Maplewood is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is an inner-ring suburban bedroom community of New York City in the New York metropolitan area.Capuzzo, Jill P."Living in Maplewood, N.J.: If Brooklyn Were a Suburb", The New York Times, October 8, 2014. Accessed August 2, 2022. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 25,684, an increase of 1,817 (+7.6%) from the 2010 census count of 23,867, which in turn reflected a decline of one person from the 23,868 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
History When surveying the area now known as Maplewood, Robert Treat found several trails used by Lenape tribes of Algonquian Native Americans, though there was only sparse pre-European settlement. These paths form the basis for what are the township's modern-day thoroughfares.Branch, Frederick; Kuras, Jean; and Sceurman, Mark. Bloomfield, p. 7. Arcadia Publishing, 2001. . Accessed August 5, 2013.
The first European settlers arrived around 1675, primarily English, Dutch and French Puritans who had earlier settled Hempstead, Long Island (1643), New Haven, Connecticut (1638), and Stamford, Connecticut (1640), via Newark (1666) and Elizabeth (1664). They had acquired most of today's Essex County from the Native Americans through direct purchase upon first arrival and through royal assent. These early settlers then followed three trails that roughly correspond to South Orange Avenue, Springfield Avenue and Ridgewood Road into present-day Maplewood. These three routes resulted in the development of three separate communities that coalesced to become Maplewood and South Orange. Those who came from Newark on the trail that now corresponds to South Orange Avenue settled the area that became South Orange village.
Six families (with last names of Smith, Brown, Pierson, Freeman, Ball and Gildersleeve) came up today's Ridgewood Road and established scattered farms around a center that became Jefferson Village, named after Thomas Jefferson. This settlement, which roughly corresponds to downtown Maplewood today, developed several mills and orchards. John Durand, the son of Hudson River School painter Asher Brown Durand (who was born in Maplewood in 1796), describes the place as a picturesque but slightly backward community with close ties to Springfield. The apple harvest was apparently quite impressive and included the "Harrison" and "Canfield" varieties. By 1815, there were approximately 30 families in the community. Although the residents of the area were predominantly Presbyterian, the first house of worship was a Baptist chapel in 1812. This was in use until 1846 and fell into disrepair until 1858, when it was taken into use as a Methodist Episcopal church.
Those who came up today's Springfield Avenue settled on a hill crest near today's intersection between Tuscan and Springfield Avenue and established a hamlet known as North Farms. Over time, this community became known as the Hilton section. It became a stagecoach stop between Newark, Jersey City (then Paulus Hook), and Morristown and thereby a center for trade and light manufacturing. The village changed its name from North Farms to Middleville in 1830, and then to Hilton in 1880 when it was granted a post office. In 1855, Seth Boyden settled in what was then Middleville to retire but innovated a number of agricultural products, especially berries. Boyden also built and put into operation the first steam engines to service the railroad through Maplewood.Seth Boyden, Durand-Hedden, October 27, 2005. Accessed November 5, 2019. "Seth Boyden, 'one of America’s greatest inventors,' according to Thomas Edison, spent the last 15 years of his life in 'Middleville'—what is now Hilton. Although Newark was the site of most of his innovations and inventions, it is in the Hilton neighborhood of Maplewood where he is honored by both 'Boyden Avenue' and 'Seth Boyden Elementary School. The area became known for its orchards and related industries, including cider mills and rum distilleries, as well as honey and livestock.
In 1802, Jefferson Village and North Farms were named as districts within the Township of Newark."A Short History of Maplewood", Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission. Accessed September 22, 2013.
The three communities developed and functioned independently, each establishing their own school associations: South Orange established the Columbian School in 1814, which would form the basis of Columbia High School; North Farms established the North Farms Association in 1817; and Jefferson Village the Jefferson Association in 1818. In 1867, when the State of New Jersey established public education through the School Law, the newly appointed County Superintendent merged the three associations into one school district, which was formalized in 1894 as the South Orange-Maplewood School District. James Ricalton, a teacher born in New York of Scottish parents who became the school district's first permanent teacher, helped set the high standard of education that persists in the school district to this day.James Ricalton Lantern Slide Collection , St. Lawrence University Library. Accessed November 5, 2019. "After briefly attending St. Lawrence University (class of 1871) Ricalton left before taking a degree and moved to Maplewood, New Jersey in 1871 where he worked as a school teacher. By all accounts, he was an extraordinary teacher, and his legacy is celebrated in the South Orange-Maplewood School District."
