Cranford, New Jersey

Coordinates: 40°39′23″N 74°18′17″W / 40.656391°N 74.30483°W / 40.656391; -74.30483
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Cranford, New Jersey
Williams-Droescher's Mill, built in 1737 on the Rahway River
Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code
Area code908[16]
FIPS code3403915640[2][17][18]
GNIS feature ID0882214[2][19]
Websitewww.cranfordnj.org
Paddlers race past the Cranford Canoe Club on the Rahway River during the annual Fourth of July competition in Cranford.
Cranford as depicted on a 1913 Board of Trade brochure

Cranford is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,847,[10][11] an increase of 1,222 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count of 22,625,[20][21] which in turn reflected an increase of 47 (+0.2%) from the 22,578 counted in the 2000 census.[22]

New York City metropolitan area
.

Cranford was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1871, from portions of the Townships of Clark, Linden, Springfield, Union and Westfield. Portions of the township were taken to form Garwood (in 1903) and Kenilworth (in 1907).[23] The township's name is said to derive from the Crane family,[24] including John Crane, who built a mill in 1720 along the Rahway River.[25]

Historic preservation

The cover of Souvenir of Cranford (1894) by architect Frank T. Lent
1894 river carnival announcement by the Cranford Boating Association
Illustration of Cranford's lantern-lit river carnival in a 1908 edition of Harper's Weekly[26][27]

Historic sites in the township are overseen by the Cranford Historic Preservation Advisory Board.[28]

The Cranford Historical Society, a private entity founded in 1927 and located in Hanson Park on Springfield Avenue, maintains the Crane-Phillips House (c. 1845), located at 124 North Union Avenue, as a museum.[29]

Historic figures

Though no known Cranford residents died in the American Civil War, at least 22 were active in the Union Army at the time of General Robert E. Lee's surrender. Cranford's last surviving Civil War veteran died in 1935.[30]

James E. Warner is a former sheriff of Union County who was the namesake of the James E. Warner Plaza at the

regional theater known as the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn.[32] The Cranford Canoe Club
, built in 1908, continues to offer canoes and kayaks for rent on the river in town.

Charles Hansel[33] was co-founder of the Union County Parks Commission that preserved parkland all along the Rahway River and its tributaries in the 1920s, a greenway now known as the Rahway River Parkway.[34] He was an engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad and Central Railroad of New Jersey. Hansel lived in the 300 block of North Union Avenue in a home that still stands today, later moving to what is now Gray's Funeral Home, near what is now called Hansel's Dam by Sperry Park. For his Rahway River preservation efforts, a memorial copper plaque was placed to Hansel in Echo Lake Park.[35]

Fairview Cemetery & Arboretum
.

Joshua Bryant was Cranford's first Black law enforcement officer and the township's first Black elected official.[36]

William P. Westervelt was credited with thwarting the Baltimore Plot, an unsuccessful assassination attempt against president-elect Abraham Lincoln. He did so by cutting telegraph wires that would have alerted assassins to Lincoln's arrival.[37]

Geography

Ice hockey on the Rahway River in 2017, north of Nomahegan Park in Cranford.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 4.87 square miles (12.6 km2), including 4.84 square miles (12.5 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of water (0.78%).[2][3]

There are nine municipalities bordering the township: Garwood and Westfield to the west, Springfield Township to the north, Kenilworth to the northeast, Roselle and Roselle Park to the east, Linden to the southeast, Winfield Township and Clark to the south.[38][39][40]

Parks

Township parks

Parks run by the township and overseen by the Cranford Recreation and Parks Department include:[41]

  • Adams Park – Adams Avenue and Lambert Street. Morses Creek dips into Cranford behind this park.
  • Buchanan Park – Centennial Avenue and Buchanan Avenue
  • Cranford Canoe Club – Springfield Avenue and Orange Avenue[42] The Cranford Canoe Club rents canoes and kayaks for trips on the Rahway River in Cranford. The current structure was built as a private canoe club in 1908.[43]
  • Community Center – Walnut Avenue. The Cranford Community Center, adjacent to the Cranford Public Library, offers classes, sports, speaker series and other recreational activities.
  • Josiah Crane Park – Springfield Avenue and North Union Avenue. In 1971, the Cranford Historical Society marked the farm and village home of Josiah Crane Sr. (1791–1873)[44] in a park across from the First Presbyterian Church on the Rahway River. This park now features Cranford's 9/11 Memorial.
  • Cranford West – Hope, N.J. Originally the home of the Cranford Boys Club on Silver Lake from the 1920s to the 1960s
  • Girl Scout Park – Springfield Avenue and Orange Avenue. This was once the site of a canoe club, later the Neva Sykes Girl Scout House, demolished in the 1950s.
  • Hampton Park – Eastman Street and Hampton Street
  • Hanson Park – Springfield Avenue and Holly Street. Home of the Hanson Park Conservancy.[45]
  • Johnson Park – Johnson Avenue. The Johnson Avenue playground opened in July 1957.[46]
  • Lincoln Park – Lincoln Avenue at South Union. What is now Lincoln Park was the Cranford Golf Club in 1899, now moved to Westfield and called the
    bocce ball
    tournaments since the mid-1960s.
  • Mayor's Park – Springfield Avenue and North Union Avenue
  • Memorial Park – Springfield Avenue and Central Avenue, in 2014, the Cranford Historical Society dedicated a civil war monument.[48]
  • Roosevelt Park – Orange Avenue and Pacific Avenue
  • Sherman Park – Lincoln Avenue East. Former site of Sherman School and located on the Old York Road.[49]

County parks

View around a lake in Nomahegan Park across from Union College

Parks run by the county inside Cranford's borders (overseen by the Union County, New Jersey Parks and Recreation Department) include:[41][50]

  • Lenape Park in Cranford, Kenilworth, Springfield, Union and Westfield.[51] Two tusks from an ancient American mastodon were found in 1936 north of Kenilworth Boulevard in what is now Lenape Park (other sources name the swampy area directly behind what is now the parking lot of Union College's main building).[52]
  • MacConnell Park (formerly known as Liberty Park and frequently misspelled as "McConnell Park") is named after the township's first physician, Joseph Kerr MacConnell. It is located on Eastman Street and was known as the Peninsula during the Victorian era due to its position nearly encircled by the Rahway River.[53]
  • Nomahegan Park (off Springfield Avenue across from Union College) is named for a tributary of the Rahway River that runs through it, to Lenape Park to Echo Lake Park in Westfield and Springfield, called Nomahegan Brook.[54] The name "Nomahegan" has had many different spellings in the historical sources (such as "Normahiggins") and may mean "she-wolf" or "women Mohegans." According to the Federal Writers' Project, The WPA Guide to New Jersey: The Garden State (1939):

    "CRANFORD is an old residential town spread along the Rahway River Parkway, a link of nearly 7 miles joining a series of county parks and playgrounds with the Essex County park system. There are facilities for summer and winter sports, a rifle range, and picnic grove. The Fourth of July canoe regatta is an annual affair. Gardens of fine old Victorian houses line the edge of the parkway on the riverbank. A broadening of the river parkway at the northern end of Cranford is known as Nomahegan Park. The name Nomahegan is a variation of Noluns Mohegans, as the New Jersey Indians were called in the treaty ending the Indian troubles in 1758. It is translated as women Mohegans or she-wolves and was applied to them in scorn by the fighting Iroquois.[55]

