Whitesboro-Burleigh was a census-designated place and unincorporated community located within Middle Township, in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 United States census, the CDP's population was 1,836.

Whitesboro was founded as a planned residential community for African Americans and has the majority-black population of the township.

History

Whitesboro was founded about 1901 by the Equitable Industrial Association, which had prominent black American investors including Paul Laurence Dunbar, the educator Booker T. Washington and George Henry White, the leading investor and namesake. He was an attorney who had moved to Philadelphia after serving as the last black Republican congressman representing . White and his fellow entrepreneurs wanted to create a self-reliant community for blacks, without the discrimination faced in the southern states. Shares in the planned community were sold to African Americans from North and South Carolina and Virginia.

In 2006, the Johnson Family Historical Trust discovered the value of its original deed to Whitesboro property from the George H. White Realty Company. It has been called one of "America's Untold Treasures" by the renowned African-American appraiser Phillip Merrill. The Johnson Family Historical Trust holds rare items important to Whitesboro, such as a 1936 formerly owned by James L. Johnson, a nationally recognized ham radio operator. His radios are of interest to Whitesboro and national history in technology.

There are more than 50 known and appraised artifacts from the original investors of the town that planned to be featured in Whitesboro in the few years to come. This summer a dig for national history will take place to uncover more artifacts at various historical sites in Whitesboro hosted by the Johnson Family Historical Trust.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of . of land and 0.24% of it was water.

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States census The school is currently in the Cape May Courthouse CDP and not the Burleigh CDP.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Whitesboro-Burleigh include:

  • Stedman Graham, one of the numerous 1,000-point scorers for the Middle Township High School boys varsity basketball team. He is an American educator, author, businessman, speaker and served in the United States Army. He is also the longtime partner of media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

References

Further reading

Maps:

  • Map from the 2000 U.S. census. Pages 1, 2, 3, and 4.
  • Map of Cape May County from the 1990 U.S. census. Whitesboro-Burleigh is on pages 22, 25, and 26
  • The Cape May County Gazette , community newspaper
  • The Beachcomber