Maplewood was originally formed as South Orange Township, which was created on April 1, 1861, from portions of Clinton Township and what was then the Town of Orange. Portions of the township were taken to form South Orange village (established May 4, 1869, within the township and became fully independent on March 4, 1904) and Vailsburg borough (formed March 28, 1894, and annexed by Newark on January 1, 1905) The name of the township was changed to Maplewood on November 7, 1922.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 128 re Maplewood, p. 132 re South Orange Township. Accessed May 30, 2024.
When the Morris and Essex Railroad from Newark was extended to the area in 1838, a land speculator by the name of John Shedden built a railroad station in Jefferson Village and named it Maplewood. This name came to comprise areas known as Hilton, Jefferson Village, and areas previously part of Springfield.Capuzzo, Jill P. "Living In; Maplewood, N.J.: If Brooklyn Were a Suburb", The New York Times, October 8, 2014. Accessed November 5, 2019. "John Shedden, a real estate developer, built a train station in what is now Maplewood, then known as Jefferson Village, to access the Morris and Essex Railroad, which was extended there in 1838." In 1868, farms were subdivided into parcels for residential housing and the area became a commuter suburb.An Analysis of the Operational Efficiencies of and the Feasibility of Consolidation, Merger, or Sharing of South Orange and Maplewood's Municipal Fire Protection Services, Townships of South Orange Village and Maplewood, October 2017. Accessed November 5, 2019. "In 1868, the community began its rapid transformation from a small settlement of farms and mills to an affluent railroad suburb of New York and Newark."
Edward Balch (1858–1934) was a homebuilder who envisioned Maplewood as a suburban community and starting around 1900 developed a total of 176 homes in the township, earning him recognition by The New York Times as the "Father of Maplewood.""Edward C. Balch, Builder, Is Dead; 'Father of Maplewood' Had Erected 176 Residences in the Township", The New York Times, February 10, 1934. Accessed May 25, 2021."History", Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission. Accessed May 25, 2021.
The 1920s saw significant growth in new residents and structures.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 3.88 square miles (10.04 km2), including 3.87 square miles (10.03 km2) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km2) of water (0.08%). A pond is in Memorial Park, the Rahway River runs through the township and there is a municipal pool club with four man-made pools of water; the remainder of the area is land.
The township shares a border with West Orange and South Orange to the north, Newark and Irvington to the east, Union (in Union County) to the south, and Millburn to the west.Areas touching Maplewood, MapIt. Accessed February 27, 2020.Municipalities, Essex County, New Jersey Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed February 26, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Hilton and Valley View.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 18, 2015.
Climate Maplewood has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa).
Demographics
2020 census +Maplewood township, Essex County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010% 1990% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)17,65513,38212,585 13,17081.54%56.07%52.73% 51.28%Black or African American alone (NH)2,5167,6448,189 7,74011.62%32.03%34.31% 30.14%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)172517 300.08%0.10%0.07% 0.12%Asian alone (NH)649660722 9513.00%2.77%3.03% 3.70%Pacific Islander alone (NH)N/A64 4N/A0.03%0.02% 0.02%Some Other Race alone (NH)35971101660.16%0.41%0.46% 0.65%Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)N/A806645 1,441N/A3.38%2.70% 5.61%Hispanic or Latino (any race)7801,2481,595 2,1823.60%5.23%6.68% 8.50%Total21,65223,86823,867 25,684100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 23,867 people, 8,240 households, and 6,287 families in the township. The population density was 6,155.3 per square mile (2,376.6/km2). There were 8,608 housing units at an average density of 2,220.0 per square mile (857.1/km2). The racial makeup was 56.27% (13,430) White, 35.30% (8,426) Black or African American, 0.18% (44) Native American, 3.04% (725) Asian, 0.03% (6) Pacific Islander, 1.82% (434) from other races, and 3.36% (802) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.68% (1,595) of the population.
Of the 8,240 households, 42.8% had children under the age of 18; 57.8% were married couples living together; 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.7% were non-families. Of all households, 19.1% were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.33.
28.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 85.4 males.