    In 2019, the county purchased a long-abandoned house and demolished it, adding the land to the park's footprint.[56]
  • Droescher's Mill Park, located near the dam at Droescher's Mill on High Street. Also called Squire Williams Park.
  • Mohawk Park is located on Mohawk Drive in Cranford's Indian Village section of town.
  • Sperry Park (named after William Miller Sperry), located off North Union Avenue. Home of annual rubber duck derby as a fundraiser for Hanson Park further upstream on the Rahway River.
  • Unami Park (located at Lexington and S. Union Avenue).[57]

Rahway River Parkway – Cranford Section

The Rahway River Parkway is a greenway of parkland that hugs the Rahway River and its tributaries. It was designed in the 1920s by the Olmsted Brothers firm, who were the sons of the eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The Cranford section follows the banks of the meandering Rahway River as it flows south through Lenape Park, Nomahegan Park, Hampton Park, MacConnell Park, Hanson Park, Sperry Park, Crane's Park, Droescher's Mill Park, and Mohawk Park.[58]

Cranford Riverwalk

The Cranford Riverwalk and Heritage Corridor portion of the Rahway River Parkway begins at the parklands near where Orange Avenue meets Springfield at the Cranford Canoe Club and follows the Rahway River on its path southbound to the Williams-Droescher Mill from the early 18th century. At Heritage Plaza at the southwest corner of South Avenue and Centennial, the century-old stone walls and iconic stone columns winding through woodland to Droescher's Mill are still in place, but are in need of restoration and preservation.[59][60] Future plans include repairing the Kaltenbach Estate skating pond, the Victorian footbridge and Squire Williams Picnic Grove at Droescher's Mill Park.[61]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18801,184
18901,71745.0%
19002,85466.2%
19103,64127.6%
19206,00164.8%
193011,12685.4%
194012,86015.6%
195018,60244.7%
196026,42442.0%
197027,3913.7%
198024,573−10.3%
199022,633−7.9%
200022,578−0.2%
201022,6250.2%
202023,8475.4%
2022 (est.)23,801[10][12]−0.2%
Population sources:
1880–1920[62] 1880–1890[63]
1890–1910[64] 1910–1930[65]
1940–2000[66] 2000[67][68]
2010[69][20][21] 2020[10][11]

2010 census

The

Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.51% (1,474) of the population.[20]

Of the 8,583 households, 33.4% had children under the age of 18; 60.2% were married couples living together; 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.3% were non-families. Of all households, 24.8% were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.15.[20]

24.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 87.2 males.[20]

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.[70]

2000 census

As of the

Latino of any race.[67][68]

There were 8,397 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% 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 3.09.[67][68]

In the township the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.[67][68]

The median income for a household in the township was $76,338, and the median income for a family was $86,624. Males had a median income of $60,757 versus $41,020 for females. The

poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.[67][68]

Economy

Stores in the downtown area
Intersection

The Riverfront redevelopment project on South Avenue brought restaurants and housing into downtown Cranford.[71]

In the 1980s, Cranford founded the state's first

Board of Directors
consisting of business owners, property owners, and residents, members of which are appointed by the Township Committee.

Crime

Cranford was ranked the seventh safest municipality in New Jersey.[73] In 2018 the Cranford crime rate was 28.47 per 100,000, which is lower than New Jersey's 208 crime rate, which is in turn lower than the United States' 381.[74]

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification system, Cranford has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[75]

Climate data for Cranford, New Jersey.
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 73
(23)
75
(24)
90
(32)
97
(36)
96
(36)
98
(37)
105
(41)
103
(39)
99
(37)
88
(31)
81
(27)
76
(24)
105
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 40.1
(4.5)
43.6
(6.4)
52.6
(11.4)
63.9
(17.7)
73.7
(23.2)
82.0
(27.8)
86.7
(30.4)
84.9
(29.4)
77.7
(25.4)
66.4
(19.1)
55.8
(13.2)
44.6
(7.0)
64.3
(17.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.8
(−0.7)
33.5
(0.8)
41.6
(5.3)
51.6
(10.9)
61.4
(16.3)
70.3
(21.3)
75.2
(24.0)
73.8
(23.2)
66.4
(19.1)
54.8
(12.7)
45.5
(7.5)
35.6
(2.0)
53.4
(11.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 21.5
(−5.8)
23.3
(−4.8)
30.5
(−0.8)
39.3
(4.1)
49.0
(9.4)
58.6
(14.8)
63.7
(17.6)
62.6
(17.0)
55.1
(12.8)
43.1
(6.2)
35.1
(1.7)
26.6
(−3.0)
42.4
(5.8)
Record low °F (°C) −10
(−23)
−6
(−21)
1
(−17)
12
(−11)
24
(−4)
32
(0)
42
(6)
39
(4)
33
(1)
22
(−6)
14
(−10)
−5
(−21)
−10
(−23)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.72
(94)
3.00
(76)
4.25
(108)
4.25
(108)
4.52
(115)
4.32
(110)
5.08
(129)
4.73
(120)
4.66
(118)
4.31
(109)
4.16
(106)
4.22
(107)
51.22
(1,301)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 6.9
(18)
7.9
(20)
3.7
(9.4)
0.4
(1.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.4
(1.0)
4.2
(11)
23.5
(60)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[76]

Government

Local government

Scene near downtown
Town center and clock
The town clock at twilight in downtown Cranford

Cranford is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.[77] The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.[8][78]

The Committee members elect a chairman of the committee who assumes the title of

Mayor of Cranford does not take on a departmental assignment. The Township Committee is a part-time body and the township government is run on a day-to-day basis by the township administrator and various department heads.[6][4] The chief of police is Ryan Greco,[79] the interim township administrator is Lavona Patterson,[6] and the township clerk is Patricia Donahue.[7]

As of 2024[update], members of the Cranford Township Committee are Mayor Brian Andrews (D, term on committee ends 2026; term as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Terrence Curran (D, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Gina Black (R, 2024), Paul A. Gallo (D, 2026), and Kathleen Miller Prunty (D, 2025).[4][80][81][82][83][84]

In June 2023, the township committee appointed Paul Gallo to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Jason Gareis until he resigned from office.[85]

Women in elected office

Tree in Nomahegan Park across from Union College
Nomahegan Park

Through 2022, a total of 12 women have been elected to the Cranford Township Committee, and four women have served as Mayor of Cranford. Barbara Brande was the first woman elected to the Township Committee and the first woman mayor of the township. Mayor Brande was elected to the Township Committee in 1974 and reelected in 1977, serving a total of six years. She was Mayor of Cranford in 1977. Carolyn Vollero, who served the longest length of time for a woman on the Township Committee—nine years—was Cranford's second female Mayor in 1994. Barbara Bilger, the township's third female mayor in 2002 and 2004, was also the first woman to serve two terms as the township's mayor. Mayor Bilger is the first Republican woman to serve as a township commissioner and as mayor.

Union County Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski is a Cranford resident and the first woman from Cranford to be elected to the

Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders
. Freeholder Kowalski was an unsuccessful candidate for Cranford Township Committee in 1999 and served as Union County Freeholder Chairwoman in 2007 and 2019.

