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Collingswood, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Collingswood
Collingswood Commercial Historic District
Collingswood Commercial Historic District
Motto(s): 
It's Where You Want To Be
Location of Collingswood within Camden County: Inset: Location of Camden County within the State of New Jersey.
Location of Collingswood within Camden County: Inset: Location of Camden County within the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Collingswood, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Collingswood, New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey is located in Camden County, New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey
Location in Camden County, New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey is located in the United States
Collingswood, New Jersey
Collingswood, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Camden
European settlement 1682
Incorporated May 22, 1888
Named for Collings family
Government
 • Type Walsh Act
 • Body Board of Commissioners
Area
 • Total 1.95 sq mi (5.04 km2)
 • Land 1.83 sq mi (4.74 km2)
 • Water 0.12 sq mi (0.30 km2)  5.90%
Area rank 418th of 565 in state
19th of 37 in county
Elevation
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 • Total 13,926
 • Estimate 
(2019)
13,884
 • Rank 177th of 566 in state
9th of 37 in county
 • Density 7,639.4/sq mi (2,949.6/km2)
 • Density rank 51st of 566 in state
3rd of 37 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08107-08108
Area code(s) 856
FIPS code 3400714260
GNIS feature ID 885191

Collingswood is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, located 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Center City, Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 13,926, reflecting a decline of 400 (-2.8%) from the 14,326 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 963 (-6.3%) from the 15,289 counted in the 1990 Census.

Owing in part to its Quaker history, Collingswood was founded as a dry town where alcohol cannot be sold, however restaurant patrons are permitted to bring their own wine and beer to consume. In July 2015, the town introduced an ordinance that will allow craft breweries to operate in the town but not serve food. The ordinance passed in August 2015.

Collingswood is well known for its selection of shops and restaurants primarily along Haddon Avenue and was ranked as the "#1 small-town food scene in America" by USA Today in May 2018.

History

Stokes-Lee House 07
Stokes-Lees House

Quakers settled along Newton Creek and Cooper River in the late 17th Century, establishing what was known as the Newton Colony and eventually Newton Township. Much of what is now Collingswood was a farm owned by members of the Collings family during the 18th and 19th Centuries. Later a section of Haddon Township, Collingswood was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 22, 1888, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. That same year, town resident Edward Collings Knight, a wealthy philanthropist, donated the land that became Knight Park. Knight was a descendant of the Collings family for whom the borough is named.

Collings-Knight Homestead Collingswood NJ
Collings-Knight Homestead

Collingswood has several historic homes including the 1820s-era house of the Collings family, known as the Collings-Knight homestead, which stands at the corner of Browning Road and Collings Avenue, shadowed by the Heights of Collingswood apartments. The Stokes-Lees mansion located in the 600 block of Lees Avenue dates back to 1707, making it one of the oldest houses in Camden County. Sections of Harleigh Cemetery, the location of poet Walt Whitman's tomb are in Collingswood, as is the mailing address for the Camden County Historical Society.

Geography

COLLINGSWOOD RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT, CAMDEN COUNTY
Judge John Kates House, Collingswood

Collingswood is located in the Delaware Valley, 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Philadelphia and 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Trenton, New Jersey's capital.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Collingswood had a total area of 1.923 square miles (4.980 km2), including 1.823 square miles (4.721 km2) of land and 0.100 square miles (0.259 km2) of water (5.19%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Knight Park.

Collingswood shares land borders with Camden, Haddon Township, Oaklyn, Pennsauken Township and Woodlynne.

The Cooper River serves as the northern border of Collingswood.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 539
1900 1,633 203.0%
1910 4,795 193.6%
1920 8,714 81.7%
1930 12,723 46.0%
1940 12,685 −0.3%
1950 15,800 24.6%
1960 17,370 9.9%
1970 17,422 0.3%
1980 15,838 −9.1%
1990 15,289 −3.5%
2000 14,326 −6.3%
2010 13,926 −2.8%
2020 14,186 1.9%
2019 (est.) 13,884 −0.3%
Population sources:
1890-2000 1890-1920 1890
1890-1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010 2020

Census 2020

The 2020 Census counted 14,186 residents in Collingswood. The median household income was $73,594 in 2015-2019 according to the American Community Survey.

