New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County bordering Chatham Township. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 13,650, an increase of 1,479 (+12.2%) from the 2010 census count of 12,171, which in turn reflected increase of 264 (+2.2%) from the 11,907 counted in the 2000 census.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.
The borough is home to much of the Murray Hill neighborhood with the remainder lying in neighboring Berkeley Heights. Service on the NJ Transit is available at the New Providence and Murray Hill stations. More than 9% of New Providence's land is publicly-owned and protected parkland.
History The written history of New Providence begins in 1664 when James, Duke of York and brother to King Charles II, purchased the land that became known as the Elizabethtown Tract from the Lenape Native Americans. Its first European settlers were members of a Puritan colony established in 1720, which was the first permanent settlement of its type.History of Union County , Union County, New Jersey. Accessed July 25, 2012. The settlement was originally called "Turkey" or "Turkey Town", due to the presence of wild turkeys in the area.Meola, Patricia E. "Data reveal much about life in New Providence", Independent press, December 16, 2008. Accessed July 25, 2012. "Once named Turkey Town, the more modern New Providence contains an abundance of older homes, with 84% constructed prior to 1969 and the majority of the homes built in the mid-1950s."History , Borough of New Providence. Accessed July 25, 2012.
The Presbyterian Church established in 1737 was a focal point for the community, and the lack of serious injuries when the church's balcony collapsed in 1759 was deemed to be an example of divine intervention, leading residents to change the area's name to New Providence.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 10, 2015.
According to local tradition, George Washington spent the night in a local home, which still stands to this day. Supposedly, the local stream, Salt Brook, is named for an incident when the salt supply of the colonial village was dumped into the brook to prevent passing British soldiers from taking it. Ironically, the British Army never crossed the Watchung Mountains into this region. Salt Brook winds through town, starting near the eponymous Salt Brook Elementary School.
On April 14, 1794, Springfield Township was formed, which included the present-day township, along with the towns of Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights.Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 239 re New Providence, p. 241 re Springfield Township. Accessed May 30, 2024. Growth continued in the area, and on November 8, 1809, New Providence Township was formed from within Springfield Township. It included what is now Summit, New Providence, and Berkeley Heights. On March 23, 1869, Summit withdrew from the New Providence Township and reincorporated as a township without any other town.
On March 14, 1899, New Providence also withdrew from New Providence Township and was reincorporated as a borough. With Boroughitis sweeping across the state, many communities within townships were reverting to small, locally governed communities (mostly reincorporating as boroughs) due to acts of the New Jersey Legislature that made it economically advantageous for communities so do so. New Providence Township was renamed to Berkeley Heights as of November 6, 1951.
The cultivation of roses played an important role in the local economy in the 1900s.New Providence community profile, EPodunk. Accessed October 10, 2007.
New Providence had long been a semi-dry town, under which there were no bars and no restaurants permitted to sell alcoholic beverages. Retail liquor sales were legal and restaurant-goers may bring their own alcoholic beverages. In 2011, the borough announced that it was considering issuing on-premises liquor licenses, which could bring in as much as $500,000 for each bar granted a license, with plans to use the money raised to pay for improvements to recreation areas.Neavill, Mike. "Council ponders cocktail mixing booze, Open Space", The Independent Press, April 8, 2011. Accessed April 8, 2011. "Sobered by a thirst for improved recreational facilities coupled with limited funds, the governing body is taking the unprecedented move of shifting the borough from 'dry' to 'wet'. Although there are package stores in New Providence, there are no on-premises consumption licenses. Basically, the borough has been a 'bring your own' town. 'We're looking for ways to generate income for turf fields,' Mayor J. Brook Hern said." Liquor licenses were granted in 2015 to a pair of restaurants, ending a 100-year period in which the borough had no on-premises liquor licenses.Ivers, Marianne. "Two New Providence Restaurants to Obtain Liquor Licenses", TAP Into New Providence, December 23, 2015. Accessed June 28, 2016. "Councilman Robert Robinson noted that the borough has been without a liquor license for more than 100 years."
