Perth Amboy, New Jersey

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Perth Amboy is a city in northeastern Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 55,436.[11][12] Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to its location adjoining Raritan Bay.[1][22]

Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy courthouse and police station
Perth Amboy courthouse and police station
Official seal of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Motto: 
The City by the Bay[1]
Location of Perth Amboy in Middlesex County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Middlesex County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Location of Perth Amboy in Middlesex County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Middlesex County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is located in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy
Location in Middlesex County
Perth Amboy is located in New Jersey
Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy
Location in New Jersey
Perth Amboy is located in the United States
Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°31′13″N 74°16′17″W / 40.52016°N 74.271331°W / 40.52016; -74.271331[2][3]
Country United States
State New Jersey
CountyMiddlesex
Earliest European Settlement1683
Royal charterAugust 4, 1718
IncorporatedDecember 21, 1784
ReincorporatedApril 8, 1844 (included Township)
Named forJames Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth
Government
 • TypeFaulkner Act (mayor–council)
 • BodyCity Council
 • MayorHelmin Caba (term ends December 31, 2024)[4][5]
 • AdministratorMichael E. Greene[6]
 • Municipal clerkVictoria Ann Kupsch[7]
Area
 • Total5.96 sq mi (15.44 km2)
 • Land4.66 sq mi (12.07 km2)
 • Water1.30 sq mi (3.37 km2)  21.37%
 • Rank259th of 565 in state
13th of 25 in county[2]
Elevation62 ft (19 m)
Population
 • Total55,436
 • Estimate 55,357
 • Rank725th in country (as of 2022)[13]
31st of 565 in state
5th of 25 in county[15]
 • Density11,891.0/sq mi (4,591.1/km2)
  • Rank27th of 565 in state
1st of 25 in county[15]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
08861–08863[16][17]
Area code(s)732 Exchanges: 293,324,376,442,697,826[18]
FIPS code3402358200[2][19][20]
GNIS feature ID0885349[2][21]
Websitewww.perthamboynj.org

The earliest residents of the area were the Lenape Native Americans, who called the point on which the city lies "Ompoge". Perth Amboy was settled in 1683 by Scottish colonists and was called "New Perth" after James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth; the native name was eventually corrupted and the two names were merged. Perth Amboy was formed by Royal charter in 1718, and the New Jersey Legislature reaffirmed its status in 1784, after independence. The city was a capital of the Province of New Jersey from 1686 to 1776. During the mid-1800s, the Industrial Revolution and immigration grew the city, developing a variety of neighborhoods which residents from a diverse range of ethnicities lived in. The city developed into a resort town for the Raritan Bayshore near it, but the city has grown in other industries since its redevelopment starting in the 1990s. Its residents are mostly Hispanic.[23]

Perth Amboy borders the Arthur Kill and features a historic waterfront. The Perth Amboy Ferry Slip was once an important ferry slip on the route south from New York City; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Raritan Yacht Club, one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States, is located in the city. Perth Amboy is connected to the Staten Island borough of New York City via the Outerbridge Crossing.

History edit

Name edit

The Lenape Native Americans called the point on which the city is built "Ompoge", meaning "level ground"[1] or "standing or upright".[24] When settled in 1683, the new city was dubbed "New Perth" in honor of James Drummond, Earl of Perth, one of the 12 associates of a company of Scottish proprietors; Drummond has been honored with a statue located outside of city hall.[25] The Algonquian language name persisted, corrupted to Ambo, or Point Amboy, and eventually a combination of the native and colonial names emerged, also appearing in South Amboy.[26][27][28]

Scottish colony edit

Perth Amboy was settled by Scottish colonists around 1683 who had been recruited to inhabit the share of the East Jersey colony owned by Robert Barclay, a Quaker who would later become the absentee governor of the province.[29][30]

Charter and incorporation edit

Perth Amboy was formed by Royal charter on August 4, 1718, within various townships and again by the New Jersey Legislature on December 21, 1784, within Perth Amboy Township and from part of Woodbridge Township. Perth Amboy Township was formed on October 31, 1693, and was enlarged during the 1720s to encompass Perth Amboy city. Perth Amboy Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships through the Township Act of 1798 on February 21, 1798. The township was replaced by Perth Amboy city on April 8, 1844.[31]

Provincial capital edit

 
Proprietary House

Elizabeth (then known as Elizabethtown) was designated in 1668 as the first capital of New Jersey.[32] In 1686, Perth Amboy was designated as the capital of East Jersey, while Burlington was the capital of West Jersey. After the two were united as a royal colony in 1702, the two cities alternated as the capital of the Province of New Jersey until November 1790, when Trenton was designated as the unified state capital, chosen based on its location midway between New York City and Philadelphia.[33][34]

A few of the buildings from this early period can still be seen today.[25] Most notably, the Proprietary House, the home of William Franklin, the last Royal Governor of New Jersey and estranged son of Benjamin Franklin, still stands in the waterfront area of the city. Architect John Edward Pryor was hired in 1761 to design and construct the building, which was completed in September 1764, years late and over budget. Franklin preferred his alternate home in Burlington.[35] Franklin finally moved in 1774 into the Proprietary House. Franklin's father, Ben, tried unsuccessfully to convince his son to support the Colonial cause. William Franklin was arrested and detained at Proprietary House in 1776 until he was tried and convicted of treason.[36]

Perth Amboy City Hall was first built as a court house for Middlesex County in 1714, having been designated as the county seat the previous year. The building was later used as the home of the East Jersey Provincial Assembly. The building was destroyed by a major fire in 1731 and rebuilt in 1745. Another fire was deliberately set in 1764, forcing a rebuilding that was completed in 1767.[37] It is the oldest city hall in continuous use in the United States.[38][39] On November 20, 1789, City Hall was the site where the New Jersey General Assembly met to ratify the Bill of Rights, becoming the first state in the nation to do so.[40]

 
George Washington by Nels N. Alling

Market Square, located across from City Hall, is a park that had been an outdoor marketplace during the Colonial era. Market Square includes a replica of the Liberty Bell, a statue of George Washington, and the Bill of Rights Arch, which commemorates the fact that New Jersey was the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.[41]

St. Peter's Church, which held its first service in 1685 and received a royal charter in 1718, has been recognized as the first Episcopal congregation in the state. Its current building, dating from the 1850s, is surrounded by a graveyard of early inhabitants and displays a collection of stained-glass windows with religious scenes as well as early depictions of New Jersey receiving her charter and a meeting between William Franklin and his father, Ben.[42]

Perth Amboy was New Jersey's primary inbound port for African slaves.[43]

The Kearny Cottage is a remaining example of 18th-century vernacular architecture. Operated as a historic house museum and operated by the Kearny Cottage Historical Society. Built in 1781 on High Street, the house was moved to Sadowski Parkway in the 1920s, and was later relocated to its current site at 63 Catalpa Avenue, just inland from the mouth of the Raritan River.[44][45]

During the colonial period and for a significant time thereafter, Perth Amboy was an important way-station for travelers between New York City and Philadelphia, as it was the site of a ferry that crossed the Arthur Kill to Tottenville, Staten Island. The first ferry operated in 1684 and regular service began operating in 1709. This ferry became less important when the Outerbridge Crossing opened in 1928, but continued to operate until 1963.[46] In 1998, the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip was restored to its 1904 appearance.[47] A replica of the ticket office has been constructed and is used as a small museum.[39][48]

