Location of Watchung in
Somerset County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Somerset County in
New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature on May 23, 1926, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now
Green Brook Township) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1926.[23][24] The name "Watchung" comes from the
Lenni LenapeNative Americans, meaning "high hills"[25] or from "watschu," meaning "hill."[26]
In 2012,
Forbes.com listed Watchung as 384th in its listing of "America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes", with a median home price of $767,507.[27]
The borough is one of the state's highest-income communities.[28] Based on data from the
American Community Survey (ACS) for 2014–2018, Watchung residents had a
median household income of $153,341, almost double the statewide median of $79,363.[29]
Watchung, in the 1900s was a semi-rural small community of about 3,200 people in comparison with the relatively larger and more urban communities of
Plainfield and
Somerville. The first mayor of the town was Henry Baldwin Macdonald, who served from 1926 to 1928. The
1967 Plainfield riots, caused an exodus of the large upper-middle class population from the nearby cities to the Watchung Hills area to communities such as Watchung,
Warren Township and
Bridgewater Township.[citation needed]
Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an act of the
New Jersey Legislature on May 23, 1926, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now
Green Brook Township) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1926.[23][24]
In the wake of public fear that ensued after the 1938 radio broadcast of
Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds, National Guard troops were stationed around the hills in Watchung, as told on the vinyl record recording of news reports of the day.[citation needed]
Eaton House is a Watchung historic site that was owned by congressman
Charles Aubrey Eaton and has been the residence of other notables over the years. Known also as the Sunbright Farm farmhouse, the home was damaged in April 2014 when it was hit by trees that fell as a result of a likely
microburst in a severe storm that rolled through the area.[32]
The borough is home to Watchung Valley Golf Club, which moved from its original nine-hole course in North Plainfield to its current location on Mountain Boulevard in 1927. The club was known as the Twin Brooks Country Club from 1933 to 2017, when it re-adopted its name as Watchung Valley Country Club, which was in use from 1928 to 1933.[33]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 6.04 square miles (15.6 km2), including 6.02 square miles (15.6 km2) of land and 0.03 square miles (0.078 km2) of water (0.46%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Washingtonville.[34]
The
Stony Brook flows through Watchung borough, making its way from Warren Township to the Watchung Lake, then through the gorge in the first Watchung mountain and over the
Wetumpka Falls, on its way to the Green Brook.[38]
The
2010 United States census counted 5,801 people, 2,114 households, and 1,613 families in the borough. The
population density was 962.7 people per square mile (371.7 people/km2). There were 2,234 housing units at an average density of 370.7 units per square mile (143.1 units/km2). The racial makeup was 80.52% (4,671)
White, 3.45% (200)
Black or African American, 0.12% (7)
Native American, 12.69% (736)
Asian, 0.00% (0)
Pacific Islander, 0.81% (47) from
other races, and 2.41% (140) from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.29% (307) of the population.[20]
Of the 2,114 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18; 66.2% were married couples living together; 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.7% were non-families. Of all households, 20.1% were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.12.[20]
23.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 18.8% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.3 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $112,917 (with a margin of error of +/− $21,189) and the median family income was $144,883 (+/− $38,172). Males had a median income of $92,667 (+/− $15,969) versus $63,811 (+/− $15,306) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $59,177 (+/− $6,617). About 3.2% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[43]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[17] there were 5,613 people, 2,098 households, and 1,617 families residing in the borough. The population density was 933.0 inhabitants per square mile (360.2/km2). There were 2,155 housing units at an average density of 358.2 units per square mile (138.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.30%
White, 3.37%
African American, 0.09%
Native American, 9.85%
Asian, 0.09%
Pacific Islander, 0.71% from
other races, and 1.59% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.[41][42]
There were 2,098 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were
married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.00.[41][42]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.[41][42]
The median income for a household in the borough was $101,944, and the median income for a family was $120,764. Males had a median income of $80,658 versus $54,167 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $58,653. About 0.5% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.[41][42]
Government
Local government
Watchung is governed under the
borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[44] The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected
at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[45][7] The borough form of government used by Watchung is a "
weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can
veto ordinances subject to an
override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[46][47]
