Kenilworth, New Jersey

Kenilworth is a borough in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,427,

Kenilworth was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 13, 1907, from portions of Cranford and Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held on June 18, 1907.

History

thumb|left|Upsala College

In the late 1890s, the New Orange Industrial Association purchased land in Cranford and Union that was subdivided into building lots. The firm brought in several large industries and lured Upsala College from Brooklyn with an offer of cash and free land for its campus.

Because New Orange was often confused with one of The Oranges in Essex County, the name "Kenilworth" was chosen when the borough was incorporated in 1907. The name Kenilworth came from a literary society (The Kenilworth Club) which the businessmen belonged to. The Kenilworth Club was named in honor of the novel Kenilworth written in 1821 by Sir Walter Scott. The novel refers to England's Kenilworth Castle located in Kenilworth, England.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.15 square miles (5.57 km2), including 2.15 square miles (5.56 km2) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km2) of water (0.19%).

Parks and recreation

Lenape Park is a wildlife reserve and park that is part of the Rahway River Parkway in Union County. The park also includes portions of Cranford, Springfield and Westfield. An approximately 4.5-mile off-road paved pedestrian path stretches eastbound from Mountainside Police Headquarters in Mountainside, through Echo Lake Park in Westfield, Lenape Park in Westfield and Cranford, Black Brook Park in Kenilworth, and ending near 505 North Michigan Avenue in Kenilworth.

Kenilworth RVRR rail trail

alt=Galloping Hill Golf Course in November 2022|thumb|273x273px|[[Galloping Hill Golf Course in November 2022]]

Area residents have proposed a 7.3-mile pedestrian linear park along the "main line" of the abandoned Rahway Valley Railroad that would run through Kenilworth. The rail trail would run eastbound from Overlook Medical Center on the edge of downtown Summit and head south through Springfield, Union, over Route 22 to Kenilworth. In Kenilworth, it would pass between Party City and Burger King on Route 22, run behind Retro Fitness, running south past the Galloping Hill Golf Course, and end at the southwest edge of Roselle Park at the Cranford border.

A northern portion of the rail trail on the RVRR main line is under construction as the Summit Park Line, with a footbridge over Morris Avenue installed in October 2022. In parallel, advocates have been pushing for immediate development of the portion of the RVRR Main Line south of Route 22, running past the Galloping Hill Golf Course through Kenilworth and Roselle Park. The New Jersey Department of Transportation, which owns the railbed, has been working to clear it in anticipation of possible future trail use for pedestrians and cyclists.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Kenilworth borough, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|6,539

|6,047

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,524

|85.20%

|76.41%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |65.55%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|183

|213

|style='background: #ffffe6; |219

|2.38%

|2.69%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.60%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8

|0.04%

|0.11%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.09%

|Asian alone (NH)

|220

|303

|style='background: #ffffe6; |435

|2.87%

|3.83%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.16%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2

|0.00%

|0.03%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

|Other race alone (NH)

|23

|style='background: #ffffe6; |38

|0.04%

|0.29%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.45%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|64

|89

|style='background: #ffffe6; |268

|0.83%

|1.12%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.18%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|663

|1,228

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,933

|8.64%

|15.52%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |22.94%

|Total

|7,675

|7,914

|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,427

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Kenilworth had a population of 8,427. The median age was 41.4 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.5 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,932 households in Kenilworth, of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 56.6% were married-couple households, 13.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 2,854 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15.

Merck & Co. announced plans in October 2013 to move its global headquarters to Kenilworth from Whitehouse Station in Readington Township, on a site that the company had previously used as a manufacturing facility, with the relocation to be completed by 2015. The campus had been used as the global headquarters for Schering-Plough, which was acquired by Merck in 2009. In April 2020, Merck announced that it would be moving its global headquarters from Kenilworth to Rahway by the end of 2023.

Arts and culture

Since 2004, the Hudson Shakespeare Company has brought their Shakespeare in the Park programs to the Kenilworth Library known as the "Bard on the Boulevard". The Friends of the Kenilworth Library, with the assistance of a grant from the Union County Office of Cultural Affairs, sponsor these events.

Government

Local government

Kenilworth 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 Kenilworth 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 Kenilworth is Democrat Linda Karlovitch, serving a four-year term of office ending December 31, 2027. Members of the Kenilworth Borough Council are Council President William Mauro (R, 2028), Patrick Boyle (D, 2026), Joseph Finistrella (R, 2027), Toni Giordano Picerno (D, 2026), Douglas Piper (R, 2027), and Savino Scorese (R, 2028).

