Maplewood, New Jersey

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.<ref>Capuzzo, Jill P."Living in Maplewood, N.J.: If Brooklyn Were a Suburb", The New York Times, October 8, 2014. Accessed August 2, 2022.</ref> As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 25,684,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 1,817 (+7.6%) from the 2010 census count of 23,867,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decline of one person from the 23,868 counted in the 2000 census.<ref>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.</ref>

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.<ref name=Arcadia>Branch, Frederick; Kuras, Jean; and Sceurman, Mark. Bloomfield, p. 7. Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Template:ISBN. Accessed August 5, 2013.</ref>

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.<ref name=Arcadia/> Those who came from Newark on the trail that now corresponds to South Orange Avenue settled the area that became South Orange village.<ref name=Arcadia/>

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.<ref name=Arcadia/>

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.<ref>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.Template:'"</ref> The area became known for its orchards and related industries, including cider mills and rum distilleries, as well as honey and livestock.Template:Citation needed

In 1802, Jefferson Village and North Farms were named as districts within the Township of Newark.<ref>"A Short History of Maplewood", Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission. Accessed September 22, 2013.</ref>

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.<ref>James Ricalton Lantern Slide Collection Template:Webarchive, 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."</ref>

File:Maplewood NJ winter from SO Reservation.jpg

View of Maplewood from South Mountain Reservation

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.<ref name=Story>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.</ref>

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.<ref>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."</ref> In 1868, farms were subdivided into parcels for residential housing and the area became a commuter suburb.<ref>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."</ref>

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."<ref>"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.</ref><ref>"History", Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission. Accessed May 25, 2021.</ref>

The 1920s saw significant growth in new residents and structures.Template:Citation needed

Geography

File:View of Maplewood.JPG

A view of Maplewood from the Columbia High School clocktower

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%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 /> 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.<ref>Areas touching Maplewood, MapIt. Accessed February 27, 2020.</ref><ref>Municipalities, Essex County, New Jersey Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed February 26, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Hilton and Valley View.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 18, 2015.</ref>

Climate

Maplewood has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa).

Demographics

File:Maplewood NJ during fall foliage.jpg

Maplewood in autumn

2020 census

Maplewood township, Essex County, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	17,655	13,382	12,585	13,170	81.54%	56.07%	52.73%	51.28%
Black or African American alone (NH)	2,516	7,644	8,189	7,740	11.62%	32.03%	34.31%	30.14%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	17	25	17	30	0.08%	0.10%	0.07%	0.12%
Asian alone (NH)	649	660	722	951	3.00%	2.77%	3.03%	3.70%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	N/A	6	4	4	N/A	0.03%	0.02%	0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	35	97	110	166	0.16%	0.41%	0.46%	0.65%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	N/A	806	645	1,441	N/A	3.38%	2.70%	5.61%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	780	1,248	1,595	2,182	3.60%	5.23%	6.68%	8.50%
Total	21,652	23,868	23,867	25,684	100.00%	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.<ref name=Census2010/>

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.<ref name=Census2010/>

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.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $101,463 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,610) and the median family income was $122,102 (+/− $9,324). Males had a median income of $83,656 (+/− $10,885) versus $57,422 (+/− $5,551) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $47,404 (+/− $2,404). About 1.5% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Maplewood township, Essex County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 29, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census<ref name="GR2" /> there were 23,868 people, 8,452 households, and 6,381 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 8,615 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 58.78% White, 32.63% Black, 0.13% Native American, 2.86% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.56% from other races, and 4.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.23% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Maplewood township, Essex County, New JerseyTemplate:Dead link, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 29, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Maplewood township, Essex County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 29, 2012.</ref>

There were 8,452 households, out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.27.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the township, the age distribution of the population shows 28.0% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the township was $79,637, and the median income for a family was $92,724. Males had a median income of $57,572 versus $41,899 for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,794. 4.4% of the population and 3.4% of families were below the poverty line. 4.9% of those under the age of 18 and 6.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Arts and culture

In 2018 Brooke Lea Foster of The New York Times described Maplewood as one of several "least suburban of suburbs, each one celebrated by buyers there for its culture and hip factor, as much as the housing stock and sophisticated post-city life."<ref>Foster, Brooke Lea. "Comparing Suburbs: Montclair in New Jersey vs. Dobbs Ferry in New York", The New York Times|, February 23, 2018. Accessed February 10, 2020. "With those requirements, they found themselves exploring the nearby suburbs to which many reluctant city dwellers have traveled a well-trodden path: Maplewood and Montclair, in New Jersey; and the Rivertowns in Westchester, including Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Tarrytown, Irvington and Ardsley (although the latter is not technically on the river). Call them the least suburban of suburbs, each one celebrated by buyers there for its culture and hip factor, as much as the housing stock and sophisticated post-city life."</ref>

Performance venues

The township owns and operates the Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts at 10 Durand Road. The Center, a former Christian Science Church, was donated to the town by Jean Burgdorff, a local real estate entrepreneur.<ref>Gialanella, Donna. "Jean Burgdorff", The Star-Ledger, December 28, 2007. Accessed September 8, 2012. "In the 1980s, she bought a Christian Science Church in Maplewood for $500,000 and donated it to the town for a community center, now called the Burgdorff Cultural Center."</ref> The building was transferred to the town on October 15, 1988.<ref>Ordinance 2553-08 Template:Webarchive, Maplewood Township. Accessed September 4, 2015.</ref> In 2008, the township committed to a $130,000 plan to improve the building.<ref>Burgdorff Center gets $130K face-lift</ref>

Maplewoodstock

Every year, on the weekend following the weekend closest to July 4, there is a concert in town called Maplewoodstock. The free concert consists of local and national bands performing alongside various stalls showcasing local businesses.<ref>Black, Chris. "Maplewoodstock: Best Show Money Can't Buy" Template:Webarchive, The New York Times, July 13, 2009. Accessed September 8, 2012. "In its sixth year, Maplewoodstock reaches beyond the town borders, attracting patrons from the region, although it remains primarily a local community happening."</ref>

Architecture and landscape

Many of the more recognizable buildings and spaces were the work of famous architects and landscape designers. Most of the schools and the Municipal Building were the work of Guilbert & Betelle. The center of town is dominated by Memorial Park, a design of the Olmsted Brothers.<ref>Maplewood Memorial ParkTemplate:Dead link, Maplewood Historic Preservation Commission, December 2009. Accessed September 4, 2015.</ref> The Olmsted firm was also responsible for the landscaping at Ward Homestead, designed by John Russell Pope, and now known as Winchester Gardens, located on Elmwood Avenue. On the opposite side of town is another Olmsted work, South Mountain Reservation. The Maplewood Theater, designed by William E. Lehman, was where Cheryl Crawford first revived Porgy and Bess.<ref>"Maplewood Theater Stirs Memories", The New York Times, October 2, 1988. Accessed September 22, 2013. "The Maplewood was, at that time, in the very capable hands of Cheryl Crawford, a theater-wise executive from Manhattan who had been one of the founders of the illustrious Group Theater.... Miss Crawford topped it all off with a revival of Porgy and Bess that went into the Ziegfeld Theater in New York for a long run."</ref>

