MAHWAH, NJ

Mahwah is the northernmost and largest municipality by geographic area () in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population of the township was 25,890, an increase of 1,828 (+7.6%) from the 24,062 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 6,157 (+34.4%) from the 17,905 counted in the 1990 Census. The name "Mahwah" is derived from the Lenape language word "mawewi" which means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet".

The area that is now Mahwah was originally formed as Hohokus Township on April 9, 1849, from portions of the former Franklin Township (now Wyckoff). While known as Hohokus Township, territory was taken to form Orvil Township (on January 1, 1886; remainder of township is now Waldwick), Allendale (November 10, 1894), Upper Saddle River (November 22, 1894), and Ramsey (March 10, 1908). On November 7, 1944, the area was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Mahwah, based on the results of a referendum held that day, replacing Hohokus Township. New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Mahwah as its ninth best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.

History

The Lenape and ancestral indigenous peoples were the original inhabitants of Mahwah (the meeting place) and surrounding area. Their descendants have combined with other Native Americans and ethnicities and were recognized in 1980 by the state as the Ramapough Mountain Indians. They number approximately 5,000 people living around the Ramapo Mountains of northern New Jersey and southern New York. The tribe is officially recognized by New Jersey, but does not have federal recognition. Their tribal office is located on Stag Hill Road in Mahwah, and the Chief of the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation is Dwaine Perry (as of March 2007).

In 1849, Hohokus Township was established from the northern part of Franklin Township in Bergen County. It extended from the Saddle River on the east to the western boundary of Bergen County with Passaic County and north to the New York border. Hohokus Township was first subdivided in 1886 with the creation of Orvil Township on both sides of the Saddle River, consisting of the eastern portion of Hohokus Township and the western portion of Washington Township. 1894's outbreak of "Boroughitis" brought the creation of the boroughs of Allendale and Upper Saddle River, both of which were created from portions of Hohokus and Orvil Townships. Next to leave was Ramsey, which was created in 1908.

Hohokus Township ceased to exist on November 7, 1944, when a referendum was passed creating Mahwah Township from the remaining portions of Hohokus Township.

For twenty-five years, beginning in 1976, Mahwah hosted the A&P Tennis Classic, a tune-up for the U.S. Open tennis tournament held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City's Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.

The 75-room, three-story Darlington, also known as the Crocker Mansion, was built in 1901 for George Crocker, son of railroad magnate Charles Crocker. The estate, located at Crocker Mansion Drive, is one of New Jersey's historical landmarks.

Ford Motor Company operated the Mahwah Assembly plant from 1955, producing 6 million cars in the 25 years it operated before the last car rolled off the line on June 20, 1980. At the time of its completion, it was the largest motor vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The Ford plant, along with other businesses such as American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, helped contribute to the economic development of the town and its reputation for low home property taxes. The Mahwah town sports teams remain named Thunderbirds in honor of the Ford plant.

Due to contractors' dumping of hazardous wastes at the Ringwood Mines landfill site before federal regulation, it has been designated as an EPA Superfund site which needs extensive environmental cleanup. In 2006, some 600 Ramapough Indians filed a mass tort claim against Ford for damages. Mahwah, and the closure of the Ford plant, is mentioned in the opening line of the 1982 Bruce Springsteen song "Johnny 99".

In July 2017, while holding the position of Bergen County prosecutor prior to becoming New Jersey Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal ordered the Mahwah police department not to enforce a ban on non-New Jersey residents using parks in Mahwah, stating his concern that a ban could lead to anti-Semitic religious profiling against the growing population of Orthodox Jews in Mahwah and those visiting from neighboring Rockland County, New York. On December 14, 2017, following the advice of legal counsel, the Mahwah council repealed the still-unenforced ban on out-of-state park users, and abandoned an attempt to amend the sign ordinance to bar "other matter" (the lechis) from being affixed to utility poles to form an Orthodox Jewish eruv.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 25.88 square miles (67.04 km²), including 25.39 square miles (65.76 km²) of land and 0.49 square miles (1.27 km²) of water (1.90%). It is the largest municipality in Bergen County by area, more than 2½ times larger than the next-largest municipality, Paramus, and covering 10.6% of the total area of the entire county.