On March 31, 1870, Thomas Mundy Peterson became the first African-American in the United States to vote in an election under the recently enacted provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.[49] Peterson voted in an election to update the Perth Amboy city charter.[50]

Industrialization and immigration edit

 
Three kilns at the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company

By the middle of the 19th century, immigration and industrialization transformed Perth Amboy. Factories such as A. Hall and Sons Terra Cotta, Guggenheim and Sons and the Copper Works Smelting Company fueled a thriving downtown and employed many area residents. Growth was further stimulated by becoming the tidewater terminal for the Lehigh Valley Railroad and a coal shipping point.[51] Perth Amboy developed tightly-knit and insular ethnic neighborhoods such as Budapest, Dublin, and Chickentown.[52] Immigrants from Denmark, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Russia, and Austria quickly dominated the factory jobs.[26]

In 1903, the Perth Amboy Public Library, one of the first Carnegie libraries in the state, made possible through grants from Andrew Carnegie and donations by local philanthropists, opened to the public.[53][54][55]

In 1914, Perth Amboy hosted a minor league baseball team called the Perth Amboy Pacers, who played as members of the Class D level Atlantic League. The Atlantic League folded after one season.[56]

In late August 1923, an estimated 6,000 persons rioted, breaking through police lines after the Ku Klux Klan attempted to organize a meeting in the city.[57][58]

The city was a resort town in the 19th century and early 20th century, located on the northern edge of the Raritan Bayshore. Since the early 1990s Perth Amboy has seen redevelopment. Small businesses have started to open up, helped by the city's designation as an Urban Enterprise Zone. The waterfront has also seen a rebirth. The marina has been extended, and there are new promenades, parks, and housing overlooking the bay.

The chapter "More Alarms at Night" in humorist James Thurber's biography My Life and Hard Times involves Perth Amboy. One night during his adolescence in Ohio, young Thurber is unable to go to sleep because he cannot remember the name of this New Jersey community. He wakens his father, demanding that he start naming towns in New Jersey. When the startled father names several towns with single-word names, Thurber replies that the name he is seeking is "two words, like helter skelter". This convinces his father that Thurber has become dangerously insane. Thurber also wrote the story later made into the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, about an "inconsequential guy from Perth Amboy, New Jersey".[59] Perth Amboy's water pumping station is located in Old Bridge Township.[60]

Geography edit

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 5.93 square miles (15.36 km2), including 4.66 square miles (12.07 km2) of land and 1.27 square miles (3.28 km2) of water (21.37%).[2][3]

Perth Amboy, and South Amboy across the Raritan River, are collectively referred to as The Amboys. Signage for Exit 11 on the New Jersey Turnpike refers to "The Amboys" as a destination. The Amboys are the northern limit of the area informally referred to as the Bayshore.

Perth Amboy borders Woodbridge (adjacent by land to the north and west), Sayreville (to the southwest, across the Raritan River), South Amboy (south across the upper reaches of Raritan Bay, directly connected only by rail), and the New York City borough of Staten Island (east across the Arthur Kill).[61][62][63]

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Barber, Eagleswood and Florida Grove.[64]

Perth Amboy sits on a geological layer of clay several hundred feet thick. Consequently, clay mining and factories such as A. Hall and Sons Terra Cotta located in Perth Amboy in the late 19th century.[65]

In its September 2005 issue, Golf Magazine named Perth Amboy the unofficial "Golf Capital of the U.S.", despite the fact that there are no golf courses within the city limits, citing the city's access to 25 of the magazine's Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S., which can be found within 150 mi (240 km) of Perth Amboy.[66]

 
Typical Victorians on High Street
 
Arthur Kill along waterfront walkway just south of Ferry Slip

Waterfront edit

Perth Amboy features a historic waterfront, which has gone through significant revitalization. Local attractions include the Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, two small museums, an art gallery, a yacht club, and a marina. Near the marina lies a park with a small bandshell. On Sunday afternoons in the summertime, Perth Amboy hosts the Concerts by the Bay in the park's bandshell. Every Thursday evening in the summer, Perth Amboy hosts the Mayor's Concert Series in Bayview Park. Perth Amboy also hosts an annual Waterfront Arts Festival. The waterfront is also characterized by a redbrick promenade near the water and many stately Victorian homes, some on hills overlooking the bay and tree lined streets with well-manicured lawns. The land rises steeply after two blocks. This hides the rest of the town, making the waterfront look like a quiet fishing village. Points of interest on the waterfront include St. Peter's Episcopal Church, and the Proprietary House, which is now the former governor's mansion and houses a museum and some offices. Kearny Cottage, which also has a museum, is here. This section of Perth Amboy once had a thriving Jewish community with yeshivas, synagogues, kosher butchers and bakers.[67] Today, however, there are only two synagogues left, each with only a few older members.

A project called 'The Landings at Harborside' was to have featured 2,100 residential units along with indoor parking, 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) of retail space, a community center, and recreation amenities for the public as well.[68] However, after meeting with Charles Kushner, the developer who spent two years in prison after being convicted of witness tampering, tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions, Mayor Wilda Diaz endorsed a scaled-back design concept for the development, allowing Section 8 housing rentals instead of owner-occupied units as originally promised.[69]

The Raritan Yacht Club is the state's second-oldest and one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States, founded in 1882 from the merger of two older clubs, one founded in 1865 and the other in 1874.[70][71] Also located on the waterfront and founded in 1917, St. Demetrios was one of the first Greek Orthodox churches in central New Jersey. Established by the Greek immigrants who came to the United States at the turn of the 19th century, this community has stood as a beacon of the Orthodox Faith and Hellenism in Middlesex County.[72]

Downtown Perth Amboy edit

 
The Perth Amboy National Bank Building at the Five Corners

Perth Amboy was settled by Europeans in 1683 and incorporated as a city in 1718. It was founded by English merchants, Scots seeking religious freedom, and French Protestants, who sought to make use of Perth Amboy's harbor to its full potential. Downtown is the main commercial district, and is centered on Smith Street. It is an Urban Enterprise Zone, and the reduced sales tax rate (half of the statewide rate) funds revitalization of Smith Street with newly planted trees, Victorian streetlights, benches, garbage cans, and redbrick sidewalks.[73][74] Smith Street is a shopping center seven blocks wide, with stores catering to working-class customers. The street is flanked by mainly two- to three-story buildings of varied architecture. It also has a lone bank skyscraper called 'Amboy Towers', 10 stories tall, located at Five Corners, the intersection of Smith Street, New Brunswick Avenue and State Street.[75] Once home to several department stores downtown, the largest storefront today is a discount retailer.

