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Rumson, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Rumson
Lauriston
Lauriston
Map of Rumson in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Rumson in Monmouth County. Inset: Location of Monmouth County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Rumson, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Rumson, New Jersey
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Monmouth
Incorporated June 18, 1907
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 7.11 sq mi (18.42 km2)
 • Land 5.07 sq mi (13.12 km2)
 • Water 2.05 sq mi (5.30 km2)  28.76%
Area rank 242nd of 565 in state
16th of 53 in county
Elevation
36 ft (11 m)
Population
 (2010 census)
 • Total 7,122
 • Estimate 
(2019)
6,714
 • Rank 316th of 566 in state
24th of 53 in county
 • Density 1,408.0/sq mi (543.6/km2)
 • Density rank 344th of 566 in state
41st of 53 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
07760
Area code(s) 732
FIPS code 3402565130
GNIS feature ID 0885381

Rumson is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, and is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the borough's population was 7,122, reflecting a decline of 15 (−0.2%) from 7,137 in 2000, which had in turn increased by 436 (+6.5%) from 6,701 in 1990.

Rumson was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1907, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, based on results of a referendum held on June 18, 1907.

History

Legend has it that the borough's name is derived from early settlers who bought the land from the Native Americans in exchange for some rum. But as far back as 1663, long before the area was officially named Rumson, Native Americans called it "Navarumsunk". Over the years it has been shortened to "Rumson", though sources also talk of a Chief Alumson as a source of the name. Other names Rumson has been known by include Black Point, Port Washington, and Oceanic.

Rumson was purchased by English settlers in pieces. The first purchase is dated January 25, 1665, and it included parts of Middletown. The rest of the area was purchased later that year.

Rumson is known for its many sprawling turn-of-the-century estates located along the shores of the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers and along historic Rumson Road, which serves as one of Rumson's main thoroughfares. Rumson's many old estates were built as summer homes for wealthy New York bankers and industrialists. The oldest of Rumson's homes was the Tredwell House, named after a family that summered here for almost 100 years. The oldest part of the house being from 1670 once occupied 700 acres (2.8 km2); it was the second oldest building in Monmouth County as of June 2006, when it was destroyed by fire.

In the 19th century Rumson's summer residents enjoyed many activities, such as swimming and boating in the adjacent Navesink River and the Atlantic Ocean, or taking a wagon ride. In winter, residents used the river for ice boating.

Originally a summer colony for wealthy New Yorkers, Rumson has become an upscale suburb.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 7.117 square miles (18.432 km2), including 5.058 square miles (13.101 km2) of land and 2.059 square miles (5.332 km2) of water (28.93%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include East Oceanic, Elsemere, Oceanic, Rumson Bluffs, Rumson Hills and Waterloo.

The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Fair Haven, Little Silver, Middletown Township, Monmouth Beach and Sea Bright.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 1,449
1920 1,658 14.4%
1930 2,073 25.0%
1940 2,926 41.1%
1950 4,044 38.2%
1960 6,405 58.4%
1970 7,421 15.9%
1980 7,623 2.7%
1990 6,701 −12.1%
2000 7,137 6.5%
2010 7,122 −0.2%
2019 (est.) 6,714 −5.7%
Population sources: 1910–1920
1910 1910–1930
1930–1990 2000 2010

Census 2010

Cows on a farm in Rumson NJ
Cows on a property in Rumson.

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,122 people, 2,344 households, and 1,957 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,408.0 per square mile (543.6/km2). There were 2,585 housing units at an average density of 511.0 per square mile (197.3/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 97.22% (6,924) White, 0.25% (18) Black or African American, 0.07% (5) Native American, 1.26% (90) Asian, 0.03% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.15% (11) from other races, and 1.01% (72) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.43% (173) of the population.

There were 2,344 households out of which 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.4% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 32.5% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 18.0% from 25 to 44, 32.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.6 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 89.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $134,281 (with a margin of error of +/− $18,300) and the median family income was $157,188 (+/− $28,308). Males had a median income of $140,885 (+/− $25,278) versus $56,071 (+/− $16,014) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $79,388 (+/− $10,219). About 3.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States census there were 7,137 people, 2,452 households, and 1,988 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,366.0 people per square mile (527.9/km2). There were 2,610 housing units at an average density of 499.5 per square mile (193.1/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.77% White, 0.24% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.

There were 2,452 households, out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 31.9% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median resident age was 39.2 years old. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $120,865, and the median income for a family was $140,668. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $47,260 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $73,692. About 3.4% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 0.7% of those age 65 or over.