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 13,926 people, 6,299 households, and 3,345 families residing in the borough. The population density was 7,639.4 per square mile (2,949.6/km2). There were 6,822 housing units at an average density of 3,742.3 per square mile (1,444.9/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 81.78% (11,388) White, 9.11% (1,268) Black or African American, 0.32% (45) Native American, 2.20% (307) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 4.01% (559) from other races, and 2.56% (357) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.67% (1,347) of the population.

There were 6,299 households out of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 87.2 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $58,769 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,635) and the median family income was $74,236 (+/- $8,567). Males had a median income of $54,088 (+/- $5,121) versus $48,816 (+/- $4,244) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $34,126 (+/- $2,577). About 10.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Collingswood exterior 72dpi
Perkins Center for the Arts, Collingswood

Collingswood's retail district is anchored by Haddon Avenue, a section of County Route 561 which runs from Camden to Haddonfield. Collingswood's downtown is known primarily for its restaurants, which span a variety of cuisines including American, Italian, Indian, French, Chinese, Mexican, Brazilian, Japanese, Ecuadorian, and Thai. The American Planning Association designated Haddon Avenue as one of its 10 Great Streets for 2009. The group chose the street "for the way it melds the past with the present", making Collingswood the first New Jersey community to be cited under the association's Great Places in America program.

On Saturdays from May to November, the borough hosts a farmers' market under the PATCO line, featuring local produce, baked goods, and crafts.

Collingswood sponsors a bike share program, a community greenhouse, as well as a composting program. Beginning in 2009, Collingswood hosts a Green Festival to raise awareness of environmental responsibility.

Monthly "2nd Saturdays" have the borough's art galleries, stores and restaurants hosting new exhibitions by local, national, and international painters, sculptors, and photographers. In 2002, the Moorestown based Perkins Center for the Arts opened a second location in Collingswood.

The DePace Sports Museum and Library opened in Collingswood in 2015.

The borough is home to two theater companies, the Collingswood Community Theatre and the Collingswood Shakespeare Company which perform throughout the year. The Ballroom and Theater at Collingswood hosts local theatrical productions as well as national recording artists such as Ben Folds and The Beach Boys.

Collingswood Theater Collingswood NJ 0160
Collingswood Theater, which now houses retail shops and The Factory, a creative work space

The Rutgers University-Camden based Symphony in C orchestra's administrative and box offices are located on Haddon Avenue.

The annual Collingswood Book Festival hosts various authors including Camille Paglia and Matthew Quick, whose novel The Silver Linings Playbook took place in the borough (with scenes in Oaklyn, Voorhees and the city of Philadelphia), though David O. Russell's film adaptation was set in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.

Art Within Reach is a program that offers handmade items produced by local artists, with all profits going to the artists. With the 2014 season, the shows are held twice each year at The Factory.

Collingswood has a large LGBTQ community and Mayor Jim Maley was one of a handful of New Jersey mayors to perform midnight civil union ceremonies the day New Jersey's Civil Union law took effect in 2006; in 2013 Mayor Maley performed a number of same sex marriages at the Scottish Rite ballroom after same-sex marriage was recognized in New Jersey. In 2004, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote about the borough's "fast growing gay and lesbian community," and the statewide LGBT advocacy and education organization Garden State Equality maintained a Southern New Jersey office in Collingswood until 2010.

Parks and recreation

Knight Park is the home to daytime recreation of the town. It is located across the street from Collingswood High School and it hosts the home games of the high school's sports teams, such as women's field hockey, lacrosse, baseball and softball. During the summer months, the borough offers outdoor movies and classical concerts in the park.

Transportation

2021-07-15 11 02 21 View west along U.S. Route 30 and north along U.S. Route 130 (Crescent Boulevard) from the overpass for the rail line between the White Horse Pike and Haddon Avenue in Collingswood, Camden County, New Jersey
U.S. Route 30 westbound and U.S. Route 130 northbound in Collingswood
Collingswood PATCO station in Collingswood, NJ
PATCO High-Speedline Station to Philadelphia and Lindenwold in Collingswood

Public transportation

The Collingswood PATCO Speedline Park and Ride station links the town to Camden and Philadelphia by elevated rail.

Collingswood is also served by NJ Transit local routes 403, 450, and 451 to Camden.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 41.33 miles (66.51 km) of roadways, of which 31.06 miles (49.99 km) were maintained by the municipality, 8.29 miles (13.34 km) by Camden County and 1.98 miles (3.19 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 130 are the main highways serving Collingswood. County Route 561 also passes through the borough.

