Plainfield, New Jersey Totally Explained

Everything about Plainfield New Jersey totally explained

Plainfield is a City in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 47,829.
Plainfield was originally formed as a township on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19, 1857, it became part of the newly-created Union County. Plainfield was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 21, 1869, from portions of Plainfield Township, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. The city and township coexisted until March 6, 1878, when Plainfield Township was dissolved and parts absorbed by Plainfield City and the remainder becoming Fanwood Township (now known as Scotch Plains).
Plainfield is nicknamed "The Queen City".

Geography

Plainfield is located at (40.615352, -74.416070).
The city is located on the southwestern edge of Union County and is bordered by nine municipalities. Scotch Plains lies to the north and east, and Fanwood to the northeast. Bordered to the south are South Plainfield and Piscataway, and to the southwest lies Dunellen, all which are in Middlesex County. Green Brook lies to the southwest, North Plainfield lies to the north and Watchung borders to the northwest. All three of these municipalities are in Somerset County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 47,829 people, 15,137 households, and 10,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,921.7 people per square mile (3,057.4/km²). There were 16,180 housing units at an average density of 2,679.8/sq mi (1,034.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 21.45% White, 61.78% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 10.78% from other races, and 4.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25.16% of the population.
   There were 15,137 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.49.
   In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
   The median income for a household in the city was $46,683, and the median income for a family was $50,774. Males had a median income of $33,460 versus $30,408 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,052. About 12.2% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

It was settled in 1684 by Quakers, and incorporated as a city in 1869. Formerly a bedroom suburb in the New York metropolitan area, it has become the urban center of 10 closely allied municipalities, with diversified industries, including printing and the manufacture of chemicals, clothing, electronic equipment, and vehicular parts. Among the several 18th-century buildings remaining are a Friends' meetinghouse (1788), the Martine house (1717), and the Nathaniel Drake House (1746), known as George Washington's headquarters. Nearby Washington Rock is a prominent point of the Watchung Mountains and is reputed to be the vantage point from which Washington watched British troop movements.
In music history, Plainfield is known as the birthplace of P-Funk. George Clinton founded The Parliaments while working in a barber shop in Plainfield. Parliament - Funkadelic was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Plainfield is now home to former New Jersey governor James McGreevey.

Civil disturbance

Plainfield was affected by the Plainfield riots in July 1967. This civil disturbance occurred in the wake of the larger Newark riots. One Plainfield police officer died, about fifty people were injured, and several hundred thousand dollars of property was damaged by looting and arson. The New Jersey National Guard restored order after three days of unrest.

Government

Local government

Plainfield is governed by a mayor and a seven-member City Council, all of whom serve four-year terms in office.
The Mayor of the City of Plainfield is Sharon M. Robinson-Briggs (D), whose four-year term of office ends on December 31, 2009.
Members of the Plainfield City Council are:

Ward 1: William Reid (D; 2010)
Ward 2: Cory Storch (D; 2011)
Ward 3: Don Davis (D; 2008)
Ward 4: Elliott Simmons (D; 2009)
Wards 1&4 at large: Linda Carter (D; 2011
Wards 2&3 at large: Rashid Burney (D; 2010)
At large: Council President Harold Gibson (D; 2008)

Federal, state and county representation

Plainfield is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District.

Education

The Plainfield Public School District serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are ten K-5 elementary schools — Barlow

(365 students), Cedarbrook

(448), Clinton

(340), Cook

(233), Emerson

(411), Evergreen

(473), Jefferson

(404), Stillman

(260) Washington Community School

(466 students, including pre-K) and Woodland

(258) — both Hubbard Middle School

(697) Maxson Middle School

(957) for grades 6-8 and Plainfield High School (1,816) for grades 9-12.

Transportation

Plainfield has two New Jersey Transit rail stations on the Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The main Plainfield station is in the downtown and a second, smaller Netherwood station is in the Netherwood section, east of the downtown.
NJ Transit also provides bus service on the 113 and 114 to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan; the 59, 65 and 66 (Limited) to Newark; and local service on the 822 and 819 routes. Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away.

Plainfield Teacher's College hoax

Plainfield Teacher's College, a mythical institution created as a hoax by a duo of college football fans in 1941. The phony college's equally nonexistent football team had its scores carried by major newspapers including The New York Times before the hoax was discovered.

Popular culture

In the 1985 film Brewster's Millions, Richard Pryor portrayed an aging minor league baseball pitcher whose team gets into a bar fight in Plainfield.

Famous residents and natives

Ernest R. Ackerman (1863-1931) represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district from 1919-1931.

John Adams (1772-1863), educator, taught at the Plainfield Academy here for some years.

Joe Black (1924-2002), childhood home, professional baseball player, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds.

Judy Blume, (1938-), author.

Van Wyck Brooks (1886-1963), author.

Benjamin Brown (1968-), actor, attended Plainfield High School.

Taiwan Brown (1987-), childhood and current home, TV Personality, attended Plainfield High School for the 9th and beginning of 10th grade year. He returned after the start of 11th grade and graduated from Plainfield High School.

Milt Campbell (1933-), childhood home, 1956 Olympic Decathlon Gold Medal winner.

Earl Clark (1988-), player for the University of Louisville men's basketball team.

George Clinton (1941-), founder of Parliament-Funkadelic, childhood home.

Manny Collins (1984-) American football cornerback.

Archibald Cox (1912-2004), childhood home.

Bill Evans (1929-1980), childhood home.

J. Michael Fay (1956-), conservationist.

Jan Groover (1943-) photographer noted for her use of emerging color technologies.

Mark Haines (1946-), former host of the CNBC show Squawk Box who now appears on Squawk on the Street.

Robert Hand (1942-), childhood home

Bret Harte (1836-1902)

Byron Hurt (1969-), documentary filmmaker.

David T. Kenney (1866-1922), inventor, longtime resident

Robyn Kenney (1979-), field hockey player.

Phyllis Kirk (1927-2006), birthplace, actress

Peter Liske (1942-),birthplace, childhood home, former professional football player

Burke Marshall (1922-2003), childhood home

James Edgar Martine (1850-1925), United States Senator from New Jersey; childhood home.

Mary McCormack (1969-), birthplace.

Jim McGreevey (1957-), former Governor of New Jersey.

Dudley Moore (1935-2002), resided there at time of death

Boogie Mosson (1952-), childhood home

James S. Negley (1826-1901), died there

Billy Bass Nelson (1951-), childhood home

Irving Penn (1917-), birthplace and childhood home

Jane Rule (1931-), birthplace

William Nelson Runyon (1871-1931), Acting Governor of New Jersey from 1919 to 1920.

Robert Shapiro (1942-), childhood home

Garry Shider (1953-), childhood home

Percy Hamilton Stewart (1867-1951), mayor of Plainfield in 1912 and 1913, represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district from 1931-1933.

Edward Herbert Thompson (1856-1935), died there

Jeff Torborg (1941-), Former professional baseball player and manager, birthplace

Fred Van Eps (1878-1960), banjoist and early recording artist.

Rich Vos (1957-), childhood home

Vita, rapper who was raised here.

David S. Ware, jazz saxophonist (b. 1949), birthplace

Vic Washington, Former professional football player (b. 1946), birthplace.

Harrison A. Williams (1919-2001), birthplace

Jay Williams (b. 1981), childhood home (He went to private school, but resided in Plainfield)

Malinda Williams (1975-), childhood home

Bernie Worrell (1944-), childhood home.

James A. Yorke (1941-), childhood homeFurther Information

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