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Vineland, New Jersey
City
City of Vineland
Downtown Vineland
Downtown Vineland
Motto(s): 
"A Harvest of Opportunities in the Heart of the Northeast"
Location within Cumberland County
Location within Cumberland County
Vineland, New Jersey is located in Cumberland County, New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey
Location in Cumberland County, New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey is located in New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey is located in the United States
Vineland, New Jersey
Vineland, New Jersey
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  New Jersey
County Cumberland
Incorporated February 5, 1952
Government
 • Type Faulkner Act Mayor-Council
 • Body City Council
Area
 • Total 68.99 sq mi (178.68 km2)
 • Land 68.39 sq mi (177.14 km2)
 • Water 0.60 sq mi (1.54 km2)  0.86%
Area rank 16th of 565 in state
2nd of 14 in county
Elevation
98 ft (30 m)
Population
 • Total 60,724
 • Estimate 
(2019)
59,439
 • Rank 636th in country (as of 2019)
24th of 566 in state
1st of 14 in county
 • Density 887.5/sq mi (342.7/km2)
 • Density rank 398th of 566 in state
2nd of 14 in county
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Codes
08360-08362
Area code(s) 856
FIPS code 3401176070
GNIS feature ID 0885428

Vineland is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 60,724, reflecting an increase of 4,453 (+7.9%) from the 56,271 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,491 (+2.7%) from the 54,780 counted in the 1990 Census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 59,439 in 2019, ranking the city the 636th-most-populous in the country. Vineland, Millville and Bridgeton are the three principal New Jersey cities of the Vineland–Millville–Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses those three cities and all of Cumberland County for statistical purposes and had a population of 156,898 as of the 2010 Census.

Vineland was formed on July 1, 1952, through the merger of Landis Township and Vineland Borough, based on the results of a referendum held on February 5, 1952. Festivities on July 1, 1952, when the merger took effect, included a parade and speeches from such notables as Senator Estes Kefauver. The name is derived from the plans of its founder to use the land to grow grapes.

History

Charles K. Landis purchased 30,000 acres (121 km2) of land in 1861 and another 23,000 acres (93 km2) in 1874, near Millville, New Jersey, and along the West Jersey railroad line with service between Camden and Cape May, to create his own alcohol-free utopian society based on agriculture and progressive thinking. The first houses were built in 1862, and train service was established to Philadelphia and New York City, with the population reaching 5,500 by 1865 and 11,000 by 1875.

Established as a Temperance Town, where the sale of alcohol was prohibited, Landis required that purchasers of land in Vineland had to build a house on the purchased property within a year of purchase, that 2+12 acres (10,000 m2) of the often-heavily wooded land had to be cleared and farmed each year, and that adequate space be placed between houses and roads to allow for planting of flowers and shade trees along the routes through town. Landis Avenue was constructed as a 100-foot (30 m) wide and about 1-mile (2 km) long road running east-west through the center of the community, with other, narrower roads connecting at right angles to each other.

After determining that the Vineland soil was well-suited for growing grapes (hence the name), Landis started advertising to attract Italian grape growers to Vineland, offering 20 acres (81,000 m2) of land that had to be cleared and used to grow grapes. Thomas Bramwell Welch founded Welch's Grape Juice, and purchased the locally grown grapes to make "unfermented wine" (or grape juice). The fertile ground also attracted the glass-making industry and was home to the Progresso soup company. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, most of the city was involved in the poultry industry, which led to the city being dubbed "The Egg Basket of America."

Vineland Poultry Laboratories (now Lohman Animal Health) was started by Arthur Goldhaft. Dr. Goldhaft is credited with putting "a chicken in every pot" after developing the fowl pox chicken vaccine that saved millions of chickens from death. Dr. Goldhaft's work at Vineland Poultry Laboratories in Vineland, helped protect the world's chicken supply from the fowl pox disease.

Vineland had New Jersey's first school for the intellectual disabled, the Vineland Developmental Center, which now has an east and west campus. These institutions housed mentally handicapped women in fully staffed cottages. Henry H. Goddard, an American psychologist, coined the term "Moron" while directing the Research Laboratory at the Training School for Backward and Feeble-minded Children in Vineland. This facility was so sufficiently well known that one American Prison Association pamphlet in 1955 heralded Vineland as "famous for its contributions to our knowledge of the feebleminded".

The city of Vineland celebrated its 150th birthday in 2011. Mayor Robert Romano initially ordered a custom cake from Buddy Valastro of Carlo's Bake Shop in Hoboken, the business featured in the TLC reality television series Cake Boss. After outcry from local business owners, the order was canceled and five Vineland bakeries were commissioned to create elaborate cakes for the event.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 69.029 square miles (178.785 km2), including 68.424 square miles (177.218 km2) of land and 0.605 square miles (1.568 km2) of water (0.88%). Of all the municipalities in New Jersey to hold the label of City, Vineland is the largest in total area. (Hamilton Township in Atlantic County is the largest municipality in New Jersey in terms of land area. Galloway Township, also in Atlantic County, is the largest municipality in total area, including open water within its borders.)

