Матаван, Нью-Джерси: История и современность поселка

Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US

Matawan is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U. S. state of New Jersey. A historic community located near the Raritan Bay in the much larger Raritan Valley region, the borough is a commuter town of New York City within the New York Metropolitan Area. Matawan was part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline. The plan has since been integrated into the 2016 Monmouth County Master Plan. Matawan is a part of the New Jersey Transit Village Initiative, a type of residential focused transit oriented development focused around the Aberdeen Matawan train station.

The Lenape Native Americans called the area "Mechananienk", which gave rise to the area being called "Matovancons" by Dutch settlers, from which derives the name "Matawan". The name may derive from a Lenape language word meaning "where two rivers come together" or it may originate from the Southern Unami Matawonge, "bad riverbank" or "bad hill", a possible reference to bluffs along Raritan Bay which were subject to erosion and collapse prior to the construction of a seawall in the 1970s. Another possible source is Matawan, Northern Unami for "bad fog", which may have referred to fog generated on Raritan Bay. Other possible meanings are "magician", "charmed skin" or "it arrives in a lake". The community was established by Dutch settlers in the 17th century (Matawan celebrated a tricentennial in the 1980s). In 1686, Scotch Irish settlers from New Hampshire later named the town New Aberdeen, and later Mount Pleasant. The town consisted with a church and a few houses around where southern Main Street and Freneau Avenue are. Neighboring Matawan Township reused the historic name in the 1970s when it changed its name to Aberdeen Township. As docks were built along Matawan Creek, which led to the area being called Middletown Point, which helped increase trade and commerce in the town. By the mid 18th century, the town became the main point of water bound export and entry for Monmouth County. Over the course of the 18th century, the main center of the town moved north toward where it is today on Main Street. Some of Monmouth County's wealthiest merchants and tradesmen made their homes along Main Street during this time, many of which remain today. On May 27, 1778, the Burrowes Mansion, which was built in 1723 and located on Main Street, and sold to wealthy grain merchant John "Corn King" Burrowes Sr. in 1769, was the site of a skirmish between the Patriots and the British during the Revolutionary War. The mansion is the site where the first New Jersey Company of the Continental Army formed, as John Burrowes Jr. trained local militia in his front yard. Local Patriots used whaleboats stored in Lake Matawan to attack British ships in the Raritan Bay. In response, British General Cortlandt Skinner, leading his Loyalist "Skinner's Greens", attacked Matawan with the (successful) intention of burning down the warehouses and mills owned by Burrowes and to capture Burrowes Jr. 200 Greens made their way from Sandy Hook, and greatly outnumbered the Matawan Patriots. Burrowes Jr. was able to avoid capture by swimming across Matawan Creek and hide, however Burrowes Sr. and several other Patriots were captured. Nearby, a house on Ravine Drive was owned by Samuel Forman, a wealthy merchant and Continental Army colonel and business partner with John Burrowes Sr. Forman had three sons, all of which became officers in the Continental Army, with the oldest Johnathan becoming a general. Of his four daughters, two married prominent local men, with Margaret marrying John Burrowes Jr. (where she was attacked by the loyalists during the skirmish at the Burrowes Mansion) and Eleanor marrying Philip Freneau, who was known as the "Poet of the Revolution". On May 23, 1779, there was another skirmish between the American militia and British troops near the Forman house, and the militia successfully forced the British to retreat down a hill and swim across the Matawan Creek into the Raritan Bay. The house became nicknamed the "Old Hospital" because many wounded soldiers were cared for in the house. In 1795, Philip Freneau established Monmouth County's first newspaper, the Jersey Chronicle. In the 1830s, with the invention of the steamboat, Matawan grew and prospered, as it allowed for goods to be more accessible to the New York regional market. Between 1820 and 1870, property owners began subdividing their land, which led to a building boom with various new streets and homes opening up surrounding Main Street. Midway Alley, now Jackson Street, was opened in 1821 from Ravine Drive to Church Street. In 1833, Wycoff and Spring Streets were opened. In the 1840s Washington, Monroe, Franklin, Part of Jackson, Little, North, South, and Mill Streets were opened along with Rabbit Lane and Steamboat Alley. Broad Street, which used to be known as Second Street, was opened between Church and South Streets as well as a short piece off Little Street. By 1852 it was extended from Little to South Street and had been renamed Broad Street. The 1850s also saw the opening of Orchard, Center, Stillwell (then Division) and High Streets and Park Ave (then New St.) In the 1860s Clinton and Atlantic Streets were opened, as well as Hoyt Street and Johnson Avenue. In 1882, Matavan was renamed Matawan. In 1883, a referendum to establish Matawan as a borough failed 93–79. In 1885, a referendum was held again, passing 144–133, although this was followed by years of opposition to the change. Matawan Borough was formed on June 28, 1895, from portions of Matawan Township (now Aberdeen Township), based on the results of a referendum held that day. Matawan expanded with portions of Matawan Township in 1931 and 1933, and from Madison Township (now Old Bridge Township) in 1939. Despite being 11 mile (18 km) from the Atlantic Ocean, Matawan was the site of three shark attacks on July 12, 1916, in Matawan Creek, causing two deaths. They closely followed an attack in Beach Haven on July 1 and one in Spring Lake on July 6 that were all part of the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916. Today, there is a shark mural located in Matawan Creek visible off High Street. In 1894, an eight room brick school building was built on the corner of Broad Street and South Street. In 1901, the most disastrous fire in Matawan history destroyed six buildings in the most major part of the business district. In 1924, the Matawan High School was built in the same location due to overcrowding concerns at the old school. In 1928, Matawan Creek was dammed to create Lake Lefferts. Also in 1928, Memorial Park was established to honor World War I veterans. VAR was later redeveloped into VOR.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.41 square miles (6.24 km2), including 2.27 square miles (5.87 km2) of land and 0.14 square miles (0.37 km2) of water (5.89%). The borough borders Aberdeen Township and Marlboro Township in Monmouth County, as well as Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County. Matawan divides Aberdeen Township into two non contiguous sections, with a small wedge shaped exclave on the township's southwest corner separated from the rest of the township by a portion of Matawan located on the opposite side of Route 79.

