378.7/km²)^*. The racial makeup of the borough was 85.44% (9,231) White, 2.30% (248) Black or African American, 0.10% (11) Native American, 5.92% (640) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 4.22% (456) from other races, and 2.02% (218) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.35% (1,550) of the population.

There were 3,783 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 20.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 90.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $72,568 (with a margin of error of +/− $11,834) and the median family income was $82,750 (+/- $13,865). Males had a median income of $58,750 (+/- $10,202) versus $42,641 (+/- $10,936) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,978 (+/- $4,380). About 4.3% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 25 households in 2010, almost double the 13 counted in 2000.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 9,892 people, 3,539 households, and 2,643 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,474.8 people per square mile (954.8/km²). There were 3,630 housing units at an average density of 908.2 per square mile (350.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.40% White, 1.12% African American, 0.02% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 1.97% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.37% of the population.

As of the 2000 Census, 37.2% of town residents were of Italian ancestry, the seventh-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and second-highest in New Jersey (behind Hammonton, at 45.9%), among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.

There were 3,539 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. Of all households 21.8% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $60,408, and the median income for a family was $69,354. Males had a median income of $44,462 versus $33,869 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,561. About 0.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

I-80 eastbound in Totowa

Roads and highways

Route 46 Passaic River Bridge

As of May 2010^[update], the borough had a total of 44.88 miles (72.23 km) of roadways, of which 30.30 miles (48.76 km) were maintained by the municipality, 10.75 miles (17.30 km) by Passaic County and 3.83 miles (6.16 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Totowa is located on several major roadways, including Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 46. Nearby roadways include New Jersey Route 23, New Jersey Route 3, and the Garden State Parkway. Totowa is also crisscrossed by several Passaic County Routes, including New Jersey Route 62, CR 632, CR 642 and CR 644. There are several crossings of the Upper Passaic River.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 193 and 197 routes, and local service on the 712 route. Train service is available on the Montclair-Boonton Line at the Little Falls station.

Points of interest

• Annie's Road is a section of Riverview Drive between Totowa Road and Union Boulevard, which is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a young woman killed in an accident.
• Dey Mansion is a colonial house where General George Washington took residence during the Revolutionary War. The house gives tours of all the artifacts and furniture left there and has a genuine blacksmith shop that makes clothes hooks and horseshoes for visitors. It is located on 199 Totowa Road, Wayne. Even though located in Wayne, Totowa residents believe that it is truly located in Totowa because it is barely past the border of the two towns.
• Totowa is home to three extensive luxury home developments: Dey Hill Farms, Arlington Estates, and Hickory Hill. Dey Hill Farms, the largest of the developments, was established in 1974 and received its name from the Dey Mansion located down the road. The development has been expanded since 1974, with the additions of Columbus Avenue, Flintlock Court, Liberty Ridge Extension, Centennial Court and Mountainview Court. A large tract of land within the development known as the Boonstra Parcel remains undeveloped.
• Totowa is home to the North Jersey Developmental Center, which serves 400 developmentally disabled citizens on its 188-acre (0.76 km²) campus. The state announced a plan that would close the center in Totowa and another in Woodbridge Township, as part of a plan in which residents of the centers would be dispersed to smaller, community-based housing programs.
• There are more dead people than living in Totowa, as the borough includes four active cemeteries: Holy Sepulchre Roman Catholic Cemetery, Laurel Grove Memorial Park, Mount Nebo Jewish Cemetery, and the A.M. White Lodge Jewish Cemetery.

Media and culture

Totowa is located within the New York media market, with most of its daily papers available for sale or delivery. The area is also served by The Record and The Star-Ledger, which cover northern New Jersey.

A segment of the April 12, 2013 episode of the American version of the reality television series Undercover Boss was filmed in Totowa. In the segment, Tony Wells, the CMO for the home security provider ADT, visits Totowa to pose as a new employee being trained as a local sales representative.

Economy

Big M, a privately held American clothing retailer which operates the brands Mandee, Annie Sez and Afaze, is based in Totowa. Big M filed for bankruptcy protection in 2013, precipitated by damage from Hurricane Sandy.

The headquarters of Greater Community Bancorp was located in the borough. The bank operated 16 branches in North Jersey until its 2008 acquisition by Valley National Bank.

Sports

The Totowa Police Athletic League (PAL) is a volunteer organization that offers several sports to the children of Totowa from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. Established in 1952, the PAL strives to provide children throughout the borough with the fellowship of sports. These include baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, football, hockey, and cheerleading. Although the Totowa PAL is independent from the Borough of Totowa, it uses fields and facilities owned by the municipality. Meetings, registrations, and events are held at the PAL building, built in 1963 and located on Chamberlain Avenue.

In 1961–62, the New York Gladiators of the short-lived National Bowling League rolled its home matches at "Gladiator Arena", a converted movie theater in Totowa.

Education

Public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade are educated by the Totowa Borough Public Schools. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 1,014 students and 78.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Memorial School with 352 students in pre-kindergarten through second grade and Washington Park School with 626 students in grades three through eight.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Passaic Valley Regional High School, which also serves students from Little Falls Township and Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson). The high school facility is located in Little Falls Township. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,186 students and 102.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. The seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with three seats assigned to Totowa.

Students going into high school also have the ability to apply for Passaic County Technical Institute, a high school in Wayne that is available to most children living within Passaic County. Students apply for different trades within the application for the school. The school itself is free but does require acceptance to attend. An estimated 80 students from Totowa attend PCTI (Passaic County Technical Institute) as of 2018.

The Academy of St. Francis of Assisi is a K-8 Catholic school that operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.

Notable people

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

• Plaxico Burress (born 1977), NFL wide receiver who played for both the New York Giants and New York Jets.
• Jeff Chase (born 1968), film and television actor who played for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League.
• Kristin Corrado (born 1965), politician who represents the 40th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate.
• Lou Duva (1922–2017), boxing trainer, along with his promoter sons, Dan and Dino. Their offices remain in the borough.
• D. C. Fontana (1939–2019), television script writer and story editor, best known for her work on the original Star Trek franchise and several western television series.
• Kyle Gurrieri (born 1998), professional soccer player who plays for the Wilmington Hammerheads FC of the United Soccer League.
• Lady Clover Honey, drag queen, comedian and television correspondent.
• Ralph J. Marra Jr. (born 1953), acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey from December 2008 to October 2009.
• Juelz Santana (born 1982), rapper and actor, who has been a member of East Coast hip hop group The Diplomats.
• Ernie Smith (1899-1973), shortstop who played for the Chicago White Sox.
• John Spencer (1946–2005), actor best known for his work on The West Wing.
• Mike Sullivan (born 1967), quarterback coach for the Denver Broncos.
• Hubert Sumlin (1931–2011), guitarist for Howlin' Wolf who was a five-time Grammy Award Nominee and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2008.