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Waltham Abbey Church

The Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross and St Lawrence, also known as Waltham Abbey, is the parish church of the town of Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. It has been a place of worship since the 7th century. The present building dates mainly from the early 12th century and is an example of Norman architecture. To the east of the existing church are traces of an enormous eastward enlargement of the building, begun following the re-foundation of the abbey in 1177. In the Late Middle Ages, Waltham was one of the largest church buildings in England and a major site of  pilgrimage; in 1540 it was the last religious community to be closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It is still an active parish church for the town, and is a grade I listed building.

The monastic buildings and those parts of the church east of the crossing were demolished at the Dissolution, and the Norman crossing tower and transepts collapsed in 1553. The present-day church consists of the nave of the Norman abbey church, the 14th-century lady chapel and west wall, and a 16th-century west tower, added after the dissolution.

King Harold Godwinson, who died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is said to be buried in the present churchyard.

History
Archaeological investigations between 1984 and 1991 have revealed a much earlier origin of the site than had previously been believed. There is evidence for five distinct churches at Waltham.

First church at Waltham (7th century)
Traces of the flint rubble foundations of a 7th-century wooden church have been found under the choir of the present building; an associated burial has been radiocarbon dated to between 590 and 690. A proposed date of circa 610 would place its construction in the reign of Sæberht of Essex, who was noted for his church-building activities. Other finds included a 7th-century Kentish jewellery book-clasp depicting eagles grasping a fish.

Second church (8th century)
During the reign of King Offa of Mercia, whose rule extended to the Kingdom of Essex in the late 8th century, a building of Barnack stone was constructed around the earlier wooden church. It was half the length of the present building, and was a porticus-type church with chambers along each side of the nave. It was intended as a minster serving several communities in the area.

Legend of the Holy Cross
At the beginning of the 11th century, the church and manor of Waltham were held by an Anglo-Danish thegn called Tovi the Proud. A legend, recorded in the 12th-century De Inventione Sanctœ Crucis Nostrœ ("The Discovery of our Holy Cross") or "Waltham Chronicle", relates that, in about 1016, the blacksmith at another estate belonging to Tovi, at Montacute near Glastonbury, found a large black flint (or marble) crucifix buried at the top of a hill, after a dream. Tovi had the cross loaded onto an ox-cart, but the oxen would only go in one direction and continued every day until they reached Waltham, a journey of some 150 miles. This Holy Rood or Cross was installed at the church and soon became the subject of pilgrimage. Tovi is said to have rebuilt the church, but modern evidence suggests that he probably retained the 8th-century fabric of the building.

Third church (King Harold's foundation)
After Tovi's death, his son fell into debt and the estate passed to King Edward the Confessor. He then gave it to Harold Godwinson (later King Harold II), who rebuilt, refounded and richly endowed the church, which was dedicated in 1060; a legend says that this was because in his childhood, he had been miraculously cured of paralysis by the Holy Cross. The new church was placed under the control of a dean and a college of twelve married priests. Evidence suggests that stone and some of the foundations of the previous church were re-used for the new building, which had a nave the same length as the present one, aisles, a large transept and a small eastern apse.

Fourth church (Norman)
Starting in about 1090, Harold's building was demolished and a new church with crossing tower and transepts was begun in the Norman style. It reused the Saxon foundations and some of the stonework, with additional stone from Reigate, Kent and Caen in Normandy. The church was cruciform, with a tower at the crossing and two smaller towers at the west end. The nave had typically massive Norman pillars with incised decoration and semi-circular arches supporting a triforium and clerestorey above. A long eastern chapel may have housed the Holy Cross. The rebuilding, which had started at the eastern end, was completed by about 1150. Although there is a marked stylistic resemblance to Durham Cathedral, a recent study of the features of the church and comparison with other sites has concluded that the master mason at Waltham was trained in East Anglia. This construction is mainly the fabric that has survived to the present.

Fifth church (the Augustinian Abbey)
In 1177, the abbey was re-founded once more, this time as an Augustinian priory with 16 canons, by Henry II as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas Becket. The rebuilding, in the Early English style, made the abbey far more extensive than the original Norman establishment, as can be seen today from traces in the abbey grounds. Those parts of the Norman church east of the Norman crossing were demolished, and a new church, with its own nave, a second pair of transepts and a further tower at the new crossing, were constructed. The Norman nave was retained as a parish church, divided from the new work by a screen. The whole building was now longer than Winchester Cathedral. A cloister was built to the north of the new nave. A short passage that led into the cloister still exists; this, and a fourteenth-century gatehouse, are the only surviving monastic buildings.

In 1184, Henry raised the status of the church to an abbey; he appointed an abbot and the number of canons was increased to 24. The completed abbey was finally re-dedicated on 30 September 1242, by William de Raley, Bishop of Norwich. The Holy Cross attracted many pilgrims and the Abbey became a popular place for overnight stays for kings and other notables hunting in Waltham Forest. Henry VIII was a frequent visitor and is said to have had a house or lodge at Romeland, adjacent to the abbey. During their summer progress of 1532, Henry and Queen Anne Boleyn stayed at Waltham Abbey for five days.