Harbortown edit

 
Looking across Arthur Kill to Harbortown (center)

Harbortown is a townhouse development on the waterfront which continues to be expanded since construction started in 1987. "Section 8" housing along with more affluent homes can be found in Harbortown, an economically and ethnically diverse townhouse development in the city.[76]

This area was the Lehigh Valley Railroad marshaling yards where coal was loaded onto barges for shipment to New York City and elsewhere until the LVRR went bankrupt in 1976.[77]

Hall Avenue edit

Hall Avenue is a neighborhood centered on Hall Avenue east of the NJ Transit train tracks. The street itself, Hall Avenue, is no longer the commercial strip it once was. However, there is a recently built strip mall on the corner of Hall Avenue and State Street called the "Firehouse Plaza". There is also a "Banco Popular" branch of the bank headquartered in Puerto Rico. However, Hall Avenue is now primarily residential. Most of the homes are aging apartments, but there are also some newly constructed homes. Hall Avenue remains a traditional Puerto Rican neighborhood, and it hosts the city's annual Puerto Rican Day Festival, which is held on the same day of the historic Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.[78] Rudyk Park is north of Route 440 and features the Roberto Clemente Baseball Field and an industrial park.

Southwestern section edit

The southwestern section is a mainly working-class residential neighborhood with some light industry, once the site of Eagleswood Military Academy. The city's largest strip mall is located here. This neighborhood has a large and diversified Hispanic neighborhood with many Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and recently, South Americans. Much of the city's Mexican population also lives in this section. Previously, this section of Perth Amboy had a large Irish population and was once named "Dublin". Following the Irish came the Eastern Europeans, primarily Polish and Hungarian. Most of the housing consists of small one- or two-family houses. The main commercial strip is Smith Street, west of the NJ Transit train tracks.

Western section edit

The western section of the waterfront is west of Kearny Avenue. It is an overwhelmingly blue-collar Hispanic neighborhood. Most of the homes are over 100 years old; many are modest row houses. Sadowski Parkway Park lines through the southern end of the neighborhood and has a walkway with a beach. The park also hosts the Dominican festival and other festivals during the summer.

State Street edit

State Street is a neighborhood east of the NJ Transit train tracks, north of Fayette Street, and south of Harbortown. Like the southwestern section of Perth Amboy, it is predominantly working-class Hispanic. In addition, this neighborhood had many industries and factories before they moved overseas. The neighborhood is mainly Caribbean Hispanic. This section once had a large Cuban community. The State and Fayette Gardens, an apartment complex in the neighborhood, were called "The Cuban Buildings" at one time. The Landings at Harborside redevelopment project is being constructed in this neighborhood.

Amboy Avenue edit

Amboy Avenue is a quasi-suburban, working to middle-class neighborhood. It is also referred to as the "Hospital section" or the "High School section" due to the fact that these places are located in the neighborhood. Today most residents are Hispanic; Amboy Avenue once had a strong Italian population.

Maurer edit

Maurer is a chiefly working to middle-class neighborhood that lies in the northern part of Route 440. It is heavily industrial with many oil refineries and brownfields. Like Amboy Avenue, it is quasi-suburban.

Chickentown edit

Chickentown is a neighborhood in the western part of Route 35 south of Spa Springs, just south of Route 440. It shares many of the same characteristics of Spa Springs but to a lesser extent. The city's largest park, Washington Park, is located here. It received its name from all the chicken farms (hens and eggs) that were located here before World War II.

Climate edit

Perth Amboy has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) typical of New Jersey with hot, humid summers and cold, wet winters.

Climate data for Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 39
(4)
42
(6)
51
(11)
62
(17)
72
(22)
81
(27)
86
(30)
84
(29)
77
(25)
66
(19)
55
(13)
43
(6)
63
(17)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 24
(−4)
26
(−3)
33
(1)
42
(6)
51
(11)
61
(16)
66
(19)
65
(18)
57
(14)
46
(8)
37
(3)
29
(−2)
45
(7)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.63
(92)
3.06
(78)
4.13
(105)
4.01
(102)
4.22
(107)
4.21
(107)
5.50
(140)
3.73
(95)
4.57
(116)
4.21
(107)
3.85
(98)
4.00
(102)
49.12
(1,248)
Source: [79]

Demographics edit

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1790582
1810815
1820798−2.1%
183087910.2%
18401,30348.2%
18501,86543.1%
18602,30223.4%
18702,85123.8%
18804,80868.6%
18909,51297.8%
190017,69986.1%
191032,12181.5%
192041,70729.8%
193043,5164.3%
194041,242−5.2%
195041,3300.2%
196038,007−8.0%
197038,7982.1%
198038,9510.4%
199041,9677.7%
200047,30312.7%
201050,8147.4%
202055,4369.1%
2022 (est.)55,357[11][13][14]−0.1%
Population sources:1790–1920[80]
1840[81] 1850–1870[82] 1850[83]
1870[84] 1880–1890[85] 1850–1930[86]
1940–2000[87] 2000[88][89]
2010[90][91] 2020[11][12]

The city is one of many U.S. communities with a majority Hispanic population.

2010 census edit

The 2010 United States census counted 50,814 people, 15,419 households, and 11,456 families in the city. The population density was 10,806.8 per square mile (4,172.5/km2). There were 16,556 housing units at an average density of 3,521.0 per square mile (1,359.5/km2). The racial makeup was 50.26% (25,541) White, 10.54% (5,358) Black or African American, 1.10% (561) Native American, 1.69% (859) Asian, 0.05% (27) Pacific Islander, 30.77% (15,634) from other races, and 5.58% (2,834) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 78.10% (39,685) of the population.[90] The city's Hispanic population was the second-highest percentage among municipalities in New Jersey as of the 2010 Census, ranked behind Union City with 84.7%.[23]

Of the 15,419 households, 40.0% had children under the age of 18; 40.1% were married couples living together; 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.3% were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.65.[90]

27.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.3 males.[90]

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $47,696 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,644) and the median family income was $53,792 (+/− $2,943). Males had a median income of $38,485 (+/− $2,450) versus $30,078 (+/− $3,452) for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,162 (+/− $933). About 16.3% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.[92]

2000 census edit

As of the 2000 United States census[19] there were 47,303 people, 14,562 households, and 10,761 families residing in the city. The population density was 9,892.0 inhabitants per square mile (3,819.3/km2). There were 15,236 housing units at an average density of 3,186.2 per square mile (1,230.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 46.41% White, 10.04% African American, 0.70% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 35.59% from other races, and 5.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 69.83% of the population.[88][89]

There were 14,562 households, out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 21.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.1% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.63.[88][89]

In the city the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.[88][89]

The median income for a household in the city was $37,608, and the median income for a family was $40,740. Males had a median income of $29,399 versus $21,954 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,989. About 14.3% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.[88][89]

In 2000, 27.79% of Perth Amboy residents identified themselves as being of Puerto Rican ancestry, the fifth highest concentration of Puerto Ricans on the U.S. mainland of those municipalities with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[93] In the same census, 18.81% of Perth Amboy residents identified themselves as being of Dominican ancestry, the third highest concentration in the country of Dominicans in the United States after Haverstraw, New York, and Lawrence, Massachusetts, using the same criteria.[94]

Economy edit

Portions of the city are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The city was selected in 1994 as one of a group of 10 zones added to participate in the program.[95] In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6+58% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.[96] Established in October 1994, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in October 2025.[97] As of 2023, hundreds of millions of dollars were being invested in the redevelopment of Perth Amboy's waterfront area, in part related to its strategically-located industrial area.[98]

Government edit

Local government edit

The City of Perth Amboy is governed under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act. The city is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.[99] The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the City Council, all of whom are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis. The city council is comprised of five members who are elected to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in alternating even-numbered years. The mayor also serves a four-year term of office, which is up for election the same year that two council seats are up for vote.[8][100] In October 2010, the City Council voted to shift the city's non-partisan elections from May to November, with the first balloting held in conjunction with the General Election in November 2012.[101]

