Camden, New Jersey

Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey, United States. Located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is part of the Delaware Valley. The population was 71,791 at the 2020 census. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828. Camden has been the county seat of Camden County since the county's formation on March 13, 1844. Camden is made up of over 20 neighborhoods, and is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

The initial growth of Camden industrially is often credited to the "big three" employers: RCA Victor, Campbell's Soup Company and New York Shipbuilding Corporation. The "big three" felt compelled to move away from Camden in the mid-to-late-20th century as they could find cheaper workers elsewhere. Though the city has declined in recent decades since the decline of heavy industry in the area and white flight to the suburbs, the city has made efforts to revitalize itself through various infrastructure and community projects.

Projects such as the redevelopment of the waterfront area brought three tourist attractions to the area: the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial, the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion and the Adventure Aquarium. The city is the home of Rutgers University–Camden, which was founded as the South Jersey Law School in 1926, and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which opened in 2012. Camden also houses both Cooper University Hospital and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Camden County College and Rowan University also have campuses in downtown Camden. The "eds and meds" institutions account for roughly 45% of Camden's total employment.

Once known for violent crime, the restructuring of the police force in 2013 has been credited for its decline. As of January 2021, violent crime was down 46% from its high in the 1990s and at the lowest level since the 1960s. Overall crime reports in 2020 were down 74% compared to 1974, the first year of uniform crime-reporting in the city.

History

Prehistory

The city traces back to local indigenous Lenape, who are believed to have inhabited this area 13–15,000 years prior to the first European settlers.

Settlement years (1623–1701)

Between 1623 and 1627, Captain Cornelius Jacobsen May, an officer with the Dutch West India Company and first director of New Netherland, established Fort Nassau, where the Delaware River meets Big Timber Creek, which is today known as Brooklawn. In 1633, David Pietersen De Vries, a Dutch commander, was sailing up the Delaware River when he came across Natives in control of the fort. The settlers that had been left at the fort had decided to return to New Amsterdam (Today Manhattan, New York). Wouter van Twiller, Governor of New Netherland, restored Fort Nassau. He was accused of extravagant spending in the fort's reconstruction. The settlement subsequently sparked competition from European Settlers over control of the fur trade in the area. The fort was used by the Dutch until around 1650 or 1651 when it was decided that it was too far up the river to be of any value. The buildings and stockades were demolished and Wouter van Twiller assigned Arent Corssen to find a place for another fort.

The British first had a presence in the area in 1634. On June 21, 1634, Sir Edmund Ployden was given a charter from King Charles I of England for all territory that lies between New England and Maryland. After the Restoration in 1660, previous claims were largely overwritten, the land around Camden was then controlled by different nobles serving under King Charles II that those associated with Sir Edmund Ployden.

Founding and early years (1828–1890)

In the 19th century Camden underwent significant changes, transitioning from a hub of transportation to a growing city. Camden was incorporated as a city on February 13, 1828, from portions of Newton Township, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. In 1832, Camden Township was created as a township coextensive with Camden City. The township existed until it was repealed in 1848.

Industrial growth (1891–1950)

At the turn 20th Century, industry grew rapidly at the hands of companies such as the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor), Campbell Soup Company and the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. These were major employers in Camden, at times employing tens of thousands in and outside of Camden. Its location on the Delaware River made it ideal to launch ships.

Camden also experienced dramatic shifts in its population demographic. Immigration from Eastern Europe made them the leading ethnic group by 1920, whereas it had previously been German, British, and Irish immigrants. In 1926, a bridge connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania opened, which was formally named the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in 1956. The project cost $37 million (equivalent to $ million in ), split evenly between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The goal was to reduce ferry traffic between Philadelphia and Camden.

Camden Central Airport opened in 1929 and was used by several major airlines until Philadelphia International Airport opened in 1939 and brought air service across the Delaware River. The airport officially closed in April 1957, with a shopping center to be constructed on the site.

During the 1930s, Camden faced economic decline in the face of the Great Depression. It was due to Camden's thriving industry that they did not go bankrupt. The United States role in World War II made the New York Shipbuilding Company the largest and most productive ship yard in the world. World War II caused African American migration in and around Camden from the south as there was a need for factory workers for the war effort. Subsequently, Camden became ethnically and religiously segregated. On July 17, 1951, the Delaware River Port Authority, a bi-state agency, was created to promote trade and better coordinate transportation between the two cities of Camden and Philadelphia.