Female township commissioners include:

  • Barbara Brande (Democrat) – 1975 to 1980 (Mayor in 1977)
  • Sandy Weeks (Democrat) – 1982 to 1984
  • Mary Lou Farmer (Democrat) – 1984 to 1986
  • Carolyn Vollero (Democrat) – 1988 to 1996 (Mayor in 1994, Deputy Mayor in 1993)
  • Barbara Bilger (Republican) – 1990 to 1992, 2002 to 2004 and Sept. 2015 to Nov. 2015 (Mayor in 2002 & 2004, Deputy Mayor in 1992 & 2003)
  • Ann Darby (Republican) – 2003 to 2005 (Deputy Mayor in 2004)
  • Martha Garcia (Republican) – 2008 to 2010 (Deputy Mayor in 2010)
  • Lisa Adubato (Republican) – 2012 to Aug. 2015 (Deputy Mayor in 2014 and 2015 (part))
  • Mary O'Connor (Republican) – 2014 to present (Deputy Mayor in 2015 (part) and 2016)
  • Ann Dooley (Democrat) – 2016 to 2019 (Deputy Mayor in 2018 and 2019)
  • Kathleen Miller Prunty (Democrat) – 2020 to present (Deputy Mayor 2020, Mayor 2021–2022)
  • Gina Black (Republican) – 2022 to present

Federal, state, and county representation

Cranford is located in the 10th Congressional District[86] and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district.[87]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 10th congressional district is represented by Donald Payne Jr. (D, Newark).[88][89] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[90] and Bob Menendez (Englewood Cliffs, term ends 2025).[91][92]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 22nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Scutari (D, Linden) and in the General Assembly by Linda S. Carter (D, Plainfield) and James J. Kennedy (D, Rahway).[93]

Union County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners, whose nine members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members.[94] As of 2024, Union County's County Commissioners are:

Rebecca Williams (D, Plainfield, 2025),[95] Joesph Bodek (D, Linden, 2026),[96] James E. Baker Jr. (D, Rahway, 2024),[97] Michele Delisfort (D, Union Township, 2026),[98] Sergio Granados (D, Elizabeth, 2025),[99] Bette Jane Kowalski (D, Cranford, 2025),[100] Vice Chair Lourdes M. Leon (D, Elizabeth, 2026),[101] Alexander Mirabella (D, Fanwood, 2024)[102] and Chair Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded (D, Westfield, 2024).[103][104]

Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are: Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (D, Union Township, 2025),[105][106] Sheriff Peter Corvelli (D, Kenilworth, 2026)[107][108] and Surrogate Christopher E. Hudak (D, Clark, 2027).[109][110]

Politics

Menu at the Cranford Canoe Club's 1911 annual dinner

As of March 2011, there were a total of 15,649 registered voters in Cranford Township, of which 4,887 (31.2% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as

Greens.[111] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 69.2% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 91.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).[111][112]

In the

2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,455 votes (50.4% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 6,160 votes (48.1% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 111 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 12,795 ballots cast by the township's 15,822 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.9% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).[116]

In the

2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,787 votes (52.3% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 3,421 votes (37.4% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 793 votes (8.7% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 82 votes (0.9% vs. 0.8%), among the 9,146 ballots cast by the township's 15,871 registered voters, yielding a 57.6% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).[119]

In the

2016 presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 6,244 votes (52.3% vs. 65.6% countywide) beating Donald Trump's 5,110 votes (42.8% vs. 30.9% countywide) and other candidates receiving a combined total of 593 votes (4.9% vs. 3.6% countywide).[120] From Cranford, 11,947 ballots were cast out of 16,844 registered voters (70% voter turnout vs. 68.87% countywide).[120][121]

In the 2020 presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden received 170,245 votes in Union County beating Donald Trump's 80,002 votes. Joe Biden won Union County with 67.3% of the vote.[122]

Education

A program from the 1914 Cranford river carnival
American Baptist Church

Public schools

The Cranford Township Public Schools is a comprehensive public school district serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 3,853 students and 323.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1.[123] Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[124]) are Bloomingdale Avenue School[125] with 255 students in grades K–2, Brookside Place School[126] with 365 students in grades K–5, Hillside Avenue School[127] with 702 students in grades K–8, Livingston Avenue School[128] with 251 students in grades 3–5, Orange Avenue School[129] with 738 students in grades 3–8, Walnut Avenue School[130] with 312 students in grades Pre-K–2 and Cranford High School[131] with 1,233 students in grades 9–12.[132][133] Cranford High School has a curriculum which has a strong push for technology in the schools, along with stressing service learning. The high school is recognized for its work in service learning and for being a national school of character. Cranford High School was ranked 51st among 328 public high schools in New Jersey in 2012 by New Jersey Monthly magazine after being ranked 13th in 2010[134] and was among the top-ranked high schools in the state in 2020.[135] Lincoln School, which is the home of the district's administrative offices, also houses the district's two alternative education programs, CAP and CAMP.[136]

Private schools

Cranford hosts several religious and private schools. Saint Michael's School, located in downtown Cranford, is a

Roman Catholic parochial school which serves students in Nursery through Grade 8 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[137][138]

Helen K. Baldwin Nursery School at the First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1956.[139]

Union College

The main campus of Union College—New Jersey's oldest community college, dating back to 1933—is located in Cranford.[140] The Cranford campus, one of four county locations, covers 50 acres (20 ha) and was established in 1959.[141]

Local media

Cranford TV-35 public access logo

Cranford media includes:

  • The Westfield Leader. This locally published weekly newspaper covers all Cranford township committee meetings and offers other Cranford coverage.[142]
  • Union News Daily. A news outlet covering Union County news, it has a dedicated Cranford section.[143] It is part of LocalSource and published by Worrall Community Newspapers of Union. The paper's Cranford coverage is also published on a monthly basis as Cranford Life.
  • TAPInto Cranford is a local digital news site covering Cranford news exclusively, part of the TAPinto network of news in Central and Northern New Jersey. The Cranford edition reopened under new ownership in 2022.[144]
  • Cranford Patch is an online hyperlocal Cranford digital news site, part of the
    Patch local news network.[145]
  • Westfield + Cranford Local, a monthly magazine serving the two towns, launched in the early 2020s.[146]
  • Cranford Radio is a long-running podcast on Cranford news hosted by Bernie Wagenblast.[147][148]
  • Remaining multi-community newspapers include the Courier News, a daily newspaper based in Bridgewater Township, and The Star-Ledger and the Suburban News based in Newark.[149]
  • Cranford Monthly is published by Renna Media, located on Walnut Street in Cranford, NJ.[150] 9,800 newspapers are printed up each month and mailed free.
  • TV-35. Cranford also has its own channel, TV-35, which airs township committee meetings live each week and is available to cable and Verizon FiOS television subscribers. The channel was founded in 1986.[151]
  • Emergency radio. The township operates a low-power
    kHz, WQWE 201, which provides information during emergencies in the township.[152]
  • The Cranford Chronicle (formerly the Cranford Citizen & Chronicle) established in 1893[153] closed in June 2015.[154]

Arts and culture

Rowers on the Rahway River in Cranford, c. 1885
  • The Cranford Film Festival at the Cranford Theater is held annually.[155]
  • The Garden State Film Festival began holding festival screenings at the township's century-old film theater, the Cranford Theater, in 2021. A small performing arts stage, in front of one of the screens, opened at the film theater in 2022.
  • The Cranford Dramatic Club is a local theatrical company founded in 1918 that puts on various annual productions. The company has its own small performing arts theater on the south side of town.[156]
  • PorchFest is an annual music festival in Cranford starting in 2017. Performances are held on lawns and porches in town.[157]
  • Dreyer Farms, one of the last remaining farms in Union County, hosts art shows and performances in the offseason.
  • The Roy W. Smith Theater and Tomasulo Art Gallery at Union College offer live performances and art shows.[158][159]
  • The Cranford Public Library began in 1910 as a Carnegie library.[160]
  • American Atheists is headquartered in Cranford.