As of 2022, the mayor of Perth Amboy is Helmin J. Caba, whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Caba defeated former three-term mayor Wilda Diaz who had served 12 years in office from 2008 to 2020.[4] After trailing behind incumbent mayor Wilda Diaz by 33%-30% (a margin of more than 400 votes) in the November 2020 general election, he won the mayoral runoff election against Wilda Diaz on December 15, 2020.[102] Members of the City Council are Rose B. Morales (2024), Joel Pabon Sr. (2022), William A. Petrick (2022), Milady Tejeda (2022) and Bienvenido "BJ" Torres (2024).[103][104][105][106]

In the November 2014 general election, Fernando Gonzalez came in third place, winning the final seat up for election ahead of Sergio Diaz by nine votes. In March 2015, a Superior Court judge ordered a special election between Diaz and Gonzalez after finding that votes had been illegally cast and that there was evidence of fraud in mail voting.[107] In the special election, Gonzalez beat Diaz by a 112-vote margin.[108]

Federal, state and county representation edit

Perth Amboy is located in the 6th Congressional District[109] and is part of New Jersey's 19th state legislative district.[110][111][112]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 6th congressional district is represented by Frank Pallone (D, Long Branch).[113][114] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[115] and Bob Menendez (Englewood Cliffs, term ends 2025).[116][117]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 19th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joe F. Vitale (D, Woodbridge Township) and in the General Assembly by Craig Coughlin (D, Woodbridge Township) and Yvonne Lopez (D, Perth Amboy).[118]

Middlesex County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners, whose seven members are elected at-large on a partisan basis to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects from among its members a commissioner director and deputy director.[119] As of 2024, Middlesex County's Commissioners (with party affiliation, term-end year, and residence listed in parentheses) are:

Director Ronald G. Rios (D, Carteret, 2024),[120] Deputy Director Shanti Narra (D, North Brunswick, 2024),[121] Claribel A. "Clary" Azcona-Barber (D, New Brunswick, 2025),[122] Charles Kenny (D, Woodbridge Township, 2025),[123] Leslie Koppel (D, Monroe Township, 2026),[124] Chanelle Scott McCullum (D, Piscataway, 2024)[125] and Charles E. Tomaro (D, Edison, 2026).[126][127]

Constitutional officers are: Clerk Nancy Pinkin (D, 2025, East Brunswick),[128][129] Sheriff Mildred S. Scott (D, 2025, Piscataway)[130][131] and Surrogate Claribel Cortes (D, 2026; North Brunswick).[132][133][134]

Politics edit

As of March 2011, there were a total of 22,737 registered voters in Perth Amboy, of which 9,212 (40.5%) were registered as Democrats, 1,022 (4.5%) were registered as Republicans and 12,500 (55.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered to either the Libertarian Party or the Green Party.[135]

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 87.0% of the vote (11,774 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 12.3% (1,667 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (100 votes), among the 13,869 ballots cast by the city's 24,253 registered voters (328 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 57.2%.[136][137] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 81.6% of the vote (10,999 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 16.8% (2,261 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (91 votes), among the 13,473 ballots cast by the city's 23,248 registered voters, for a turnout of 58.0%.[138] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 71.0% of the vote (8,677 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 27.5% (3,359 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (79 votes), among the 12,223 ballots cast by the city's 21,686 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 56.4.[139]

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 63.1% of the vote (3,574 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 35.6% (2,014 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (74 votes), among the 5,915 ballots cast by the city's 24,593 registered voters (253 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 24.1%.[140][141] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 69.8% of the vote (4,645 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 24.2% (1,611 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 3.4% (228 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (50 votes), among the 6,654 ballots cast by the city's 22,185 registered voters, yielding a 30.0% turnout.[142]

Transportation edit

Roads and highways edit

 
Victory Bridge from US 9
 
View south along Route 440, the largest and busiest highway in Perth Amboy

As of March 2019, the city had a total of 75.14 miles (120.93 km) of roadways, of which 58.59 miles (94.29 km) were maintained by the municipality, 11.11 miles (17.88 km) by Middlesex County, 4.27 miles (6.87 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 1.17 miles (1.88 km) by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.[143]

The city is crisscrossed by many many major roads and highways.[144] Major roads in the city include Route 35[145] Route 184,[146] Route 440,[147] CR 501[148] and CR 616.[149]

The Outerbridge Crossing, which opened to traffic on June 29, 1928, is a cantilever bridge over the Arthur Kill that connects Perth Amboy with Staten Island. Known locally as the "Outerbridge", it is part of a major route on NY-440 / NJ-440 from the south and west to New York City and Long Island. Despite the assumption that the name is derived from its location as the southernmost bridge in New York State and Staten Island, the Outerbridge Crossing was named in honor of Eugenius H. Outerbridge, first Chairman of the Port Authority.[150] The bridge clears the channel by 143 ft (44 m), providing passage for some of the largest ships entering the Port of New York and New Jersey.[151]

 
Main entrance of Perth Amboy Station

The Victory Bridge carries Route 35 over the Raritan River, connecting Perth Amboy on the north with Sayreville to the south. From the time of its construction in 1926 until the Edison Bridge was completed in 1939, all traffic heading across the Raritan River was funneled through the Victory Bridge, whose original single-span swing bridge was replaced under a project completed in 2005 that provides two spans of traffic, including a 134-metre (440 ft) main span that was the longest precast cantilever segmental construction in the United States at the time of its construction.[152][153][154]

Public transportation edit

The city has NJ Transit train service at Perth Amboy station.[155] The station provides service on the North Jersey Coast Line to Newark Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal, Secaucus Junction, New York Penn Station and the Jersey Shore.[156]

NJ Transit buses serve the Port Authority Bus Terminal on the 116 route, Elizabeth on the 48 line, with local service available on the 813, 815, and 817 bus routes.[157][158]

Bicycle regulation edit

Since 1939, legal use of a bicycle in Perth Amboy requires a license issued by the Perth Amboy police department. The purchase and sale of used bicycles must be reported to the Perth Amboy police department. Any person operating a business engaged in the sale or purchase of new or used bicycles must file a daily report with the Chief of Police detailing the particulars of all transactions.[159] There is at least one bicycle shop in Perth Amboy.[160]

Education edit

 
Perth Amboy High School

Public schools in Perth Amboy are operated by Perth Amboy Public Schools, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.[161] The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke[162] which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.[163][164]

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 12 schools, had an enrollment of 10,786 students and 898.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1.[165] Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[166]) are Ignacio Cruz Early Childhood Center[167] (with 667 students in Pre-K), Edmund Hmieleski Jr. Early Childhood Center[168] (362; Pre-K), School #7 Early Childhood Center[169] (NA; Pre-K), Anthony V. Ceres Elementary School[170] (581; K–4), James J. Flynn Elementary School[171] (550; K–4), Rose M. Lopez Elementary School[172] (812; K–3), Edward J. Patten Elementary Elementary School[173] (660; K–4), Dr. Herbert N. Richardson 21st Century Elementary School[174] (491; K–4), Robert N. Wilentz Elementary School[175] (637; K–4), Dual Language School[176] (397; 4–8), William C. McGinnis Middle School[177] (1,398; 5–8), Samuel E. Shull Middle School[178] (1,410; 5–8) and Perth Amboy High School[179] (2,547; 9–12).[180][181][182]