Industrial decline (1951–1991)

However, by the 1950s, manufacturing began to slow, causing industries to relocate and employment to dwindle. This Capital Flight was an attempt to avoid an increase in labor wages which unionized workers were fighting for.

During this period there was a large amount of white flight, in which white residents moved to surrounding suburbs in search of safety and economic opportunity. Along with this, civil unrest grew resulting in riots. Police brutality and crime were at an all-time high which further exacerbated Camden's problems.

Revitalization (1992–present)

thumb|The [[River Line (NJ Transit)|River Line's Cooper Street–Rutgers University station stop]]

Efforts to revitalize Camden began in 1980 with Mayor Randy Primas. In an attempt to generate income for the city, he pursued initiatives such as the construction of a riverfront state-prison and a trash-to-steam incinerator which received substantial opposition from residents. With the election of Milton Milan as Camden's next mayor, he declared the city bankrupt, which resulted in $60 million of aid and the state's assumption of Camden's finances. Another notable revitalization effort was the establishment of non-profit organization, The Parkside Business and Community In Partnership, which occurred in 1993 and is active today.

Redevelopment

alt=An image of Camden Towers, American Water Headquarters and 11 Cooper St Apartments|thumb|Camden Towers (left), American Water Headquarters (center), and 11 Cooper St Apartments (right) in Camden

thumb|The former Camden Downtown Branch of the Camden County Library

Redevelopment as an idea has loomed over the city since the 1980s, when Mayor Primas started looking for projects to be able to revitalize with the loss of several foundational industries in the preciding decades. In 2013 the New Jersey Economic Development Authority introduced incentives for companies to relocate to Camden. Other projects include the redevelopment of the Waterfront, the construction of the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex, and the Subaru of America's headquarters.

2020s

In recent years, Camden has transitioned from a manufacturing industry to an economy focused on education and healthcare. The Eds-and-Meds Industry has become the largest source of employment in Camden—with institutions such as Cooper University Hospital, Rowan University, Rutgers-Camden, Camden County College, Virtua, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, and CAMcare. In October 2025, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJDEA) issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) to solicit development proposals of 16 acres along the North Camden waterfront on the site of the former prison, which had been demolished in 2009, as well as part of the Weeks Marine site; enacting on a redevelopment place in place since 2014.

Culture

alt=A community sign near Camden's Cooper Grant neighborhood showcasing the cities unofficial tagline "A City Invincible"|thumb|"A City Invincible" sign, the city's official tagline, near Camden's [[Cooper Grant, Camden|Cooper Grant neighborhood]]

thumb|The Battleship [[USS New Jersey (BB-62)|USS New Jersey on the Camden waterfront in 2010]]

Camden's role as an industrial city gave rise to distinct neighborhoods and cultural groups that have affected the growth and decline of the city over the course of the 20th century. Camden is also home to historic landmarks detailing its rich history in literature, music, social work and industry such as the Walt Whitman House,

Camden's cultural history has been greatly affected by both its economic and social position over the years. From 1950 to 1970, industry plummeted, resulting in close to 20,000 jobs being lost for Camden residents. This mass unemployment as well as social pressure from neighboring townships caused an exodus of citizens, mostly white. This gap was filled by new African American and Latino citizens and led to a restructuring of Camden's communities. The number of White citizens who left to neighboring towns such as Collingswood or Cherry Hill left both new and old African American and Latino citizens to re-shape their community. To help in this process, numerous not-for-profit organizations such as Hopeworks or the Neighborhood Center were formed to facilitate Camden's movement into the 21st century. The Hispanic and Latino Community in the city has increased heavily in the past twenty years, but have had a long history in Camden. Puerto Rican Unity for Progress is a multi-service, community-based organization that is located in Camden and serves the Hispanic community who reside in the city. The organization was established in 1976 and opened its physical location at 437 Broadway Street in Camden in June 1978.

Arts and entertainment

The Arts and Entertainment have always been presence in the city. In the early 20th century, Camden became a hub of music and innovation in entertainment with the presence of the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor). It is the birthplace of celebrities such as singers Russ Columbo and Lola Falana. Today, Camden is home to individuals and groups that help bolster the arts in the city.

