Penns Grove, New Jersey

Penns Grove is a Borough in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,886.

Geography

Penns Grove is located at 39°43′41″N, 75°28′5″W (39.728188, -75.468050)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 km² (0.9 mi²), all land.

Penns Grove borders Carneys Point Township and the Delaware River.

History

In the early 1900's, many Italian immigrants from Valle San Giovanni and the surrounding province of Teramo came to work at the local E.I. DuPont de Nemours plant in Carneys Point. Many settled on Pitman Street in Penns Grove.

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 4,886 people, 1,827 households, and 1,231 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,028.5/km² (5,275.8/mi²). There were 2,075 housing units at an average density of 861.5/km² (2,240.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 48.85% White, 39.75% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 8.13% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.29% of the population.

There were 1,827 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.6% were married couples living together, 27.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the borough the population was spread out with 33.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $26,227, and the median income for a family was $34,076. Males had a median income of $30,871 versus $20,983 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $13,330. About 18.1% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Penns Grove is governed by a mayor and a six-member Borough Council. The mayor is elected to a four-year term of office. The members of the Borough Council are elected to three-year terms, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The Mayor of the Borough of Penns Grove is John Washington. Members of the Penns Grove Borough Council are Tami Baytops, Mary Kay James, Clifford Poindexter, John Scarpaci, Deborah A. Scott and James Venello^[3].

Federal, state and county representation

Penns Grove is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 3rd Legislative District^[4].

New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Vineland). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 3rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Stephen M. Sweeney (D, Thorofare) and in the Assembly by John J. Burzichelli (D, Thorofare) and Douglas H. Fisher (D, Thorofare). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Salem County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Salem County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Lee R. Ware (term ends 2007), Freeholder Deputy Director Bruce L. Bobbitt (2008), Susan A. Bestwick (2007), Charles R. Sullivan (2008), David Lindenmuth (2008), R. Benjamin Simmermon, Jr. (2006) and Beth E. Timberman (2006).

Education

Students in grades K through 12 attend the Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District, together with students from Carneys Point Township. Students from Oldmans Township attend the district as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Schools in the district are Lafayette-Pershing School with 346 students in grades Pre-K to 1, Field Street School with 491 students in grades 1 - 3, Paul W. Carleton School with 328 students in grades 4 and 5, Penns Grove Middle School with 503 students in grades 6 - 8 and Penns Grove High School with 614 students in grades 9 - 12.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents include:

• Giuseppe Bracale, alias "Joe Firpo", welterweight boxing champion
• Don Bragg (born 1935), Gold medal winner in the pole vault at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy
• John Forsythe (born 1918), television and Character actor
• Bruce Willis (born 1955), actor, moved to town as child and graduated from Penns Grove High School in 1975
• Roy Elsh (1892-1978), professional baseball player for the Chicago White Sox 1923-25

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