Willingboro Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Willingboro is a Township
in Burlington County
, New Jersey
, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 31,629.
Willingboro land was purchased and developed in the 1950s and 1960s as a planned community
by Abraham Levitt and Sons
in the Levittown
model, with the 1950 population of 852 exploding to 11,861 in 1960 and 43,386 in 1970. The community was known as "Levittown, New Jersey" in 1958, and "Levittown Township" from 1959 to 1963.
, and was originally formed as the "Constabulary of Wellingborrow" on November 6, 1688. At the time, it included present day Delanco Township, New Jersey. The original name of Wellingborough
was after the community in England which was the home of Thomas Ollive, who led the original settlers into what would become Willingboro Township, but there were other spellings used at different times.
After the establishment of the United States and the State of New Jersey, the community was formally incorporated as "Willingborough Township", one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships, on February 21, 1798, by the New Jersey Legislature
when it enacted "An Act incorporating the Inhabitants of Townships, designating their Powers, and regulating their Meetings", P.L.1798, p. 289. This makes Willingboro one of the oldest Townships in the State.
Portions of the township were taken to form Beverly borough
(March 5, 1850, now Beverly city) and Beverly Township (March 1, 1859, now known as Delanco Township
).
In the 1950s and 1960s Willingboro was the location for a massive residential development by Levitt & Sons
. The town was to be Levitt & Sons' third and largest Levittown development following similar projects in New York and Pennsylvania. Levitt was able to acquire the great majority of the land in Willingboro; the historic village of Rancocas, in the southeast portion of the township, was annexed to Westampton Township
to keep it from being bulldozed, as Levitt wished to keep the development within the boundaries of a single municipality. The first Levittown homes were sold in June 1958, at which time the community was already known as Levittown, New Jersey. The town's name was changed from the original Willingboro to "Levittown Township" by a referendum of township residents held on November 3, 1959. Willingboro was less than 12 miles (19.3 km) from Levittown
, Pennsylvania
and this occasionally caused confusion. A referendum held on the issue on November 5, 1963, changed the name back to Willingboro. The name change was passed by a very thin margin of 3,123 to 3,003. In retaliation, Levitt refused to donate any more schools to the fastly-growing community.
Sociologist Herbert J. Gans
used Willingboro as the subject of his 1967 book, The Levittowners: Ways of Life and Politics in a New Suburban Community. In his book, he discusses a community frozen in time as an ideal representation of past, present and future America. At the same time, he analyzes the perpetuating American tradition and capacity to changes. In The Levittowners, Gans studies three major aspects of the life in Willingboro. He first deals with the development and growth of this new suburban community, particularly involvement in community organizations. Later, he describes the qualities and the characteristics of such a life. Finally, Gans focuses on the effects that suburbia will have on its inhabitants.
According to the author, the Levittowners are the archetypical American characters, sharing the same way of life, values, religion, believes, ethnicity and living standards. They represent the American Way of Life. However, Levittown isn’t homogenous in a sense that it still embodies a constructive individualism. Gans draws a positive portrait of those citizens who are there to cement a stable society. They are an epitome of the “traditional” values but they are also capable of opening up to changing times. They represent modernity.
Nevertheless, Gans only portrays a certain “half” of the population. In fact, the “other half” is left apart and ignored, which shows that Levittown was in a sense an enclave and represents American exceptionalism.
When homes for the new Levittown were first being sold in 1958, Levitt and Sons had a policy to not sell homes to African-Americans. An African-American officer in the army’s Criminal Investigation Division stationed at nearby Fort Dix named W.R. James attempted to apply for a Levittown home. James said in his suit that on June 29, 1958, an agent of Levitt and Sons told him that the new Levittown development would be an all-white community. Segregation in housing was taken for granted in the late ‘50s throughout America. According to Herbert Gans, racial disturbance broke out in Levittown, Pennsylvania when a white family sold their home to African-Americans. However, James was informed by a friend employed at the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights that it was illegal in New Jersey to discriminate in federally-subsidized housing. Levittown was receiving mortgage insurance from the Federal Housing Administration. But as of 1958, the law had not been tested.
