Brookside (once called Waterstreet) is a historic unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP)[9] located within Mendham Township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[10][2][11] It is located approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) west of Morristown, the county seat.
Brookside, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
 Brookside Post Office | |
  Brookside Location in Morris County  Brookside Location in New Jersey  Brookside Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 40°47′39″N 74°34′05″W / 40.79417°N 74.56806°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Morris |
| Township | Mendham |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.42 sq mi (6.26 km2) |
| • Land | 2.40 sq mi (6.22 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 420 ft (130 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,767 |
| • Density | 735.33/sq mi (283.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | |
| Area code | 973[7] |
| FIPS code | 34-08260[8] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2806058[2] |
In the Forbes magazine 2009 ranking of the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the United States, Brookside was ranked as the 10th most expensive in the country, with its median home sale price of $3,121,115.[12]
It was first listed as a CDP in 2020 census[2] with a population of 1,767.[13]
History
editThe settlement appeared on maps as early as 1777.[2] A portion of the Patriots' Path, the trail George Washington and his troops marched on, runs through Brookside's woods along the Whippany River. Brookside was noted as a postal village in 1882.[14] In 1883, the population was 187.[15]
The Brookside Post Office, which at one time was also a general store and gas station, is still the social hub of the village. Many residents stop there daily to collect their mail.
In 1898, the Brookside Union Chapel was built and dedicated the following year. In its infancy it was served by ministers from area churches. By 1929, the Brookside Union Chapel was renamed the Brookside Community Church. The church was later destroyed in a fire in December 1942. A new church was dedicated in 1948.[16]
In the early 1920s Benjamin Natkins, a local entrepreneur, wanted to eradicate Brookside's industrial past. He removed the old mills and structures, creating a residential village by both renovating homes and building new ones.[17]
In 1923, Frederick Garrabrant Kiser opened the Community Club of Brookside after moving a derelict schoolhouse across the Whippany River in Brookside Center. Rental space was available. The Community Club of Brookside was founded and continues to serve Mendham residents.[16]
Along with the Combs Hollow Historic District, in 1995 most of the village was registered in both the State and National Register of Historic Places as the Brookside Historic District.[16]
Historic district
editBrookside Historic District | |
 | |
| Location | Bounded by Tingley Road, E. and W. Main Streets, Cold Hill Road and Cherry Lane |
|---|---|
| Area | 239 acres (97 ha) |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/craftsman, Colonial Revival, Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000041[18] |
| NJRHP No. | 3385[19] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1996 |
| Designated NJRHP | December 8, 1995 |
The Brookside Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1996, for its significance in architecture, industry, and community development from 1780 to 1942. It includes 114 contributing buildings, six contributing structures, and eight contributing sites.[20]
Geography
editBrookside is in southern Morris County, in the eastern part of Mendham Township. It is bordered to the west by Mendham Borough and to the east by Morris Township. New Jersey Route 24 (Mendham Road) forms the southern edge of the Brookside CDP, and leads west into Mendham and east to Morristown.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Brookside CDP has an area of 2.42 square miles (6.27 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.58%, are water.[1] The Whippany River, an east-flowing tributary of the Passaic River, runs through the center of Brookside. It is joined from the north by Harmony Brook in the center of town.
Culture
editThe yearly "Brookside 4th of July" Parade, sponsored by the Community Club, has been a communal event since 1923. It includes floats made by community groups and families, a lawnmower brigade, fire departments and ambulance squads from all over the region, farm animals, a pooch parade, and both rock and marching bands. It starts at 9 am from the intersection of Dogwood Drive and Tingley Road, then down East Main Street to the Community Club Field where food, games, and activities for people of all ages await.
The Annual Clam Bake, sponsored by the Brookside Engine Company #1, is also held at the Community Club Field on the second Saturday in September. Other events and programs are often offered by the Mendham Township Library, located on the 1st floor of the municipal building on West Main Street in Brookside. The library website and bulletin board in town hall usually contain a list of events and contact information to RSVP.
A picture of the post office is featured on the first edition cover of American Pastoral.[21]
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,767 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[22] 2020[3] | |||
Brookside first appeared as a census designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census.[23][24]
2020 census
edit| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2020[24] | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 1,537 | 86.98% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 12 | 0.68% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 50 | 2.83% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 15 | 0.85% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 72 | 4.07% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 81 | 4.58% |
| Total | 1,767 | 100.00% |
As of the 2010 United States Census, the 07926 ZIP Code Tabulation Area for Brookside had a population of 120.[25]
Education
editMendham Township Public Schools are located in Brookside.
Notable people
editPeople who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Brookside include:
- Peter Dinklage (born 1969), actor and film producer[26]
- Alice Flaherty (born 1963), neurologist and writer[27]
- Morris Frank (born 1908), cofounder of The Seeing Eye, the first guide-dog school in the United States[28]
- Stewart G. Pollock (born 1933), Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey from 1979 to 1999[29]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files: New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Brookside Census Designated Place". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b Census Data Explorer: Brookside CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 15, 2023.
- ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Brookside, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed February 14, 2013.
- ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed September 1, 2013.
- ^ "TIGERweb: Brookside CDP, New Jersey: PUMAs, UGAs, and ZCTAs". Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Area Code Lookup – NPA NXX for Brookside, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 1, 2013.
- ^ Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.
- ^ State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.
- ^ Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed June 9, 2016.
- ^ "Brookside, Mendham, New Jersey" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ "Full List: America's Most Expensive ZIP Codes". Forbes.
- ^ "Brookside CDP, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- ^ Industries of New Jersey. Historical Publishing Company. 1882. p. 74. OL 24332547M.
- ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. J.A. Fitzgerald. 1883. p. 180.
- ^ a b c "History | Mendham Township Historic Preservation Committee". historicmendhamtwp.com.
- ^ "Brookside Historic District | Mendham Township Historic Preservation Committee". historicmendhamtwp.com.
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#96000041)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Morris County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. October 1, 2020. p. 10.
- ^ Foster, Janet W. (May 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Brookside Historic District". National Park Service. With accompanying 42 photos
- ^ Hudgins, Barbara; Sarver, Patrick (2004). New Jersey Day Trips: A Guide to Outings in New Jersey and Nearby Areas of New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Rutgers University Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-8135-3351-3.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "2020 Geography Changes". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Brookside CDP, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ DP-1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 from the 2010 Demographic Profile Data for ZCTA5 07926 Archived 2020-02-13 at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 7, 2015.
- ^ Staff. "Brookside actor steps over adversity to starring role", New Jersey Hills, April 24, 2003. Accessed February 28, 2017. "Ask Diane and John Dinklage of East Main Street in Brookside their definition of determination and they will tell you that their son, Peter Dinklage, personifies the word determination."
- ^ Ely, Elissa (March 17, 2009). "From Bipolar Darkness, the Empathy to Be a Doctor". New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ "Morris Frank, a founder of Seeing Eye", United Press International, November 23, 1980. Accessed November 14, 2020. "Brookside, N.J. -- Morris Frank, a founder of Seeing Eye, the guide dog training center for the blind, died Saturday at his home in Mendham Township, N.J. He was 72."
- ^ Kocieniewski, David. "Judge Leaving High Court After 20 Years as Unifier", The New York Times, February 26, 1999. Accessed June 14, 2016. "Judge Pollock was born in East Orange and raised in Brookside, back when it had only 1,300 residents and a four-room schoolhouse. He still lives there, although the suburban boom of the last half-century has expanded Brookside and made it one of wealthiest communities in central New Jersey."
External links
edit
Media related to Brookside, New Jersey at Wikimedia Commons
