Somers Point, New Jersey

Somers Point is a city situated on the Jersey Shore that is the oldest settlement in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was settled by Europeans in 1693 and was incorporated as a borough in 1886. Somers Point was incorporated as a city in 1902. The city is located in eastern Atlantic County, southwest of Atlantic City, in the South Jersey region of the state.

As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 10,469, Somers Point and all of Atlantic County lie within the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn constitutes part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area.

History

thumb|285px|Historical [[Somers Mansion]]

The earliest residents of the area were the Lenape Native Americans. John Somers was the first European settler in what is now Somers Point. Somers purchased the land along the northern periphery of the Great Egg Harbor Bay from Thomas Budd in 1693, making it the oldest European settlement in what is now Atlantic County. Great Egg Harbour Township was designated in 1693 from the eastern portions of Gloucester County, which included Somers Point. Somers named the area Somerset Plantation. In 1695, John Somers operated the first ferry service across the Great Egg Harbor Bay to Cape May County. His son Richard built Somers Mansion overlooking the harbor sometime between 1720 and 1726, which remains the county's oldest existing home. Early names for the area were Somerset Plantation, Somers Ferry, and Somers Plantation, until the name Somers Point was established in 1750. Somers Point was designated as a port of entry in 1791 and remained one until it was abolished in 1915. By the 1830s, when Somers Point became part of Atlantic County, it was a popular summer resort with several boarding houses.

thumb|285px|[[Panoramic map of "Somers-Point" with list of landmarks and images of several inset (1925)]]

Somers Point was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 24, 1886, from portions of Egg Harbor Township, based on the results of a referendum held five days earlier.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 5.23 square miles (13.55 km2), including 4.01 square miles (10.39 km2) of land and 1.22 square miles (3.17 km2) of water (23.37%).

The city borders Egg Harbor Township, Longport and Linwood in Atlantic County; and both Ocean City and Upper Township in Cape May County.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Somers Point had a population of 10,469. The median age was 47.2 years. 16.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.9 males age 18 and over.

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

There were 4,844 households in Somers Point, of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.7% were married-couple households, 22.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

At the 2000 United States census,

There were 4,920 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.97.

Somers Point is the home to the largest crabbing tournament in the United States, the Assault on Patcong Creek. Founded in 2010, the tournament takes place annually in June and attracts participants from over a dozen states.

Parks and recreation

Portions of the Right-of-way of the Atlantic City and Shore Railroad, running for between Pleasantville and Somers Point have been repurposed as the Somers Point Bike Path.

John F. Kennedy Park, located at 50 Broadway, is a 6.18 acre public use park overlooking the Great Egg Harbor bay. Formerly High Bank Park, it was renamed in 1963 in honor of the 35th President of the United States.

William Fehrle Athletic Field located at 3rd Street and Rhode Island Ave is named in honor of Sgt. William Fehrle. A member of the ill-fated 106th Infantry Division, he was taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge and would die while imprisoned in a German POW camp.

Government

Local government

Somers Point is governed under the City form of government, as one of 15 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this traditional form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the seven-member City Council, all elected on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor serves a four-year term, with a single council at-large seat and one council member from each of the two wards up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The Mayor is responsible for the health, safety and welfare of the municipality. As the city's Chief Executive Officer, the Mayor puts into effect the municipal laws, known as ordinances. The Mayor can veto ordinances and may vote in the event of a tie. The Mayor makes appointments to certain boards, including the Planning Board, Recreation Commission, and Environmental Commission. The Council elects one of its members as president to chair the Council meetings and perform the other duties of a presiding officer. The City Council enacts ordinances, adopts an annual budget and sets policy for the city.

, the Mayor of Somers Point is Republican Dennis Tapp, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2027. Members of the City Council are Council President Janice Johnston (R, 2024; 1st Ward), Richard L. DePamphilis III (R, 2026; 1st Ward), Charles J. Haberkorn (R, 2026; 2nd Ward), Howard W. Dill (R, 2024; 2nd Ward), Joseph T. McCarrie Jr. (R, 2024; At Large), Sean T. McGuigan (R, 2025; 1st Ward) and Michael Owen (R, 2025; 2nd Ward).

After Stacy Ferreri resigned in January 2022 from her seat expiring in December 2023, the City Council appointed Ken Adams, though Adams was forced to step down in February after it was discovered that he had a felony conviction that disqualified him from serving. In March 2022, Richard DePamphilis was appointed to fill the vacant seat. In the November 2022 general election, DePamphilis won the balance of the term of office.

In September 2017, the City Council selected Ron Meischker from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican Municipal Committee to fill the vacant 1st Ward seat expiring in December 2018 that had been held by Thomas Smith until he resigned from office earlier that month.

In January 2016, the City Council selected James Toto from three names nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the 2nd Ward seat expiring in 2017 that was vacated by Maureen Kern when she took office as a member of the Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Toto served on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term.

In elections held on November 8, 2011, Jack Glasser defeated Democrat-turned Independent Daniel Gudauskas by 1,650–558, making it the largest margin of victory in a contested election on the municipal level in Somers Point history. Triboletti and Kern ran unopposed in the first and second wards respectively.