Places of worship

Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim on Walnut Avenue in Cranford
Cranford's First Presbyterian Church c. 1910
British suffragette Christabel Pankhurst, c. 1910
  • The Cranford United Methodist Church, at the corner of Walnut and Lincoln Avenue, was founded as Cranford's Methodist congregation in the 1850s. It is an LGBTQ-welcoming community, making a "reconciling commitment to intersectional LGBTQ justice." Its brick sanctuary was built in 1954.[161][162]
  • Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim, on Walnut Avenue in Cranford, has been a community of worship for more than 100 years, serving the Cranford and Union County area egalitarian-traditional Jewish community.[163]
  • Trinity Episcopal Church on Forest Avenue was founded in 1872. Its day school offers preschool, kindergarten, and elementary aftercare programs.[164]
  • First Presbyterian Church of Cranford on Springfield Avenue, home to Helen K. Baldwin Nursery School,[139] was founded in 1850.[165]
  • The First Baptist Church on High Street was founded in June 1887.
    American Baptist Church
    .
  • St. Michael's Church on Alden Street was founded as the township's
    Roman Catholic
    parish in 1872.
  • The Cranford Alliance Church that stands at the corner of Cherry and Retford was founded as a Bible study in 1898, and organized as a church under the teachings of Pastor A. B. Simpson in 1905. Its permanent location at 7 Cherry Street was dedicated in 1924. British suffragette Christabel Pankhurst spoke at the church in 1929.[167]
  • Calvary Lutheran Church on Eastman Street was founded in the 1920s.[168][169] Its Calvary Nursery School opened in 1993.[170]

Transportation

The Cranford station is to the lower right and offers commuter service to Newark and elsewhere.
View north along the Garden State Parkway in Cranford

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 78.60 miles (126.49 km) of roadways, of which 67.25 miles (108.23 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.77 miles (12.50 km) by Union County, 1.72 miles (2.77 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 1.86 miles (2.99 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[171]

The major roadways in the township are the

County Route 607 for Linden / Roselle / Winfield Park and at interchange 137 for Route 28, which runs east–west through the center of the township. Interchange 136 is known as the "four corners", where Clark, Winfield, Cranford and Linden meet.[174][175]

Cranford's Pace Car Program aims to make the township's roads safer roads by encouraging drivers to pledge to "drive within the posted speed limit", "stop at all stop signs", "stop at all red traffic lights", and "yield to pedestrians in crosswalks".[176]

Public transportation

Novelist Robert Ferro of the Violet Quill, who attended Cranford High School
Cranford tennis player Dean Mathey, namesake of Mathey College at Princeton University
Cranford golf champion Max Marston
Moody's Investors Service
American advertising pioneer J. Walter Thompson moved to Cranford in 1892.

Rail

The

New York City Penn Station in about 49 minutes in total. The World Trade Center station on PATH can likewise be reached from Cranford in under 50 minutes (42 minutes on 6:52 am express).[178]

Cranford Station also offers transit to other points east, along with Raritan, High Bridge and numerous points west on the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey.[179] Via Newark Penn Station, Secaucus Junction and NYC Penn Station, connections are possible to most other NJ Transit rail lines, PATH trains, AirTrain Newark to Newark Liberty International Airport, Amtrak regional / long-distance trains and the Long Island Rail Road.

Bus

An express bus route (the 113x) offers nonstop weekday travel from the north side of the Cranford Station, and other Cranford points on North Avenue, to Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan in about 40 minutes.[180] The private bus service Boxcar provides direct commuter bus routes to midtown Manhattan in about 40 minutes.[181]

NJ Transit also provides bus service on the

58 routes provide local service.[182]

Air

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 13 minutes away in Newark / Elizabeth. Linden Airport, a general aviation facility, is in nearby Linden.

Freight

The southern section of the township is bisected by

Norfolk Southern) along the tracks of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. The former Staten Island Railway connects with the Raritan Valley Line in Cranford, reaching the island via the Arthur Kill Vertical Lift Bridge. That line has been rehabilitated and since 2007 between Port Newark and Howland Hook and transports containers from the Howland Hook Marine Terminal, an intermodal freight transport service known as ExpressRail.[183][184]

In film and television

Several episodes in the third season of the 1990s Nickelodeon television show, The Adventures of Pete & Pete were filmed in Cranford. Episodes of the series were shot at various sites in Cranford, including Brookside Place School, Cranford High School, Orange Avenue Pool and Modern Barber Shop.[185] Scenes for the home of the title characters were filmed at a house at 11 Willow Street.[186] Cranford is the setting of the 2005 film Guess Who, starring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher.[187] Portions of the films Far from Heaven, Garden State, September 12 and HBO's miniseries The Plot Against America were shot in Cranford.[188]

Daughter of the Bride, Sweethearts and Cat Person.[190][191]