The most common ancestries of Rumson residents were Irish (33.4%), German (17.9%), Italian (16.4%), English (13.8%), Polish (6.2%) and United States (5.3%).

Parks and recreation

Public parks include Meadowridge Park, Piping Rock Park, Riverside Park, Rogers Park, "Teddy's Playground" at Victory Park, and West Park. The Rumson Country Club is a consolidation of the Rumson Polo Club and the Meadow Yacht Club and the Sea Bright Yacht Club. Bingham Hall serves as a center for social gatherings, recreational activities, and fundraisers.

Transportation

2018-05-28 19 12 30 View east along Monmouth County Route 520 (Rumson Road) at Buena Vista Avenue in Rumson, Monmouth County, New Jersey
CR 520 in Rumson

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 49.56 miles (79.76 km) of roadways, of which 40.15 miles (64.62 km) were maintained by the municipality and 9.41 miles (15.14 km) by Monmouth County.

No Interstate, U.S. or state highways directly serve Rumson. The most prominent road through the town is County Route 520 (Rumson Road).

Public transportation

Transportation to New York is available via NJ Transit's train service from either the Little Silver or Red Bank stations on the North Jersey Coast Line. Transportation to Newark Liberty International Airport is also available from Red Bank or Little Silver.

Many of Rumson's residents work in the financial services industry and commute to Wall Street on the high-speed SeaStreak ferry that leaves from nearby Atlantic Highlands. The ferry ride is 40 minutes to the foot of Wall Street or an hour to Midtown Manhattan.

NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 835 route.

Gallery

  • Rumson School District's 2014–15 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education


Sports

The Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, established in 1877, is the oldest continuously active tennis club in the United States.

Education

RumsonNJ shore1
Wildlife on the Rumson shore.

The Rumson School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 999 students and 96.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Deane-Porter Elementary School with 385 students in grades PreK-3 and Forrestdale Middle School with 608 students in grade 4-8.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, a regional, four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from both Fair Haven and Rumson, where the school is located. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 983 students and 84.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. In 2016, Newsweek ranked RFH the 144th best high school in the United States. Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with five seats assigned to Rumson.

Private schools in Rumson include Holy Cross School for grades K–8, which operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. In 2015, Holy Cross School was one of 15 schools in New Jersey, and one of six private schools, recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the exemplary high performing category by the United States Department of Education.

Founded in 1926 and developed under the principles of its organizer B. Lord Buckley, Rumson Country Day School serves students in preschool through eighth grade and was recognized in 1999 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Notable people

Gate and driveway at home of famous rock star in Rumson NJ
Driveway of a mansion in Rumson
See also (related category): People from Rumson, New Jersey