Popular culture

• Ultimate Frisbee (now called simply "Ultimate") was invented in Maplewood in 1968 by students at Columbia High School. A plaque commemorating the birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee is located in the student parking lot.<ref>Caldwell, Dave. "Still Competing at Ultimate Frisbee's Birthplace", The New York Times, November 13, 2008. Accessed August 5, 2013. "The lot is still there, its surface cracked and rutted with potholes. In the corner is a stone marker, erected in 1989, with a circular plaque carrying an inscription: 'Birthplace of Ultimate Frisbee, created by Columbia High School students in 1968.Template:'"</ref>
• Maplewood is the birthplace of the wooden golf tee, invented by William Lowell at the Maplewood Golf Club in 1921.<ref>Scottish Golf History: Derivation of Golf Tee, accessed December 13, 2006.</ref>
• Maplewood has been the site for several films, including I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Garden State, Gracie, One True Thing, Stepmom, and A Good Person.
• Zach Braff, a Columbia High School alumnus, filmed a scene in his 2004 film, Garden State, where he and Natalie Portman drive by the front of Columbia High School.
• In the 2007 film Gracie, the plot is set in and partially filmed in Maplewood and Columbia High School. Producer Andrew Shue and actress Elisabeth Shue both attended Columbia, and the plot is loosely based on their lives during high school.<ref>Bandler, Michael J. "The Will to Win; Elisabeth Shue and her brother Andrew had a dream to honor their brother's memory with a film about family and soccer. They didn't trust Hollywood to get it right, so they financed and filmed it here at home.", New Jersey Monthly, December 20, 2007. Accessed September 22, 2013. "Every family has its hallowed memories and its what-ifs. But few get to turn them into a full-length feature film as the Shues have done with Gracie, which was released last month. They shot the movie in South Orange and Maplewood, where the story is set, even filming inside their alma mater, Columbia High School."</ref>
• Bullet For My Valentine filmed their music video for "Waking the Demon" in Maplewood.Template:Citation needed
• The main character of the Robert Sheckley novel Dimension of Miracles, Thomas Carmody, is from Maplewood. He revisits the town, albeit one belonging in an alternate universe, late in the book.Template:Citation needed
• Novelist Philip Roth, who grew up in neighboring Newark refers to Maplewood in several of his novels, including Goodbye, Columbus.<ref>Bulger, Adam. "Blog: Philip Roth's Memories of Maplewood", Maplewood, NJ Patch, February 12, 2009. Accessed November 5, 2019. "It shouldn't be a surprise that Philip Roth made a passing reference to Maplewood in his early novella, Goodbye Columbus. The Portnoy's Complaint author is after all, from Newark, where GC is set."</ref>
• StarFish, a rock band for children.<ref>Graeber, Laurel. "Spare Times: For Children", The New York Times, June 18, 2010. Accessed January 27, 2011.</ref>

Parks and recreation

• Memorial Park is a Template:Convert park adjacent to the railway station, designed in the 1920s by landscape architects Brinley and Holbrook and the Olmsted Brothers that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref>About, Maplewood Memorial Park Conservancy. Accessed June 29, 2022.</ref> Other town parks include Maplecrest Park, DeHart Park and Milo S. Borden Park.
• The town is bordered to the northwest by South Mountain Reservation, a Template:Convert nature reserve on the Rahway River that is part of the Essex County Park System.<ref>South Mountain Reservation, Essex County Park System. Accessed June 29, 2022. "The South Mountain Reservation, covering 2,110 acres, is a nature reserve that is part of the Essex County Park System. It is located in central in portions of Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange, and borders South Orange, between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains."</ref>
• The East Branch of the Rahway River travels through the township.<ref>About the Rahway River Watershed, Rahway River Watershed Association. Accessed December 1, 2016. "The East Branch originates between West Orange and Orange and travels through South Orange and Maplewood. "</ref>

Government

Local government

File:Maplewood FD sunny jeh.jpg

Fire Headquarters

Maplewood is governed under the Township form of government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is a Township Committee, which is comprised of five members who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 103.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 7. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor for a one-year term, and another to serve as Deputy Mayor. The Mayor has the responsibility of Chair for the Township Committee meetings with voice and vote. The Mayor is considered the head of the municipal government.<ref name=About/>

File:Maplewood-municipal.jpg

Municipal Building

The Township Committee is the legislative body of the municipality and is responsible for enacting the township's laws. The Township Committee is also an executive body. Under this form of government, the elected Township Committee sets policy and overall direction for the Township. The Township staff, under the direction of the Township Administrator, carries out Committee policy and provides day to day services. The Township Administrator serves as the chief administrative officer and is accountable to the Township Committee.<ref name=About>About Us, Township of Maplewood. Accessed February 16, 2023. "Maplewood is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor for a one year term, and another to serve as Deputy Mayor."</ref>

Template:As of, members of the Maplewood Township Committee are Mayor Nancy J. Adams (D, term on committee ends December 31, 2027; term as mayor ends 2025), Deputy Mayor Malia Herman (D, term on committee ends 2027; term as deputy mayor ends 2025), Dean Dafis (D, 2026), Victor De Luca (D, 2026) and Deborah Engel (D, 2025).<ref name=Committee>Township Committee, Maplewood Township. Accessed January 21, 2025. "The Township of Maplewood operates under the Township Committee form of government, in which the five members are elected at-large to staggered three-year terms. The elections are partisan."</ref><ref>2024 Municipal Data Sheet, Maplewood Township. Accessed January 21, 2025.</ref><ref name=EssexDirectory>County Directory, Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed January 21, 2025.</ref><ref name=Essex2024>General Election November 5, 2024 Official Results, Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Essex2023>General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results, Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 27, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Essex2022>November 8, 2022, General Election Unofficial Results, Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 22, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

Fire protection in the township is provided by the South Essex Fire Department, which was formed in July 2022 as the successor to the former Maplewood Fire Department and South Orange Fire Department.<ref>"Maplewood, South Orange fire department merger appears to be working well, leaders say", Essex News Daily, August 14, 2022. Accessed July 5, 2023. "The South Orange and Maplewood fire departments were dissolved and combined into the South Essex Fire Department on July 1, finally ending a years-long saga that saw debate over whether or not the two departments should become one. The merger was finalized in April, when both the South Orange Board of Trustees and the Maplewood Township Committee passed resolutions authorizing the towns to form a regional fire service; the first joint meeting was held on April 8."</ref>