James sued Mr. Levitt. The case went as far as the New Jersey Supreme Court which upheld lower court rulings in favor of James. James was not the first African-American to move into Willingboro however. Charles and Vera Williams were the first African-American family to move in 1960 due to the outcome of James’ suit against Levitt. James eventually moved into Millbrook Park in 1960. James also served as head of the NAACP and eventually became a minister. An elementary school in Willingboro was named in his honor. Following the court case, Levitt prepared an extensive integration policy. Levitt set up an integration committee headed by Howard Lett, an African-American. Lett created a five-point program that included the announcement of Levitt’s decision to desegregate housing made by community leaders and a thorough briefing program for Levitt employees, government officials, the police and the press. Lett also recommended an attempt to discourage anti-integration activities known as “Operation Hothead”. Another of Lett’s ideas was to create a Human Relations Council to oversee possible disputes in community. James would serve as a member of that committee. The committee also was involved with the problem of juvenile delinquency in the township. It opposed a curfew ordinance passed by the Township Council in the early 70s. The curfew was later dropped, but reintroduced later on. One area that the committee oversaw was the practice of blockbusting.
The African-American population of Willingboro increased throughout the 1960s so that by 1964 there were 50 African-American families. By 1970, African-Americans were about 11 percent of the population. During the early 1970s, several homeowners claimed that they were approached by local real estate agents and told that their neighborhood was becoming increasingly African-American and home values could decline; a practice known as blockbusting
. While the Human Relations Council could not prove these claims, it did outline recommendations to help foster better relations between the diverse populations.
In order to maintain itself as a racially integrated community, the township in 1974 enacted an ordinance
that prohibited the posting of "for sale" or "sold" signs on real estate
. Many other communities had enacted similar laws in reaction to the practice of blockbusting
in the 1960s and 1970s. The Supreme Court in the 1977 case of Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Willingboro
ruled that the ordinance violated the First Amendment
protections for commercial speech
.
, the township has a total area of 8 square miles (20.7 km²), of which, 7.7 square miles (19.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (4.11%) is water.
Willingboro Township borders Edgewater Park Township
, Burlington Township
, Westampton Township
, Mount Laurel Township
, Moorestown Township
, Delran Township
, and Delanco Township
.
Originally each Park or section had their own swimming pool for resident's use. Resident's families would receive free swim tags after showing applicable IDs at each section's school or the community office. Free lessons and other events were focused on these "park" pools during the summer months. Later in the 1990s only Pennypacker Park and Country Club Park had operating summer pools. Finally, Country Club Park has been denoted the "community pool" at this time.
There is another section without a name located near Olympia Lakes. This is the only part of the town with the area code 856
. The rest of Willingboro is in area code 609
.
of 2010, there were 31,629 people, 10,884 households, and 8,287 families residing in the township. The population density
was 3,938.4 people per square mile (1,520.6/km²). There were 11,442 housing units at an average density of 1,486.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 72.7% African American, 17.3% White, 0.40% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 2.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races
, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population.
There were 10,884 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples
living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 34.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 20, 6.0% from 20 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $60,869, and the median income for a family was $64,338. Males had a median income of $39,963 versus $31,554 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $21,799. About 3.5% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
form of government. The current Council-Manager form of government was adopted by referendum in November 1960 based on the recommendations of a charter study commission. The first Council under the new Council-Manager form of government took place in November 1961, with the new Council taking office as of January 1, 1962, under the new form.
The five-member Township Council is elected in partisan elections to serve four-year terms in office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election in the November of odd-numbered years. After each election, the council selects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among its members.
, the members of the Willingboro Township Council are Mayor
Eddie Campbell, Jr., Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Jennings, Nathaniel Anderson, James Ayrer and Ken Gordon, Jr.
