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Lawnside, New Jersey
Borough
Borough of Lawnside
Mount Peace Cemetery and Funeral Directing Company Cemetery
Mount Peace Cemetery and Funeral Directing Company Cemetery
Lawnside highlighted in Camden County. Inset: Location of Camden County in the State of New Jersey.
Lawnside highlighted in Camden County. Inset: Location of Camden County in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Lawnside, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey is located in Camden County, New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey
Location in Camden County, New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey is located in the United States
Lawnside, New Jersey
Lawnside, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Camden
Incorporated April 20, 1926
Government
 • Type Borough
 • Body Borough Council
Area
 • Total 1.43 sq mi (3.70 km2)
 • Land 1.43 sq mi (3.70 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.00%
Area rank 459th of 565 in state
25th of 37 in county
Elevation
85 ft (26 m)
Population
 • Total 2,945
 • Estimate 
(2019)
2,882
 • Rank 455th of 566 in state
29th of 37 in county
 • Density 2,091.5/sq mi (807.5/km2)
 • Density rank 287th of 566 in state
30th of 37 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
08045
Area code(s) 856 exchanges: 310, 546, 547, 573, 672
FIPS code 3400739420
GNIS feature ID 0885274

Lawnside is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 2,945, reflecting an increase of 253 (+9.4%) from the 2,692 counted in the 2000 Census. In the previous decade, the population of the small community had declined by 149 (-5.2%) from the 2,841 counted in the 1990 Census.

Lawnside was developed in 1840 and incorporated as the first independent, self-governing black municipality north of the Mason-Dixon Line in 1926. The United Parcel Service has a large depot in the borough.

The borough had the 25th-highest property tax rate in New Jersey, with an equalized rate of 4.213% in 2020, compared to 3.470% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%.

History

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Lawnside school c.1940
FWPNW026Lawnside756B
A tavern in Lawnside c.1940

The land that was developed as Lawnside was purchased in 1840 by abolitionists for a community for freed and escaped slaves, as well as other African Americans.

Earlier known as "Snow Hill" and "Free Haven", the borough was named for the train station constructed by the Reading Railroad along the Atlantic City Railroad in 1907.

On April 20, 1926, an "Official Special Election" was held in the Borough of Lawnside. Just one month earlier, on March 24, 1926, Governor of New Jersey A. Harry Moore signed into law New Jersey General Assembly Bill 561, dissolving Centre Township, of which Lawnside was a part, and incorporating the Borough of Lawnside, which also included portions of the borough of Barrington. With its first election, Lawnside became the first independent self-governing African American community north of the Mason-Dixon line.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Lawnside borough had a total area of 1.408 square miles (3.647 km2), all of which was land.

Lawnside borders the Camden County municipalities of Barrington, Cherry Hill, Magnolia, Somerdale, and Tavistock.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 1,379
1940 1,270 −7.9%
1950 1,566 23.3%
1960 2,155 37.6%
1970 2,757 27.9%
1980 3,042 10.3%
1990 2,841 −6.6%
2000 2,692 −5.2%
2010 2,945 9.4%
2019 (est.) 2,882 −2.1%
Population sources:1930-2000
1930 1930-1990
2000 2010

Census 2010

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,945 people, 1,103 households, and 762 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,091.5 per square mile (807.5/km2). There were 1,174 housing units at an average density of 833.7 per square mile (321.9/km2)*. The racial makeup of the borough was 4.21% (124) White, 88.83% (2,616) Black or African American, 0.65% (19) Native American, 1.43% (42) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.66% (49) from other races, and 3.23% (95) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.38% (129) of the population.

There were 1,103 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were married couples living together, 24.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the borough, the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 78.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $56,006 (with a margin of error of +/- $5,232) and the median family income was $58,790 (+/- $6,229). Males had a median income of $46,705 (+/- $9,519) versus $43,239 (+/- $9,333) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,086 (+/- $3,210). About 12.3% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 2,692 people, 1,026 households, and 700 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,919.7 people per square mile (742.4/km2). There were 1,110 housing units at an average density of 791.6 per square mile (306.1/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.61% African American, 1.75% White, 1.00% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population.

There were 1,026 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 22.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% 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 3.23.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $45,192, and the median income for a family was $55,197. Males had a median income of $34,881 versus $31,331 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,831. About 10.3% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

As part of the 2000 Census, 93.61% of Lawnside's residents identified themselves as being African American. This was the 30th highest percentage of African American people in any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry and the highest in the Northeastern United States.

Transportation

2021-07-07 17 12 18 View north along Interstate 295 (Camden Freeway) from the overpass for Camden County Route 669 (Warwick Road) in Lawnside, Camden County, New Jersey
I-295 northbound in Lawnside

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 17.95 miles (28.89 km) of roadways, of which 10.75 miles (17.30 km) were maintained by the municipality, 3.89 miles (6.26 km) by Camden County, 1.90 miles (3.06 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 1.41 miles (2.27 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The New Jersey Turnpike is the most prominent highway passing through Lawnside. However, there are no exits within the borough, with the nearest ones being Exit 3 in Runnemede/Bellmawr and Exit 4 in Mount Laurel. Interstate 295 also passes through Lawnside, with one partial interchange at Warwick Road. U.S. Route 30 also serves Lawnside, in the guise of the White Horse Pike.

Public transportation

NJ Transit offers bus service between Turnersville and Camden, with connecting bus and rail service into Philadelphia on the 403 route.

Education

The Lawnside School District serves public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade at Lawnside Public School. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 321 students and 31.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students attend Haddon Heights High School, which serves Haddon Heights, and students from the neighboring communities of Barrington and Lawnside who attend the high school as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Haddon Heights School District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 906 students and 77.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1.

Notable people

See also (related category): People from Lawnside, New Jersey

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

  • Horace J. Bryant (1909-1983), first African American to serve in a State Cabinet position in New Jersey.
  • Wayne R. Bryant (born 1947), member of the New Jersey General Assembly and State Senate until his conviction on corruption charges.
  • Ray Fisher (born 1988) actor best known for his role in the 2008 short film The Good, the Bad, and the Confused as Cyborg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
  • Steve Israel (born 1969), cornerback who played for 10 seasons in the NFL.
  • Sherron Rolax, achieved public fame when his civil rights were allegedly violated by then New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman in 1996 after police officers had stopped Rolax for suspicious activity in Camden, New Jersey.
  • Charity Still (c. 1775-1857), abolitionist, escaped from slavery.
  • William Still (1821-1902), abolitionist, member of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and chairman of its Vigilance Committee, moved here with his family, together with his brothers Peter Still and James Still, and their families.

See also

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