Federal, state, and county representation

File:Maplewood USPS 07040 jeh.jpg

Post Office

Maplewood is located in the 11th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2022>2022 Redistricting Plan, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 27th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>Districts by Number for 2011–2020, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

Politics

File:Maplewood NJ village Dec 2005.jpg

Maplewood Village

As of March 2011, there were a total of 16,399 registered voters in Maplewood, of which 9,306 (56.7%) were registered as Democrats, 1,439 (8.8%) were registered as Republicans and 5,645 (34.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Essex, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 5, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 84.4% of the vote (10,007 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 14.9% (1,764 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (91 votes), among the 11,924 ballots cast by the township's 17,391 registered voters (62 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 68.6%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 81.9% of the vote (10,649 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 16.6% (2,156 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (90 votes), among the 13,003 ballots cast by the township's 16,523 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.7%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Essex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 5, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 76.3% of the vote (9,113 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 22.7% (2,709 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (90 votes), among the 11,943 ballots cast by the township's 15,289 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 78.1.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Essex County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 5, 2012.</ref> Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow |}

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 69.0% of the vote (4,833 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 29.6% (2,074 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (97 votes), among the 7,116 ballots cast by the township's 17,502 registered voters (112 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.7%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 72.2% of the vote (5,871 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 20.3% (1,650 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.2% (507 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (65 votes), among the 8,135 ballots cast by the township's 16,202 registered voters, yielding a 50.2% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Essex County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 5, 2012.</ref>

Community

File:Maplewood Library jeh.jpg

Public Library

Maplewood is a diverse and family-friendly community. The township has a downtown area alternatively known as "the village" or "Maplewood Center". The structure of the downtown is largely unchanged since the 1950s. Maplewood won New Jersey Monthly magazine's Downtown Showdown in 2015, with the editor's noting the community's "myriad boutiques, art galleries and notable restaurants".<ref>Mullen, Maryrose. "Mighty Maplewood Wins Downtown Showdown; With myriad boutiques, art galleries and notable restaurants, Maplewood has emerged victorious in the bracket-style elimination competition.", New Jersey Monthly, September 29, 2015. Accessed November 10, 2015. "It's not New Jersey's biggest downtown, nor its best-known. But Maplewood, with its boutiques, art galleries and notable restaurants, has prevailed against all odds in New Jersey Monthly's Downtown Showdown, presented by Kings Food Markets."</ref>

Maplewood is home to a gay village or "gayborhood."<ref>Goldstein, Deborah. "Where the Gays Are - Are Maplewood and South Orange the gay-family Mecca of the tri-state area? Maplewood, NJ", Maplewood Patch, July 27, 2010. Accessed April 23, 2016.</ref> In June 2018, Maplewood unveiled permanently rainbow-colored crosswalks to celebrate LGBTQ pride across the full year.<ref>Dryfoos, Delanwy. "Town permanently painted crosswalk rainbow, because LGBT pride never goes away", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 7, 2018. Accessed November 5, 2019. "In Maplewood, LGBT pride doesn't just happen during Pride Month in June. And officials in town are proving it with a permanent change to a busy township intersection. Maplewood plans to unveil Thursday permanent rainbow striped crosswalks -- joining just a few other towns in the world that have done the same thing."</ref>

Maplewood counts among its residents a large number of theater professionals working in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, owing to the town's convenient rail access and relatively short commute via train into Manhattan. In 2010, a group of 32 of these actors and technicians formed their own repertory theater company and named it Midtown Direct Rep, after the NJ Transit line on which they all commuted.<ref>LaGorce, Tammy. "'Where Broadway Comes Home to SleepTemplate:'", The New York Times, August 27, 2010. Accessed May 1, 2016.</ref>

Education

File:Maplewood JHS cupola jeh.JPG

Maplewood Middle School

Maplewood is part of the unified South Orange-Maplewood School District, together with the neighboring community of South Orange. The district has a single high school (located in Maplewood), two middle schools, a central pre-school, and neighborhood elementary schools in each municipality. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 7,353 students and 576.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for South Orange-Maplewood School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2019–20 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.</ref>) are Montrose Early Childhood Center<ref>Montrose Early Childhood Center, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (133 students, in Pre-K; located in Maplewood), Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration School<ref>Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (493 students, in grades K–5 located in Maplewood), Clinton Elementary School<ref>Clinton Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (605, K–5; Maplewood), Jefferson Elementary School<ref>Jefferson Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (544, 3–5; Maplewood), Marshall Elementary School<ref>Marshall Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (518, K–2; South Orange), South Mountain Elementary School<ref>South Mountain Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (647, K–5; South Orange), South Mountain Elementary School Annex<ref>South Mountain Elementary School Annex, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (NA, K–1; South Orange), Tuscan Elementary School<ref>Tuscan Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (K–5, 637; Maplewood), Maplewood Middle School<ref>Maplewood Middle School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (827, 6–8; Maplewood), South Orange Middle School<ref>South Orange Middle School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (786, 6–8; South Orange) and Columbia High School<ref>Columbia High School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref> (1,967, 9–12; Maplewood).<ref>Our Schools, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

Transportation

Roads and highways

File:2018-07-17 12 36 56 View east along New Jersey State Route 124 (Springfield Avenue) between Laurel Avenue and Broadview Avenue in Maplewood Township, Essex County, New Jersey.jpg

Route 124 (Springfield Avenue) eastbound in Maplewood

Template:As of, the township had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Essex County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.<ref>Essex County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref> Two nearby controlled-access highways serve Maplewood: the Garden State Parkway, which runs north–south, and Interstate 78, which runs east–west.<ref>Essex County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 16, 2023.</ref>

There are approximately 226 streets within Maplewood. Springfield Avenue is a state highway (Route 124),<ref>Route 126 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated June 2017. Accessed November 26, 2022.</ref> from Irvington to Morristown, and four thoroughfares are Essex County roads (Valley Street, Millburn Avenue, Irvington Avenue, Wyoming Avenue), including County Route 577.<ref>County Route 577 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated June 2012. Accessed February 16, 2023.</ref>

Public transportation

File:Commuters in Maplewood NJ.jpg

Riders waiting for a train at Maplewood station bound for New York City during the morning rush hour

NJ Transit provides passenger rail service to Maplewood station<ref>Maplewood station, NJ Transit. Accessed October 25, 2014.</ref> on the Morristown Line and Gladstone Branch to Newark Broad Street Station, Secaucus Junction and New York Penn Station, with connecting service to Hoboken Terminal.<ref>Morristown Line Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed October 25, 2014.</ref><ref>Gladstone Branch Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed October 25, 2014.</ref>