Willingboro is in the
serves students in Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are six pre-K to 4 elementary schools —
Garfield East Elementary School (436 students),
Hawthorne Elementary School (460),
J.C. Stuart Elementary School (453),
Twin Hills Elementary School (371) and
W.R. James Sr. Elementary School (383) —
Memorial Upper Elementary School for grades 5 and 6 (700),
Levitt Middle School for grades 7 and 8 (719) and
Willingboro High School
for grades 9-12 (968). During the early development of the township, all high school students attended Levittown High School, grades 9-12, until John F. Kennedy High School was opened in 1965. Levittown High became one of the two junior high schools; the other was Memorial. JFKHS had an enormous student population in that the school went to "split" sessions and only was able to house grades 10-12; the freshmen classes were divided between Memorial and Levitt junior high schools. In 1975, Willingboro HS was opened and became the "sister" school, located only about two miles apart - both on JFK Way. This is the way the township was until JFKHS became a middle school in 1990, leaving Willingboro as the only high school. By this time, the township population fell and Levitt Jr. HS was closed to become township offices and storage. Memorial Jr. HS would remain open for college classes for Burlington County Community College. Kennedy Middle School eventually closed and became Kennedy Center, a community center for the performing arts, an additional gym for events, and classrooms for college classes.
The S.W. Bookbinder, J.A. McGinley and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Schools were closed at the end of the 2005-06 school year as part of an effort to save about $3.7 million, through the reduction of 70 staff members meant class sizes increased to as many as 28 at the five remaining elementary schools. The cuts were needed to fill a two-year budget deficit of nearly $10 million.
The Willingboro Public Library
(WPL) is the municipal public library for the community. It first opened in 1960 and operates independently from the Burlington County
Library System. Before 2003, the library was housed in the township’s municipal building on Salem Road. The current library building is 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) and is an anchor for the new Willingboro Town Center on Route 130
.
provides bus service to Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey
on the 409 line, and Academy Bus also provides bus service to New York City.
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in Burlington County
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 31,629.
Willingboro land was purchased and developed in the 1950s and 1960s as a planned community
Planned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
by Abraham Levitt and Sons
William Levitt
William Jaird Levitt was an American real-estate developer widely credited as the father of modern American suburbia. He came to symbolize the new suburban growth with his use of mass-production techniques to construct large developments of houses selling for under $10,000...
in the Levittown
Levittown
Levittown is the name of four large suburban developments created in the United States of America by William Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons...
model, with the 1950 population of 852 exploding to 11,861 in 1960 and 43,386 in 1970. The community was known as "Levittown, New Jersey" in 1958, and "Levittown Township" from 1959 to 1963.
History
Willingboro was one of the original nine divisions in the organization of Burlington County, West JerseyWest Jersey
West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702...
, and was originally formed as the "Constabulary of Wellingborrow" on November 6, 1688. At the time, it included present day Delanco Township, New Jersey. The original name of Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
was after the community in England which was the home of Thomas Ollive, who led the original settlers into what would become Willingboro Township, but there were other spellings used at different times.
After the establishment of the United States and the State of New Jersey, the community was formally incorporated as "Willingborough Township", one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships, on February 21, 1798, by the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
when it enacted "An Act incorporating the Inhabitants of Townships, designating their Powers, and regulating their Meetings", P.L.1798, p. 289. This makes Willingboro one of the oldest Townships in the State.
Portions of the township were taken to form Beverly borough
Beverly, New Jersey
Beverly is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,577.Beverly was originally incorporated as a borough on March 5, 1850, within Willingboro Township...
(March 5, 1850, now Beverly city) and Beverly Township (March 1, 1859, now known as Delanco Township
Delanco Township, New Jersey
Delanco Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 3,237....
).
In the 1950s and 1960s Willingboro was the location for a massive residential development by Levitt & Sons
William Levitt
William Jaird Levitt was an American real-estate developer widely credited as the father of modern American suburbia. He came to symbolize the new suburban growth with his use of mass-production techniques to construct large developments of houses selling for under $10,000...