Notable people

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

References

  1. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy. "'The Jewel of the Meadowlands'?: N.J.'s best, worst and weirdest town slogans", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 22, 2015. Accessed July 12, 2016. "Cranford, in Union County, uses 'Friendship & Progress' — and a crane bird (the town is named for Josiah Crane) — on its township seal, but since it is bisected by the Rahway River, the town is informally known as 'The Venice of New Jersey.'"
  2. ^ a b c d e f 2019 Census Gazetteer Files: New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 1, 2020.
  3. ^ a b US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Township Committee, Township of Cranford. Accessed January 4, 2024.
  5. ^ 2023 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated February 8, 2023. Accessed February 10, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Township Administrator, Township of Cranford. Accessed July 4, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Township Clerk, Township of Cranford. Accessed July 4, 2023.
  8. ^ a b 2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 94.
  9. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Cranford, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed March 5, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d e QuickFacts Cranford township, Union County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 5, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Total Population: Census 2010 - Census 2020 New Jersey Municipalities, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Minor Civil Divisions in New Jersey: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022, United States Census Bureau, released May 2023. Accessed May 18, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Population Density by County and Municipality: New Jersey, 2020 and 2021, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed March 1, 2023.
  14. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Cranford, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  15. ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed September 3, 2013.
  16. ^ Area Code Lookup – NPA NXX for Cranford, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 3, 2013.
  17. ^ a b U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  18. ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  19. ^ US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
  20. ^ a b c d e DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Cranford township, Union County, New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  21. ^ a b Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Cranford township Archived September 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  22. ^ Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 237. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  24. ^ Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 28, 2015.
  25. ^ Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living in: Cranford", The New York Times, March 8, 1992. Accessed August 29, 2015. "KNOWN at the turn of the century as the Venice of New Jersey, the Union County Township of Cranford grew up around the meandering Rahway River. In 1720, John Crane of nearby Elizabeth Towne (now Elizabeth) built a grist mill on the north side of a ford in the river and a sawmill on the south side."
  26. ^ “The Venetians of New Jersey” – A Harper’s Weekly Article (1908), Cranford Historical Society. Accessed January 5, 2023.
  27. ^ Harper's Weekly, Volume 52, Part 2 1908.
  28. ^ Cranford Township Code Chapter 6-40.19, Township of Cranford. Accessed November 28, 2016.
  29. ^ Home page Archived May 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Cranford Historical Society. Accessed December 26, 2014.
  30. ^ Glazer, Steven. Cranford and the End of the Civil War. Cranford Historical Society. pp. 1–4.
  31. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps.
  32. ^ New Jersey Sewerage Commission (December 15, 1902). "Report of the State Sewerage Commission to the Legislature ..." State Printers – via Google Books.
  33. ^ Charles Hansel (1859–1936), Flickr. Accessed October 3, 2017.
  34. ^ It Takes a Village... and a park commission Archived December 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Friends of the Rahway River Parkway. Accessed August 14, 2017.
  35. ^ Charles Hansel plaque, Accessed October 3, 2017.
  36. ^ Fridlington, Robert J. "Remembering Joshua Bryant, a prominent figure in Cranford's history", Cranford Chronicle, February 10, 2012. Accessed October 28, 2016. "Without formal training and despite prevailing attitudes, he became Cranford's first African-American law enforcement officer, the first African-American elected to public office in the township, and an influential figure in local politics."
  37. ^ "Abraham Lincoln and Cranford". TAPinto. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  38. ^ Areas touching Cranford, MapIt. Accessed March 26, 2020.
  39. ^ Union County Municipal Profiles, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed March 26, 2020.
  40. ^ New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
  41. ^ a b Parks and Facilities, Township of Cranford. Accessed October 3, 2017.
  42. ^ Canoe Club.com/ Home Page, Cranford Canoe Club. Accessed November 8, 2016.
  43. ^ Fridlington and Fuhro, Cranford Vol. 2 (1996) p. 52.
  44. ^ "Location of Josiah Crane Park Genealogy of Josiah Crane".
  45. ^ About, Hanson Park Conservancy. Accessed November 8, 2016.
  46. ^ Staff. "Plan Johnson Avenue Playground; Supervised Areas Opening Monday" Archived December 1, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Citizen and Chronicle, July 3, 1957. Accessed December 1, 2016.
  47. ^ A Guide to Union County College's Historic Tree Project, Cranford History. Accessed November 8, 2016.
  48. ^ "Cranford Historical Society Dedicates Civil War Monument on Memorial Day". Cranford, NJ Patch. May 16, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  49. ^ Report of the Survey of the Schools of the Township of Cranford, New Jersey: School Year, 1924–1925
  50. ^ Parks, Activities, Locations & Maps, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed November 28, 2016.
  51. ^ Lenape Park map, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed November 28, 2016.
  52. ^ 1993 Township of Cranford National Resources Inventory, pg. IV-6.
  53. ^ McConnell Park map, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed November 28, 2016.
  54. ^ Monahegan Park, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed November 28, 2016.
  55. ^ Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey, Issues 112-121 (1894) The "Nomahiggin" or "Normahiggin" is a brook in Westfield and Cranford townships, Union County, tributary to [Rahway River].
  56. ^ Kudisch, Brianna (August 1, 2019). "Abandoned house won't be an eyesore anymore. County just bought it for $515K". nj.com. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  57. ^ Unami Park map, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed November 28, 2016.
  58. ^ The Inception of a Parkway Archived November 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Friends of Rahway River Parkway. Accessed November 28, 2016.
  59. ^ Lissner, Caren. "Cranford Riverwalk Restoration Project Will Resume Activities", Cranford, NJ, Patch, September 9, 2020. Accessed September 28, 2022.
  60. ^ "Cranford Heritage Plaza and Riverwalk at Cranford Heritage Corridor · Cranford, NJ 07016". Cranford Heritage Plaza and Riverwalk at Cranford Heritage Corridor · Cranford, NJ 07016. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  61. ^ About, Cranford Park Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. Accessed September 28, 2022.
  62. New Jersey Department of State
    , 1906. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  63. ^ Porter, Robert Percival. Preliminary Results as Contained in the Eleventh Census Bulletins: Volume III – 51 to 75, p. 99. United States Census Bureau, 1890. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  64. ^ Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910: Population by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions, 1910, 1900, 1890, United States Census Bureau, p. 339. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  65. ^ Fifteenth Census of the United States : 1930 – Population Volume I, United States Census Bureau, p. 719. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  66. ^ Table 6: New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1940 - 2000, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network, August 2001. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  67. ^ a b c d e Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Cranford township, Union County, New Jersey Archived August 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 16, 2012.
  68. ^ a b c d e DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Cranford township, Union County, New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 16, 2012.
  69. ^ 2010 Populations: Union County, Asbury Park Press. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  70. ^ DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Cranford township, Union County, New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  71. ^ Staff. "Garden Communities launches Riverfront at Cranford Station", Cranford Chronicle, May 29, 2013. Accessed November 8, 2016.
  72. ^ Walsh, Jeremy. "Committee favors widening Cranford's special improvement district", The Star-Ledger, April 29, 2010. Accessed July 17, 2012. "When the special district was established in 1985 to help make streetscape improvements downtown, it was the first such district in New Jersey."
  73. ^ "Safest Cities in New Jersey, 2021 | BackgroundChecks.org". Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  74. ^ "Cranford Township NJ Crime Rate 1999–2018". www.macrotrends.net. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  75. ^ "Cranford, New Jersey Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