Based on data from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey, 14.5% of adults over the age of 25 in Perth Amboy have a bachelor's degree or higher, a percentage significantly below the state average of 38.9% and the 42.7% of those in Middlesex County.[183]

The Academy for Urban Leadership Charter High School is a public high school serving grades 7–12 open since September 2010, operating independently of the Perth Amboy Public Schools under the terms of a charter granted by the New Jersey Department of Education. The school opened with one hundred 9th graders, with plans to add a class of 100 students each year until it reached its goal of 400 students in grades 9–12 by the 2013–2014 school year and has since added grades 7 and 8.[184] As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 414 students and 39.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.6:1.[185]

Eighth grade students from all of Middlesex County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools, a county-wide vocational school district that offers full-time career and technical education at Middlesex County Academy in Edison, the Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge and at its East Brunswick, Perth Amboy and Piscataway technical high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.[186][187]

Assumption Catholic School (Pre-K–8)[188] and Perth Amboy Catholic Primary School / Upper School (Pre-K–8)[189] operate under the supervision of Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.[190]

In 1903, the Perth Amboy Public Library became the first Carnegie library in the state, made possible through a grant of $20,000 from Andrew Carnegie Foundation and donations from local philanthropists, which were supplemented in 1914 by an additional $30,000 in Carnegie grants to pay for two additional reading rooms.[53][54] The library reopened in 2015 after a $2 million renovation project that kept the library closed for more than two years.[55][191]