. The town was to be Levitt & Sons' third and largest Levittown development following similar projects in New York and Pennsylvania. Levitt was able to acquire the great majority of the land in Willingboro; the historic village of Rancocas, in the southeast portion of the township, was annexed to Westampton Township
Westampton Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,217 people, 2,525 households, and 1,966 families residing in the township. The population density was 653.6 people per square mile . There were 2,581 housing units at an average density of 233.8 per square mile...
to keep it from being bulldozed, as Levitt wished to keep the development within the boundaries of a single municipality. The first Levittown homes were sold in June 1958, at which time the community was already known as Levittown, New Jersey. The town's name was changed from the original Willingboro to "Levittown Township" by a referendum of township residents held on November 3, 1959. Willingboro was less than 12 miles (19.3 km) from Levittown
Levittown, Pennsylvania
Levittown is a census-designated place and planned community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 52,983 at the 2010 census. It is above sea level...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and this occasionally caused confusion. A referendum held on the issue on November 5, 1963, changed the name back to Willingboro. The name change was passed by a very thin margin of 3,123 to 3,003. In retaliation, Levitt refused to donate any more schools to the fastly-growing community.
Sociologist Herbert J. Gans
Herbert J. Gans
Herbert J. Gans is an American sociologist who has taught at Columbia University since 1971, retiring in 2007.One of the most prolific and influential sociologists of his generation, Gans came to America in 1940 as a refugee from Nazism and has sometimes described his scholarly work as an...
used Willingboro as the subject of his 1967 book, The Levittowners: Ways of Life and Politics in a New Suburban Community. In his book, he discusses a community frozen in time as an ideal representation of past, present and future America. At the same time, he analyzes the perpetuating American tradition and capacity to changes. In The Levittowners, Gans studies three major aspects of the life in Willingboro. He first deals with the development and growth of this new suburban community, particularly involvement in community organizations. Later, he describes the qualities and the characteristics of such a life. Finally, Gans focuses on the effects that suburbia will have on its inhabitants.
According to the author, the Levittowners are the archetypical American characters, sharing the same way of life, values, religion, believes, ethnicity and living standards. They represent the American Way of Life. However, Levittown isn’t homogenous in a sense that it still embodies a constructive individualism. Gans draws a positive portrait of those citizens who are there to cement a stable society. They are an epitome of the “traditional” values but they are also capable of opening up to changing times. They represent modernity.
Nevertheless, Gans only portrays a certain “half” of the population. In fact, the “other half” is left apart and ignored, which shows that Levittown was in a sense an enclave and represents American exceptionalism.
When homes for the new Levittown were first being sold in 1958, Levitt and Sons had a policy to not sell homes to African-Americans. An African-American officer in the army’s Criminal Investigation Division stationed at nearby Fort Dix named W.R. James attempted to apply for a Levittown home. James said in his suit that on June 29, 1958, an agent of Levitt and Sons told him that the new Levittown development would be an all-white community. Segregation in housing was taken for granted in the late ‘50s throughout America. According to Herbert Gans, racial disturbance broke out in Levittown, Pennsylvania when a white family sold their home to African-Americans. However, James was informed by a friend employed at the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights that it was illegal in New Jersey to discriminate in federally-subsidized housing. Levittown was receiving mortgage insurance from the Federal Housing Administration. But as of 1958, the law had not been tested.