Religion

thumb|Newton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

Camden has religious institutions including many churches and their associated non-profit organizations and community centers such as the Little Rock Baptist Church in the Parkside section of Camden, First Nazarene Baptist Church, Kaighn Avenue Baptist Church, and the Parkside United Methodist Church. Other congregations that are active now are Newton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends on Haddon Avenue and Cooper Street and the Masjid on Mechanic Street.

The first Scientology church was incorporated in December 1953 in Camden by L. Ron Hubbard, his wife Mary Sue Hubbard, and John Galusha.

thumb|Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Broadway and Ferry Ave in Camden

Father Michael Doyle, the pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church located in South Camden, has played a large role in Camden's spiritual and social history. In 1971, Doyle was part of the Camden 28, a group of anti-Vietnam War activists who planned to raid a draft board office in the city. This is noted by many as the start of Doyle's activities as a radical 'Catholic Left'. Following these activities, Monsignor Doyle went on to become the pastor of Sacred Heart Church, remaining known for his poetry and activism. Monsignor Doyle and the Sacred Heart Church's main mission is to form a connection between the primarily white suburban surrounding areas and the inner-city of Camden.

In 1982, Father Mark Aita of Holy Name of Camden founded the St. Luke's Catholic Medical Services. Aita, a medical doctor and a member of the Society of Jesus, created the first medical system in Camden that did not use rotating primary care physicians. Since its conception, St. Luke's has grown to include Patient Education Classes as well as home medical services, aiding over seven thousand Camden residents.

Philanthropy

thumb|Cathedral Kitchen in Camden

The city has long had a history of philanthropy and charity, dating back to its founding. The city's founding families were quakers that were very interested in charitable causes like the care of orphans and helping runaway slaves. They were members of the Society of Friends whose members were the likes of William Penn. In 1865, the Society of Friends founded the Camden Home for Friendless Children. Since that home was segregated, the Society of Friends opened the West Jersey Colored Orphanage in 1874.

Camden has a variety of non-profit Tax-Exempt Organizations aimed to assist city residents with a wide range of health and social services free or reduced charge to residents. Camden City, having one of the highest rates of poverty in New Jersey, fueled residents and local organizations to develop organizations aimed to provide relief to its citizens. As of the 2000 Census, Camden's income per capita was $9,815. This ranking made Camden the poorest city in the state of New Jersey, as well as one of the poorest cities in the United States. Camden also has one of the highest rates of childhood poverty in the nation.

Largest employers

Campbell Soup Company
Cooper University Hospital
Delaware River Port Authority
L3Harris Technologies, formerly L3 Technologies and L-3 Communications
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center
Rutgers University–Camden
State of New Jersey
New Jersey Judiciary
Subaru of America; relocated from Cherry Hill in 2018
UrbanPromise Ministry (largest private employer of teenagers)

Urban enterprise zone

Portions of Camden are part of a joint Urban Enterprise Zone. The city was selected in 1983 as one of the initial group of 10 zones chosen to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6.625% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in September 1988, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023.

The UEZ program in Camden and four other original UEZ cities had been allowed to lapse as of January 1, 2017, after Governor Chris Christie, who called the program an "abject failure", vetoed a compromise bill that would have extended the status for two years. In May 2018, Governor Phil Murphy signed a law that reinstated the program in these five cities and extended the expiration date in other zones.

Geography and architecture

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 10.34 square miles (26.78 km2), including 8.92 square miles (23.10 km2) of land and 1.42 square miles (3.68 km2) of water (13.75%).

Camden borders Collingswood, Gloucester City, Oaklyn, Pennsauken Township and Woodlynne in Camden County, as well as Philadelphia across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. Just offshore of Camden is Pettys Island, which is part of Pennsauken Township. The Cooper River (popular for boating) flows through Camden, and Newton Creek forms Camden's southern boundary with Gloucester City.

Neighborhoods

Camden contains more than 20 generally recognized neighborhoods: the Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center, the Rutgers–Camden Center for the Arts, the Camden Children's Garden, Cooper's Poynt Park (former site of Riverfront State Prison).

Port

On the Delaware River, with access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Port of Camden handles break bulk, bulk cargo, as well as some containers. Terminals fall under the auspices of the South Jersey Port Corporation as well as private operators such as Holt Logistics/Holtec International. The port receives hundreds of ships moving international and domestic cargo annually and is one of the USA's largest shipping centers for wood products, cocoa and perishables.

Housing

The most common type of home in Camden is rowhouse, similar to those in the neighboring city of Philadelphia. Saint Josephs Carpenter Society (SJCS) is a non profit that has rehabilitated 500 homes throughout the city.