Vineland borders Deerfield Township, Millville, and Maurice River Township. Vineland also borders Salem County, Gloucester County, and Atlantic County. The city is approximately 38 miles (61 km) from the Atlantic Ocean.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Clayville, Hances Bridge, Leamings Mill, Menantico, North Vineland, Parvins Branch, Pleasantville, South Vineland and Willow Grove.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 7,077
1880 6,005 −15.1%
1890 7,677 27.8%
1900 9,091 18.4%
1910 11,717 28.9%
1920 16,834 43.7%
1930 21,603 28.3%
1940 24,439 13.1%
1950 29,573 21.0%
1960 37,685 27.4%
1970 47,399 25.8%
1980 53,753 13.4%
1990 54,780 1.9%
2000 56,271 2.7%
2010 60,724 7.9%
2019 (est.) 59,439 −2.1%
Population sources: 1870-2010
1870-1920 1870 1880-1890
1890-1910 1910-1930
1930-1990 2000 2010

Vineland has a diverse community composed of a variety of races. People of various backgrounds of Europe, Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas makeup the collective of the community.

2010 Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 60,724 people, 21,450 households, and 15,230 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.5 per square mile (342.7/km2). There were 22,661 housing units at an average density of 331.2 per square mile (127.9/km2)*. The racial makeup of the city was 67.03% (40,703) White, 14.16% (8,600) Black or African American, 0.67% (406) Native American, 1.71% (1,036) Asian, 0.04% (24) Pacific Islander, 12.91% (7,841) from other races, and 3.48% (2,114) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.03% (23,093) of the population.

There were 21,450 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city, the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.7 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and old there were 88.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $54,024 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,798) and the median family income was $64,185 (+/- $2,216). Males had a median income of $48,974 (+/- $1,402) versus $35,513 (+/- $2,565) for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,512 (+/- $895). About 11.0% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

  • The Delsea Drive-In, located on Route 47 (Delsea Drive) north of County Route 552, is the only drive-in theater in the state of New Jersey, the state in which they were first created in 1932.
  • The Palace of Depression was built by the eccentric and mustached George Daynor, a former Alaska gold miner who lost his fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and was known as "The Strangest House in the World" or the "Home of Junk", and was built as a testament of willpower against the effects of The Great Depression. A full restoration is ongoing.
  • The Landis MarketPlace opened in 2011 as a two-level indoor public market and includes several vendors on the upper level. As of August 2015, the Amish vendors on the lower level have since departed due to the cost of rent. Currently, the lower level is unoccupied.
  • The Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society, a museum and research library that has been in function since 1910 and holds a large collection exhibiting the city's history.
  • In 2009, as much as $25 million in grants from the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 were allocated to help with the cleanup of the Vineland Chemical Company site. The company's owners had paid $3 million towards the cleanup of soil and water at the site polluted with arsenic and other toxic materials, though the United States Environmental Protection Agency has spent more than $120 million to remediate the Superfund site.

Transportation

Roads and highways

2021-08-09 09 09 10 View north along New Jersey State Route 55 (Cape May Expressway) from the overpass for Cumberland County Route 555 (Main Road) in Vineland, Cumberland County, New Jersey
Route 55 northbound in Vineland

As of May 2010, the city had a total of 335.15 miles (539.37 km) of roadways, of which 234.73 miles (377.76 km) were maintained by the municipality, 80.54 miles (129.62 km) by Cumberland County and 19.88 miles (31.99 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.79 miles (4.49 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Route 47 (Delsea Drive) runs almost 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north-south in the western quarter of the city, connecting Millville in the south to Franklin Township in Gloucester County at the city's northern tip. Route 55 enters the city from Millville for 1.4 miles (2.3 km), heads back into Millville and re-enters Vineland, running along the western border for 8.8 miles (14.2 km) and heads north into Pittsgrove Township in Salem County. Route 56 (Landis Avenue) heads across the city from Pittsgrove Township to its eastern terminus at Route 47.

County Route 540 (Almond Road / Park Avenue / Landis Avenue) enters from the west in Pittsgrove Township and continues for 8 miles (13 km) to Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County, on the city's eastern border. County Route 552 (Sherman Avenue / Mays Landing Road) enters from Deerfield Township in the city's southwest corner and continues for 10.8 miles (17.4 km) into Maurice River Township. County Route 555 (South Main Road / North Main Road) enters from Millville extending for 8 miles (13 km) into Franklin Township.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus transportation on the 313 route between Cape May and Philadelphia, on the 408 route between Millville and Philadelphia and on the 553 route between Upper Deerfield Township and Atlantic City.