NJ Transit bus service to Newark on the 25, 31, 37 and 70, and to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 107 route.<ref>Essex County Bus / Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed October 25, 2014.</ref><ref>Essex County System Map Template:Webarchive, NJ Transit. Accessed November 2, 2019.</ref> The township operates the rush-hour Maplewood Jitney service to and from the train station.<ref>Jitney Bus Services, Maplewood Township. Accessed February 16, 2023.</ref><ref>Jitney Shuttle Program in Maplewood, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, ICLEI. Accessed May 21, 2014.</ref>

Notable people

Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Maplewood include:

• Harriet Adams (1893–1982), author of some 200 books, including nearly 50 in the Nancy Drew series<ref>Chira, Susan. "Harriet Adams Dies; Nancy Drew Author Wrote 200 Novels", The New York Times, March 29, 1982. Accessed July 29, 2012. "Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who wrote nearly 200 children's books including many of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, died Saturday evening. She was 89 years old, and lived in Pottersville and Maplewood, N.J."</ref>
• Mobolaji Akiode (born 1982), former Nigerian women's professional basketball player<ref>Delo, Cotton. "CHS '99 Grad Starts Foundation for Nigerian Girls Mobolaji Akiode, 27, recently started Hope4GirlsAfrica, a non-profit designed to increase young African women's participation in sports.", South Orange, NJ Patch, February 1, 2010. Accessed February 10, 2020. "'There's never a wrong time to do the right thing,' said Akiode, 27, a 1999 graduate of Columbia High School, where she started playing basketball under Coach Johanna Wright, who bought her her first pair of basketball sneakers and with whom she still speaks constantly. Akiode came back to Maplewood for a two-week stretch, but she's currently based in Lagos, Nigeria, the country where she spent much of her childhood, though she lived in the U.S. for good starting in the early '90s."</ref>
• Jason Alexander (born 1959), actor, best known for his role as George Costanza in Seinfeld<ref>Meyers, Kate. "'Bye' George! Jason Alexander takes wing in Bye Bye Birdie – The Seinfeld star returns to his roots", Entertainment Weekly, December 1, 1995. Accessed July 3, 2019. "That’s how Jason Alexander’s mom describes her baby boy. And the facts bear her out: At 6, he was doing Bill Cosby in his Maplewood, N.J., schoolyard."</ref>
• Amy Arnsten, neuroscientist<ref>Amy Arnsten / Department of Psychology, Yale University. Accessed February 10, 2020. "Dr. Arnsten was raised in Maplewood, N.J. where she attended Columbia High School."</ref>
• Juliette Atkinson (1873–1944), tennis player who won the US Open singles title three times, in addition to seven US Open titles in doubles and three in mixed doubles<ref name=PDN1999>"Wins Have Been Served Family Style \ Serena, Venus Still Alive In Semis Of Singles, Doubles", Philadelphia Daily News, September 10, 1999, backed uo by the Internet Archive as of March 4, 2016. Accessed February 10, 2020. ""Juliette and Kathleen Atkinson, of Maplewood, NJ, reached the semis at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, with Juliette winning both titles."</ref>
• Kathleen Atkinson (1875–1957), tennis player who won two US Open doubles titles together with her sister Juliette<ref name=PDN1999/>
• Shan K. Bagby (born 1967), U.S. Army brigadier general and the 28th Chief of the Army Dental Corps<ref>Carter, Barry. "Salute this N.J. native. The Army’s top dentist is busting down racial barriers.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 14, 2019. Accessed February 23, 2022. "Shan K. Bagby didn’t know much about dentistry, but as an 8-year-old boy growing up in Newark, meeting a dentist in the 1970s stuck with him. The gentleman was African-American, like him.... He took advantage of his intellectual curiosity as a kid, who moved around a lot, before settling in Maplewood long enough to graduate in 1985 from Columbia High School."</ref>
• Dan Barry (born 1958), reporter for The New York Times<ref>Staff "Talk to the Newsroom: 'This Land' Columnist", The New York Times. Accessed November 18, 2013. "He lives in Maplewood, N.J., with his wife, Mary Trinity, and their two daughters, Nora and Grace."</ref>
• Arthur C. Bartner (born 1940), musician best known as the director of Spirit of Troy, the marching band for the University of Southern California from 1970-2020.<ref>Haithman, Diane. "The man behind the band at USC", Los Angeles Times, September 4, 2011. Accessed February 10, 2020. "What is the Trojan style, exactly? Bartner is the best guy to ask — he developed it. Raised in Maplewood, N.J., a trumpet player and jazz enthusiast with a doctorate in music education from the University of Michigan, Bartner was teaching high school music in that state when he was recruited by USC because of his history with the highly regarded Michigan band."</ref>
• Ahmed Best (born 1973), voice actor who portrayed Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars film series<ref>Givens, Ron. "Jar Wars: Fame & Blame Ahmed Best's Role As Offbeat Alien Triggers A Hot Debate" Template:Webarchive, New York Daily News, June 3, 1999. Accessed January 27, 2011. "Best himself was born at Roosevelt Hospital and grew up in the Soundview neighborhood in the Bronx. Best's family moved to Maplewood, N.J."</ref>
• Mark Blum (1950–2020), Obie Award-winning theater actor who also appeared extensively in films and television, including a lead role in the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan<ref>Staff. "Mark Blum, CHS Class of '68, Lead in Desperately Seeking Susan, Mozart in the Jungle, Dies of Coronavirus", Village Green of Maplewood and South Orange, March 26, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2020. "According to former Maplewood Township Committeeman Noel Siegel, Mark grew up in Maplewood and was the son of former Maplewood Planning Board Chair Mort Blum and his wife Loraine."</ref>
• Seth Boyden (1788–1870), inventor<ref>Seth Boyden Statue, Newark History. Accessed September 8, 2012. "Later on Boyden invented a made-to-order fire engine for Newark. The historical record ends with Boyden living in what is now Maplewood (then called Hilton), breeding a larger strawberry."</ref>
• Zach Braff (born 1975), actor, Scrubs, Garden State<ref>Strauss, Bob. "Why America loves Zach Braff", Los Angeles Daily News, September 12, 2006. Accessed May 1, 2016. "But the fact Braff didn't enter the family business might have something to do with growing up in Maplewood, New Jersey, and attending Columbia High School there."</ref>
• Marques Brownlee (born 1993), YouTube personality under the name 'MKBHD'<ref>Yu, Roger. "20-year-old YouTuber is tech reviewing star", USA Today, March 3, 2015. Accessed May 1, 2016. "Brownlee's interest in technology wasn't spotted early, but his sense of curiosity and poise have always stood out, say his parents, Jeaniene and Marlon Brownlee, who raised Brownlee and his sister, Simone, in Maplewood, N.J."</ref>