The 2010 United States census counted 8,810 people, 3,358 households, and 2,280 families in the borough. The population density was 3,896.6 per square mile (1,504.5/km2). There were 3,606 housing units at an average density of 1,594.9 per square mile (615.8/km2). The racial makeup was 80.98% (7,134) White, 7.04% (620) Black or African American, 0.11% (10) Native American, 6.41% (565) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 2.77% (244) from other races, and 2.68% (236) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.77% (949) of the population.

Matawan 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. The governing body is composed of the mayor and the 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 composed 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. The borough form of government used by Matawan 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. as of 2023, the mayor of Matawan is Democrat Joseph Altomonte whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Matawan Borough Council are Council President Deana Gunn (D, 2023), Stephanie Buckel (D, 2023), Brian Livesey (D, 2025), Charles Ross (R, 2024), Steven Russell (D, 2025) and Melanie Wang (R, 2024). In July 2019, Brian Livesey was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that become vacant following the death of David Vergaretti the previous month; Livesey will serve on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. In the November 2019 general election, Livesey ran and won a full three year term while John Lazar was elected to serve the balance of Vergaretti's term of office. and is part of New Jersey's 12th state legislative district.

as of 2010, the borough had a total of 31.45 mile (51 km) of roadways, of which 24.37 mile (39 km) were maintained by the municipality, 4.50 mile (7 km) by Monmouth County and 2.50 mile (4 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Matawan is traversed by Route 34, Route 79 and County Route 516. The Garden State Parkway skirts the northern end of the borough (with the southbound lanes only passing through briefly); the nearest exits are exits 118 and 120.

In the late 20th century, Matawan became known for its heavily used train station at Aberdeen Matawan. Commuter rail service is available on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, which attracts riders from all over western Monmouth County and provides service to New York City's Penn Station, either directly or via Secaucus Junction. Aberdeen Matawan station is the busiest station in Monmouth County, having roughly 2,500 daily boardings.