Mahwah is near the Ramapo Mountains and the Ramapo River. Interstate 287 passes through Mahwah, but the only point of access is at the New Jersey–New York border, where 287 meets Route 17. U.S. Route 202 runs through Mahwah from Oakland to Suffern, across the state line.

Several state and county parks are located in Mahwah, including Campgaw Mountain Reservation, Darlington County Park and Ramapo Valley County Reservation, all operated by Bergen County. The Ramapo River runs through the western section of Mahwah.

Mahwah is bordered by the municipalities of Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Oakland, Ramsey, Upper Saddle River and Wyckoff in Bergen County; Ringwood in Passaic County; and Airmont, Hillburn, Ramapo and Suffern in Rockland County, New York.

Unincorporated communities, localities, and place names located partially or completely within the township include the residential areas of Ackermans Mills, Bear Swamp, Bogerts Ranch Estates, Cragmere, Cragmere Park, Darlington, Fardale, Halifax, Havemeyers Reservoir, Masonicus, Mountainside Farm, Pulis Mills, Ramapo Farm and Wanamakers Mills, along with the mixed residential and commercial area of West Mahwah.

Climate

Mahwah has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa).

Economy

Corporate residents of Mahwah include:

Parks and recreation

Campgaw Mountain Reservation is a Bergen County accredited park, covering in Mahwah and portions of Oakland, that has campgrounds and ski slopes for skiing.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $92,971 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,209) and the median family income was $107,977 (+/- $7,049). Males had a median income of $85,873 (+/- $6,728) versus $54,111 (+/- $3,935) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $53,375 (+/- $3,851). About 2.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Same-sex couples headed 49 households in 2010, an increase from the 27 counted in 2000.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 24,062 people, 9,340 households, and 6,285 families residing in the township. The population density was 927.9 people per square mile (358.3/km²). There were 9,577 housing units at an average density of 369.3 per square mile (142.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.93% White, 2.16% African American, 0.70% Native American, 6.31% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.50% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.27% of the population.

There were 9,340 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the township the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $79,500, and the median income for a family was $94,484. Males had a median income of $62,326 versus $42,527 for females. The per capita income for the township was $44,709. About 1.2% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Mahwah is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government (Plan B), implemented by direct petition as of July 1, 1984. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the seven-member Township Council, with all members elected at-large to staggered four-year terms of office on a non-partisan basis as part of the November general election in even-numbered years. Four council seats are up for vote together and then three seats and the mayoral seat are up for vote together two years later. The legislative powers of the township are exercised by the Township Council. In September 2010, the township council voted to shift the township's non-partisan elections from May to November, citing increased voter participation and prospective savings of $30,000 associated with supporting each election, with the first November election taking place in 2012.

, the Mayor of Mahwah is James J. Wysocki, who was elected to succeed John Roth, and whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Roth had been elected in November 2018 following the recall of the former mayor, William Laforet. Members of the Township Council are Council President David May (2024), Council Vice President George W. Ervin (2022), Janet Ariemma (2022), Kim Bolan (2024), Robert M. Ferguson III (2022), Michelle Crowe Paz (2024) and Jonathan Wong (2022).

Then-Mayor Bill Laforet faced a recall election in November 2018, after a resident group submitted in June a list of 5,000 petition signatures that they had collected calling for the action, in excess of the 25% needed to place the measure in front of voters. In the November 2018 general election, Laforet was recalled from office and John Roth was elected mayor. The successful recall was the first in the county for at least 25 years.

Michelle Paz, a Republican, was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that was vacated following the resignation of Steven Sbarra that became effective at the end of December 2017, and was elected in her own right in November 2018 to fill the unexpired term.

At the January 2017 reorganization meeting, David May was sworn in to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been won by Jonathan Marcus in the November 2016 general election, but which Marcus decided not to accept; May was elected in his own right in the November 2017 general election, to serve the balance of the term.