Two general aviation airports are located nearby. Vineland-Downstown Airport is located 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of the central business district and Kroelinger Airport, 3 miles (4.8 km) north.

Economy

Landis Marquee
The marquee of the Landis Theater

Portions of the city are part of a joint Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) with Millville, one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. Millville was selected in 1983 as one of the initial group of 10 zones chosen to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the 6+58% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in October 1988, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023.

The main street in Vineland is Landis Avenue. The traditional downtown area is located several blocks east and west of the intersection of Landis Avenue and the Boulevard. The Boulevard is a pair of roads that flank the main north–south railroad, which connected Vineland with Cape May to the south and Camden/Philadelphia to the north. After many years of decline, there has been much recent activity to restore the vitality of "The Avenue" and the center city area. New construction includes a new transportation center, courthouse, post office, elementary school / community center and sidewalk upgrades. In 2005, Vineland was designated a Main Street Community and, through the work of this group, money has been earmarked to continue this improvement through property and facade improvements, business retention and marketing.

Education

Primary and secondary

The Vineland Public Schools serves students in public school for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprised of 14 schools, had an enrollment of 10,720 students and 772.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2017-18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Casimer M. Dallago Jr. Preschool Center / IMPACT (300 students; in PreK), Dane Barse Elementary School (340; K-5), Solve D'Ippolito Elementary School (634; K-5), Marie Durand School (506; K-5), Edward Johnstone School (443; K-5), Dr. William Mennies Elementary School (607; K-5), Pauline J. Petway Elementary School (550; K-5), Anthony Rossi Elementary School (603; K-5), Gloria M. Sabater Elementary School (757; K-5), Dr. John H. Winslow Elementary School (476; K-5), Sgt. Dominick Pilla Middle School (NA; 6–8), Veterans Memorial Middle School (812; 6–8) Thomas W. Wallace Jr. Middle School (808; 6–8), Vineland High School (2,554; 9-12) and Cunningham Academy for students with "personal or academic challenges that prevent them from reaching their full potential" (NA; 7-12).

Students are also eligible to attend Cumberland County Technology Education Center in Millville (with a Vineland post office address), serving students from the entire county in its full-time technical training programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents. The school relocated starting in the 2016–17 school year to a 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) campus in Vineland constructed at a cost of $70 million and located next to Cumberland County College. The school initiated a new full-time high school program that included 240 students who will be part of the initial graduating class of 2020.

Cumberland Christian School is a private coeducational day school located in Vineland, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The school, founded in 1946, has a total enrollment of over 1,000 students.

The city is home to two Catholic elementary schools, Bishop Schad Regional School (combining St. Francis and Sacred Heart Schools) and St. Mary Regional School. Both schools operate under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Bishop Schad formed in 2007 from the merger of Sacred Heart Regional School (Sacred Heart/St. Isidore) and St. Francis of Assisi, using the Sacred Heart site. Sacred Heart High School served grades 9-12 from 1927 until its closure by the Camden Diocese in June 2013 due to declining enrollment. St. Joseph High School in Hammonton was the closest Catholic high school. However that school closed in 2020.

The Ellison School was a private, nonsectarian coeducational preK-8 day school located on South Spring Road in Vineland. The school was founded in 1959 as a grade 1-3 school, and moved to its current site in 1968. By 2016 enrollment had dropped to the point where closure was considered. By late 2019 the school had 11 instructors, three assistants to the instructors, and 76 students. Ellison closed in December 2019. 25 of the students moved to the PreK-8 Christian school Edgarton Christian Academy, then in Newfield, which planned to move to Buena.

College

Rowan College of South Jersey Cumberland Campus (former Cumberland County College) is partially in the Vineland city limits with the other portion in Millville.

Library

Vineland Public Library (VPL) is the city's public library.