• Norbert Leo Butz (born 1967), actor, and his wife Michelle Federer (born 1973), an actress<ref>Fowler, Linda A. "Twain role is no drag for Butz", The Star-Ledger, January 9, 2008. Accessed January 27, 2011. "Butz's frisky performance won flat-out raves. More than one critic dubbed the Maplewood resident the funniest guy on Broadway."</ref>
• Mya Byrne (born 1978), singer, songwriter and guitarist<ref>Schweber, Nate. "Maplewood's Birnbaum Traces Open Road to City Music Success", MaplewoodPatch, April 9, 2010. Accessed July 1, 2011. "Musically it's a long way from Maplewood to Joe's Pub, a classy and revered Manhattan performance space that has showcased hundreds of renowned musicians including Pete Townsend, Elvis Costello and Bono. Jeremiah Birnbaum, a roots-minded, guitar-slinging songwriter who grew up in Maplewood, has made both journeys."</ref>
• P. J. Byrne (born 1974), film and television actor who has appeared in Horrible Bosses, Final Destination 5 and Wolf of Wall Street, as well as being the voice of Bolin on Nickelodeon's animated TV series The Legend of Korra<ref>Rohan, Virginia. "Old Tappan's P.J. Byrne co-stars on new CBS series 'IntelligenceTemplate:'", The Record, January 7, 2014. Accessed January 22, 2014. "Byrne — a cousin of former New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne — lived in Maplewood until the second grade, when his family briefly moved to Buffalo, then to Old Tappan."</ref>
• Archie Campbell (1903–1989), Major League Baseball player<ref>Staff. "New Angel Players No. 3--Archie Campbell", Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1937. Accessed May 1, 2016. "He was born in Maplewood, New Jersey, but started playing semipro baseball in Los Angeles, which is his home now."</ref><ref>Archie Campbell stats, accessed July 25, 2011.</ref>
• Patricia Charache (1929–2015), physician specializing in infectious disease and microbiology<ref>Rasmussen, Frederick N. Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Charache, 85, Hopkins infectious diseases specialist, medical microbiologist and educator, dies, The Baltimore Sun, September 15, 2015. Accessed August 3, 2019. "The daughter of two physicians — Harold S. Connamacher and Carye-Belle Henle — Patricia Connamacher was born and raised in Maplewood, N.J., where she graduated in 1948 from Maplewood High School."</ref>
• Alta Cohen (1908–2003), former professional baseball player who played outfield from 1931 to 1933 with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds<ref>"Oldest Brooklyn Dodgers' alumnus dies", The San Diego Union-Tribune, March 12, 2003. Accessed March 27, 2008.</ref>
• Claude Coleman Jr. (born 1948), musician who is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock group Ween.<ref>Jordan, Chris; and Biese, Alex. "Drum roll, please: New Jersey’s 12 greatest drummers", Asbury Park Press, August 28, 2016. Accessed September 2, 2022. "Claude Coleman Jr. (Maplewood) — When alt-rockers want to get weird without looking their grounding in the groove, they know to call on Maplewood native Claude Coleman Jr."</ref>
• Lee Crystal (1956-2013), stage name of Lee Sackett, drummer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts<ref>"Remembering and Honoring Maplewood’s Lee Sackett", The Village Green of Maplewood and South Orange, June 21, 2015. Accessed October 15, 2024. "When Maplewood’s Lee Sackett was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, his widow Maura Sackett graciously spent some time on the phone for an interview and sent some photos."</ref>
• Robert De Grasse (1900–1971), cinematographer<ref>Hoffmann, Henryk. "A" Western Filmmakers: A Biographical Dictionary of Writers, Directors, Cinematographers, Composers, Actors and Actresses", p. 196. McFarland & Company, 2000. Template:ISBN. Accessed May 1, 2016. "Robert De Grasse was born on February 9, 1900, in Maplewood, New Jersey."</ref>
• Paula Dow (born 1955), served from 2010 to 2012 as the 58th Attorney General of New Jersey, appointed by incoming Governor Chris Christie<ref>Baxter, Christopher. "N.J. Attorney General Paula Dow leaves office after nearly 2 stressful, sometimes frustrating, years", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 3, 2010. Accessed May 1, 2016. "'It's a 24/7 type job, requiring you to reach out to all corners of the state, daytime and nighttime,' said Dow, a 56-year-old former Essex County prosecutor from Maplewood."</ref>
• Jacqueline Dubrovich (born 1994), Olympic foil fencer, team Olympic gold medal winner
• Asher Brown Durand (1796–1886), painter<ref>New Jersey Landscape Artists, State of New Jersey. Accessed December 19, 2006.Template:Dead link</ref>
• Raymond M. Durkin (1936–2014), politician who served as chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee<ref>"Essex County Dedicates Plaque for Raymond Durkin", The Village Green of Maplewood and South Orange, April 22, 2015. Accessed February 10, 2020. "Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. (at right in photo) dedicated a bronze plaque honoring the life and legacy of the late Raymond M. Durkin on Wednesday, April 22.... The plaque was placed on the promenade in the Essex County Government Complex to raise awareness about Mr. Durkin’s contributions to Essex County. He was a resident of Maplewood when he passed away on December 23, 2014, at the age of 78."</ref>
• Christine Ebersole (born 1953), actress and Tony Award winner, is a current resident<ref>Channeling the Grey Ghosts: Christine Ebersole chats about—and with—Little Edie Beale., New York Magazine, Fall 2006 Preview Guide, accessed December 13, 2006.</ref>
• Pablo Eisenberg (1932–2022), scholar, social justice advocate and tennis player<ref>"Shorts", Jewish Post, January 9, 1948. Accessed August 24, 2022. "Pablo Eisenberg of Maplewood, N. J. was beaten in the finale of the national indoor boys event by Fred Jax of Hamtramck, Mich. 4-6, 6-3 and 6-2."</ref>
• Mike Enoch (born 1977), White Nationalist blogger and podcaster, founder of The Right Stuff Radio<ref>Staff. "Philly.com: Top Neo-Nazi Shock Jock Grew Up in Maplewood NJ", Village Green of Maplewood and South Orange, October 26, 2017. Accessed July 3, 2019. "According to a report on Philly.com today, neo-Nazi shock jock and white supremacist Mike Enoch grew up in Maplewood NJ and attended Columbia High School."</ref>
• Paul R. Ehrlich (born 1932), entomologist, professor of population studies and author of The Population Bomb<ref>Polner, Murray. "Paul R. Erlich", American Jewish Biographies, p. 88. Facts on File, 1982. Template:ISBN. "During his childhood his family moved to Maplewood, New Jersey, where he was graduated from Columbia High School in 1949."</ref>