Camden contains the United States' first federally funded planned community for working class residents, Yorkship Village (now called Fairview). The village was designed by Electus Darwin Litchfield, who was influenced by the "garden city" developments popular in England at the time.

In 2013, Cherokee Investment Partners had a plan to redevelop north Camden with 5,000 new homes and a shopping center on . Cherokee dropped their plans in the face of local opposition and the slumping real estate market. They are among several companies receiving New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) tax incentives to relocate jobs in the city.

Climate

Camden has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa in the Köppen climate classification) with hot summers and cool to cold winters.

Education

Public schools

Camden's public schools are operated by the Camden City School District. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, composed of 19 schools, had an enrollment of 7,553 students and 668.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1.

High schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Brimm Medical Arts High School (175; 9–12),

Camden Big Picture Learning Academy (196; 6–12),

Camden High School (347; 9–12),

Creative Arts Academy (290; 6–12),

Eastside High School (784; 9–12) and

Pride Academy (63; 6–12).

Charter and renaissance schools

thumb|KIPP Cooper Norcross Lanning Square Primary and Middle School

In 2012, The Urban Hope Act was signed into law, allowing renaissance schools to open in Trenton, Newark, and Camden. The renaissance schools, run by charter companies, differed from charter schools, as they enrolled students based on the surrounding neighborhood, similar to the city school district. This makes renaissance schools a hybrid of charter and public schools. This is the act that allowed Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), Uncommon Schools, and Mastery Schools to open in the city.

Under the renaissance charter school proposal, the Henry L. Bonsall Family School became Uncommon Schools Camden Prep Mt. Ephraim Campus, East Camden Middle School has become part of Mastery Charter Schools, Francis X. Mc Graw Elementary School and Rafael Cordero Molina Elementary School have become part of the Mastery charter network. The J.G Whittier Family school has become part of the KIPP Public Charter Schools as KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy.

Students were given the option to stay with the school under their transition or seek other alternatives.

In the 2013–14 school year, Camden city proposed a budget of $72 million to allot to charter schools in the city. In previous years, Camden city charter schools have used $52 million and $66 million in the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 school years, respectively.

March 9, 2015, marked the first year of the new Camden Charter Schools open enrollment. Mastery and Uncommon charter schools did not meet enrollment projections for their first year of operation by 15% and 21%, according to Education Law Center.

In October 2016, Governor Chris Christie, Camden Mayor Dana L. Redd, Camden Public Schools Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard, and state and local representatives announced a historical $133 million investment of a new Camden High School Project. The new school is planned to be ready for student occupancy in 2021. It would have 9th and 12th grade.

As of 2019, there are 3,850 Camden students enrolled in one of the city's renaissance schools, with 4,350 Camden students are enrolled one of the city's charter schools. Combined, these students make up approximately 55% of the 15,000 students in Camden.

Charter schools

Camden's Promise Charter School
Environment Community Opportunity (ECO) Charter School
Freedom Prep Charter School
Hope Community Charter School
LEAP Academy University Charter School

Renaissance schools

Uncommon Schools Camden Prep
KIPP Cooper Norcross
Lanning Square Primary School
Lanning Square Middle School
Whittier Middle School
Mastery Schools of Camden
Cramer Hill Elementary
Molina Lower Elementary
Molina Upper Elementary
East Camden Middle
Mastery High School of Camden
McGraw Elementary

Private education

Holy Name School, Sacred Heart Grade School, and St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School (founded in 1894) are K–8 elementary schools operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. They operate as four of the five schools in the Catholic Partnership Schools, a post-parochial model of Urban Catholic Education.

Higher education

thumb|[[Rutgers University–Camden and the Philadelphia skyline (background)]]

The University District, adjacent to the downtown, is home to the following institutions:

Camden County College – one of three main campuses; the college first came to the city in 1969 and constructed a campus building in Camden in 1991.
Rowan University at Camden, satellite campus – the Camden campus began with a program for teacher preparation in 1969 and expanded with standard college courses the following year and a full-time day program in 1980.
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (opened 2012)
Rutgers University–Camden – the Camden campus, one of three main sites in the university system, began as South Jersey Law School and the College of South Jersey in the 1920s and was merged into Rutgers in 1950.
Camden College of Arts & Sciences
School of Business – Camden
Rutgers School of Law-Camden
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)
Affiliated with Cooper University Hospital
Coriell Institute for Medical Research
Affiliated with Cooper University Hospital
Affiliated with Rowan University
Affiliated with University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Libraries

The city was once home to two Carnegie libraries, the Main Building and the Cooper Library in Johnson Park. The city's once extensive library system, beleaguered by financial difficulties, threatened to close at the end of 2010, but was incorporated into the county system. The main branch closed in February 2011, and was later reopened by the county in the bottom floor of the Paul Robeson Library at Rutgers University.