Notable people edit

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

Sister cities edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In/Perth Amboy; A Waterfront City Planning a Comeback", The New York Times, December 2, 2001. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The City by the Bay, as Perth Amboy calls itself, has a proud history. Founded in 1683, it was the first city in New Jersey to be chartered by the Crown, in 1718.... The name Perth Amboy comes from the Earl of Perth, one of the proprietors of New Jersey under the royal grant, and the Leni Lenape Indian word 'ompage', meaning 'level ground.'"
  2. ^ a b c d e 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  3. ^ a b US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Mayor, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed July 19, 2022.
  5. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Business Administration. Accessed April 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Office of Municipal Clerk. Accessed April 1, 2023.
  8. ^ a b 2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 87.
  9. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  10. ^ "City of Perth Amboy". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d e QuickFacts Perth Amboy city, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 16, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Total Population: Census 2010 - Census 2020 New Jersey Municipalities, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2022 Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022, United States Census Bureau, released May 2023. Accessed May 18, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New Jersey: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022, United States Census Bureau, released May 2023. Accessed May 18, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  16. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Perth Amboy, NJ Archived 2012-05-28 at the Wayback Machine, United States Postal Service. Accessed November 28, 2011.
  17. ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed August 18, 2013.
  18. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Perth Amboy, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed April 9, 2015.
  19. ^ a b U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  20. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  21. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  22. ^ Reyes, Raul A. "How A Local New Jersey Latina Became Mayor, Rising Political Star", NBC News, November 16, 2015. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Perth Amboy, N.J. – To spend a morning with Mayor Wilda Diaz in this “City by the Bay” is to understand the meaning of local celebrity."
  23. ^ a b Mascarenhas, Rohan. "Census data shows Hispanics as the largest minority in N.J.", The Star-Ledger, February 3, 2011. Accessed August 7, 2013.
  24. ^ The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, May 1945, p. 26. Accessed December 18, 2019.
  25. ^ a b Makin, Bob. "Walking guide to Perth Amboy's Colonial, Revolutionary War history", Courier News, June 28, 2018. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Outside city hall is a statue of James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth, a Scottish statesmen who partnered with William Penn in the settlement of East Jersey in 1681. In 1683, he and Penn were among the 12 Proprietors who established the city as a port, fishery and trading post. Perth Amboy is named in the Earl’s honor, Amboy being an Anglicizing of the Lenape word for valley, 'ompoge.'"
  26. ^ a b Compiled by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Project Administration Project for the State of New Jersey New Jersey A Guide to Its Past and Present, p. 362. Works Project Administration, reprinted by US History Publishers, 2007. ISBN 9781603540292. Accessed August 8, 2014.
  27. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 17, 2015.
  28. ^ Gannett, Henry. The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, p. 243. United States Government Printing Office, 1905. Accessed September 17, 2015.
  29. ^ DeAngelo, Walter A. The History Buff's Guide to Middlesex County Archived September 29, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The City of Perth Amboy (originally known as Scottish Colony) was founded by Robert Barclay in 1683 (Perth Amboy received a Royal City Charter in 1718)."
  30. ^ Klett, Joseph R. "Using the Records of East and West Jersey Proprietors", New Jersey State Archives, 2014. Accessed April 9, 2015. "Scottish Colony, 1683 – Following the purchase of a share of East Jersey by Scottish Quaker and later Governor Robert Barclay, Scottish settlers were recruited and began to arrive in Perth Amboy and surrounding areas beginning in 1683. Most were not Quakers, but rather Calvinists from Edinburgh, Montrose, Aberdeen and Kelso. Settlers and their servants were granted lots in Perth Amboy and areas of Monmouth County. Perth Amboy became the capital of East New Jersey in 1686."
  31. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 172. Accessed May 10, 2013.
  32. ^ Was Trenton NJ's only capital? If not what other city was?, New Jersey History's Mysteries, updated July 14, 2011. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The very first capital of New Jersey was Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth) named in 1668 when the original Proprietors, Lord Berkeley and George Carteret, send Philip Carteret to govern their new possession. Later they moved the capital to Perth Amboy in 1686, and when New Jersey was divided into East and West Jersey, Burlington became the capital of the latter, and Perth Amboy remained the capital of the former. In 1702, New Jersey became a Royal Colony, but both towns remained capitals and the Royal Governors split time between the two (when they didn't govern from New York City, but that is another story)."
  33. ^ Stansfield, Charles A. A Geography of New Jersey: The City in the Garden, p. 79. Rutgers University Press, 1998. ISBN 9780813525792 Accessed December 18, 2019. "Until the Revolution, the royal governor and legislature migrated back and forth from East Jersey's capital, Perth Amboy, to Burlington, capital of West Jersey."
  34. ^ Ryan, Joe. "Looking Back: Lawmakers call Trenton home", The Star-Ledger, November 25, 2007, updated April 2, 2019. Accessed December 18, 2019. "On Nov. 25, 1790, the New Jersey Legislature ended its years of wandering and named Trenton the state capital.... Elizabeth was the first Colonial capital, followed by Perth Amboy and Burlington as the capitals of East and West Jersey in 1676. Trenton, named for Philadelphia merchant William Trent, was well positioned on the Delaware River, roughly halfway between New York and Philadelphia."
  35. ^ Construction 1762 -1764, Proprietary House. Accessed December 18, 2019. "On March 25, 1761, the Board of the Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey (to give them their full title) proposed to construct a fine mansion worthy of serving as the residence of the Royal Governors. They hired the English architect and builder John Edward Pryor to design and build what they called the 'Proprietary House in Amboy.'... Troubled by cost overruns and delays that almost ruined Pryor, major construction was at last completed in September of 1764.... New Jersey's royal governor at the time was William Franklin. London was slow to support his plan to buy the mansion in Perth Amboy and he had heavily invested in a fine estate in Burlington, closer to Philadelphia where his family still resided."
  36. ^ Royal Governor 1774 -1776, Proprietary House. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The Franklins didn’t move into Proprietary House until 1774. Their time there would be short but fateful. With the outbreak of hostilities between the colonies and Britain in 1775, high drama played out at the governor’s mansion when Ben Franklin visited and tried in vain to win his Loyalist son over to the cause of independence. But William remained loyal to the crown. The New Jersey Assembly ordered the Governor held under house arrest at Proprietary House in January 1776 and removed him for trial in June of the same year."
  37. ^ National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form for Perth Amboy City Hall, National Park Service, received November 1980. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The Perth Amboy City Hall, believed to be the oldest municipal office still in use in the United States and constructed during the years 1713-1714, began its existence as a combination jail and court house. It was built in response to Perth Amboy's designation in 1713 by the Provincial Assembly (Legislature) of New Jersey as the location for the Middlesex County Court House and Jail. City Hall also became the meeting place of the Provincial Assembly when it sat in East Jersey (since Perth Amboy was its capital) and the site wherein New Jersey's Royal Governors were inaugurated. As such, City Hall was a seat of 'state' government at this time."
  38. ^ Martin, Antoinette. "In the Region/New Jersey; 'New Urbanism' Is Driving a Big Waterfront Project", The New York Times, April 18, 2004. Accessed November 28, 2011. "Perth Amboy is home to the only official Royal Governor's Palace still intact from colonial days, a mansion built for Governor William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, who moved into the house in 1774. Perth Amboy is also home to the oldest City Hall in continuous use in the United States."
  39. ^ a b c The History of Perth Amboy, City of Perth Amboy, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 13, 2011. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Perth Amboy is also home to the oldest City Hall in continuous use in the United States, built during 1714-1717 or 1718, to serve as the County courthouse and jail."
  40. ^ Russell, Suzanne. "Veterans Day Celebration", Courier News, November 11, 2014. Accessed December 18, 2019. "In 1789 Perth Amboy was the capital of New Jersey. Members of the General Assembly of New Jersey met in the courthouse, now part of City Hall, to ratify the Bill of Rights. William Livingston was governor of New Jersey at that time and on Nov. 20, 1789 the Bill of Rights was ratified in Perth Amboy, officials said. The document became a part of the Constitution on Dec. 10, 1791."
  41. ^ Assembly Resolution No. 63 State of New Jersey 217th Legislature[permanent dead link], New Jersey Legislature. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Whereas, It was in Perth Amboy City Hall that the State of New Jersey became the first state in the country to ratify the Bill of Rights on November 20, 1789, and this event is commemorated by the Bill of Rights Arch, located in Market Square Park; and Whereas, Market Square Park, commonly referred to as City Hall Park or City Hall Circle, celebrates and stands as a monument to the City of Perth Amboy’s historical significance, and contains the Bill of Rights Arch and an exact replica of the Liberty Bell"