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

  • Edward Dean Adams (1846–1931), financier, benefactor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, part-time resident.
  • Arthur Ashkin (1922–2020), scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018.
  • James C. Auchincloss (1885–1976), served eleven terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1943 to 1965 as a Republican from New Jersey's 3rd congressional district after being a member of the Rumson borough council from 1930 to 1937 and serving as Mayor of Rumson, New Jersey from 1938 to 1943, when he was elected to Congress.
  • Bret Baier (born 1970), host of Special Report with Bret Baier on the Fox News Channel.
  • William Warren Barbour (1888–1943), represented New Jersey in the United States Senate from 1931 to 1937 and 1938–43, in addition to serving as a member of the Rumson Borough Council in 1922 and as Mayor of Rumson, New Jersey from 1923 to 1928.
  • Alfred N. Beadleston (1912–2000), served as Mayor of Shrewsbury, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and President of the New Jersey Senate.
  • Jon Bon Jovi (born 1962), rock musician, actor and former resident, who lives along the Navesink River in Middletown (across the river from Rumson).
  • Clifford G. Bond (born 1950), economist and former United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • Dorothy Bond (1921–1952), soprano.
  • Matthew Borden (1842–1912), textile company owner.
  • Edward Bowes (1874–1946), creator and host of Major Bowes Amateur Hour.
  • Bill Britton (born 1955), professional golfer.
  • Martha Davis Coe (1907-1986), musician, composer, PR executive and inventor.
  • John M. Corlies (1868–1926), Mayor of Rumson who served on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
  • Marshall Criser (born 1928), President of the University of Florida from 1984 to 1989.
  • Peter Hood Ballantine Cumming (1910–1988), Mayor of Rumson in the 1950s.
  • Pete Dawkins (born 1938), former U.S. Army Brigadier General, Heisman Trophy winner, Rhodes Scholar and businessman who ran in 1988 for the United States Senate seat held by Frank Lautenberg, losing 54%–46%.
  • Lewis Eisenberg (born 1942), United States Ambassador to Italy and San Marino since 2017.
  • Christian William Feigenspan (1876–1939), brewer.
  • Randy Foye (born 1983), NBA point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
  • Vic Ghezzi (1910–1976), professional golfer.
  • James P. Gordon (1928–2013), physicist known for his work in optics and quantum electronics.
  • Mason Welch Gross (1911–1977), quiz show personality and academic who served as the sixteenth President of Rutgers University.
  • Siobhan Fallon Hogan (born 1961), actress who appeared on film in Forrest Gump, Men in Black and The Negotiator and was a former cast member of Saturday Night Live.
  • Kevork Hovnanian (1923–2009), businessman and home builder, founder of Hovnanian Enterprises.
  • Deborah Lee James (born 1958), 23rd Secretary of the Air Force.
  • Kristjan Järvi (born 1972), conductor.
  • Neeme Järvi (born 1937), Estonian-born conductor who emigrated to the United States and settled in Rumson, with his musician sons Paavo and Kristjan.
  • Paavo Järvi (born 1962), conductor.
  • James F. Kelley (1902–1996), President of Seton Hall College (now Seton Hall University) from 1936 to 1949.
  • Brian Kennedy, head coach for the NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team.
  • Queen Latifah (born 1970), actress
  • Tingye Li (1931–2012), Chinese-American scientist known for his work in the fields of microwaves, lasers and optical communication.
  • Catarina Lindqvist (born 1963), former professional tennis player.
  • Heather Locklear (born 1961), actress, lived in Rumson while married to Richie Sambora.
  • Phyllis Stadler Lyon, former field hockey player who played om the U.S. women's national field hockey team.
  • Enrique Marcatili (born 1925), winner of the IEEE's Baker Prize and pioneer in optical fiber research.
  • Rob Margolies (born 1983), film director and screenwriter.
  • Robert H. McCarter (1859–1941), New Jersey Attorney General from 1903 to 1908.
  • Thomas N. McCarter (1867–1955), New Jersey Attorney General from 1902 to 1903.
  • Jane Milmore (born 1955), playwright.
  • Jennifer Milmore (born 1969), actress.
  • Gloria Monty (1921–2006), television producer best known for her work in the field of soap operas, most notably her tenure at General Hospital.
  • John A. Mulheren (1949–2003), philanthropist and Wall Street financier.
  • Ryan Murphy (born 1983), former professional ice hockey player who was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
  • Bob Ojeda (born 1957), former pitcher in the major leagues, pitched for the Mets, Yankees, Indians, Red Sox and Dodgers from 1980 to 1994.
  • James S. Parkes (1897–1985), politician, who served on the Red Bank Borough Council and as a member of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
  • Rob Petitti (born 1982), offensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.
  • Charlie Puth (born 1991), singer-songwriter and record producer.
  • Stephen Puth, singer-songwriter
  • Jim Quirk (born c. 1945, class of 1963), NFL on-field official from 1988 to 2008.
  • James Randi (1928–2020), "The Amazing Randi", stage magician and scientific skeptic. Randi lived in small house in Rumson in the 1960s, whose premises included a sign that read: "Randi — charlatan".
  • Leah Ray (1915–1999), big band singer and actress.
  • Nelson Riddle (1921–1985), arranger and composer. Riddle spent his summers as a teen in Rumson and attended high school in Rumson during his senior year.
  • Bill Robinson (1918–2007), sailor and author about sailing.
  • Richie Sambora (born 1959), guitarist for Bon Jovi.
  • Patti Scialfa (born 1953), singer-songwriter.
  • Henry Selick (born 1952), stop motion director, producer and writer who is best known for directing The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline.
  • Dr. George A. Sheehan (1918–1993), cardiologist who authored numerous books on running and life, including the New York Times best seller Running & Being.
  • Bruce Springsteen (born 1949), rock 'n roll musician.
  • Melissa Stark (born 1973), television personality and sportscaster who works as a reporter for the NFL Network.
  • Meghan Tierney (born 1997), snowboarder who has been selected to compete in snowboardcross for the United States at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
  • Lynn Tilton (born 1959), businesswoman.
  • Sonny Werblin (1910–1991), sports executive.
  • Alice White (1908-2007), award-winning author, playwright, editor, teacher and performer.
  • James R. Zazzali (born 1937), former Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Rumson para niños

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