Mayors of Kenilworth

{| class="wikitable"

! # !! Mayor !! Years in Office !! Notes

| 1 || Charles C. Boyd (D) || 1907–1909 || First mayor

| 2 || William J. Hoiles (R) || 1910–1913 ||

| 3 || John Hiller (R) || 1914–1915 ||

| 4 || Charles C. Boyd (D) || 1916–1919 ||

| 5 || Oswald Nitschke (D) || 1919–1922 ||

| 6 || William J. Hoiles (R) || 1922–1923 ||

| 7 || Charles A. Kosmutza (R) || 1924–1925 ||

| 8 || August J. Stahl (R) || 1926–1927 ||

| 9 || Oswald Nitschke (D) || 1928–1929 ||

| 10 || August J. Stahl (R) || 1930–1931 ||

| 11 || Oswald Nitschke (D) || 1932–1933 ||

| 12 || Charles A. Kosmutza (R) || 1934–1935 ||

| 13 || Anthony Grippo (R) || 1936–1939 ||

| 14 || Max J. Berzin (R) || 1940–1947 ||

| 15 || Fred V. Pitten (R) || 1948–1951 ||

| 16 || William Lister (R) || 1952–1953 ||

| 17 || Robert Krueger (R) || 1954–1955 ||

| 18 || Walter E. Boright (D) || 1956–1961 ||

| 19 || William J. Ahern, Jr. (D) || 1962–1969 ||

| 20 || William E. Conrad, Jr. (R) || 1970–1975 ||

| 21 || Livio Mancino (D, I) || 1976–1987 ||

| 22 || Joseph A. Benintente (R) || 1988–1990 || Ill during term due to a ruptured intestine and related infections in October 1989; Dennis Schultz served as acting mayor for most of 1989; resigned on February 1, 1990 after discovering the need for more surgeries.

| 23 || Eugene Pepe (D) || 1990 || Acting mayor until 1990 election after Benintente's resignation and is part of New Jersey's 20th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,891 registered voters in Kenilworth, of which 1,496 (30.6% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,076 (22.0% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2,317 (47.4% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 61.8% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 79.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 1,775 votes (52.6% vs. 32.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,535 votes (45.5% vs. 66.0%) and other candidates with 39 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,376 ballots cast by the borough's 5,167 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.3% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,064 votes (55.5% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,564 votes (42.0% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 54 votes (1.5% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,721 ballots cast by the borough's 5,039 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.8% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,949 votes (54.0% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,589 votes (44.0% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,608 ballots cast by the borough's 4,927 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican Kim Guadagno received 1,065 votes (52.6% vs. 32.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Phil Murphy with 912 votes (45.0% vs. 65.2%), and other candidates with 48 votes (2.4% vs. 2.1%), among the 2,099 ballots cast by the borough's 5,365 registered voters, for a turnout of 39.1%. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.2% of the vote (1,357 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 32.1% (657 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (35 votes), among the 2,099 ballots cast by the borough's 5,073 registered voters (50 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,442 votes (59.9% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 759 votes (31.5% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 148 votes (6.1% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 25 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,408 ballots cast by the borough's 4,996 registered voters, yielding a 48.2% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education

The Kenilworth Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 1,451 students and 133.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2024–25 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Warren G. Harding Elementary School with 659 students in grades PreK–5,

David Brearley Middle School for grades 6–8 and

David Brearley High School for grades 9–12, with a combined enrollment of 774 students in the middle school and high school.

Students from Winfield Township attend David Brearley High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Winfield Township School District.

Kenilworth is home to St. Theresa School, a Roman Catholic school operating under the Archdiocese of Newark founded in 1955 that serves students in pre-school through eighth grade through the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Churches

There are six churches that are located in Kenilworth. The six churches are the Ignite United Methodist church, the First Baptist church, the Union Baptist church, the non-denominational Kenilworth Gospel Chapel, the Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal church, and the Saint Theresa Roman Catholic church.

Transportation

thumb|right|View north along the [[Garden State Parkway in Kenilworth]]

Roads and highways

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

Kenilworth is served by two county routes, County Route 509 and County Route 617. CR 509 (Boulevard) runs west–east through the borough, connecting it to Cranford, Springfield and Westfield in one direction and Union and Roselle Park in the other. CR 617 (Michigan Avenue) runs north–south, connecting Union and U.S. Route 22 at its north end to Roselle Park and Route 28 at its south end. The Garden State Parkway cuts northeast–southwest through the town, with Interchange 138 at CR 509 serving much of the town's long-distance travelers.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between Kenilworth and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan in New York City and to New Jersey points, including the city of Elizabeth and nearby Union County College in Cranford. Local service is available on the 58 route, which is a direct descendant of Kenilworth's trolley route in the early 20th century.

The closest NJ Transit rail station is Roselle Park, less than a mile from the Kenilworth border and offering direct service into New York Penn Station on the Raritan Valley Line.

The Rahway Valley Railroad passed through the community but is currently out of service, the final train on the line having left the borough in April 1992. Originally established as the New York and New Orange Railroad, the line stretched from Aldene (now known as Roselle Park) to Summit. The headquarters of the railroad were located in Kenilworth, originally in Kenilworth's Victorian-style station house until that was severely damaged in a 1974 fire, after which railroad offices were moved into a trailer and then an unused railroad club car.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately from Kenilworth.

Notable people

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

Tashawn Bower (born 1995), defensive end who played in the NFL for the Las Vegas Raiders
Mike Chalenski (born 1970), former professional American football defensive lineman who played for six seasons in the National Football League
Sam DeCavalcante (1912–1997), boss of the DeCavalcante crime family known as "Sam the Plumber", who used a Kenilworth plumbing supply business as his front operation
John P. Gallagher (1932–2011), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from the 13th Legislative District from 1982 to 1984
Bill Henry (1942–2022), Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees
Sheldon Karlin (1950–2000), distance runner who won the New York City Marathon in 1972
Tony Siragusa (1967–2022), Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle, was born and raised in Kenilworth, and starred in football and wrestling for David Brearley High School

References

External links

Kenilworth Borough website