Chester Borough, New Jersey

Chester Borough is a borough in southwestern Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,681, Chester's name is derived from the township, which was named for Chestershire in England.

Chester Borough is located within the Raritan Valley region and is periodically recognized as part of the Somerset Hills. The borough is completely surrounded by Chester Township, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

In the Forbes magazine's rankings of the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the United States, Chester was ranked 288th in 2006 (with a median sale price of $775,000) and 321st in 2010 (with a median price of $823,691).

History

Chester Township was established as a separate political entity on April 1, 1799, including the area of both the Township and the downtown settlement which came to be the borough. The Borough of Chester was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 3, 1930, based on the results of a referendum held on April 25, 1930, and is today a separate municipality surrounded entirely by Chester Township.

The borough's name is derived from the township, which was named for Chestershire in England.

|footnote=Population sources: 1880–1890 1940–1990 2000 2020

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 1,649 people, 615 households, and 438 families in the borough. The population density was 1,034.8 per square mile (399.5/km2). There were 647 housing units at an average density of 406.0 per square mile (156.8/km2). The racial makeup was 90.78% (1,497) White, 1.03% (17) Black or African American, 0.49% (8) Native American, 2.30% (38) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 3.21% (53) from other races, and 2.18% (36) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.46% (222) of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 609 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.15. There are various recreational state parks, such as Hacklebarney State Park and Black River County Park, which contains a popular tourist site called the Nathan Cooper Gristmill. These parks serve as quintessential family activities, especially going on hikes and observing the foliage during the fall. Willowwood Arboretum, operated by the Morris County Park Commission, covers of gardens, meadows and walking / hiking trails.

Government

Local government

Chester is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Chester is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Chester is Republican Janet G. Hoven, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Chester Borough Council are Michael Dominianni (R, 2026), Karen L. Ferrone (R, 2028), Russell Goodwin (R, 2028), Christopher K. Heil (R, 2027), Kyle J. Holman (R, 2027) and Gary W. Marshuetz (R, 2026).

Merger discussion with Chester Township

In 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine created incentives for small towns of less than 10,000 inhabitants to combine with other cities. The goal was to reduce the overall cost of government and thereby offer some tax relief. "New Jersey has 21 counties, 566 municipalities and 616 school districts, and property taxes average $6,800 per homeowner, or twice the national average."

Chester Borough had originally split from Chester Township in 1930 over the creation of sewer and water infrastructure in the more densely settled center of the municipality. The residents of the rural portions of the Township did not wish to financially support the construction and maintenance of a public sewer or water utility. Since that time rural Chester Township has relied upon individual private wells for water and septic systems for wastewater treatment while the borough is primarily, although not entirely, served by public sewer and water. Concerns over the extension of utilities into the rural Township with the resultant potential for large scale growth served as an impediment to consolidation. The prohibition of utility extensions supported by the New Jersey state plan and codified in the Highlands Water Protection Act, along with the development restrictions contained in the Highlands Act have lessened those concerns. Additionally, an aggressive land conservation program in the Township has resulted in over 40% of the Township being placed into permanent preservation, further lessening worries about potential overdevelopment. The two municipalities currently share a common K–8 school district, volunteer fire department, library, first aid squad and other municipal services. Some residents are concerned about the unknown costs of a merger and a disproportionate allocation of those costs.

Federal, state and county representation

Chester Borough is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,038 registered voters in Chester, of which 188 (18.1%) were registered as Democrats, 500 (48.2%) were registered as Republicans and 350 (33.7%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 64.4% of the vote (506 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 34.7% (273 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (7 votes), among the 789 ballots cast by the borough's 1,092 registered voters (3 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 72.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 60.6% of the vote (517 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.7% (322 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (10 votes), among the 853 ballots cast by the borough's 1,102 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.4%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 66.7% of the vote (570 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 31.7% (271 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (13 votes), among the 855 ballots cast by the borough's 1,122 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.2.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 79.9% of the vote (437 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 18.8% (103 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (7 votes), among the 556 ballots cast by the borough's 1,110 registered voters (9 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 69.7% of the vote (439 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 21.6% (136 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.1% (45 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (6 votes), among the 630 ballots cast by the borough's 1,079 registered voters, yielding a 58.4% turnout.

Houses of worship

The First Congregational Church, at 30 Hillside Road, has been active since 1740. This historic church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the oldest congregational denomination west of the Hudson River.

Grace Bible Chapel, located at 100 Oakdale Road in Chester, is a non-denominational fellowship of evangelical Christians.

St. Lawrence the Martyr Roman Catholic Church, formed in the mid-1950, has about 1,200 families as congregants.

File:FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CHESTER, MORRIS COUNTY.jpg

File:First Congregational Church, Chester, NJ - information sign.jpg

File:First Congregational Church, Chester, NJ - front door and church history.jpg

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Education

Students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Chester School District, together with children from Chester Township. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,047 students and 106.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Dickerson Elementary School with 317 students in grades Pre-K–2,

Bragg Elementary School with 325 students in grades 3–5 and

Black River Middle School with 402 students in grades 6–8. Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on County Route 510, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on County Route 513 (North Road), north of Chester Borough.

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades in both communities attend West Morris Mendham High School, which serves students from the surrounding Morris County school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township. The high school is part of the West Morris Regional High School District, which also serves students from Washington Township, who attend West Morris Central High School As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,142 students and 91.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. The district's board of education is comprised of nine members who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis. The nine seats on the board of education are allocated based on the populations of the constituent municipalities, with one seat assigned to Chester Borough.

Transportation

thumb|right|[[U.S. Route 206 northbound in Chester Borough]]

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Morris County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Chester is located at the point where County Route 513 (also known as old Route 24) and U.S. Route 206 intersect.

Public transportation

NJ Transit local bus service was provided on the MCM4 and MCM5 routes until June 2010, when NJ Transit pulled the subsidy.

Points of interest

Chester House Inn, at the corner of Main Street and Hillside Road, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

File:Chester House Inn, Chester, NJ - Brick Tavern.jpg|Chester House Inn

File:Chester House Inn, Chester, NJ - information sign.jpg|Brick Tavern listed on the NRHP

File:Chester Inn.JPG|Chester Publick House

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Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Chester Borough include:

Lois Barker (1923–2018), utility player who played for the Grand Rapids Chicks of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1950 season
Alex Cable, optical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur who founded optical equipment manufacturer Thorlabs in his parents' basement in Chester
Lester H. Clee (1888–1962), clergyman and politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and served as the mayor of Chester
Matt Flanagan (born 1995), tight end for the Washington Redskins
Fran Hopper (1922–2017), comic book artist active during the 1930s–1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books, who was one of the earliest women in the field
Larry W. Maysey (1946–1967), United States Air Force Pararescueman who was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, the Air Force's second-highest decoration
Jared Stroud (born 1996), footballer who plays as a midfielder for St. Louis City SC in the Major League Soccer

References

External links

Chester Borough website
Chester School District
School Data for the Chester School District, National Center for Education Statistics
West Morris Mendham High School
West Morris Regional High School District
Daily Record regional area newspaper