The 2011 film Win Win is set at New Providence High School, having been written by Tom McCarthy and Joe Tiboni, two former students at the school.Angelo, Megan. "Just Like the Good Old Days in the Ring", The New York Times, March 18, 2011. Accessed July 25, 2012. ""I just called Joe and said, 'Let's develop a movie based on New Providence wrestling,' " Mr. McCarthy said.... Because of tax credits, they shot on Long Island rather than in New Providence. But they scouted locations tirelessly, most notably the office and home that Mr. Giamatti's character shuttles between.... Though the locations might have been fudged, the filmmakers kept New Providence High School in the film by using its banners, uniforms and wrestling mats, an effort facilitated by one of their former classmates, who's now the school's principal."
Landmarks
Nokia Bell Labs, formerly known as Bell Telephone Laboratories, is located in the New Providence neighborhood of Murray Hill. Researchers at this facility were credited with the development of radio astronomy, the transistor, the laser, the photovoltaic cell and other advances in technology. Nine Nobel Prizes have been awarded for work completed at this facility. The Presbyterian Church is a large, white, historic church in the center of town. The Village Shopping Center is a shopping center that takes up the majority of downtown New Providence. New Providence School District currently links together the computer networks of its buildings by using a wireless LAN which includes Yagi antennas at two towers by the large copper pyramid-shaped roof. Our Lady of Peace is a Roman Catholic church and school located on South Street. The parking lot at OLP becomes the home of the town's OLP fair, held for three days each spring, complete with rides, games, food, and an indoor auction/junk fest. The Salt Box Museum, located at 1350 Springfield Avenue, is an 18th-century farmhouse owned by the New Providence Historical Society.Salt Box Museum, New Providence Historical Society. Accessed December 2, 2019.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, New Providence borough had a total area of 3.71 square miles (9.61 km2), including 3.69 square miles (9.55 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (0.57%).
New Providence is bordered by Berkeley Heights to the southwest and south, and by Summit to the east in Union County; and to the north by Chatham Township, across the Passaic River, in Morris County.Areas touching New Providence, MapIt. Accessed March 1, 2020.Union County Municipal Profiles, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Much of the Murray Hill neighborhood lies in New Providence, with the remainder in Berkeley Heights; Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names within the borough include Tall Oaks, Johnsons Bridge, and West Summit.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 7, 2015.
The borough lies on the western slope of Second Watchung Mountain. There are several creek beds carved into the landscape, most of which are forks and branches of Salt Brook. These creeks join near the center of town then flow into the Passaic River, along the banks of which Passaic River Parkway is found. Over nine percent of New Providence's land area is permanently protected, publicly owned parkland. Most of this land is wooded floodplain adjacent to the Passaic. Union County owns much of the riverfront parkland and New Providence owns the remainder. There are several borough-owned parks that bracket Salt Brook, including Veterans Memorial Park on South Street, Lions Park on Livingston Avenue, and Clearwater Park near the end of Central Avenue.Recreation - Parks and Facilities , Borough of New Providence. Accessed April 7, 2015.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +New Providence borough, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 % 2000 % 2010 White alone (NH) 10,3599,8709,42987.00% 81.09% 69.08% Black or African American alone (NH) 104153241 1.00% 1.26% 1.77% Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 3970.03% 0.07% 0.05% Asian alone (NH) 903 1,1872,1718.72% 9.75% 15.90% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 3 020.03% 0.00% 0.01% Other race alone (NH) 1019600.10% 0.16% 0.44% Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 1081504891.04% 1.23% 3.58% Hispanic or Latino (any race) 417 7831,251 4.03% 6.43% 9.16% Total 11,907 12,171 13,650 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, New Providence had a population of 13,650. The median age was 42.8 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,071 households in New Providence, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 62.2% were married-couple households, 12.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,497 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%.
2010 census The 2010 United States census counted 12,171 people, 4,408 households, and 3,337 families in the borough. The population density was 3,343.4 per square mile (1,290.9/km2). There were 4,537 housing units at an average density of 1,246.3 per square mile (481.2/km2). The racial makeup was 85.98% (10,465) White, 1.27% (155) Black or African American, 0.10% (12) Native American, 9.78% (1,190) Asian, 0.04% (5) Pacific Islander, 1.22% (148) from other races, and 1.61% (196) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.43% (783) of the population.