  76. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  77. ^ Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.
  78. ^ "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 7. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.
  79. ^ Cranford Police Department, Cranford, New Jersey. Accessed July 4, 2023.
  80. ^ 2023 Municipal Data Sheet, Township of Cranford. Accessed July 4, 2023.
  81. ^ Elected Officials, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed April 11, 2022.
  82. ^ General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results, Union County, New Jersey, updated November 22, 2023. Accessed January 3, 2024.
  83. ^ General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results, Union County, New Jersey, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.
  84. ^ General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results, Union County, New Jersey, updated November 15, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.
  85. ^ Glackin, Jennifer. "Cranford Township Committee Names Commissioner's Replacement, New Deputy Mayor", TAPinto Cranford, June 21, 2023. Accessed July 4, 2023. "At its meeting Tuesday evening, the Cranford Township Committee unanimously voted in a replacement for former Commissioner Jason Gareis, who recently resigned to take a position at the Union County Prosecutor's office. Paul Gallo, one of the three names put forth by the Cranford Democratic Committee last week, has been appointed to the Township Committee."
  86. ^ 2022 Redistricting Plan, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022.
  87. New Jersey Department of State
    . Accessed September 1, 2023.
  88. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  89. ^ Biography, Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr. Accessed January 3, 2019. "U.S. Representative Donald M. Payne, Jr. is a lifelong resident of Newark, New Jersey."
  90. ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
  91. ^ Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
  92. ^ Home, sweet home: Bob Menendez back in Hudson County. nj.com. Accessed April 30, 2021. "Booker, Cory A. - (D - NJ) Class II; Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ) Class I"
  93. ^ Legislative Roster for District 22, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 12, 2024.
  94. ^ Home Page, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  95. ^ Chair Rebecca Williams Archived November 2, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  96. ^ Vice Chair Christopher Hudak Archived May 28, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  97. ^ Commissioner James E. Baker Jr., Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  98. ^ Commissioner Angela R. Garretson, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  99. ^ Commissioner Sergio Granados, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  100. ^ Commissioner Bette Jane Kowalski, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  101. ^ Commissioner Lourdes M. Leon, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  102. ^ Commissioner Alexander Mirabella, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  103. ^ Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  104. ^ 2022 County Data Sheet, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  105. ^ County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, Union County Votes. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  106. ^ Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  107. ^ Sheriff Peter Corvelli, Union County Sheriff's Office. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  108. ^ Sheriffs, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  109. ^ Office of the Union County Surrogate, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  110. ^ Surrogates, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  111. ^
    New Jersey Department of State
    Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  112. ^ GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 – State – County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey Archived February 12, 2020, at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  113. New Jersey Department of State
    Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  114. New Jersey Department of State
    Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  115. New Jersey Department of State
    Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  116. New Jersey Department of State
    Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  117. ^ "Governor – Union County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. January 29, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  118. ^ "Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast – November 5, 2013 – General Election Results – Union County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Elections. January 29, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
  119. New Jersey Department of State
    Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  120. ^ a b Remo, Jessica (November 10, 2016). "Did your town vote for Trump or Clinton? A look across Union County". nj.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  121. ^ "General Election – November 8, 2016". results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  122. ^ "Live election results: 2020 New Jersey results". www.politico.com. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  123. ^ District information for Cranford Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  124. ^ School Data for the Cranford Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  125. ^ Bloomingdale Avenue School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  126. ^ Brookside Place School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  127. ^ Hillside Avenue School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  128. ^ Livingston Avenue School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  129. ^ Orange Avenue School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  130. ^ Walnut Avenue School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  131. ^ Cranford High School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  132. ^ Schools, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  133. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Cranford Township Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  134. ^ "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, September 2012, posted August 16, 2012. Accessed May 5, 2013.
  135. ^ "Two Cranford Schools Appear on 'Best Schools' List". February 11, 2020.
  136. ^ Lincoln School, Cranford Township Public Schools. Accessed July 19, 2020.
  137. ^ Brochure, St. Michael's School. Accessed February 19, 2020.
  138. ^ Union County Catholic Elementary Schools Archived August 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed February 19, 2020.
  139. ^ a b "Helen K. Baldwin Nursery School Adds Early Morning & Late Afternoon Care", TAP into Cranford, February 6, 2020. Accessed August 26, 2022. "Helen K. Baldwin Nursery School is excited to announce new and extended programs within the same warm, nurturing and safe environment that has existed since the school’s inception in 1956."
  140. ^ Discover Union Archived July 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Union College. Accessed July 17, 2012.
  141. Newspapers.com
    . "Lean salary years followed, then an enrollment crisis in 1944 when education-hungry GIs suddenly overwhelmed the small, deficit-ridden school. By that time, the college had a campus of its own the dilapidated Grant School in Cranford. The college received full accreditation in 1956 and moved to its current 50-acre campus in Cranford in 1959."
  142. ^ The Westfield Leader (official site)
  143. ^ Cranford news, Union News Daily. Accessed August 14, 2017.
  144. ^ "Saturdays with Bernie: Meet the New Owners of TAPinto Cranford". TAPinto.
  145. ^ "Cranford, NJ Patch – Breaking News, Local News, Events, Schools, Weather, Sports and Shopping". August 18, 2023.
  146. ^ Cranford Local"
  147. ^ "Saturdays with Bernie: Tips for Holiday Shipping from Cranford's UPS Store". TAPinto.
  148. ^ "About Cranford Radio". May 26, 2013.
  149. ^ Home Page, Suburban News. Accessed August 14, 2017.
  150. ^ About, Renna Media. Accessed October 3, 2017.
  151. ^ TV-35, Township of Cranford. Accessed October 3, 2017. "TV 35 is Cranford's local cable access channel that reaches more than 350,000 viewers in Cranford and nine neighboring towns on Comcast."
  152. ^ "Cranford's Emergency Radio Station is Back on the Air", TAPinto Cranford, December 30, 2015. Accessed January 4, 2024. "Its call sign, WQWE 201, is located at 680 on the AM dial and is currently broadcasting a message detailing how to set the station, followed by current local NOAA weather reports."
  153. ^ "The Cranford chronicle. [volume]". National Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  154. ^ Staff. "Cranford Chronicle to Cease Publication This Week", TAPintoCranford, May 26, 2015. Accessed August 20, 2015. "According to a press release issued by NJ Advance Media, the Cranford Chronicle will cease publication this week."
  155. ^ About, Cranford Film Festival. Accessed August 26, 2022.
  156. ^ About, Cranford Dramatic Club. Accessed August 26, 2022. "Beginning with the 1918–1919 season, a few local Cranford townspeople shared their love of theatre with friends and neighbors."
  157. ^ "Cranford's Third Annual Porchfest to be Held October 12", TAP into Cranford, September 30, 2019. Accessed August 26, 2022.
  158. ^ "Union County College's Drama Club to Present "12 Angry Jurors"". TAPinto. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  159. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  160. ^ Long Range Plan: 2019–2021, Cranford Public Library. Accessed July 8, 2022. "In 1910, a library building, financed in part by the Carnegie Fund, was erected on Miln Street. A white-columned structure, it resembled a Southern mansion more than a typical Carnegie library."