James sued Mr. Levitt. The case went as far as the New Jersey Supreme Court which upheld lower court rulings in favor of James. James was not the first African-American to move into Willingboro however. Charles and Vera Williams were the first African-American family to move in 1960 due to the outcome of James’ suit against Levitt. James eventually moved into Millbrook Park in 1960. James also served as head of the NAACP and eventually became a minister. An elementary school in Willingboro was named in his honor. Following the court case, Levitt prepared an extensive integration policy. Levitt set up an integration committee headed by Howard Lett, an African-American. Lett created a five-point program that included the announcement of Levitt’s decision to desegregate housing made by community leaders and a thorough briefing program for Levitt employees, government officials, the police and the press. Lett also recommended an attempt to discourage anti-integration activities known as “Operation Hothead”. Another of Lett’s ideas was to create a Human Relations Council to oversee possible disputes in community. James would serve as a member of that committee. The committee also was involved with the problem of juvenile delinquency in the township. It opposed a curfew ordinance passed by the Township Council in the early 70s. The curfew was later dropped, but reintroduced later on. One area that the committee oversaw was the practice of blockbusting.
The African-American population of Willingboro increased throughout the 1960s so that by 1964 there were 50 African-American families. By 1970, African-Americans were about 11 percent of the population. During the early 1970s, several homeowners claimed that they were approached by local real estate agents and told that their neighborhood was becoming increasingly African-American and home values could decline; a practice known as blockbusting
Blockbusting
Blockbusting is a business practice of U.S. real estate agents and building developers meant to encourage white property owners to sell their houses at a loss, by implying that racial, ethnic, or religious minorities — Blacks, Hispanics, Jews et al. — were moving into their previously racially...
. While the Human Relations Council could not prove these claims, it did outline recommendations to help foster better relations between the diverse populations.
In order to maintain itself as a racially integrated community, the township in 1974 enacted an ordinance
Local ordinance
A local ordinance is a law usually found in a municipal code.-United States:In the United States, these laws are enforced locally in addition to state law and federal law.-Japan:...
that prohibited the posting of "for sale" or "sold" signs on real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
. Many other communities had enacted similar laws in reaction to the practice of blockbusting
Blockbusting
Blockbusting is a business practice of U.S. real estate agents and building developers meant to encourage white property owners to sell their houses at a loss, by implying that racial, ethnic, or religious minorities — Blacks, Hispanics, Jews et al. — were moving into their previously racially...
in the 1960s and 1970s. The Supreme Court in the 1977 case of Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Willingboro
Linmark Associates, Inc. v. Willingboro
Linmark Associates, Inc., v. Township of Willingboro, 431 U.S. 85 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States found that an ordinance prohibiting the posting of "for sale" and "sold" signs on real estate within the town violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution...
ruled that the ordinance violated the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
protections for commercial speech
Commercial speech
Commercial Speech is speech done on behalf of a company or individual for the intent of making a profit. It is economic in nature and usually has the intent of convincing the audience to partake in a particular action, often purchasing a specific product...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 8 square miles (20.7 km²), of which, 7.7 square miles (19.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (4.11%) is water.
Willingboro Township borders Edgewater Park Township
Edgewater Park Township, New Jersey
Edgewater Park Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a northeastern Delaware Valley suburb of Philadelphia...
, Burlington Township
Burlington Township, New Jersey
- Local government :Burlington Township is governed under the Faulkner Act Plan E form of municipal government and consists of a mayor and a seven-member Township Council. The council is elected at-large in partisan elections to four-year terms in office on a staggered basis., the Mayor of...
, Westampton Township
Westampton Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,217 people, 2,525 households, and 1,966 families residing in the township. The population density was 653.6 people per square mile . There were 2,581 housing units at an average density of 233.8 per square mile...
, Mount Laurel Township
Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey
Mount Laurel Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, and is an edge city "suburb" of Philadelphia. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 40,221...
, Moorestown Township
Moorestown Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 19,017 people, 6,971 households, and 5,270 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,287.3 per square mile . There were 7,211 housing units at an average density of 488.1 per square mile...
, Delran Township
Delran Township, New Jersey
Delran is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 16,896....
, and Delanco Township
Delanco Township, New Jersey
Delanco Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 3,237....
.