• Bruce Feirstein (born 1956), screenwriter and humorist best known for his contributions to the James Bond series and his best selling humor books, including Real Men Don't Eat Quiche<ref>Lovenheim, Barbara. "'Real Man' Limns Singles Life", The New York Times, October 5, 1986. Accessed August 5, 2013. "Born in Maplewood, N.J., he began writing parodies in the eighth grade, but he didn't know what to do with his wit."</ref>
• Fred Feldman (born 1941), philosopher who specializes in ethical theory.<ref>1959 Mirror Yearbook, Columbia High School, 1959. Accessed November 1, 2022.</ref>
• David Ferry (1924–2023), poet and translator who won the National Book Award for Poetry in 2012<ref>Lenfield, Spencer Lee. "Line by Line; Poet and translator David Ferry", Harvard Magazine, May–June 2015. Accessed May 19, 2024. "He was raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, a suburb west of Newark, with his father’s extended family scattered across neighboring towns."</ref>
• Christian Fuscarino (born Template:Circa), community organizer, LGBT activist and the Executive Director of Garden State Equality<ref>"How guts, grit and gusto helped one of N.J.'s most influential LGBT advocates change the game", Inside Jersey, July 25, 2018. Accessed July 3, 2019. "He moved with his mother to Maplewood, and once he got settled into Columbia High School, change is what he made."</ref>
• Justin Brice Guariglia (born 1974), visual artist and former National Geographic photographer<ref>Loos, Ted. "A Man on an Eco-Mission in Mixed Media", The New York Times, August 29, 2017. Accessed May 23, 2020. "Mr. Guariglia grew up in Maplewood, N.J., and was a freelance photojournalist based in Asia for 20 years, taking pictures for The New York Times, Time, National Geographic and others."</ref>
• Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa (born 2001), climate justice activist, known for his role as UNESCO and WHO Youth Advisor and Executive Director of Climate Cardinals<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Jules Heningburg (born 1996), professional lacrosse player on the Redwoods Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League and New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League<ref>Hamilton, Matt. "Jules Heningburg: Maplewood Kid to Tewaaraton Candidate", USA Lacrosse Magazine, April 12, 2018. Accessed May 16, 2021. "After a baptism under fire during his freshman year at Rutgers, senior Jules Heningburg is reaching his peak in the college lacrosse world at just the right time for the Scarlet Knights.... It’s quire an achievement for a player that didn’t attract much attention from top-tier Division I programs coming out of Seton Hall Prep (N.J.).... But it comes as no surprise given his upbringing in the lacrosse hotbed of Maplewood, N.J."</ref>
• Grace Foster Herben (1864–1938), educator and missionary<ref>"Mrs. Stephen J. Herben; Widow of Minister Was Long Active in Missionary Work", The New York Times, July 23, 1938. Accessed April 2, 2021. "Mrs. Grace Foster Herben of Maplewood, long prominent in missionary work and widow of the Rev. Stephen J. Herben, died today at the Orange Memorial Hospital at the age of 74."</ref>
• R. Graham Huntington (1897–1957), politician who served three terms in the New Jersey General Assembly representing Essex County.<ref>Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 165, p. 242. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1941. Accessed December 27, 2022. "R. Graham Huntington (Rep., Maplewood) Mr. Huntington was born in Newark, New Jersey, on May 17, 1897."</ref>
• Mark Jacoby (born 1947), musical theatre performer who has had leading roles on Broadway<ref>Cutler, Jacqueline. "N.J. actor commands the Broadway stage as Neil Diamond", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 23, 2023. "Mark Jacoby is that rarity — he earns more as an actor than he did as a lawyer. The Maplewood resident stars on Broadway as present-day Neil Diamond in A Beautiful Noise, where he recounts his life to a therapist, played by Linda Powell."</ref>
• David Javerbaum (born 1971), executive producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart<ref>Meoli, Daria. "That's Entertainment" Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Monthly, October 2005. Accessed December 26. "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart is still the best fake newscast on TV, thanks to Lawrenceville native Stewart and head writer and Maplewood native David Javerbaum."</ref>
• Amos E. Joel Jr. (1918–2008), electrical engineer who invented a switching device that allowed for the creation of cell phones, among his more than 70 patents<ref>Martin, Andrew. "Amos E. Joel Jr., Cellphone Pioneer, Dies at 90", The New York Times, October 27, 2008. Accessed June 27, 2016. "Amos E. Joel Jr., an inventor whose switching device opened the way for the cellular phone business, died Oct. 25 at his home in Maplewood, N.J."</ref>
• Benjamin Franklin Jones (1869–1935), Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly in 1900<ref>Staff. "B. F. Jones, 65, Dies; Active In Politics; Former Speaker of New Jersey Assembly Had Also Served on the Bench.", The New York Times, September 27, 1935. Accessed June 9, 2010.</ref>
• Joe Kinney (born Template:Circa), college baseball coach and former outfielder who is the head coach of the Lafayette Leopards baseball team<ref>Logic, Jack. "Kinney Wants To Add Trophy To Lafayette Baseball History", The Morning Call, September 19, 1999. Accessed November 12, 2018. "Kinney, who hails from Maplewood, Essex County, N.J., was influenced by his father, Joe Jr., an avid baseball fan who followed the exploits of the old Newark, N.J., Bears in the International League."</ref>
• Eileen Kraus (1938–2017), business executive who broke the glass ceiling to become the first woman to run a major bank in Connecticut<ref>Gosselin, Kenneth R. "Eileen Kraus, a Banker Who Broke Barriers, Dies", Hartford Courant, July 8, 2017. Accessed May 1, 2022. "Eileen Shanley Kraus was born July 19, 1938, and grew up in Maplewood and Short Hills, N.J."</ref>
• Ken Kurson (born 1968), political consultant, writer and journalist, who was editor-in-chief of The New York Observer between 2013 and 2017<ref>Atmonavage, Joe. "N.J. man, associate of Kushner, Giuliani, arrested by feds on cyberstalking charges", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 23, 2020. Accessed February 4, 2023. "Ken Kurson, 52, of Maplewood, surrendered to authorities in Brooklyn and has been charged with cyberstalking for allegedly engaging 'in a pattern of stalking and harassment' of three people between November 2015 and December 2015 and using multiple aliases to do so, according to the criminal complaint."</ref>
• George Ludlow Lee Sr. (1901–1966), chairman of the board of Red Devil, Inc.