As of 2024[update], the
mayor of Watchung Borough is
Republican Ronald Jubin, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Watchung Borough Council are Sonia Abi-Habib (R, 2026), Curt S. Dahl (R, 2024), Christine B. Ead (R, 2024), Paul Fischer (R, 2025), Robert L. Gibbs (R, 2026) and Paolo Marano (R, 2025).[3][48][49][50][51][52]
In December 2019, the borough council selected Ronald Jubin to complete the term expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Robert L. Gibbs until he resigned from office the previous month.[53]
Federal, state and county representation
Watchung is located in the 7th Congressional District[54] and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.[55][56][57]
Somerset County is governed by a five-member
Board of County Commissioners, whose members are elected
at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held on the first Friday of January, the board selects a Director and deputy director from among its members.[63] As of 2024[update], Somerset County's County Commissioners are:
Constitutional officers, elected on a countywide basis are:
Clerk Steve Peter (
D,
Somerville, 2027),[73][74]
Sheriff Darrin Russo (D, Franklin Township, 2025)[75][76] and
Surrogate Bernice "Tina" Jalloh (D, Franklin Township, 2025)[77][78][71]
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 4,154 registered voters in Watchung, of which 845 (20.3% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as
Democrats, 1,483 (35.7% vs. 25.7%) were registered as
Republicans and 1,823 (43.9% vs. 48.2%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as
Libertarians or
Greens.[79] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 71.6% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 93.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).[79][80]
In the
2016 presidential election, Democrat
Hillary Clinton received 48.6% of the vote (1,551 cast), ahead of Republican
Donald Trump who received 47.7% of the vote (1,523 votes), and other candidates with 3.7% (117 votes). 3,191 votes were cast in total. In the
2012 presidential election, Republican
Mitt Romney received 57.9% of the vote (1,687 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama with 41.1% (1,198 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (27 votes), among the 2,931 ballots cast by the borough's 4,396 registered voters (19 ballots were
spoiled), for a turnout of 66.7%.[81][82] In the
2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain received 1,803 votes (55.0% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,415 votes (43.2% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 29 votes (0.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 3,277 ballots cast by the borough's 4,070 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County).[83] In the
2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush received 1,865 votes (54.5% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat
John Kerry with 1,516 votes (44.3% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,424 ballots cast by the borough's 3,795 registered voters, for a turnout of 90.2% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).[84]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 72.8% of the vote (1,335 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 25.4% (466 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (32 votes), among the 1,861 ballots cast by the borough's 4,396 registered voters (28 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.3%.[85][86] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,428 votes (60.6% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine with 720 votes (30.5% vs. 34.1%), Independent
Chris Daggett with 178 votes (7.6% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 15 votes (0.6% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,357 ballots cast by the borough's 4,155 registered voters, yielding a 56.7% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).[87]
Watchung's students in public school for
ninth through
twelfth grades attend
Watchung Hills Regional High School in
Warren Township together with students from the neighboring communities of
Green Brook Township and Warren Township (in Somerset County) and
Long Hill Township (in
Morris County).[96][97] As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,948 students and 160.6 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.[98] The district's
board of education is comprised of nine members, who are elected directly by the voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for each year. Of the nine elected seats, two are allocated to Watchung.[99][100]
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 44.63 miles (71.83 km) of roadways, of which 33.24 miles (53.49 km) were maintained by the municipality, 9.07 miles (14.60 km) by Somerset County and 2.32 miles (3.73 km) by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation and 1.09 miles (1.75 km) by the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[103]
County Route 527 (Mountain Boulevard / Valley Road) stretches 5.2 miles (8.4 km) across the length of the borough from Warren Township in the southwest to Berkeley Heights in the northeast.[106]County Route 531 (Somerset Road / Hillcrest Road) runs for 1.4 miles (2.3 km) across the borough from North Plainfield in the south to the
Interstate 78 interchange in
Warren Township in the north.[107]
Adella Wotherspoon (1903–2004), youngest and longest-lived survivor of the General Slocum, a steamship that sank in the East River killing over 1,000 in 1904[122] Her ashes are buried beside her husband's at Wilson Memorial Union Church Cemetery in Watchung.
^South Mountain Reservation, Essex County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs. Accessed February 3, 2015. "The presence of the early Lenape Indians lingers in the name given to the Watchung—the 'high hills.'"
^Wilk, Tom.