  42. ^ History, St. Peter's Church. Accessed December 18, 2019. "St. Peter’s is proud to be the oldest Episcopal parish in New Jersey. Historic records show that the first service was held in 1685. Our first rector arrived from England in 1698. In our history we have had twenty-six rectors, only four since 1914. Our royal charter was received in 1718, the same year as the city of Perth Amboy received its charter."
  43. ^ Secret History of a Northern Slave State Retrieved March 28, 2020
  44. ^ Kearny Cottage Archived December 19, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Historic Trust. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Constructed in 1781, Kearny Cottage is a rare surviving example of an eighteenth- century vernacular residence in urban Perth Amboy. Once home to the successful and influential Kearney family, the cottage has since served as Perth Amboy's sole museum and repository for local historical memorabilia since the 1920s."
  45. ^ Home Page, Kearny Cottage. Accessed December 18, 2019. "Built in 1781, the four-room cottage is a museum operated by Kearny Cottage Historical Society and serves as a repository for many items donated by citizens of Perth Amboy reflecting the maritime history of its owners and the city."
  46. ^ "Staten Island Ferry facts and vintage photos", Staten Island Advance, October 21, 2016, updated January 3, 2019. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The Perth Amboy Ferry slip, located on Arthur Kill Road, was once a vital slip for vessels entering and exiting New York Harbor -- ferry service dates back to 1684, with regular service beginning in 1709. It was operational until 1963.... It became less important with the opening of the Outerbridge Crossing in 1928."
  47. ^ Laub, Donald. "New Jersey Side of the Tottenville Ferry", New York Public Library, February 7, 2008. Accessed August 18, 2013.
  48. ^ a b Perth Amboy Tottenville Ferry Slip HS, Raritan-Millstone Heritage Alliance, backed up by the Internet Archive as of November 21, 2008. Accessed April 9, 2015.
  49. ^ Ginxburg, Ralph. "Perth Amboy Church Is 302 And Counting", The New York Times February 15, 1987. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The first black man to vote in America, Thomas Mundy Peterson, was a member of St. Peter's and is buried in its graveyard. He voted in the Perth Amboy mayoral election of March 31, 1870, one day after adoption of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution."
  50. ^ "Thomas Peterson Casts the First Vote", University of Richmond. Accessed December 18, 2019. "The first African American to take advantage of the new right to vote was Thomas Mundy Peterson. Peterson cast his historic vote on March 31, 1870. The iconic vote was cast in a local election in Perth Amboy, New Jersey for the town’s charter. Gary Sullivan of the News Tribune stated, 'Exercising his right to vote in a local election on March 31, 1870. Peterson became the first black man in the United States to cast a ballot. The amendment had been ratified on February 3, 1870, and within just two months the Fifteenth Amendment was put to use.'"
  51. ^ The Path of the Black Diamond; A history of one company’s undertaking to distribute Anthracite coal within New England. The Lehigh Valley Railroad & Bee Line Transportation Company, Sound Underwater Survey. Accessed December 18, 2019. "This competing action by the L&S necessitated a quick response by the LV, and resulted in the building of its extension eastward across New Jersey and the building of a salt water terminal by 1876. The line was built by acquiring the charters of two, as yet unbuilt railroads in New Jersey, and melding them into a single charter for a line titled Easton & Amboy Railroad (E&A). The eastern terminal was established at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, a salt water port at the confluence of the Arthur Kill and the Raritan River."
  52. ^ Wang, Paul W.; and Massopust, Katherine A. Perth Amboy, p. 19. Arcadia Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7385-6241-4. Accessed September 22, 2016.
  53. ^ a b Our Story, Perth Amboy Free Public Library. Accessed December 20, 2019. "Our Library was built on its present site on Jefferson Street, in 1901, on land donated by J. C. Mc Coy, of the Raritan Copper Works and constructed with the aid of a $20,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, a $1,000 donation from Adolph Lewisohn to purchase new books, and an agreement by the City to provide for the Library's upkeep. On December 9, 1903, the building, the first in New Jersey to be the beneficiary of Mr. Carnegie's generosity, was opened to the Public. The growth of the Library from that time was so marked, that in 1914, the Carnegie Corporation donated an additional $30,000 for the creation of two reading rooms."
  54. ^ a b Staff. "Library for Perth Amboy; Mr. Carnegie Given $20,000 -- The City Secures a Site", The New York Times, March 14, 1901. Accessed September 8, 2018.
  55. ^ a b Russell, Suzanne. "Renovations completed at Perth Amboy Public Library", Courier News, October 19, 2015. Accessed December 19, 2019. "More than two years after the Perth Amboy Public Library closed its doors in 2013 for a much-needed $2 million renovation, residents will be welcomed back to the Jefferson Street building Saturday, Oct. 24, to tour the restored 112-year-old structure and sign up for library cards.... 'We're still making repairs. The majority of the work has been done, but it's still a work in progress,' said Diaz, noting a stair tower, to provide handicap accessibility, has yet to be completed on the structure which opened in 1903 with funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation."
  56. ^ 1914 Perth Amboy Pacers, Baseball-Reference.com. Accessed April 9, 2015.
  57. ^ Staff. "Perth Amboy Mob In Anti-Klan Riot. Scores Are Beaten. Crowd of 6,000 Drive Ku Kluxers From Hall, Pummeling and Stoning Them. Police Tear Gas Futile. Fire Department Attempts to Halt Assault, but Rioters Cut Every Line of Hose.", The New York Times, August 31, 1923. Accessed September 8, 2018. "In the wildest disorder incident to Ku Klux Klan activities yet known in the East, a mob of 6,000 persons in Perth Amboy, N.J., last night overcame the combined police and fire departments of the town and broke up a meeting of 'Invisible Empire' subjects."
  58. ^ "The Battle of Perth Amboy (1923)", Stanley W. Rogouski, October 8, 2014. Accessed April 9, 2015.
  59. ^ a b Staff. "Review: 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'", Variety, December 31, 1946. Accessed April 9, 2015. "Thurber's whole conception of Mitty was an inconsequential fellow from Perth Amboy, NJ, to whom nothing – but nothing – ever happened and who, as a result, lived a 'secret life' via his excursions into daydreaming."
  60. ^ Haydon, Tom. "Old Bridge seeks to pump own water from reservoir in effort to reduce costs", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 12, 2010. Accessed September 22, 2016. "Middlesex Water Company takes water from the large reservoir that Perth Amboy built on property the city purchased in Old Bridge in the 1920s. The city turned over operation of the reservoir, known as the Runyon Watershed, to the water company more than 10 years ago."
  61. ^ Areas touching Perth Amboy, MapIt. Accessed March 2, 2020.
  62. ^ Municipalities, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 2, 2020.
  63. ^ New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
  64. ^ Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2015.
  65. ^ Report of the Clay Deposits of Woodbridge, South Amboy and Other Places of New Jersey, Together With Their Uses for Fire Brick, Pottery, Etc., Geological Survey of New Jersey, 1878. Accessed December 18, 2019.
  66. ^ "The Golf Capital of the U.S.", Golf Magazine, backed up by the Internet Archive as of November 11, 2007. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Amboy, N.J. (perhaps best known as Bon Jovi's early stomping grounds) is an easy drive from a quarter of the best golf courses in the country, making it the unofficial golf capital of the United States. Exactly 25 of our Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S. are found less than 150 miles from Perth Amboy -- creating a hub of great American golf."
  67. ^ Silverstein, Marilyn. "Rabbi hopes to bring renaissance to shul" Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Jewish News, June 17, 2004, accessed April 11, 2007. "'Once upon a time, Perth Amboy was the hub of a thriving Jewish community', observed Rabbi Israel Einhorn. 'Perth Amboy used to be the No. 1 shtetl in New Jersey. They had butchers, bakers, yeshivas,' Einhorn said as he sat in his office at Congregation Shaarey Tefiloh, an Orthodox shul on the waterfront in the economically depressed town."
  68. ^ Top Projects Started 2003-2004: The Landings at HarborSide, New York Construction, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 1, 2011. Accessed December 19, 2019. "The Landings at HarborSide - one of the largest comprehensive redevelopment projects in the United States between a private developer and municipality - is a comprehensive, eight-year $600 million plan that incorporates residential and retail development, recreation, parks, marina and future hotel site."
  69. ^ Russell, Suzanne. "Perth Amboy's Landings at Harborside project takes new direction", Home News Tribune, September 16, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of April 2, 2015. Accessed December 19, 2019.
  70. ^ Raritan Yacht Club, 1683 Society. Accessed December 19, 2019. "The Club itself was established in 1882 from two others, the Carteret Boat Club (1865) and the Perth Amboy Yacht Club (1874), making it the second oldest yacht club in New Jersey and one of the oldest in the country."
  71. ^ America's Oldest Yacht Clubs, Yachting Club of America. Accessed December 19, 2019.
  72. ^ Parish History, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church – Perth Amboy. Accessed December 19, 2019. Founded in 1917, St. Demetrios was one of the first Greek Orthodox churches in central New Jersey."
  73. ^ Urban Enterprise Zone - An Invitation from the Chief Administrator Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine, City of Perth Amboy. Accessed November 28, 2011.
  74. ^ Geographic & Urban Redevelopment Tax Credit Programs, State of New Jersey, backed up by the Internet Archive as of January 3, 2010. Accessed January 24, 2012.