• Leyla McCalla (born 1985), musician<ref>Rentner, Simon. "Cellist, Banjoist, and Singer-Songwriter Leyla McCalla Revisits Her Own Root System, on The Checkout", WBGO, December 4, 2017. Accessed January 15, 2020. "Leyla McCalla has traveled a winding path as a musician, from the European classical canon to the folkways of her Caribbean heritage. Born into a Haitian-American family in Queens, she was raised in Maplewood, and brought up in the New Jersey public school system."</ref>
• William G. McLoughlin (1922–1992), historian and prominent member of the history department at Brown University from 1954 to 1992<ref>Daniels, Lee A. "W. G. McLoughlin, Professor of History At Brown, Dies at 70", The New York Times, January 6, 1993. Accessed September 23, 2013. "He was born in Maplewood, N.J., served as an Army officer in Europe in World War II, graduated from Princeton University in 1947 and received a doctorate from Harvard University in 1953."</ref>
• Cedric McMillan (1977–2022), IFBB professional bodybuilder<ref>"Maplewood Native Cedric McMillan Places in Nationwide Bodybuilding Competition", The Village Green, October 5, 2017. Accessed April 12, 2022.</ref>
• Anisa Mehdi, film director and journalist<ref>Curtiss, Richard H. Dr. Mohammad T. Mehdi (1928–1998), Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 1998. Accessed August 27, 2007. "Subsequently they had three daughters, Anisa, who now lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, Janan Chandler of Mississauga, Ontario, and Laila Hilfinger of Seattle."</ref>
• Richard Meier (born 1934), architect whose work includes his design of the Getty Center<ref>Meier, Richard. Building the Getty, p. 6. University of California Press, 1999. Template:ISBN. Accessed June 14, 2011. "At Columbia High School in my hometown of Maplewood, New Jersey, I took the usual art history and art courses."</ref>
• Bea Miller (born 1999), finalist on The X Factor<ref>Kuperinsky, Amy. "'X Factor': Beatrice Miller, from Maplewood to 'giant mountain' in Malibu", The Star-Ledger, October 17, 2012. Accessed November 1, 2012. "Beatrice Miller has made it to the top 24 contestants on The X Factor, the talent competition judged by the likes of Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, L.A. Reid and Demi Lovato. Tonight, the 13-year-old from Maplewood finds out if she advances to the top 16."</ref>
• Grace Mirabella (1929–2021), fashion journalist who was editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine between 1971 and 1988, after which she founded Mirabella magazine<ref>McGlone, Peggy. "Editor's memoir laments out-of-touch fashion industry", Star Tribune, October 8, 1995. Accessed December 30, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "When she was in fifth grade, she moved with her parents to suburban Maplewood, N.J. ('That kind of told us things were getting better economically') and eventually she attended and graduated from Columbia High School there."</ref>
• Candy Moore (born 1947), actress who began her career appearing on television series as Leave It to Beaver, The Lucy Show and Letter to Loretta<ref>Leonard, Vince. "A 'Little Lucy'... Kind Of", The Pittsburgh Press, November 29, 1964. Accessed April 2, 2021. "Candy lives with her parents in North Hollywood. Born in Maplewood, N. J., Aug. 26, 1947, Candy started modeling in New York when she was 5. At 7, she was already doing television commercials."</ref>
• Paul J. Moore (1868–1938), represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district from 1927 to 1929<ref>Paul John Moore biography, United States Congress. Accessed July 11, 2007.</ref>
• Clayton Morris (born 1976), Fox News Channel co-host<ref>Cardwell, Diane. "LEDs Emerge as a Popular 'Green' Lighting", The New York Times, January 21, 2013. Accessed January 21, 2013. "'One day I randomly walked into a Home Depot and thought, LED — when did that happen?' said Clayton Morris, 36, a host of Fox & Friends Weekend, who was buying the bulbs in Vauxhall as part of his project to slowly replace the incandescents in his Maplewood home."</ref>
• Ibtihaj Muhammad (born 1985), former sabre fencer and on the U.S. fencing team, best known for being the first Muslim woman to wear a hijab to compete for the U.S. team at the 2016 Summer Olympics<ref>Carter, Barry. "N.J. Muslim fencer at the tipping point of Olympic history", The Star-Ledger, February 12, 2016. Accessed August 8, 2016. "Ibtihaj Muhammad of Maplewood qualified for the Olympics and is considered to be the first American Muslim woman to compete in the games wearing a hijab, the scarf that covers her head."</ref>
• Yosh Nijman (born 1995), American football offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League<ref>Yosuah Nijman, Virginia Tech Hokies football. Accessed October 25, 2020. "Hometown: Maplewood, N.J.; High School: Columbia"</ref>
• Kevin O'Connor (born 1968/1969), television personality who has been the host of the PBS home renovation series This Old House since 2003<ref>McCutcheon, Lauren. "Kevin O'Connor reveals how to get your home on This Old House, The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 16, 2018. Accessed March 26, 2018. "When This Old House host Kevin O’Connor takes the main stage at the Philadelphia Home Show this weekend, he’ll represent the O.G. of home-renovation shows. The Maplewood, N.J., native has hosted the contractor- and tradesperson-driven PBS program for 15 years, following hosts Steve Thomas (1989-2003) and Bob Vila (1979-89)."</ref>
• Ellen Pao (born 1970), lawyer and business executive, who was CEO of Reddit<ref>Primack, Dan, "Ellen Pao has landed ... at Reddit",Fortune, April 11, 2013. Accessed July 20, 2015. "In the post, Pao offered the following statement to Reddit users: 'I grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, raised by enginerds on Star Wars, computers and books.Template:'"</ref><ref>Quinn, Sean. "CHS grad loses gender inequity complaint" Template:Webarchive, Essex News Daily, April 12, 2015. Accessed July 20, 2015. "After leaving her hometown of Maplewood, Pao garnered degrees from Princeton University, Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School."</ref>
• Kym Ragusa (born 1966), writer and documentary filmmaker<ref>"Voices from the Gaps:: Kym Ragusa", University of Minnesota. Accessed December 27, 2017. "Her father was still not ready to acknowledge that he had a child, but eventually the secret was revealed to her grandparents when she came to live with them in Maplewood, New Jersey."</ref>
• Zander Rhodes (born 2003), 2020 Women’s Junior Foil World Champion, Columbia High School Class of 2021.<ref>"CHS Grad Zander Rhodes Is Junior Women’s Foil World Champion," The Village Green.</ref><ref>"Zander Rhodes," Columbia University.</ref><ref>"Zander Rhodes High School," Sportskeeda.</ref>
• James Ricalton (1844–1929), teacher, photographer and inventor<ref>Davie, Valerie. "World Traveler, Explorer, Photographer", Maplewood Matters. Accessed December 14, 2007.</ref>