Federal, state and county representation

Somers Point is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 6,619 registered voters in Somers Point City, of which 1,624 (24.5% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,979 (29.9% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 3,009 (45.5% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 61.3% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 77.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,506 votes (53.5% vs. 57.9% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 2,077 votes (44.4% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 53 votes (1.1% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,681 ballots cast by the city's 7,075 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.2% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,597 votes (51.5% vs. 56.5% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 2,309 votes (45.8% vs. 41.6%) and other candidates with 71 votes (1.4% vs. 1.1%), among the 5,042 ballots cast by the city's 7,120 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.8% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,529 votes (51.2% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,313 votes (46.9% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 43 votes (0.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,936 ballots cast by the city's 6,642 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.3% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"

|+ Presidential elections results

|- bgcolor=lightgrey

! Year

!Republican

!Democratic

!Third Parties

| style="text-align:center;" |2024

| style="text-align:center;" |52.1% 2,692

| style="text-align:center;" |46.0% 2,380

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.9% 86

| style="text-align:center;" |2020

| style="text-align:center;" |47.8% 2,714

| style="text-align:center;" |50.8% 2,885

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.4% 81

| style="text-align:center;" |2016

| style="text-align:center;" |47.8% 2,148

| style="text-align:center;" |47.2% 2,120

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |5.1% 227

| style="text-align:center;" |2012

| style="text-align:center;" |44.4% 2,077

| style="text-align:center;" |53.5% 2,506

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.1% 53

| style="text-align:center;" |2008

| style="text-align:center;" |45.8% 2,309

| style="text-align:center;" |51.5% 2,597

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.4% 71

| style="text-align:center;" |2004

| style="text-align:center;" |51.2% 2,529

| style="text-align:center;" |46.9% 2,313

| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |0.9% 43

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,963 votes (64.3% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 938 votes (30.7% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 49 votes (1.6% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,052 ballots cast by the city's 7,272 registered voters, yielding a 42.0% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,677 votes (51.3% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,282 votes (39.2% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 224 votes (6.8% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 42 votes (1.3% vs. 1.2%), among the 3,271 ballots cast by the city's 6,794 registered voters, yielding a 48.1% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

Historic district

The Bay Front Historic District is an historic district encompassing an area roughly bounded by Decatur Avenue, Egg Harbor Bay, George Avenue, and Shore Road in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 22, 1989, for its significance in architecture, entertainment/recreation, and social history. The district includes 189 contributing buildings.

Education

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade are served by the Somers Point Public Schools. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 763 students and 78.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1. The Somers Point School District consists of three school facilities: Jordan Road School, constructed in 1966 with an addition in 1991; Dawes Avenue School, constructed in 1998; and New York Avenue School, constructed in 1914 with an addition in 1922 and a refurbishing project in 2005, which houses preschool and the district's central offices. Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are

New York Avenue School with 4 students in pre-kindergarten,

Dawes Avenue School with 384 students in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade and

Jordan Road Middle School with 366 students in 4th through 8th grade.

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Mainland Regional High School, which also serves students from Linwood and Northfield. The high school is located in Linwood. For the 1997–98 school year, Mainland Regional High School was recognized by the United States Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,171 students and 106.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1.

City public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

St. Joseph Regional School is an elementary school serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade, operated under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.

Transportation

thumb|right|The northbound [[Garden State Parkway at U.S. Route 9 in Somers Point]]

Roads and highways

, the city had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Atlantic County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The Garden State Parkway passes through the city, connecting Egg Harbor Township on either side of the city. Interchange 30 for the Parkway is located in the city, signed for Somers Point and Downtown Ocean City.

On the city's southern border, bridges connect to Cape May County via the Garden State Parkway to Upper Township, into Ocean City via Route 52 and over the Beesley's Point Bridge, which has been demolished. As part of a $400 million project completed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation in 2012, a new causeway for Route 52 was completed over Great Egg Harbor Bay, replacing the Howard S. Stainton Memorial Causeway that had been completed in 1933. the Beesley's Point Bridge was demolished in 2013 as part of a project adding a new bridge for traffic on the Parkway.

Public transportation

NJ Transit offers bus transportation in the city between Ocean City and Atlantic City on the 507 and 509 routes.

Popular culture

The 1983 movie Eddie and the Cruisers was largely filmed in Somers Point, using the defunct Tony Mart's nightclub as a setting.

Notable people

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

Joe Bastardi (born 1955), meteorologist
Matt Broomall (born 1994), soccer player who played goalkeeper for the Richmond Kickers in USL League One
Joshua Cohen (born 1980), novelist and story writer, known for his works Witz and Book of Numbers
Doug Colman (born 1973), former NFL linebacker
Peter Erskine (born 1954), jazz drummer
John H. Hamilton Jr. (1919–1986), member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
David Kagen (born 1948), actor who is best known for playing playing Sheriff Mike Garris in the 1986 film Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Joe Maloy (born 1985), triathlete who was chosen to represent the United States in triathlon at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
Osun Osunniyi (born 1998), college basketball player for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies of the Atlantic 10 Conference
Jennifer Pershing (born 1980), Playboy Playmate of the Month, March 2009
Cody Stashak (born 1994), professional baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins
John Stone (born 1979), wide receiver who played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders
Gregory L. Verdine (born 1959), chemical biologist, university professor, entrepreneur, venture capitalist and business executive

References

External links

Somers Point webpage
Somers Point Public Schools
School Data for the Somers Point Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics