Madison is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 16,937, an increase of 1,092 (+6.9%) from the 2010 census count of 15,845, which in turn reflected a drop in population of 685 (−4.1%) from the 16,530 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.

Madison is noted for its historic railroad station, which is located on the Morris & Essex Lines, one of the nation's first commuter railroads. Many wealthy residents of Manhattan relocated to Madison and its surrounding communities since the rail line offered direct transport to New York City. Madison is known as "the Rose City" and was named in honor of President James Madison.Caldwell, Dave. "Living in Madison, N.J.; A Town Right Out of Central Casting", The New York Times, June 15, 2008. Accessed August 12, 2012. "Madison, named after President James Madison, was nicknamed the Rose City because of a 19th-century rose-growing industry started by wealthy residents drawn to Madison by its location on the Morris & Essex train line."Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 4, 2015.

Madison was ranked 33rd in Money magazine's ranking of the "Best Places to Live" in 2011, the third-highest-ranked location in New Jersey and second-highest in Morris County behind Montville."Best Places to Live 2011 – 33. Madison, NJ", CNN. Accessed February 22, 2020. New Jersey Monthly ranked Madison first in its 2019 rankings of the "Best Places to Live" in New Jersey.La Gorce, Tamm. "Madison Tops Our 2019 List of Best Places to Live With a strong school system and desirable homes, the historic Morris County borough reaches the pinnacle of our Top Towns chart". New Jersey Monthly, August 27, 2019. Accessed February 22, 2020.

Madison is a college town, the home of both Drew University and Fairleigh Dickinson University; Saint Elizabeth University is located in neighboring Convent Station, New Jersey.Gansberg, Alan L. "Suburban Madison Fears It's Going Urban", The New York Times, September 15, 1974. Accessed October 25, 2021. "While many Madison youngsters attend college, the borough itself is a college town. Drew University, with more than 3,000 students, is situated on Madison Avenue, and part of the campus of the Madison branch of Fairleigh Dickinson University is in the northern part of town." Madison is also home to the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, one of the largest professional Shakespeare companies in North America.About Us, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Accessed October 25, 2021.

History

Pre-settlement Native Americans occupied present-day Madison and most of New Jersey for several thousand years, following the retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier. Lenape settlements in present-day Madison were agriculturally based following matrilineal lines. The protected lands nearby, Jockey Hollow, are what is remaining of the settlement. Occupation changed with the seasons, the variable nature of the climate, and to preserve the fertility of the rich soil. Their fishing and hunting territories were wide-ranging and similarly divided among the three clans of the matrilineal culture in this Eastern Woodland environment. Trade with these native peoples for food and furs was conducted by the Dutch during the period of colonization of New Netherland. Although the European principle of land ownership was not recognized by the Lenape, Dutch West India Company policy required their colonists to purchase land that they settled, but typically, trading relationships were established in this area, rather than Dutch settlements.

18th century

During the British colonial period of the 17th and 18th centuries, the earliest settlers arriving in Madison were of European descent in what was then the colonial-era Province of New Jersey. Traditional native trails and pathways were followed as settlement began. Pressures upon the Lenape constantly drove them westward.

In or around 1715, Bottle Hill, a village, was established at the crossing of Ridgedale Avenue and Kings Road. Village governance principles followed the British model. The Luke Miller house at 105 Ridgedale Avenue is thought to be the oldest remaining home, having been built around 1730.Fillimon, Chris. "Who was Luke Miller?", The Luke Miller House. Accessed August 13, 2013. "The Luke Miller House (also referred to as Miller's Station) is considered the oldest existing home in Madison. It was built between 1730 and 1750, by Luke Miller's grandfather, Andrew Miller" During British colonial rule, Kings Road was a toll road that assessed fees levied by the government appointed by the English king. Farther south was the Shunpike, a road with a parallel path that was used by colonists to avoid the fees.Morris County Street Histories, Morris County, New Jersey Planning & Development. Accessed August 13, 2013. "The name 'Shunpike' is a contraction of the phrase 'Shun the Pike' meaning an alternate route to avoid payment on toll roads a.k.a. 'Pikes'."

Morris County was established in 1739 and was divided into three townships. The portion of the village north of Kings Road was put under the governance of Hanover Township and the portion to the south, under the governance of Morris Township. A meeting house for the Presbyterian Church of South Hanover, as Madison was then called, was started in 1747, where the Presbyterian Cemetery still exists between Kings Road and Madison Avenue. With the Treaty of Easton in 1758, the Lenape were required to vacate their lands in colonial New Jersey and to move westward. Their leaders allied with the colonists during the American Revolutionary War in hopes of regaining former lands, but those hopes were never realized.