• Eugene G. Rochow (1909–2002), inorganic chemist who worked on organosilicon chemistry<ref>Bohning, James J. "Transcript of Interview with Eugene G. Rochow on January 24, 1995", Science History Institute. Accessed February 22, 2018.</ref>
• Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), spent several summers in Maplewood visiting his uncle Cornelius V.S. Roosevelt's home and property, known as The Hickories, covering Template:Convert, an area now partly covered by Roosevelt Road and Kermit Road<ref>Bausmith, John C. "Maplewood", p. 62. Arcadia Publishing, 1999. Template:ISBN. Accessed January 27, 2011.</ref>
• Rotimi (born 1988), actor and singer<ref>Staff. "7 facts you should know about Nigerian singer signed by 50 Cent", Nigerian Entertainment Today, June 25, 2015. Accessed August 7, 2017. "Rotimi was born in Maplewood, New Jersey to Nigerian parents and attended Columbia High School where he was marked out as a talent both on the school’s basketball team and the choir."</ref>
• Herb Scherer (1929–2012), professional basketball player who played for the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and New York Knicks<ref>Staff. "Former Blackbird Herb Scherer Passes Away" Template:Webarchive, LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds, July 3, 2012. Accessed July 29, 2012. "Herb was born on December 21, 1928, at home in Maplewood, New Jersey. He attended Bloomfield Technical High School and Long Island University where he graduated in 1950 with a BS degree in physical education. A college basketball star, Herb was on the starting five of the nationally ranked LIU Blackbirds. Herb was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1950 where he played from 1951–1952. He married Mary Buist on June 9, 1951 and they settled in Parsippany, New Jersey for the next thirty years in the home he built for them."</ref>
• Norman Schwarzkopf Sr. (1895–1958), first superintendent of the New Jersey State Police and father of U.S. Army general Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.<ref>Schwarzkopf, Norman Jr., "It doesn't take a hero: General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the autobiography", p. 76. Random House, 1993. Template:ISBN. Accessed January 27, 2011.</ref>
• Robert Sheckley (1928–2005), science fiction writer<ref>Jonas, Gerald. "Robert Sheckley, 77, Writer of Satirical Science Fiction, Is Dead", The New York Times, December 10, 2005. Accessed November 20, 2007. "Born in Brooklyn and raised in Maplewood, N.J., Robert Sheckley joined the Army in 1946 after graduating from high school, and served in Korea."</ref>
• Tim Squyres (born 1959), film editor of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hulk, Life of Pi and Syriana, among others<ref>Shyrock, Bob. "South Jersey native nominated for Oscar for 'Life of PiTemplate:'", South Jersey Times, January 12, 2013. Accessed October 24, 2015. "Former Wenonah resident Tim Squyres, who has edited 11 of director Ang Lee's 12 films, has been nominated for an Oscar for his work on Lee's acclaimed fantasy adventure Life of Pi.... Nominated for an Oscar previously for editing Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Squyres is a graduate of Gateway Regional High School and Cornell University whose parents reside in Wenonah. The father of two, Squyres now lives in Maplewood in Essex County."</ref>
• SZA (born 1989), Neo Soul / R&B artist<ref>Sunderman, Eric. "From Buried in Books to Behind the Bar, Solana Rowe Sings Her Way Out", The Village Voice, April 10, 2013. Accessed May 28, 2014. "Raised an Orthodox Muslim, Rowe spent the first 10 years of her life in St. Louis, Missouri, before moving to Maplewood, New Jersey."</ref>
• Agnes Sligh Turnbull (1888–1982), novelist and short story author<ref>Waggoner, Walter H. "Agnes Turnbull, Novelist, 93, Dies", The New York Times, February 2, 1982. Accessed July 29, 2012. "Agnes Sligh Turnbull, a popular and prolific novelist and shortstory writer, died Sunday at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. She was 93 years old and had lived in Maplewood, N.J., for 60 years."</ref>
• Judith Viorst (born 1931), author and journalist<ref>Aarons, Leroy. "Judith Viorst Wrote 'Sometimes I Hate My Husband,' but to Author Hubby Milton, That's Poetic License" Template:Webarchive, People, February 18, 1980 Vol. 13 No. 7. Accessed August 4, 2016. "Born in Maplewood, N.J., the daughter of an accountant and a mother 'who was a reader and a bridge player,' Judith Stahl started writing poetry at age 7."</ref>
• George M. Wallhauser (1900–1993), represented Template:Ushr from 1959 to 1965<ref>George Marvin Wallhauser, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed December 13, 2007.</ref>
• Charles V. Webb Jr. (1910–2010), politician who served as prosecutor of Essex County, New Jersey<ref>Bennett, Cliff. "Webb appointed by Driscoll to replace Gaulkin as Essex County prosecutor", The Star-Ledger, November 14, 1953. Accessed March 7, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "He studied after graduating from Orange High School and started work as a bookkeeper.... His home is at 20 Oberlin st., Maplewood."</ref>
• George W. Webber (1920–2010), president of the New York Theological Seminary<ref>Martin, Douglas. "George W. Webber, Social Activist Minister, Dies at 90", The New York Times, July 12, 2010. Accessed November 12, 2018. "The Rev. George W. Webber, a Protestant minister and educator whose quest to make religion more socially relevant led him to remake a major seminary, start storefront churches in East Harlem and begin a program to educate prison inmates as pastors, died Saturday at his home in Maplewood, N.J."</ref>
• Kiely Williams (born 1986), singer / actress from The Cheetah Girls<ref>Jackson, Chanta L. "Jersey girl in spotlight as Cheetah Girls return", The Star-Ledger, August 12, 2008. Accessed February 7, 2011. "But you might not know that Aqua, the brainy Cheetah Girl, is played by Kiely Williams, a Jersey girl who grew up in Newark and Maplewood and whose family lives in Hunterdon County."</ref>
• Richard Wolin (born 1952), historian<ref>Richard Wolin profile, Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed September 23, 2013. "Richard Wolin – Location: Maplewood, N.J."</ref>
• Teresa Wright (1918–2005), actress<ref>Thomas, Bob. "Teresa Wright Pride of the Yankees co-star dies" Template:Webarchive, copy of item from Associated Press, March 8, 2005. Accessed May 15, 2007. "Wright was born in New York City on Oct. 27, 1918, and grew up in Maplewood, N.J., where she showed promise in theatricals at Columbia High School."</ref>

Sources

• League of Women Voters: Maplewood – More than a Train Stop, published privately
• Bates, Helen B. (ed): Maplewood Past and Present – A Miscellany, Maplewood: 1948, Princeton University Press

External links

• Township of Maplewood official website
• Maplewood Sex Offender Map
• Maplewood Sex Offender Map
• South Orange-Maplewood School District
• South Orange-Maplewood Place NJ