  75. ^ Russell, Suzanne C. "City landmark to return to glory days" Archived 2012-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, Home News Tribune, February 17, 2005. Accessed November 28, 2011. "The Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency and Wilshire Enterprises, owners of Amboy Towers, also known as the Five Corners Building... He said the building, the tallest in Perth Amboy, is a city landmark."
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  153. ^ Lettiere announces completion of Route 35 Victory Bridge and Victory Circle Project, New Jersey Department of Transportation press release dated October 27, 2005. Accessed December 24, 2019. "The original Route 35 Victory Bridge was built in 1926, connecting the municipalities of Perth Amboy City and Sayreville Borough in Middlesex County. The 360-foot structure was the longest swing span bridge in New Jersey at the time it was built.... The Route 35 Victory Bridge provides a vital highway link over the Raritan River in Middlesex County. Its traffic volume currently exceeds 20,000 vehicles per day and is projected to exceed 25,000 vehicles per day by 2015. A combined 350,000 cars travel over the Raritan River each day via the Parkway, Route 35 and Route 9."
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  184. ^ Our School, Academy for Urban Leadership Charter High School. Accessed December 19, 2019. "The Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School is a public school that operates under a charter granted by the State Commissioner of Education on September 8, 2010. As of September 2016, AUL will be serving 500 students in grades 8-12, one hundred students per grade. In September 2017, AUL will be serving an additional one hundred students in grade 7."
  185. ^ District information for Academy For Urban Leadership Charter School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  186. ^ Heyboer, Kelly. "How to get your kid a seat in one of N.J.'s hardest-to-get-into high schools", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 2017. Accessed November 18, 2019. "Middlesex County has two stand-alone career academies for high-achieving students: the Academy for Science, Math and Engineering Technology, located on the campus of Middlesex County College in Edison, and the Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge. How to apply: Students must attend a mandatory information session and submit an application by November of their 8th grade year."
  187. ^ Locations, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools. Accessed December 2, 2019.
  188. ^ About Us, Assumption Catholic School. Accessed December 19, 2019.
  189. ^ About Us, Perth Amboy Catholic School. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Since its inception in 1987, PACS has had the privilege of educating children from Perth Amboy and the surrounding area, as we live out our Mission Statement"
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  192. ^ Zolotow, Maurice. "S. S. Adams - mischief, incorporated" from It Takes All Kinds, at CSAdams.com. Accessed December 19, 2019. "The future Ford of foolery was born Soren Sorenson Adams in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1869. His father was a sabot maker, who removed to Perth Amboy, N. J., when Sam—as he has always been called—was two years old."
  193. ^ Newcomb, Horace. Encyclopedia of Television, p. 111. Routledge, 2014. ISBN 9781135194727. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Garth Ancier. Born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, September 3, 1957."
  194. ^ 1992 Award Winners Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame. Accessed September 17, 2015. "Solomon Andrews (1806-1872)... In addition, he built a successful medical practice, served three terms as Mayor of Perth Amboy, constructed the city's first sewer, and saved the residents from cholera and yellow fever epidemics."
  195. ^ Reiser, Emon. "Executive Profile: It's a 10 Haircare CEO Carolyn Aronson on betting on yourself", South Florida Business Journal, December 31, 2019. Accessed August 31, 2021. "Carolyn Aronson. Age: 53. Born: Perth Amboy, New Jersey."
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  198. ^ Campbell, Mary via Associated Press. "Bon Jovi jets to rock success" Archived 2015-02-23 at the Wayback Machine, The Palm Beach Post, February 13, 1987. Accessed July 6, 2010.
  199. ^ Profile: Dr. Padi Boyd From Singing to Science, NASA. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Patricia (Padi) Boyd was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey."
  200. ^ Kelly Breen Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Accessed September 17, 2015. "Born: May 13, 1969, Perth Amboy, N.J. Residence: Tinton Falls, N.J."
  201. ^ Jordan, Chris. "Film on Jersey man's love affair with dolphin wins award", Asbury Park Press, March 18, 2015. Accessed September 17, 2015. "Dolphin Lover, a short film about Perth Amboy native Malcolm Brenner's tryst with a bottlenose dolphin in Florida, won an honorable mention for documentary short at the Slamdance Film Festival in January."
  202. ^ via Associated Press. "Adm. Miles Browning Dies at Chelsea" Archived January 13, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Lewiston Evening Journal, September 28, 1954. Accessed September 17, 2015. "He was born in Perth Amboy, N.J., and was graduated from the Naval Academy in 1917."
  203. ^ "Remembrance For Frank Buckiewicz Set For Sept. 23" Archived 2018-11-08 at the Wayback Machine, Pacific University, September 14, 2017. Accessed November 8, 2018. "Mr. Buckiewicz was born on April 14, 1930 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey and went to earn his bachelor's degree from Pacific University as a five-sport athlete in football, baseball, track, golf and basketball."
  204. ^ Staff. "Toy Bulldog at 72; New Jersey Sports", The New York Times, April 16, 1973. Accessed December 19, 2019. "He became New Jersey's second world champion (Johnny Buff of Perth Amboy was first) when he won a decision from Jack Britton in 15 rounds on Nov. 1, 1922, for the welterweight crown."
  205. ^ "Anne Lovi Casale, 72, noted gourmet cook and author; former Watchung resident", New Jersey Hills Media Group, December 19, 2002. Accessed January 18, 2020. "Anne Lovi Casale, 72, of Glendale, Ariz., and formerly of Watchung, died Monday, Dec. 2, 2002 at her home. Born in Perth Amboy, Mrs. Casale resided there before moving to North Plainfield in 1945. She lived in Watchung for more than 45 years and then moved to Glendale, Ariz."
  206. ^ Lee, Eunice. "Climatologist predicts zero-percent chance of a white Christmas for N.J.", The Star-Ledger, December 23, 2010. Accessed December 19, 2019. "At age 4, Cerulo recalled hearing Crosby crooning from the radio in her childhood home in Perth Amboy."
  207. ^ Haddock, Addy. Alan Cheuse Archived 2014-07-03 at the Wayback Machine, Middle Tennessee State University. Accessed August 4, 2013. "NPR commentator and critic Alan Cheuse was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on January 23, 1940. His early years were spent at Perth Amboy High School in 1957, and he graduated from Rutgers University in 1961."
  208. ^ Steve Christiansen, Sports Reference. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Born: November 10, 1956 (Age 61.300, YY.DDD) in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States"
  209. ^ Stanley Norman Cohen (1935–), DNA From the Beginning. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Stan Cohen was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey."
  210. ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 2010, p. 273. Accessed January 24, 2022. "Craig J. Coughlin, Dem., Woodbridge: Assemblyman Coughlin was born Jan. 31. 1958, in Perth Amboy."
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  217. ^ Muir, John Kenneth. An Askew View 2: The Films of Kevin Smith, Hal Leonard Corporation, 2012. ISBN 1557837945. Accessed February 6, 2013. "Walt Flanagan is one of those friends. A dark-haired, shy type with an open and friendly face, this future 'Fanboy' of the View Askewniverse was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, a town north of Highlands and south of Metuchen. Two years older than Smith, Flanagan attended high school with Smith at Henry Hudson for a time."
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  219. ^ Proprietary House, 1683 Society. Accessed December 20, 2019. "Ready for occupation, the house was leased to New Jersey's Chief Justice Smyth, and then another lawyer, before Royal Governor William Franklin finally took up residence in 1774. The son of Benjamin Franklin, William was loyal to the King as he took his commission as Royal Governor very seriously."
  220. ^ via Associated Press. "Arthur Franz, Film and Television Actor, 86, Is Dead", The New York Times, June 21, 2006. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Born in Perth Amboy, N.J., Franz developed an interest in acting while he was a teenager."
  221. ^ Thomas Gordon Attorney General 1714-1719, New Jersey Attorney General. Accessed December 19, 2019. "On November 10, 1703 he represented the town of Perth Amboy when the first General Assembly of the Province of New Jersey was convened by Lord Cornbury. In 1703, Gordon was appointed Register of the Council of Proprietors of East Jersey."
  222. ^ Grimké, Sarah; and Grimké, Angelina Archived 2007-06-13 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Women's History. Accessed June 4, 2007. "hey assisted in Weld's school in Belleville and later Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1848–62."
  223. ^ "Vida Guerra: libre e independiente en Playboy", El Heraldo, June 8, 2006. Accessed October 23, 2007. "Nacida en Bauta, pueblo cercano a La Habana, en marzo de 1980, Vida fue traída por sus padres an Estados Unidos cuando contaba apenas seis años, pero no ha perdido ni el idioma ni sus costumbres latinas, ya que se ha mantenido oscilando entre las dos culturas desde su hogar en Perth Amboy, Nueva Jersey."
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  232. ^ "Author, scholar and expert on espionage during the American Revolution to do book signing Saturday", The Intellingencer, February 20, 2012. Accessed December 19, 2019. "Author, scholar and espionage expert John A. Nagy will discuss and sign copies of his newest book, “Spies in the Continental Capital: Espionage across Pennsylvania during the American Revolution,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the historic Moland House in Warwick.... Nagy was born in Perth Amboy, N.J., and is a scholar-in-residence at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Cambria County."
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