A Look At Irvington

Originally appeared in The Star-Ledger on Oct. 4, 2007. Town snapshot: Irvington

Facts & Figures

Incorporated in 1898 Size: 2.96 square miles 1930 population: 56,733 1970 population: 59,743 1980 population: 61,493 1990 population: 61,018 2000 population: 60,695 2006 population: 58,024 (estimate) Government: Mayor, Borough Council (7 members) Municipal employees: More than 600 Schools: Irvington Preschool Academy I, Augusta Preschool Academy, Berkeley Terrace School, Chancellor Avenue School, Chancellor Avenue South, Florence Avenue School, Grove Street School, Madison Avenue School, Mount Vernon Avenue School, Thurgood Marshall School, University Elementary School, University Middle School, Union Avenue Middle School, Irvington High School, Butler's Little People's Academy, Independence High School, New Jerusalem Christian Academy, St. Leo/Sacred Heart Inter-Par, St. Leo's Center, St. Paul the Apostle School Median household income: $41,700 (2005 figure) Average property taxes: $5,408 (2006), $5,148 (2005), $4,972 (2004), $4,976 (2003), $4, 915 (2002), $5,019 (2001), $4,856 (2000)

At a glance

Irvington was founded in 1692 when farmers from Newark moved west in search of more land. Once an unincorporated village of Clinton Township, the area that is now Irvington became an independent municipality in 1874. It was incorporated as a full-fledged town in 1898. In 1914, the commission form of government was adopted, which is still in place today. The third largest city in Essex county, Irvington is just minutes away from Newark (Liberty) In ternational Airport. Often noted for its high crime rates, the township has been working to turn around its image, through campaigns to increase international exposure, beautify neighborhoods, curb gang violence and upgrade municipal parks.

Did you know?

Irvington was at one time known as "Camptown," named after a well-known family that owned nearly one-third of the area's arable land. Stephen Foster's ballad, "De Camptown Races," published in 1850, prompted another name change. Residents of the village were concerned that people would associate the area with the unsavory behavior celebrated in the song. A contest to find a new name was held in 1852 and Lydia Crawford, the wife of the local postmaster chose the name Irvingtown, in honor of the famous American writer Washington Irving.

As the second busiest bus transportation facility in the state, the Irvington Bus Terminal accommodates 12,500 passengers daily, in addition to 451 arrivals and 444 departures weekdays on eight bus routes. An additional 232 arriving trips and 243 departing trips operate each day along Springfield Avenue, adjacent to the terminal. Built in the 1840s, the terminal is located in the heart of Irvington Township's business district. A recent renovation, completed in June 2005, replaced the 59-year-old structure with a new 2,000-square-foot terminal building. The reconstructed facility also includes wider bus lanes, improved waiting areas and improved pedestrian links.

Fifteen thousand years ago what is now Irvington was buried under hundreds of feet of glacial ice. As the cli mate gradually tempered, the glacier loosed its frigid grasp on the land, and the present-day contours of the town emerged. The Elizabeth River is the chief geographic feature of Irvington, bisecting the town from north to south.

Citing Irvington's strategic location as a lure for foreign investment, Mayor Wayne Smith presided at an April 4 swearing-in ceremony of the officers and commissioners of the newly formed Irvington International Trade Commission. Irvington signed a sister agreement with Fuzhou in the Jiangxi province of China and also with Wuxi in the Jiangsu province earlier this year.

Irvington was the site of the largest and highest house and garage built by "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." The project -- the first in New Jersey for the Emmy Award-winning reality television show -- involved demolishing the burned-out shell of a former home and rebuilding a new home in its place in a week. The narrow 50- by 124-foot lot, the urban location and the need for handicapped access -- as well as an elevator -- to accommodate the needs of a wheelchair-bound child all contributed to the difficulty of the project. A team of more than 3,000 construction workers, subcontractors and tradesmen worked around the clock to build a new house and garage for the Turner family of Irvington. The two-hour episode was the show's 2006 season finale.

The Irvington High School basketball team has become one of the township's brightest lights, finishing in The Star-Ledger Top 20 four of the past five years. Last season, the team finished 20-8, including an early season upset win over Linden, one of the top teams in the New York metro area.

Irvington's Coit Street industrial district once included the cosmetic giant Revlon. The plant was the largest of the company's New Jersey operations. It was shut down earlier this year after 50 years in the township.

Two of New Jersey's shining stars, entertainers Jerry Lewis and Dana "Queen Latifah" Owens both at tended Irvington High School.

The township was once home to the largest amusement park in New Jersey. For 64 years, Olympic Park, sat on the border of Irvington and Maplewood and operated as a major attraction in the area. Through the years the park featured a dancing pavilion, open-air bowling alley, opera house, racetrack, open-air band concerts, auto races, a pool, free circus, fireworks and more. The site also held the largest carousel ever made. Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. in 1918, the five-row merry-go-round was illuminated by 3,000 lights. It had a 60-foot plat form, 80 wooden horses, four chariots and seated 99 passengers. After the park closed in 1965, the carousel was shipped to California to be refurbished. It now operates in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

In 2005, Irvington was awarded its official certification as a Keep America Beautiful community. Of the over 500 municipalities across the nation that participate in the community service campaign, Irvington is one of just the two New Jersey towns involved. A national organization devoted to public education on encouraging individuals to improve their local community environments, the organization is most noted for its anti-litter campaigns. The township's campaign is locally called K.I.B. or Keep Irvington Beautiful. Parks & recreation

Chris Gatling Recreation Center, 285 Union Avenue, open: Mondays through Fridays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sat urdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. East Ward Recreation Center (Parkway Playground), 62 Berkeley Terrace, Eastern Parkway & Berkeley Terrace; open: Mondays through Fri days 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Irvington Senior Citizen Community Center, 1077 Springfield Ave. Chancellor Park, Rutgers Street 40th Street Park, 40th Street Eberhardt Park, Western Parkway and Eberhardt Place Montgomery Park (Raymond C. Burgess, Sr. Memorial Park), Hopkins Place and Montgomery Avenue Green Terr. Playground, Green Terrace and Phillip Place Tiny Tots Playground, 469 Union Ave. Center Playground, Civic Square Irvington Park, Grove Street and Lyons Avenue Orange Park, Orange Avenue

Upcoming events

Build Day at Raymond C. Burgess Memorial Park (Montgomery Park) -- Volunteers are needed to complete the project set to include new playground equipment, picnic tables and benches, plantings, landscaping and more. Sponsored by the NJ Chapter of the National Association for Industrial and Office Properties, the event will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23. For more information, call (973) 399-6688.

Chancellor Park Community Center Grand Opening -- The new 3,000-foot structure will include office space, a kitchenette, restroom facilities and multipurpose meeting room. The official opening ceremony is scheduled to be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Fore more information, call (973) 399-6688.

Web links

Official Irvington Township site: www.irvington.net/ Irvington Public Schools: www.irvington.k12.nj.us/ Essex County: www.essex-countynj.org/ NJ Transit: www.njtransit.org NJ.com: Everything Jersey: www.nj.com SOURCES: Township of Irvington Web site, Irvington Office of Public Information, NJ Department of Community Affairs, Irvington Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, New Jersey Historical Society, "Out of Our Past: A History of Irvington, New Jersey," Essex County Web site, U.S. Census Bureau, Claritas Inc., The Star-Ledger