Parks and sections
Willingboro is divided into several sections, each section's street names beginning with the same letter as the corresponding section. For example, streets in Pennypacker Park all begin with the letter P. This is the case with all parks, excluding Martin's Beach and certain streets in Rittenhouse Park.Originally each Park or section had their own swimming pool for resident's use. Resident's families would receive free swim tags after showing applicable IDs at each section's school or the community office. Free lessons and other events were focused on these "park" pools during the summer months. Later in the 1990s only Pennypacker Park and Country Club Park had operating summer pools. Finally, Country Club Park has been denoted the "community pool" at this time.
- Buckingham Park
- Country Club Ridge
- Pennypacker Park
- Millbrook Park
- Martin's Beach
- Deer Park
- Somerset Park (First house was occupied here.)
- Windsor Park
- Garfield Park
- Garfield Park East
- Garfield Park North
- Rittenhouse Park
- Twin Hill Park
- Ironside Court (Non-residential, Public Works Department and some industry.)
- Hawthorne Park
- Fairmount Park
There is another section without a name located near Olympia Lakes. This is the only part of the town with the area code 856
Area code 856
Area code 856 is an area code in the U.S. state of New Jersey created in 1999 by a split of area code 609. It covers southwestern New Jersey, in particular the Haddon Township/Cherry Hill and Vineland areas, as well as a very small part of Willingboro Township, along with the western part of...
. The rest of Willingboro is in area code 609
Area code 609
Area code 609, is located in southeastern and central New Jersey. The telephone code includes the cities of Trenton, Princeton, and Atlantic City....
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 31,629 people, 10,884 households, and 8,287 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,938.4 people per square mile (1,520.6/km²). There were 11,442 housing units at an average density of 1,486.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 72.7% African American, 17.3% White, 0.40% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 2.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.7% of the population.
There were 10,884 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 34.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 20, 6.0% from 20 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $60,869, and the median income for a family was $64,338. Males had a median income of $39,963 versus $31,554 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $21,799. About 3.5% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
The Township of Willingboro is governed under the Council-ManagerFaulkner Act (Council-Manager)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Council-Manager government.The council consists of 5, 7, or 9 members elected by the public...
form of government. The current Council-Manager form of government was adopted by referendum in November 1960 based on the recommendations of a charter study commission. The first Council under the new Council-Manager form of government took place in November 1961, with the new Council taking office as of January 1, 1962, under the new form.
The five-member Township Council is elected in partisan elections to serve four-year terms in office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election in the November of odd-numbered years. After each election, the council selects a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among its members.
, the members of the Willingboro Township Council are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Eddie Campbell, Jr., Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Jennings, Nathaniel Anderson, James Ayrer and Ken Gordon, Jr.
Federal, state and county representation
Willingboro Township is in the 3rd Congressional district.Willingboro is in the
Education
The Willingboro Township Public SchoolsWillingboro Township Public Schools
The Willingboro Township Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Willingboro Township, in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States....
serves students in Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are six pre-K to 4 elementary schools —
Garfield East Elementary School (436 students),
Hawthorne Elementary School (460),
J.C. Stuart Elementary School (453),
Twin Hills Elementary School (371) and
W.R. James Sr. Elementary School (383) —
Memorial Upper Elementary School for grades 5 and 6 (700),
Levitt Middle School for grades 7 and 8 (719) and
Willingboro High School
Willingboro High School
Willingboro High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Willingboro Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Willingboro Township Public Schools....
for grades 9-12 (968). During the early development of the township, all high school students attended Levittown High School, grades 9-12, until John F. Kennedy High School was opened in 1965. Levittown High became one of the two junior high schools; the other was Memorial. JFKHS had an enormous student population in that the school went to "split" sessions and only was able to house grades 10-12; the freshmen classes were divided between Memorial and Levitt junior high schools. In 1975, Willingboro HS was opened and became the "sister" school, located only about two miles apart - both on JFK Way. This is the way the township was until JFKHS became a middle school in 1990, leaving Willingboro as the only high school. By this time, the township population fell and Levitt Jr. HS was closed to become township offices and storage. Memorial Jr. HS would remain open for college classes for Burlington County Community College. Kennedy Middle School eventually closed and became Kennedy Center, a community center for the performing arts, an additional gym for events, and classrooms for college classes.
