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The Borough of Metuchen is completely surrounded by the Township Of Edison but has been a separate political entity since its incorporation and deannexation from Raritan Township (the former name of Edison Township) in 1900.


GEOGRAPHY

Metuchen is located at 40°32'28" North, 74°21'40" West (40.541054, -74.360992).

According to the United States Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 7.1 Km&2 (2.7 Mi&2 ). 7.1 km&2 (2.7 mi&2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.


DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the Census of 2000, there were 12,840 people, 4,992 households, and 3,584 families residing in the borough. The Population Density was 1,809.3/km&2 (4,684.8/mi&2). There were 5,104 housing units at an average density of 719.2/km&2 (1,862.2/mi&2). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.38% White , 5.30% African American , 0.10% Native American , 7.23% Asian , 0.00% Pacific Islander , 1.12% from Other Races , and 1.86% from two or more races. 3.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,992 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were Married Couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $75,546, and the median income for a family was $85,022. Males had a median income of $58,125 versus $43,097 for females. The Per Capita Income for the borough was $36,749. 3.9% of the population and 3.4% of families were below the Poverty Line . 3.6% of those under the age of 18 and 4.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

GOVERNMENT


Local government

The Mayor of Metuchen is Edmund O'Brien. Elected for a four-year term ending December 31 , 2007 , Mayor O'Brien's duties include presiding at Council meetings, approving ordinances, signing contracts, and appointing officials and members of various boards and commissions.

The Borough has six Council members who serve three-year overlapping terms. The Council adopts ordinances and resolutions and makes all policy in the Borough government. Each member is assigned as a liaison to several departments, boards and commissions with the consent of Council. Members of the Borough Council are Richard Dyas (term expires , 2006

Federal, state and county representation

Metuchen is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 18th Legislative District.






HISTORY

Until 1870, what is now Metuchen was part of Woodbridge Township . Because the settlers in the western part of the township were so far removed from the village of Woodbridge, they early developed a separate identity. The name "Metuchen" first appeared in 1688/1689, and in 1701 an overseer of roads was appointed for "Metuchen district". In 1705 Main Street was laid out at the same time as the road from Metuchen to Woodbridge, which one source calls a "reworking of the original road".

Sometime between 1717 and 1730 a meeting house was constructed for weekday meetings conducted by the pastor of the Woodbridge Presbyterian Church . In 1756, Metuchen Presbyterians succeeded in forming their own congregation, attesting to their growing numbers. In 1770 the congregations merged, with Metuchen getting 2/5th of the pastor's services and Woodbridge 3/5ths; by 1772 Metuchen had grown sufficiently to warrant 50% of his time. In 1793 the two churches again separated.

From the late 18th to the early 19th century Metuchen grew little. A map of 1799 shows ten buildings in the center of town along Main Street. By 1834 a Presbyterian church, a store, two taverns and about a dozen dwellings could be found. The opening of the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike (now Middlesex Avenue) in 1806, and the Perth Amboy and Bound Brook Turnpike in 1808 seem not to have spurred growth to any appreciable extent. Not until the beginning of the railroad era did commercial and residential development surge.

In 1836 , the New Jersey Railroad was completed to New Brunswick . The construction of a station at Main Street made it inevitable that this would develop as the principal street. A business section soon began to appear between Middlesex Avenue and the railroad tracks, and commercial and service establishments gradually began to assume a more modern aspect (the typical 18th century tavern, for example, was replaced by the equally typical 19th century hotel).

The second half of the 19th century was a period of social, cultural and religious diversification in Metuchen. Between 1859 and 1866 the Reformed Church was organized, the first Catholic mass was celebrated and St. Luke's Episcopal Church was founded. In 1870 both the Building and Loan Association and the library opened, the same year that Raritan Township was incorporated. As the largest village in the new township, Metuchen naturally became its commercial and cultural center and acquired substantial political control. In 1879, the literary and debating society was formed, and in 1883 the Village Improvement Society. By 1882 Metuchen School #15 had an enrollment of 256 pupils, and by 1885 the New Jersey Gazette listed thirty-seven businesses.

The decade of the 1890s was a period of expansion for public utilities. In 1894 telegraph service was begun and in 1897 telephone service begun by the N.Y. and N.J. Telephone Company. In the same year the Midland Water Company commenced operation and supplied hydrants for "newly-formed" volunteer fire companies. In 1899, new street lighting system installed. At about the same time the Metuchen Wheelmen, a bicycling organization was formed, which lobbied for improved roads. Trolley service began in 1900. In addition, by the end of the decade, commerce had grown to such an extent that the New Brunswick Directory listed 91 businesses in 1899.

Metuchen attracted an influx of artists, literary figures and noted intellectuals during this time. It acquired the nickname "the Brainy Boro" after a friendly competition with the northern New Jersey community of Glen Ridge . One of the Borough's two post offices is named Brainy Boro Station.

The new century began with what residents saw as the biggest improvement of all, incorporation, in 1900.


TRANSPORTATION

Commuting had become a way of life for Metuchen residents by the turn-of-the-century. Daily commuters numbered 400 out of a population of 1,786 by the year 1900. Accessibility to New York City and New Brunswick enhanced the borough's reputation as a prestigious place to live, and the modern suburban ideal of small-town life where tired businessmen could escape the pace of the city grew in popularity.

The biggest change to affect Metuchen between the World Wars was the rise of the automobile. In the 1920s, service stations were built, and the construction of U.S. Route 1 in 1930 diverted traffic away from Middlesex Avenue, and undoubtedly helped the borough retain its residential character.


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