Kinnelon, New Jersey

Kinnelon () is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located approximately west of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,966, It is a low-density, suburban community, with many parks and trails.

Once known as Charlotteburg, Kinnelon was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 20, 1922, from portions of Pequannock Township, based on the results of a referendum passed on March 21, 1922. The borough's name comes from Francis S. Kinney, who purchased of land in the 1880s for an estate that included Lake Kinnelon, and built St. Hubert's Chapel in 1886 on an island in the lake.

Kinnelon is home to Smoke Rise, a private gated community that describes itself as one of the oldest gated communities in the United States.

In 2012, Forbes.com listed Kinnelon as 462nd in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $630,414.

The borough is one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) for 2014–2018, Kinnelon residents had a median household income of $156,048, almost double the statewide median of $79,363.

History

Then still part of Pequannock Township and known as Charlotteburg (named after Charlotte, wife of King George III of Great Britain), early settlements in the Kinnelon area date back to the late 17th century when iron forges and furnaces were first established. Mining and forest cropping were major occupations of the earliest settlers. The construction of the Morris Canal in the early 1820s led to a significant decline in the mining industry, after which the land was sold over time.

During the early part of the 20th century, like much of Morris County at the time, the area became a haven for the wealthy who were attracted by the isolation and natural beauty. The most notable example of this was Francis S. Kinney, a 19th-century industrialist who founded Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company and built an estate that dates back to 1883.

One of the largest private holdings in Morris County at any time, Kinney purchased upwards of of land and built a large "summer cottage" known as Smoke Rise, which is a translation of the Pequannock Native American name for the mountainous area, where a heavy mist often rises at sunset. His son, Morris Kinney, for whom the borough of Kinnelon was named 41 years later, lived most of his life on the estate.

On February 20, 1922, with only 400 full-time residents, Kinnelon was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of Pequannock Township, based on the results of a referendum passed on March 21, 1922. When friends asked to purchase land on the estate to build homes, Talbot decided to develop a planned community designed primarily to serve New York corporation executives. The Smoke Rise Club was the result in November 1946.

Talbot's intention was to develop the property as a residential club community akin to Tuxedo Park in nearby Orange County, New York; envisioning a community of architect-designed houses suitable for ideal country living. By October 1951, more than 100 families were living in Smoke Rise and community services at St. Hubert’s Chapel were revived for the first time since 1923, when it was used as a private chapel. The development of Smoke Rise largely spurred much of the borough's growth and rising home values in the 1950s; enhancing Kinnelon's standing as a residential suburb.

In 2000, Kinnelon had the highest home ownership rate in the state. Tripod Rock is located in Kinnelon's Pyramid Mountain Natural Historical Area, portions of which are located in the borough. Its largest lake is Lake Kinnelon, which is within Smoke Rise, a private gated community of 900 homes located on .

Splitrock Reservoir is of wilderness, located on the borders of Kinnelon and Rockaway Township.

The highest mountain in Kinnelon is Kitty Ann Mountain. Located in Smoke Rise, the mountain offers views of northern New Jersey at an elevation of from the Smoke Rise Tower.

Portions of the borough are owned by the City of Newark, Essex County, for their Pequannock River Watershed, which provides water to the city from an area of that also includes portions of Hardyston Township, Jefferson Township, Rockaway Township, Vernon Township and West Milford.

Kinnelon borders the municipalities of Boonton Township, Butler, Lincoln Park, Montville, Pequannock Township, Riverdale and Rockaway Township in Morris County; and West Milford in Passaic County.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Kinnelon had a population of 9,966. The median age was 44.8 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 99.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and older, there were 96.6 males.

48.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 52.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,405 households in Kinnelon, of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 71.0% were married-couple households, 9.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 16.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 13.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 3,062 households, out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.6% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.3% were non-families. 9.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.27.

Smoke Rise

Smoke Rise is a private gated residential community established in 1946. It is one of the oldest gated communities in the United States, boasting over 900 unique homes located on in addition to Lake Kinnelon and Kitty Ann Mountain.

Fayson Lakes

Fayson Lakes was founded in 1925 around three lakes located in the southeastern corner of the borough. It is named for the developers who started the community, Frank Fay Jr. and his son Frank Fay III. It has a variety of homes of different sizes and styles ranging from rustic winterized cabins to opulent custom-built homes.

Economy

Meadtown Shopping Center – a shopping center located on Route 23 in Kinnelon. It features numerous stores and restaurants.

Government

Local government

thumb|right|Kinnelon municipal complex on Kinnelon Road

Kinnelon 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 a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A 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 Kinnelon 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 Kinnelon is Republican James J. Freda, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Sean Mabey (R, 2023), Robert Lewis (R, 2028), Anthony Chirdo (R, 2025), Eric Harriz (R, 2025), Cyndi Frank (R, 2027) and Ronald Reckler (R, 2028).