The S.W. Bookbinder, J.A. McGinley and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Schools were closed at the end of the 2005-06 school year as part of an effort to save about $3.7 million, through the reduction of 70 staff members meant class sizes increased to as many as 28 at the five remaining elementary schools. The cuts were needed to fill a two-year budget deficit of nearly $10 million.
The Willingboro Public Library
Willingboro Public Library
The Willingboro Public Library , located in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, is the municipal public library for the community of 36,500. It first opened in 1960 and operates independently from the Burlington County Library System. Before 2003, the library was housed in the township’s municipal...
(WPL) is the municipal public library for the community. It first opened in 1960 and operates independently from the Burlington County
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
Library System. Before 2003, the library was housed in the township’s municipal building on Salem Road. The current library building is 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) and is an anchor for the new Willingboro Town Center on Route 130
U.S. Route 130
U.S. Route 130 is a north–south U.S. Highway completely within the state of New Jersey. It runs from Interstate 295 and US 40 at Deepwater in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where the road continues east as Route 49, north to US 1 in North Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, where...
.
Transportation
New Jersey TransitNew Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
provides bus service to Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
on the 409 line, and Academy Bus also provides bus service to New York City.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Willingboro Township include:- Mark AdamoMark AdamoMark Adamo is an Italian American composer and librettist born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While he has composed the symphonic cantata "Late Victorians, "Four Angels: Concerto for Harp and Orchestra," and six substantial choral works, the composer’s principal work has been for the opera house:...
(born 1962), composer and librettist with New York City OperaNew York City OperaThe New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
. - Malik AllenMalik AllenMalik Omar Allen is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic.After four years at Villanova University Allen went undrafted in the 2000 NBA Draft. He began his career in the ABA with the San Diego Wildfire and in the International Basketball League with...
(born 1978), NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
power forwardPower forward (basketball)Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
for the Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
. - T. J. BrennanT. J. BrennanT. J. Brennan is an American ice hockey defenseman currently with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
(born 1989), 31st pick of the Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in the 2007 NHL Draft. - Sean Casey (born 1974), Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first basemanFirst basemanFirst base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. - Mike ChiodaMike ChiodaMichael Joseph "Mike" Chioda, is a senior referee who is currently signed to WWE. While not refereeing, Chioda, as well as the other referees in WWE, help set up the arena before shows, constructing the ring and stage areas.-WWF:...
(born 1964), WWE Professional WrestlingProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
RefereeReferee (professional wrestling)A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
and RAWWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
Senior RefereeReferee (professional wrestling)A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
. - William FranklinWilliam FranklinWilliam Franklin was an American soldier and colonial administrator. He served as the last Colonial Governor of New Jersey. Franklin was a steadfast Loyalist throughout the American War of Independence, despite his father Benjamin Franklin's role as one of the most prominent Patriots during the...
(1731–1813), last ColonialColonyIn politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
, son of Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
. - Anthony GriggsAnthony GriggsAnthony G. Griggs is a former American football linebacker in the National Football league. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State and Villanova.Griggs also played for the Cleveland Browns....
(born 1960), former NFL linebacker who played for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - City HighCity HighCity High was an American R&B/hip hop trio, consisting of rappers/singers Ryan Toby, Robbie Pardlo and Claudette Ortiz. City High is best known for their song, "What Would You Do?", which earned a Grammy nomination.-Career:...
, R&BRhythm and bluesRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
group. - Crystal LanghorneCrystal Langhorne- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
(born 1986), WNBA basketball player drafted in 2008 by the Washington MysticsWashington MysticsThe Washington Mystics is a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1998 season. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment , who also owns the Mystics'...