  161. ^ Maureen E. Strazdon. Celebrating Cranford pg 24 (2021)
  162. ^ "Our History". cranford-umc-nj.
  163. ^ Ginsberg, Johanna R. "TBEMC: 100 years in the making". njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  164. ^ "ABOUT TRINITY". trinitycranford. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  165. ^ "History | First Presbyterian Church of Cranford". Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  166. ^ "First Baptist Church in Cranford celebrating 125th anniversary", Cranford Chronicle, June 9, 2012, updated March 30, 2019. Accessed February 15, 2020. "The First Baptist Church, 100 High St. in Cranford is celebrating the 125th Anniversary. The church was founded in June 1887 by Reverend William A. Wallace."
  167. ^ Christian and Missionary Alliance Church
  168. ^ "Calvary Lutheran Church Works to Better the Environment". Cranford, NJ Patch. September 19, 2019.
  169. ^ "www.calvarycranford.com/about". www.calvarycranford.com.
  170. ^ "CNSCC". www.calvarycranford.com.
  171. ^ Union County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.
  172. ^ Garden State Parkway Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, August 2014. Accessed February 6, 2023.
  173. ^ Route 28 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, March 2017. Accessed February 6, 2023.
  174. ^ Travel Resources: Interchanges, Service Areas & Commuter Lots, New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Accessed October 15, 2014.
  175. ^ Union County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 6, 2023.
  176. ^ "Police Dept. launches Pace Car Program", Suburban News, September 18, 2008. Accessed August 26, 2022. "In conjunction with the start of the 2008–2009 school year, the Cranford Police Department is re-launching their Pace Car Program. The Pace Car Program is a citizen based traffic calming program which supplements the department's Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 initiative. The goal of the Pace Car Program is to create safer Cranford streets by encouraging residents to proactively promote driver responsibility and roadway safety through an educational and awareness campaign."
  177. ^ Cranford station, NJ Transit. Accessed February 6, 2023.
  178. ^ Raritan Valley Line schedule, NJ Transit. Accessed February 6, 2023.
  179. ^ Raritan Valley Line Archived October 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, NJ Transit. Accessed October 15, 2014.
  180. ^ Route 113 Bus Schedule, NJ Transit, issued January 14, 2023. Accessed February 6, 2023.
  181. ^ New Jersey Bus Routes, Boxcar. Accessed February 6, 2023.
  182. ^ Union County Bus/Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  183. ^ The Port Authority ExpressRail System, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Accessed August 29, 2015.
  184. ^ "Case Study: Staten Island Railroad" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  185. ^ Antonelli, Toniann. "Lights, Camera...Cranford! A production crew filmed scenes from a commercial in Cranford Tuesday.", Cranford Patch, January 24, 2012. Accessed August 14, 2017. "Several episodes in the third season of the popular 1990's television show, The Adventures of Pete & Pete were filmed in Cranford. One episode was shot at Cranford's Orange Avenue Pool and another at Cranford High School and Brookside Place School. Another episode was filmed at Modern Barber Shop."
  186. ^ Thomas, Shea. "Santas move in when TV's 'Pete and Pete' move out", Cranford Chronicle, November 27, 1997. Accessed September 28, 2022. "The house on willow Street is affectionately known as the 'Santa Claus' house and rightfully so – it has 'thousands of Santas' displayed inside... It was used in filming the Nickelodeon program Pete & Pete, as the home of the brothers with a shared name, but the show has been canceled."
  187. interracial dating
    ."
  188. ^ Antonelli, Troiann. " Lights...Camera...Joanie's Cafe!Television crews visited a Cranford eatery on Aug. 29 to film a commercial.", Cranford Patch, August 29, 2012. Accessed August 3, 2016. "In addition, Cranford is the setting of the 2005 film, Guess Who starring the late Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher. Portions of the movie Garden State, Far From Heaven and September 12, as well as HBO's The Plot Against America were also shot in town."
  189. ^ Lissner, Caren. "Groundbreaking Film 'Bros' Is Shooting In Cranford This Week", Cranford, NJ Patch, September 28, 2021. Accessed June 17, 2022. "A new film called "Bros" will be filming in Downtown Cranford on Wednesday and Thursday, the Downtown Cranford organization said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. The organization noted that the film represents a 'first' in Hollywood: Bros is also making history by having an entirely LGBTQ main cast, including for the straight characters, the first for a major studio film.""
  190. ^ Glackin, Jennifer. "Saturdays with Bernie: What Makes Cranford a Destination for Filming?", TAP into Cranford, July 30, 2012. Accessed February 6, 2023. "You may also have seen roads closed, homes bustling with people in black masks, cameras, vintage cars, or large trailers. It's all because Hollywood has come to Cranford. In the last few months, multiple films have been filmed in town, including Maybe I Do (starring Diane Keaton, William H. Macy), Mother's Instinct (Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway), Daughter of the Bride (Marcia Gay Harden, Halston Sage), and, earlier this week, Sweethearts (Kiernan Shipka, Nico Hiraga)."
  191. ^ Glackin, Jennifer. "Dumb Money Films in Cranford, Stars Spotted", TAP into Cranford, October 13, 2022. Accessed February 6, 2023. "Parents and kids got a glimpse of Hollywood this morning on their way to school. Pete Davidson was spotted near Cranford homes on the south side of town where he is filming Dumb Money."
  192. ^ Valentino Ambrosio, Tulane Green Wave football. Accessed March 19, 2024. "Hometown Cranford, NJ; High school: Cranford."
  193. ^ Sacks, Benjamin. "Frederick W. Beinecke (1887–1971)", Immigrant Entrepreneurship, September 25, 2012. Accessed November 4, 2016. "In 1915 the family moved to a suburban house in Cranford, New Jersey, away from Manhattan's chaotic atmosphere."
  194. ^ William Beinecke – 96, Old New York Stories, October 28, 2011. Accessed November 4, 2016. "My father and mother had a home on Prospect Street in Cranford. So we lived in Cranford, New Jersey, in a house, the address was 401 Prospect Street, Cranford, New Jersey and I even remember the phone number. The phone was 47."
  195. ^ "Spotlight: Carol Blazejowski", SI for Women, May 28, 1999. Accessed May 4, 2007. "In 1974, while a student at Cranford High (NJ), Blazejowski told the school's athletic director (who was also the coach of the boys' basketball team) that she would play on boys' basketball team if no girls team was created. It wasn't long before Cranford had a girls' basketball team."
  196. Sports-Reference.com
    . Accessed November 6, 2017.
  197. ^ TopVet: Bill Chatfield, Veterans Advantage, June 25, 2005. Accessed November 17, 2022. "Born in a small town in the Catskill Mountains of New York, Bill spent his formative years 'off Exit 13' of the New Jersey Turnpike in the towns of Springfield and Cranford."
  198. ^ Staff. "Curtis Culin 3d, Invented 'Rhino'; Creator of Tank Attachment at Normandy Is Dead", The New York Times, November 22, 1963. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  199. ^ Donnelly, Jim. "Howard A. Darrin", Hemmings Motor News, July 2006. Accessed August 22, 2020. "Howard Darrin was born in 1897 in Cranford, New Jersey, along what would later become the route of the Garden State Parkway."
  200. ^ Pitman, John. "Hugh Delano headed for the Hockey Hall of Fame" Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Cranford Chronicle, September 19, 1991. Accessed November 3, 2008.
  201. ^ Reilly, James. "Cranford sportswriter honored for his career" Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Cranford Chronicle, May 25, 1994. Accessed November 3, 2008.
  202. Broadway.com
    , June 14, 2007. Accessed September 19, 2019. "Hometown: Cranford, New Jersey"
  203. ^ Murray, Leslie. "Cranford resident appointed president and CEO of the NY Federal Reserve", The Cranford Chronicle, February 4, 2009. Accessed February 7, 2009.
  204. ^ Staff. "Robert Ferro, 46, Dies; Wrote Books on Family", The New York Times, July 12, 1988. Accessed December 17, 2016. "Born in Cranford, N.J., Mr. Ferro graduated from Rutgers University and earned a master's degree from the University of Iowa."
  205. ^ Charles Newell Fowler, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 9, 2007.
  206. ^ Gould, Brandon. "Will Fries of Cranford signs to play football at Penn State University of National Signing Day", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com,February 3, 2016, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed May 4, 2021. "After a storybook ending to his high school career, offensive tackle Will Fries signed his National Letter of Intent today with Penn State University at Cranford High School."
  207. ^ "Recycling program sets new records", Cranford Citizen and Chronicle, April 25, 1974. Accessed September 4, 2022. "The Cranford Recycling Program Inc., which will conduct a recycling exposition Saturday afternoon at Orange Avenue Junior High School, announced today that in its collection year ending March 31 it surpassed all previous local records. Albert M. Gessler, chairman of the program, reported 514,860 pounds of paper had been collected, compared with 471,500 pounds in the 1972–73 collection year."