In December 2016, the Township Council selected George Ervin to fill the seat that had been held by Mary Amoroso expiring in December 2018 that became vacant after she was elected the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders; Ervin served on an interim basis until the November 2017 general election, when voters elected him in his own right to fill the balance of the term. Ervin was re-elected in the November 2018 election to fill a full four-year term, expiring in 2022.

In August 1997, due to personal debt, then-Mayor David J. Dwork shot and killed himself in the town's mayoral offices. There were also unverified allegations of corruption. Dwork was memorialized with a tree dedicated to him at the site of the Mahwah Public Library. Dwork was succeeded by Richard J. Martel, then a township council member, who served for 14 years until his own death, of natural causes, on March 7, 2011. Martel himself was succeeded by Council President John DaPuzzo as acting mayor.

Federal, state and county representation

Mahwah is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Mahwah had been in the 40th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 15,168 registered voters in Mahwah Township, of which 3,410 (22.5% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,349 (28.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 7,399 (48.8% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 10 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 58.6% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 73.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).

In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump received 6,811 votes (52.6% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 5,623 votes (43.4% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 525 votes (4.1% vs. 4.6%), among the 13,108 ballots cast by the township's 17,408 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.3% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 6,862 votes (56.2% vs. 43.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,143 votes (42.1% vs. 54.8%) and other candidates with 99 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 12,203 ballots cast by the township's 16,357 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.6% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 6,768 votes (54.3% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 5,501 votes (44.2% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 100 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 12,457 ballots cast by the township's 15,705 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.3% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,829 votes (58.1% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 4,829 votes (41.1% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 67 votes (0.6% vs. 0.7%), among the 11,758 ballots cast by the township's 14,759 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.7% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.4% of the vote (5,115 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 28.5% (2,070 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (79 votes), among the 7,391 ballots cast by the township's 15,601 registered voters (127 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,602 votes (57.4% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 2,942 votes (36.7% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 404 votes (5.0% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 34 votes (0.4% vs. 0.5%), among the 8,018 ballots cast by the township's 15,479 registered voters, yielding a 51.8% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).

Education

Public schools

The Mahwah Township Public Schools provides public education for students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,913 students and 262.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.1:1. Schools in the district, with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics, are

Lenape Meadows Elementary School with 328 students in grades PreK-3,

Betsy Ross Elementary School with 241 students in grades K-3,

George Washington Elementary School with 189 students in grades K-3,

Joyce Kilmer Elementary School with 414 students in grades 4–5,

Ramapo Ridge Middle School with 685 students in grades 6-8 and

Mahwah High School with 900 students in grades 9-12.

The district's newest building, Lenape Meadows, was opened in 2002 and changed the way the district divided up grade levels. Since the K-3 grades are broken up by location in the township which determines the elementary school to attend, before Lenape Meadows was built, students of that section of town attended Commodore Perry School. Commodore Perry School, Betsy Ross, and George Washington originally only housed the K-2 grades and the entire 3rd grade class attended Joyce Kilmer. The construction of Lenape Meadows added enough room for 3rd grade students as well, allowing Betsy Ross and George Washington room to house their students for 3rd grade, too.

Public school students from the township, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.

Private school

Young World Day School serves students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade using Montessori and traditional educational methods.

Higher education

Vocational schools

Transportation

Roads and highways

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

Interstate 287 and Route 17 merge in Mahwah, and U.S. Route 202 also passes through. The northern terminus of County Route 507 is also in Mahwah. Interstate 87, the New York Thruway, is just outside the state in Suffern, New York.

Interstate 287 heads north from Franklin Lakes, continuing for to the New York State border. U.S. Route 202 heads north for , running from Oakland to the New York State border.

Route 17 extends from Ramsey until it forms a concurrency where it merges with Interstate 287. County Route 507 runs across the northeastern portion of the township, from Ramsey to an intersection with U.S. Route 202 near the state line.

Public transportation

NJ Transit rail service is available from the Mahwah station to Secaucus Junction, Hoboken Terminal, and Newark on the Main Line and Bergen County Line. Passengers may also take advantage of express service on the same line from the Ramsey Route 17 station located on Route 17 South and the Suffern station, just across the New York state line.

Short Line Bus offers service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and intermediate locations.

Notable people

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