"Awash in Washingtons: New Jersey has six towns named for the father of our country.", New Jersey Monthly, January 17, 2011. Accessed November 6, 2015. "In New Jersey, Washington can lay claim to another first. He's number one in names selected for the state's 566 municipalities. Bergen, Burlington, Gloucester, Morris and Warren counties all have a Washington Township. Warren also has a Washington Borough which, incidentally, is surrounded by Washington Township. The largest is Gloucester County's Washington, with 52,096 people; the smallest is the Washington in Burlington, with a population of 649. New Jersey had a sixth Washington Township in Mercer County until 2008, when voters there approved a name change to Robbinsville."
^"Watchung Valley G.C. Proves To Be Stern Test In Amateur Qualifying", New Jersey State Golf Association, June 12, 2018. Accessed October 22, 2019. "The club was originally founded in 1898 in North Plainfield as The Park Club. It moved to its current site in 1927 as the Hydewood Country Club. It was renamed Watchung Valley Country Club in 1928 when the Plainfield Courier newspaper compared it to Baltusrol Golf Club for its beauty and championship layout."
^Form of Government, Borough of Watchung. Accessed May 4, 2022. "Mayor and 6 Council. Elected at-large. Mayor has a 4 year term. Council has staggered 3 year terms. Partisan"
^Parker-Magyar, Alex.
"Watchung appoints Jubin to fill Borough Council vacancy", Echoes-Sentinel, December 11, 2019. Accessed March 8, 2020. "The Borough Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 10, to appoint Ronald 'Ron' Jubin as its newest member. Jubin, 54, of Birchwood Lane, was appointed to fulfill the unexpired term of former Borough Council President Robert Gibbs, who resigned effective Tuesday, Nov. 26. The term expires Dec. 31, 2020."
^Biography of Bob Menendez,
United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Watchung Borough Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Watchung Borough Schools. Accessed March 8, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Watchung Borough School District. Composition: The Watchung Borough School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Borough of Watchung."
^Board of Education, Watchung Hills Regional High School District. Accessed February 10, 2020.
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Watchung Hills Regional School District,
New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2020. Accessed May 7, 2021. "The Watchung Hills Regional High School District (the 'Board' or the 'District') is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an education institution. The Board consists of nine elected officials from Warren Township, Long Hill Township and the Borough of Watchung and one appointed representative from Green Brook Board of Education."
^"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."
^Staff.
"James M. DuPont, Manufacturer, 79", The New York Times, July 4, 1991. Accessed September 9, 2015. "James Maxime DuPont, founder and chairman of Thermoplastics Inc., a producer of plastic materials for automotive, textile and other products, died on Monday at his home in Watchung, N.J. He was 79 years old."
^DiCorcia, Bob.
"David Palmer: Q & A", The Steely Dan Reader, January 1, 1997. Accessed October 14, 2015. "Bob DiCorcia: Where were you born and raised? David Palmer: Born and raised in Warren township, Watchung, New Jersey which, despite being 45 minutes-an hour outside of Manhattan, was rural territory back then."
^Dransfeldt, Jeffrey.
"On the 'Road' again", Oregon Daily Emerald, January 31, 2008. Accessed February 5, 2008. "Prepon grew up in a small town herself in Watchung, N.J. She finds enthusiasm with low-key activities in horseback riding and fly fishing. She also has an understanding of the intimate nature of small-town life."
^Tolliver, Judy, ed.
"A conversation with Bjarne Stroustrup, Gillies lecturer and inventor of C++", Stroustrup.com. Accessed August 30, 2016. "Stroustrup currently heads AT&T Bell Labs Large-scale Programming Research department and is a Bell Laboratories Fellow. In 1993, he received the ACM Grace Hopper award and is a Fellow of ACM as well. He lives in Watchung, New Jersey, with his wife and two children."
^"Baseball; 40 Years Later, Here's the Pitch", The New York Times, October 3, 1991. Accessed February 14, 2013. "Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their historic showdown at the Polo Grounds by spending today together and earning more money than if they had won the World Series. They will have an early wake-up call, Thomson at his home in Watchung, N.J...."
^Hoch, Bryan.
"Yankees sign first-round Draft pick Volpe",
Major League Baseball, June 10, 2019. Accessed August 9, 2019. "A native of Watchung, N.J., Volpe led the USA Baseball 18U National Team to a gold medal at the Pan-American Championships this past December, earning all-tournament honors by hitting .459 (17-for-37) with 17 runs, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases in nine games."