  208. ^ "Edward K. Gill", The New York Times, February 13, 1985. Accessed September 19, 2019. "Edward K. Gill, who was elected to the New Jersey Assembly in 1981 at the age of 62 after a long career in business, died of a heart ailment Saturday in Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, N.J. He was 66 years old and lived in Cranford. Mr. Gill was the Mayor of Cranford from 1967 to 1970 and served on several town boards."
  209. ^ "Faces in the Crowd", Sports Illustrated, June 3, 1974. Accessed June 6, 2022. "Karen Hummer, 12, a third-degree brown belt from Cranford, N.J. who took up judo four years ago, became the youngest person to win a National Senior Championship when she defeated four opponents in the 105-pound competition, in Phoenix, Ariz."
  210. ^ Rorabaugh, Seth. "Penguins forward Marc Johnstone has 'the greatest job in the world'", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, December 14, 2023. Accessed December 19, 2023. "A native of Cranford, N.J., Stone went to Crosby’s first NHL game, a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford on Oct. 5, 2005, as a fan of the home team."
  211. ^ About, Gary Kott's Creative Warehouse. Accessed July 17, 2012. "I grew up in Cranford, New Jersey – exit 137 on the Garden State Parkway – twenty-one miles from the Lincoln Tunnel and New York City."
  212. ^ Bernstein, Michele W. "Gary Kott Injects Cranford Memories into Cosby Show". Cranford Chronicle, June 4, 1987. Accessed September 28, 2022. "No wonder the Cougars won. Kott grew up in Cranford. He is the son of Marguerite Kott and the late Bernard Kott, and has enjoyed an almost storybook career since his graduation from Cranford High in 1965."
  213. . Accessed October 28, 2016. "In 1896 the Lakeys moved to Cranford (Union County), NJ, a quiet town where Lakey could continue her recovery."
  214. ^ Brule, M. "From a Home in the Suburbs to a Retreat in the Wilderness: The Domestic Architecture of Frank T. Lent." (2012).xii
  215. ^ Fox, Margalit. "Paul Lioy, Scientist Who Analyzed 9/11 Dust and Its Health Effects, Dies at 68", The New York Times, July 11, 2015. Accessed July 12, 2015. "Paul James Lioy was born on May 27, 1947, in Passaic, N.J. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Montclair State College, as it was then known, followed by a master's degree in the field from Auburn University in Alabama and master's and doctoral degrees in environmental science from Rutgers.... From his home in Cranford, N.J., Dr. Lioy could see the plumes of dust that rose from the ruins of the trade center towers on Sept. 11, 2001."
  216. ^ Andrews, Edmund L. "Economics Adviser Learns the Principles of Politics", The New York Times, February 26, 2004. Accessed September 19, 2019. "He describes himself as a lifelong Republican, which sets him apart from many Harvard colleagues. He distributed campaign literature for Richard Nixon in the early 1970s, and he grew up in Cranford, a fairly affluent suburb in New Jersey, the son of an engineer and a teacher."
  217. ^ "Federal prosecutor Ralph Marra joins N.J. Sports and Exposition Authority as top lawyer", The Star-Ledger, February 18, 2010. Accessed July 17, 2012. "In a special meeting of the Sports Authority today morning, Marra, 56, of Cranford, was named senior vice president for legal and governmental affairs. He will be paid $190,000."
  218. ^ "Marston Will Remain In New Jersey Game", Courier News, April 3, 1918. Max Marston, the Cranford golf star and former New Jersey champion, who was reported to have changed his abode in Cranford to a residence in Philadelphia, comes out with the statement that he has not sworn allegiance to the Quaker town."
  219. ^ Dean Mathey (1891–1972) Archived November 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Princeton Area Community Foundation. Accessed November 8, 2016. "Dean Mathey was born in 1891 and raised in Cranford, N.J. where he attended the Pingry School."
  220. ^ Celebrating Cranford (2021) – Page 31 ("John Moody lived in Cranford from 1893 until 1913, first on Miln Street")
  221. ^ "Astros World Series Team Has a Rutgers Alumnus in the Bullpen", Rutgers University. Accessed November 9, 2022. "A native of Cranford, New Jersey, Murphy was a standout shortstop and relief pitcher at Roselle Catholic High School before signing a national letter of intent to attend Rutgers and play baseball for Hall of Fame Head Coach Fred 'Moose' Hill."
  222. ^ "National Merit", The Westfield Leader, November 24, 2005. Accessed January 22, 2018. "Union Catholic students Amy Dooley of Carteret, Thomas Fitzgibbon of Fanwood, Bradley Gelles of Edison, Katherine McGhee of Edison and Victoria Spellman of Cranford, have been named Commended Students in the 2006 National Merit Scholarship Program. Each student will be presented with a letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation."
  223. ^ Gavin, Robert. "Unsealed letters show Keith Raniere's cruelty to top NXIVM ally", Times Union, October 12, 2021. Accessed February 5, 2022. "Nancy Salzman, a native of Cranford, N.J, known in NXIVM as 'Prefect,' co-founded the purported self-empowerment company with Raniere in 1998."
  224. ^ Woods, Don E. "NJ woman's rejected atheist license plate violates First Amendment, lawsuit argues", South Jersey Times, April 17, 2014. Accessed October 15, 2014. "The Motor Vehicle Commission went through a similar battle last August when David Silverman, president of American Atheists and Cranford resident, attempted to get 'ATHE1ST' as a license plate — with a numeral '1' instead of the letter 'I'."
  225. ^ Millar, Will. "'8THEIST' License Plate Sparks Federal Lawsuit", Inquisitr, April 19, 2014. Accessed September 19, 2019. "Last August, Cranford resident David Silverman, the president of an organization called American Atheists, attempted to get 'ATHE1ST' as a license plate — with a numeral '1' instead of the letter 'I'. Silverman was denied his vanity plate after it was deemed offensive by a Motor Vehicle Commission clerk, only to have the decision reversed later that same month."
  226. ^ "Sperrys Flee From Flames By Ladder; Their Country Home at Cranford, N.J., with Its Valuable Paintings, Destroyed.", The New York Times, June 8, 1912. Accessed October 29, 2008.
  227. ^ "Gift of $100,000 to Make UJC Campus Site Of William M. Sperry Memorial Observatory", Cranford Citizen and Chronicle, February 29, 1964. Accessed September 28, 2022. "A long-time Cranford resident, the late William Miller Sperry was the father of Mrs. F. W. Beinecke and grandfather of William S. Beinecke, now president of the Sperry and Hutchinson Co., distributors of S&H Green Stamps."
  228. ^ "William M. Sperry (1839–1927) Archived November 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Amateur Astronomers. Accessed November 4, 2016. "William Miller Sperry who came to Cranford in 1898, and two of his brothers Thomas Alexander Sperry and Joseph Austin Sperry, had much to do with the development of the Cranford community as all three maintained a sincere and continuing interest in the civic growth of the area."
  229. ^ "Joseph Striker, Actor, 74, Played in King of Kings", The New York Times, February 27, 1974. Accessed September 19, 2019. "Joseph Striker, a film and stage actor in the nineteentwenties and early thirties, died Sunday in St. Barnabas Hospital, Livingston, N. J. He was 74 years old and lived at 4 Riverside Drive in Cranford, N.J."
  230. ^ "J. Coard Taylor, Official Of Ethyl; Vice President in Charge of Sales for Oil Firm Dies-- Track Star at Princeton", The New York Times, June 26, 1946. Accessed September 19, 2019. "Born in Cranford, N. J., a son of George Franklin Taylor and the former Mabel Voorhees, Mr. Taylor was a descendent of Stephen Coerte Van Voorhees, who migrated from Holland to Flatlands, L. I."
  231. ^ Antonelli, Toniann. " Township Marks 100th Anniversary of 'Cranford's Great Fire';nA century ago, an entire row of businesses known as The Opera House Block was destroyed in a massive fire downtown.", Cranford Patch, February 3, 2012. Accessed November 5, 2016.
  232. ^ Ensslin, John C."Breath of fresh air' for N.J.’s high court; colleagues praise nominee", The Record, April 15, 2016. Accessed May 7, 2021. "Timpone, a 65-year-old Cranford resident and former assistant U.S. attorney, has the judicial demeanor and knack for collegiality, they said, to build consensus on a court that by tradition is split between Democratic and Republican justices."
  233. ^ Harriet Morgan Tyng (1905-1952) Papers, 1926-1952 MS 106 & MSA 473, Vermont History Center. Accessed January 9, 2024. "Harriet Morgan Tyng was born May 17, 1905, in Cranford, New Jersey, the daughter of Sarah Margareta Hyde and Francis William Tyng, Sr."
  234. ^ "Cranford Resident, Radio Announcer, AirTrain Voiceover – Bernie Wagenblast's Boyhood Dream a Fruitful Career", TAP into Cranford, April 18, 2015. Accessed November 19, 2017. "Bernie Wagenblast might not be a household name, but the lifetime Cranford resident's voice is heard by hundreds of thousands of people everyday. Wagenblast is the announcer voice on many New York subway lines and throughout the Newark and JFK Airport AirTrain systems."
  235. HLN
    . Accessed March 28, 2013. "Westhoven earned a bachelor of arts degree in history and political science from Bryn Mawr College and grew up in Cranford, NJ."
  236. ^ Ragonese, Dana. "Cranford native Jordan White featured at Rev It Up concert starring Crystal Bowersox", Cranford Chronicle, August 4, 2011. Accessed February 20, 2013. "At least half of the profits from the concert will go towards juvenile diabetes. The benefit concert will also feature Hawthorne Heights, Carmen Magro, and Cranford, native Jordan White."
  237. ^ "Meet Jordan White" Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Valley Beat. Accessed July 17, 2012. "Jordan White was born in Cranford, New Jersey, but raised in Nazareth where he learned to play guitar and classical piano. At age 19, White first began writing songs, by the age of 28 he has landed a song with a national label."
  238. ^ Ramirez, Robert. "Cranford High School Library Renamed After African American Trailblazer", TAP into Cranford, February 7, 2020. Accessed September 28, 2022.

External links