Notable people

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

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

  • Nelson Albano (born 1954), member of the New Jersey General Assembly who has represented the 1st Legislative District.
  • Nicholas Asselta (born 1951), member of the New Jersey Senate, who served on the Vineland Board of Education (1993–96), Vineland Planning Board (1992–93) and Vineland Environmental Commission (1992–93).
  • Johnny Austin (1910–1983), trumpeter who played with the Glenn Miller Orchestra before forming the Johnny Austin Orchestra in 1947.
  • Herman Bank (1916–2012), mechanical engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who oversaw the design of several early spacecraft.
  • Wallace M. Beakley (1903–1975), naval aviator who was a vice admiral in the United States Navy.
  • Obie Bermúdez (born 1977), Latin Grammy winner for Best Male Pop Vocal Album in 2005.
  • Stanley Brotman (1924–2014), Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
  • Robert Neil Butler (1927–2010), first director of the National Institute on Aging.
  • Glenn Carbonara (born 1966), former professional soccer player.
  • Thomas Chisholm (1866–1960), Christian songwriter who wrote Great Is Thy Faithfulness.
  • Jamil Demby (born 1996), offensive tackle on the practice squad of the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL.
  • Dick Errickson (1912–1999), pitcher who played in MLB for the Boston Bees / Braves and the Chicago Cubs.
  • Sam Fiocchi (born 1952), member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 1st Legislative District from 2014 to 2016.
  • Darren Ford (born 1985), MLB outfielder who played for the San Francisco Giants.
  • Ted Ford (born 1947), former MLB outfielder who played for the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers.
  • Chris Gheysens (born c. 1972), president and chief executive officer of Wawa Inc.
  • Henry H. Goddard (1866–1957), psychologist and eugenicist and author of The Kallikak Family, who headed the Vineland Training School for Feeble-Minded Girls and Boys, where he introduced the term "moron" to describe a mild form of mental retardation.
  • Jeremiah Hacker (1801–1895), Quaker reformer and journalist.
  • Lee Hull (born 1965), football coach and former player who was the head football coach at Morgan State University from 2014 to 2015.
  • Alan Kotok (1941–2006), computer scientist known for his contributions to the Internet and World Wide Web.
  • R. Bruce Land (born 1950), politician and former corrections officer who has represented the 1st Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2016.
  • Charles K. Landis (1833–1900), founder of Vineland.
  • Layle Lane (1893–1976), African American educator and civil rights activist.
  • Miles Lerman (1920–2008), Holocaust survivor who fought as a Jewish resistance fighter during World War II in Nazi occupied Poland and helped to plan and create the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
  • Matthew Lipman (1923–2010), founder of Philosophy for Children.
  • Jillian Loyden (born 1985), soccer goalkeeper.
  • Fred Lucas (1903–1987), MLB outfielder who played briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1935 season.
  • Olivia Lux, drag performer most known for competing on season 13 of RuPaul's Drag Race.
  • Soraida Martinez (born 1956), artist, designer and social activist known for creating the art style of Verdadism.
  • John Landis Mason (1832–1902), inventor of the Mason jar.
  • Matthew W. Milam (born 1961), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2008 to 2013.
  • Don Money (born 1947), professional baseball player.
  • Ryan Ogren (born 2000), musician who has performed as part of Over It and Runner Runner.
  • John Pascarella (born 1966), soccer coach who serves as head coach of USL Championship club OKC Energy FC.
  • Lou Piccone (born 1949), wide receiver and kick returner who played in the NFL for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, during his nine seasons in the league.
  • James Louis Schad (1917–2002), auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden from 1966 to 1993.
  • Jeret Schroeder (born 1969), former driver in the Indy Racing League.
  • Chad Severs (born 1982), professional soccer player.
  • Walter H. Seward (1896–2008), supercentenarian who was, at the time of his death at the age of 111, the third-oldest verified man living in the United States.
  • Walter L. Shaw (1916–1996), telecommunications engineer and inventor who ended up supplying the Mafia with black boxes capable of making free and untraceable telephone calls.
  • Young Steff (born 1988), R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop singer-songwriter.
  • Marc Stern, attorney, business executive and philanthropist who serves as the chairman of the TCW Group.
  • Muriel Streeter (1913–1995), artist known for her surrealist paintings.
  • Mary Treat (1830–1923), naturalist/botanist and correspondent with Charles Darwin, who was the author of Injurious Insects of the Farm and Field (1882).
  • Gina Thompson (born 1973), R&B singer whose song "The Things That You Do" peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and number 12 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Chart.
  • Mike Trout (born 1991), Major League Baseball outfielder was born in Vineland.
  • Richard Veenfliet (1843–1922), painter.
  • Vic Voltaggio (born 1941), Major League Baseball umpire from 1977 to 1996.
  • John H. Ware III (1908–1997), member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
  • Anthony Watson (born 1989), American-born skeleton racer who competed on behalf of Jamaica in the 2018 Winter Olympics, becoming the first athlete to represent the Caribbean nation in the winter sport.
  • Mona Weissmark, psychologist who has focused on intergenerational justice.
  • Thomas Bramwell Welch (1825–1903), discoverer of the pasteurization process to prevent the fermentation of grape juice.
  • Elmer H. Wene (1892–1957), represented NJ's 2nd congressional district from 1937 to 1939 and from 1941 to 1945.
  • Freda L. Wolfson (born 1954), District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
  • Clarence M. York (1867–1906), attorney who served as a law clerk to the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Images for kids

See also

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