Camden also has three academic libraries; The Paul Robeson Library at Rutgers University-Camden serves Rutgers undergraduate and graduate students, as well as students from the Camden campuses of Camden County College and Rowan University. Rutgers Law School has a law library and Cooper Medical School at Rowan has a medical library.

Sports

Camden Athletic Complex

The Camden Athletic Complex (former site of Campbell's Field) which was completed in 2022. it contains a baseball field, track and field area, soccer field, and lacrosse field. The Camden Riversharks were an American professional baseball team based in Camden, which played out of the former Campbell's Field. An investment totaling $15 million, planned to be split evenly between Rutgers and the city of Camden, will reportedly develop the area into a recreational complex for the city, as well as accommodations for the university's NCAA Division III sports teams.

Philadelphia 76ers training facility

thumb|The training facility of the [[Philadelphia 76ers in Camden]]

The team found a property at the Camden Waterfront. An $82 million grant was approved by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to begin construction of the training facility in Camden, and was scheduled to break ground in October 2014. The grant was somewhat controversial in that it saves the 76ers organization from paying any property taxes or fees that would be accrued by the building over its first decade. Vocal opponents of the facility claim that the site has now joined a list of large companies or industries that are invited to Camden with significant monetary incentive, at great expense to local tax payers as a form of corporate welfare. Based on contingent hiring, the grant was to be paid out over 10 years, with the facility scheduled to host practices by 2016. Since 1994, the city has been divided into four council districts; previously, the entire council was elected at-large. Elected officials are elected to four-year terms in odd-numbered years, with the mayor and the three at-large seats up for election together and the four ward seats up for vote two years later.

, the Mayor of Camden is Democrat Victor Carstarphen, whose term of office ends December 31, 2029. Members of the City Council are Council President Angel Fuentes (D, 2029; at large), Vice President Sheila Davis (D, 2029; at large), Arthur Barclay (D, 2027; Ward 1), Christopher R. Collins (D, 2027; Ward 2), Falio Leyba-Martinez (D, 2027; Ward 3), Jannette Ramos (D, 2027; Ward 4) and Noemi G. Soria-Perez (D, 2029; at large).

It was home to the Norcross brothers, three brothers who have dominated Southern Jersey democratic politics for the past 25 years, until legal troubles in 2024 led them to take a backseat. The city has had its struggles with corruption throughout its political history. Three Camden mayors have been jailed for corruption: Angelo Errichetti, Arnold Webster, and Milton Milan.

Federal, state and county representation

Camden is located in New Jersey's 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.

Politics

Camden has historically been a stronghold of the Democratic Party. As of November 6, 2018, there were 42,264 registered voters in the city of Camden. As of March 23, 2011, there were 43,893 registered voters in Camden, of which 17,403 (39.6%) were registered as Democrats, 885 (2.0%) were registered as Republicans and 25,601 (58.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. All Camden mayors since 1935 have been Democrats. The last Republican Camden mayor was Frederick von Nieda, who only sat in office for a year. During his second term, Obama visited Camden in 2015 and said that "Hold you up as a symbol of promise for the nation. This city is on to something, no one is suggesting that the job is done," the president said. "It's still a work in progress." In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama was seeking reelection and was challenged by Mitt Romney. The city overwhelmingly voted for Obama in the biggest Democratic landslide in Camden's history.

In the 2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received overwhelming support from the city of Camden. On May 11, 2016, Clinton held a rally at Camden County College. In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 96.8% of the vote (22,254 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 3.0% (683 votes), and other candidates with 0.2% (57 votes), among the 23,230 ballots cast by the city's 47,624 registered voters (236 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.8%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 91.1% of the vote (22,197 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received around 5.0% (1,213 votes), with 24,374 ballots cast among the city's 46,654 registered voters, for a turnout of 52.2%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 84.4% of the vote (15,914 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 12.6% (2,368 votes), with 18,858 ballots cast among the city's 37,765 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 49.9.