In January 2017, Glenn Sisco was selected from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee and appointed to fill the council seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Adam N. Barish; Sisco, served on an interim basis until the November 2017 general election. Sisco served as the mayor of Kinnelon for 42 years, making him one of the longest-serving mayors in the state of New Jersey.

In March 2016, the Borough Council unanimously selected William Neely from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Stephen Cobell until his resignation the previous month after nearly 12 years in office; Neely will serve on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

Selected by a 3–2 majority of the borough council from among three potential candidates, Clifford Giantonio was sworn into office in April 2014 to fill the vacant seat of Ronald Mondello, who had resigned in the previous month citing personal and work conflicts.

Public safety

Since 1939, the borough of Kinnelon has been protected by the Kinnelon Police Department, which provides 24/7 coverage.

Since 1930, the Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Department has protected the borough. This organization is staffed 100% by volunteers from in and around the borough and responds to emergencies in Kinnelon and surrounding towns as part of the Morris County Mutual Aid Agreement.

Various organizations are responsible for emergency medical services, some of which are Atlantic Health, Morris County Office of Emergency Management, and the Tri-Boro First Aid Squad.

Federal, state and county representation

Kinnelon is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 7,122 registered voters in Kinnelon, of which 1,117 (15.7%) were registered as Democrats, 3,310 (46.5%) were registered as Republicans and 2,694 (37.8%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 65.5% of the vote (3,497 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 33.2% (1,772 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (68 votes), among the 5,354 ballots cast by the borough's 7,463 registered voters (17 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 62.4% of the vote (3,638 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 36.1% (2,105 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (55 votes), among the 5,829 ballots cast by the borough's 7,334 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.5%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 64.4% of the vote (3,517 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 34.7% (1,895 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (35 votes), among the 5,463 ballots cast by the borough's 6,955 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 78.5.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 75.3% of the vote (2,419 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.5% (754 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (41 votes), among the 3,260 ballots cast by the borough's 7,424 registered voters (46 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 43.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.2% of the vote (2,669 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 25.6% (1,032 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.9% (237 votes) and other candidates with 1.5% (61 votes), among the 4,034 ballots cast by the borough's 7,167 registered voters, yielding a 56.3% turnout.

Education

The Kinnelon Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,670 students and 165.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.1:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

Kiel Elementary School with 312 students in grades Pre-K–2,

Stonybrook Elementary School with 346 students in grades 3–5,

Pearl R. Miller Middle School with 427 students in grades 6–8 and

Kinnelon High School with 570 students in grades 9–12. In 2016, Kinnelon High School was named #3 in the state by New Jersey Monthly magazine, the school's highest ranking ever in the magazine's biannual rankings, and was listed as a top 500 high school by Newsweek.

Our Lady of the Magnificat School, a Catholic school that had been operated since 1964 under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, closed after the 2009–10 school year in the face of declining enrollment and increasing deficits that the parish could no longer sustain.

Transportation

thumb|right|I-287 southbound in Kinnelon

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.

Route 23 runs along the northern border of the borough. Interstate 287 passes through in the southeastern area, but the closest exit is along Route 23 in neighboring Riverdale.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 194 route.

Notable people

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

Juan Agudelo (born 1992), soccer player for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer
Scott Allen (born 1949), retired figure skater who was the 1964 Olympic bronze medalist, the 1965 world silver medalist, and the 1964 and 1966 U.S. national champion
Kurt Allerman (born 1955), former NFL football player
Rand Araskog (1931–2021), manufacturing executive, investor, and writer who served as the CEO of ITT Corporation
Laura Benanti (born 1979), musical theatre actress who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre productions
Missy Elliott (born 1971), rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and philanthropist
DJ Envy (born 1977), DJ who works on the syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1
Herbert O. Fisher (1909–1990), test pilot and aviation executive
Ray Forrest (1916–1999), pioneering TV announcer, host and news broadcaster from the earliest era of television
Bryan Gallego (born 1993), professional soccer player
Oz Griebel (1949–2020), banker, lawyer, and political candidate who ran for Governor of Connecticut as a third-party candidate and earned 3.9% of the vote
Erik Hanson (born 1965), former Major League baseball pitcher
Brett Hearn (born 1958), modified stock car driver
Ian Joyce (born 1985), professional soccer player who played for the Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids
Rene Joyeuse (1920-2012), World War II operative, spy and saboteur with the OSS, who was a physician, professor and researcher, co-founder of the American Trauma Society and the first person born in Switzerland to be honored with a burial in Arlington National Cemetery
Stearns Matthews (born 1984), cabaret singer, recording artist, director, teacher, and pianist
Roman Oben (born 1972), former NFL football player
William A. Pailes (born 1952), astronaut who flew as a payload specialist aboard STS-51-J on the Space Shuttle Atlantis
Elise Testone (born 1983), singer and American Idol contestant
Harry L. Towe (1898–1977), Congressman who represented New Jersey's 9th congressional district from 1943 to 1951

References

External links

Kinnelon Borough website
Kinnelon Public Schools
School Data for the Kinnelon Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
Silas Condict County Park