Following the American Revolution, changes to governing the former colonies occurred gradually as the new nation organized. The state of New Jersey formed its government and debated best policies.

19th century

During a reorganization of Morris County in 1806, Chatham Township was established and included all of present-day Chatham Township and the three pre-Revolutionary War villages of Chatham, Florham Park, and Madison, which were still governed by Chatham Township, and ended the governmental division of Bottle Hill.

In 1834, the name of the settlement was changed to Madison.Staff. "Jersey Borough 100 Years Old.", The New York Times, August 31, 1934. Accessed July 19, 2011. "Flags were flying today in Madison as the borough celebrated the 100th anniversary of the day on which its name was changed from Bottle Hill to Madison. Protests of citizens who thought the original name intemperate occasioned the change in 1834." As a tribute to the name, every year a fair called Bottle Hill Day is held.

In 1838, the Morris and Essex Railroad Line was founded, connecting Newark and Hoboken and providing transportation for farm produce grown in Madison. The railroad made possible the establishment of a flourishing rose growing industry, still commemorated in Madison's nickname, the Rose City.Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey . Accessed April 12, 2007. "Once the hub of America's rose-growing industry, Madison earned the nickname "The Rose City" in the mid-19th century." The rail service connected the commerce to the markets of Manhattan] Madison's growth accelerated after the Civil War and the Morris and Essex Lines became one of America's first commuter railroads, attracting well-to-do families from Manhattan (many of whom already owned large parcels land in the area for farming, hunting, and recreation) and contributing to the development of "Millionaire's Row", which stretched from downtown Madison to downtown Morristown. Greenhouses dotted the countryside. Talented horticulturalists were attracted to the area for employment at the many wealthy estates in the immediate area and to establish related businesses. One of the first grand houses to be built on Millionaire's Row was the Ross Estate. In 1893, Florence Adele Vanderbilt and her husband Hamilton McKown Twombly began to build the impressive Florham estate. The estate name is a portmanteau of their first names, Florence and Hamilton."Florham Park", FDU Magazine, Fall / Winter 2001. Accessed January 15, 2025. "Quickly earning the affection of the locals, the aristocracy became part of the fabric of Florham Park, and the borough eventually adopted the name that Florence Vanderbilt and Hamilton Twombly gave to their summer estate (Florham, a combination of portions of their first names), which spanned close to 200 acres almost entirely in Florham Park." Home to Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham is a Gilded Age mansion and the 9th largest house in the United States.

On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed on December 24, 1889, the village seceded from Chatham Township and adopted the newly created borough government (when it first became available) to develop a local water supply system for its population of 3,250. Madison annexed additional portions of Chatham Township in 1891, and again each year from 1894 to 1898, which was followed by an exchange of certain lands in 1899 with Chatham Township.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 194. Accessed May 29, 2024.Historical Timeline of Morris County Boundaries , Morris County Library. Accessed December 24, 2016. "1889, December 27. Madison Borough is established from Chatham Township."

Madison's historic railroad station was funded by the community, which passed an ordinance authorizing $159,000 for railroad improvement bonds. The result, with the cooperation of the D.L. & W.R.R. in the planning, was completed in 1916. The tracks were elevated through the downtown so that no established roadways were hindered by crossing delays. Mrs. D. Willis James financed much of the road grading caused by the elevation of the tracks. The station included baggage and cargo facilities readily accessible by wagon, as well as the stationmaster offices, a newsstand, and waiting facilities featuring extensive banks of high-backed wooden seating. Weeping mulberry trees were planted among the landscaping and in natural areas in the parking area.

The rose industry and the large estates in the area attracted working-class people of all kinds. As a result, Madison developed a diverse population very early, both in terms of socioeconomic status and ethnic background. The original settlers were of British stock; French settlers came after the American Revolution; African Americans have been members of the community from early in the 19th century; Irish came in the mid-19th century; and then Germans and Italians arrived around the turn of the 20th century. To this day, a substantial population of Italian descent remain in Madison. Madison remains a diverse community, with recent newcomers arriving from Central America, South America, and Asia. Madison is a railroad suburb of New York City.

20th century The Evergreen Cemetery was mentioned in Weird NJ for an incident in 1902, when after a downpour, bodies were found on the streets."The Hillside Cemetery Spill of 1902", Weird NJ. Accessed May 14, 2013. "A torrential downpour in August of 1902 caused the Spring Garden Brook in Madison to overflow, having enough momentum to break up the drainage ditches the flash flood ran through Hillside Cemetery on Main Street and washed out 59 graves."

Geography