. Won the National ChampionshipNCAA Women's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
in 2006 as a member of the Maryland TerrapinsMaryland Terrapins women's basketballThe University of Maryland women's basketball team has been a prominent program in the history of women's basketball. As a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Lady Terrapins have been regular season and tournament champions on numerous occasions. They were struggling with a losing record...
. - Carl LewisCarl LewisFrederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 gold, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were gold. His career spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and...
(born 1961), United States Olympic track athlete, won ten Olympic medals (9 gold, 1 silver). Ranked #1 on the Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
list of The 50 Greatest New Jersey Sports Figures. - Joey MarellaJoey MarellaJoey Marella was a professional wrestling referee for the World Wrestling Federation and the son of former wrestler and then WWF announcer Gorilla Monsoon from Willingboro Township, New Jersey....
(1964–1994) WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
Professional WrestlingProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
RefereeReferee (professional wrestling)A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
, Refereed main event for the indoor attendance record setting match at WrestleMania IIIWrestleMania IIIWrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
between André the GiantAndré the GiantAndré René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
versus Hulk HoganHulk HoganTerrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
in the Pontiac SilverdomePontiac SilverdomeThe Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
. - Kareem McKenzieKareem McKenzieKareem Michael McKenzie is a player for the New York Giants of the National Football League.McKenzie played only two years of high school football at Willingboro High School in Willingboro Township, New Jersey....
(born 1979), National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
offensive tackle. - Marilyn Marshall, R&BRhythm and bluesRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer / musician. - Tim MarshallTim Marshall (radio host)Tim Marshall is a South Jersey radio personality, journalist and concert promoter. His career in broadcasting began in 1987 at Rowan University in Glassboro New Jersey. Tim Marshall’s professional radio affiliations include WTMR, Camden NJ; WAYV FM Atlantic City, NJ; WPWT FM, WEJM FM, and 610...
, journalist. - Gorilla Monsoon (1937–1999), WWE Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
Professional Wrestler, Former President of WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. - Gregory PardloGregory PardloGregory Pardlo is an American poet, writer, and professor. His poems, reviews, and translations have appeared in The American Poetry Review, Callaloo, Poet Lore, Harvard Review, Ploughshares, and on National Public Radio...
(born 1968), poet. - Gervase PetersonGervase PetersonGervase Peterson was a contestant on Survivor: Borneo, the first edition of the popular CBS reality television series Survivor, which premiered in May 2000, and was the highest rated American series during the summer of that year...
(born 1969), contestant on Survivor: BorneoSurvivor: BorneoSurvivor: Borneo is the first season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was originally broadcast under the name Survivor but its official title was changed to Survivor: Pulau Tiga to distinguish it from subsequent installments of the series, and then changed again to Survivor: Borneo to...
, the first season of the program. - Shaun PhillipsShaun Phillips- San Diego Chargers :As a rookie, Shaun Phillips played in all 16 games and was second on the team with four sacks. He continued to improve in his second season as he recorded seven sacks in 15 games, good for second on the team....
(born 1981), National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
defensive tackle. - Kevin SbragaKevin SbragaKevin Sbraga is a New Jersey chef and the winner of Top Chef Season 7, Washington D.C. Sbraga is the Executive Chef at Rat’s Restaurant at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton. He attended culinary school at Johnson and Wales in Miami, Florida and received his BS in Culinary Arts.- References...
(born 1979), winner of Top Chef (Season 7)Top Chef (season 7)Top Chef: D.C. is the seventh season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Washington, D.C. and concluded in Singapore...
. - Jimmy ValiantJimmy ValiantJames Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...
(born 1942), WWE Hall of FameWWE Hall of FameThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
Professional Wrestler.
External links
- Willingboro Township website
- Willingboro Township Public Schools
- Data for the Willingboro Township Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Willingboro Crime Statistics
- LevittownBeyond.com: The Unofficial Resource for Levitt and Sons Communities after 1957 including Levitt's third-largest project Levittown, NJ (Willingboro)