Education

The Collingswood Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 2,135 students and 184.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are James A. Garfield Elementary School (134 students; in grades K-5), Mark Newbie Elementary School (133; K-5), Thomas Sharp Elementary School (184; PreK-5), William P. Tatem Elementary School (240; K-5), Zane North Elementary School (160; PreK-5), Collingswood Middle School (531; 6-8) and Collingswood High School (747; 9-12).

Students in ninth through twelfth grades from Woodlynne attend Collingswood High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Woodlynne School District. Students in grades 10-12 from Oaklyn attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Oaklyn Public School District.

Good Shepherd Regional Catholic School is an elementary school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. On April 17, 2020, the Diocese of Camden announced that Good Shepherd was one of five Catholic schools in New Jersey which would close permanently at the end of the school year on June 30, 2020.

Notable people

Michael Landon-publicity
Actor Michael Landon graduated from Collingswood High School
KellyMcGillisSept10TIFF
Actress Kelly McGillis
Matthew Quick
Author Matthew Quick
See also (related category): People from Collingswood, New Jersey

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Collingswood include:

  • John Aglialoro (born 1943), business executive, film producer, libertarian activist.
  • Richard V. Allen (born 1936), National Security Advisor during the Reagan Administration, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.
  • Arthur E. Armitage (1891-1981), founder of the College of South Jersey and South Jersey Law School (now Rutgers University-Camden).
  • B. J. Averell (born 1979), actor and winner of The Amazing Race 9.
  • Ted Brown (1924–2005), New York City radio personality.
  • Victoria Budinger (born 1952), best known as "Miss Vicki", wife of Tiny Tim.
  • William T. Cahill (1912–1996), Governor of New Jersey from 1970-74.
  • Kimberly Camp (born 1956), former president of the Barnes Foundation.
  • Don Casey (born 1937), former head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and the New Jersey Nets who started his coaching career at Bishop Eustace.
  • Michael Corbett (born 1956), author and actor.
  • Jacqueline R. Crahalla (born 1940), former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
  • Marguerite de Angeli (1889–1987), children's author.
  • William K. Dickey (1920-2008), former Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly.
  • Ralph W. E. Donges (1875-1974), Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1930 to 1948.
  • Cathy Engelbert (born 1965), CEO of Deloitte, first female CEO of a major U.S. accounting firm.
  • Bartholomew J. Eustace (1887-1956), Bishop of Camden from 1938 to 1956.
  • Stink Fisher (born 1970), actor and restaurateur.
  • Glenn Foley (born 1970), former football quarterback who played in the NFL for the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks.
  • James Hoch (born 1967), poet, college professor.
  • David B. Joslin (born 1936), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York from 1992 to 2000.
  • Michael Landon (1936–1991), television actor and director.
  • Bob Lassiter (1945–2006), talk radio personality.
  • Gerald Luongo (born 1938), politician who served one term in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2000, where he represented the 4th Legislative District.
  • Alison Macrina (born 1984), librarian and activist, director of the Library Freedom Project.
  • Thomas M. Madden (1907–1976), judge who served on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
  • Kelly McGillis (born 1957), film actress.
  • Carl McIntire (1906–2002), founder of and minister in the Bible Presbyterian Church.
  • Edwin Mills (born 1928), economist, professor emeritus at Northwestern University.
  • Elmer Myers (1894-1976), professional baseball player.
  • Ray Narleski (1928-2012), relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cleveland Indians (1954–58) and Detroit Tigers (1959).
  • Delia Parr (born 1947), author of historical fiction.
  • Eddie Picken (1907–1994), early professional basketball player; younger brother of Jim.
  • Jim Picken (1903–1975), early professional basketball player; older brother of Eddie.
  • Matthew Quick (born 1976), author of the novel The Silver Linings Playbook.
  • Bobby Ryan (born 1987), professional hockey player.
  • Kory Stamper (born 1975), lexicographer and editor for the Merriam-Webster family of dictionaries and the author of Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries.
  • Richard Sterban (born 1943), bass singer for The Oak Ridge Boys and former vocalist with Elvis Presley.
  • Ben Vaughn (born 1956), musician, producer, radio host.
  • Gary Williams (born 1945), former head coach of the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team.
  • Helen Van Pelt Wilson (1901-2003), gardener and author.

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See also

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