The Dissolution
Waltham was the last abbey in England to be dissolved. On 23 March 1540, the last abbot, Robert Fuller, surrendered the abbey and its estates to Henry's commissioners, the annual income from which was valued at £1,079, 12 shillings and one penny. In return, the abbot received a generous pension in the form of estates with an annual income of £200; the prior received an annuity of £20 and sixteen canons each received between £5 and £10 depending on seniority. Thomas Tallis, who had taken up a post as a senior "singing-man" (often interpreted as choir master) in the autumn of 1538, was awarded 20 shillings in outstanding wages and 20 shillings "reward". Tallis went on from Waltham to a post in the choir at Canterbury Cathedral. The Holy Cross disappeared without trace at this time. King Henry suggested Waltham as one of the new cathedrals for the Church of England, but this proposal was not implemented. In 1541, the king leased the manor of Waltham to Sir Anthony Denny, a prominent member of the Privy chamber and a confidant of the king. When Denny died in 1549, his estates passed to his widow Joan and in 1553 she bought the manor of Waltham outright; she died in the same year. The manor then passed to her son Henry, who died in 1574 leaving two sons; the elder Robert, died in 1576 and was succeeded by Edward Denny, who became Baron Denny of Waltham in 1604 and Earl of Norwich in 1626. Edward reused the stones from the demolished Gothic choir and chancel (the fifth church) for the sumptuous Abbey House which he built to the north of the churchyard; the Norman remnant of the nave continued in use as the town's parish church.

Later architectural history
In 1553, shortly after the demolition of the 12th-century choir, crossing and chancel, the 11th-century Norman tower at the east end of the nave collapsed. It was replaced by a new tower at the opposite end of the church, abutting the 14th-century west wall and straddling the main doorway. Work commenced in 1556 and was completed in the following year; it was the only church tower built in England during the reign of Queen Mary I.

In 1859, the architect William Burges was appointed to undertake a restoration of the site and a refurbishment of the interior. The restoration was extensive; the removal of pews and galleries from the south and west sides, a new ceiling (painted with signs of the zodiac as at Peterborough Cathedral), a new chancel and significant re-building. The designs were exhibited at the Royal Academy. Work was completed by 1876. In the view of Burges's biographer, J. Mordaunt Crook, "(Burges's interior) meets the Middle Ages as an equal." The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner said that Burges's remodelling was carried out "with all the robust ugliness which that architect liked". The revised 2007, edition of his book takes a more sympathetic view, describing Burges' work as "pioneering (and) powerful". In the last year of the restoration, a 15th-century doom painting was discovered under whitewash on the east wall of the Lady Chapel. Further, more sensitive, restoration was undertaken in 1964.

The Abbey's stained glass includes early work by Edward Burne-Jones in the rose window and lancets of the east wall, and Archibald Keightley Nicholson in the Lady Chapel. The Lady Chapel has three windows by Nicholson, depicting the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. Work on a fourth – intended to depict the Epiphany – was interrupted by the Second World War and never resumed. In April 1941, a 500 kg German parachute mine exploded in a field nearby at Romeland, destroying most of the windows on the north side of the church. In March 1945, a V-2 rocket landed in Highbridge Street, destroying the "Bellringers Window" in the tower; a detailed hand-tinted photograph of the window, discovered in 2007, may eventually allow the window to be recreated.

In 2003 the church was attacked by a man armed with two small axes, resulting in an estimated £200,000 worth of damage.

King Harold's tomb
Harold stopped to pray at Waltham on his way south from the Battle of Stamford Bridge to fight William of Normandy; the battle-cry of the English troops at Hastings was "Holy Cross". According to Gesta Guillelmi, an account of the battle written by William of Poitiers in the 1070s, Harold's body was handed over to William Malet, a companion of William the Conqueror for burial; Duke William refused an offer by Harold's mother, Gytha, to exchange Harold's corpse for its weight in gold. The account also relates that some Normans remarked "in jest" that "he who guarded the coast with such insensate zeal should be buried by the sea shore", but does not say that this was actually done. Another account, the Carmen de Hastingae Proelio, thought to have been written only months after the battle, says that he was buried under a cliff top cairn, but this version does not appear in any other account. William of Malmesbury wrote in the Gesta regum Anglorum in 1125, that the refusal to accept Gytha's gold simply meant that Harold's body was handed over without payment, and that it was taken from the battlefield to Waltham for burial. This version is supported by the Roman de Rou, written by Wace in the 1160s. The final and most detailed medieval account comes from the Waltham Chronicle. The author describes how two canons from Waltham, Osgod Cnoppe and  Aethelric Childemaister, accompanied Harold from Waltham to Hastings. After the battle, they asked permission to recover Harold's body, which could only be identified by his concubine, Edith Swanneck, who recognised "secret marks". From Hastings the body was brought to Waltham and buried under the floor of the church. This story was related to the author of the Chronicle when he was a boy, by the elderly Sacristan Turketil, who claimed to have himself been a boy at Waltham when Harold arrived en route from Stamford Bridge, and later witnessed the interment of the king. The author himself claims to have seen Harold's body being disinterred and moved twice during the rebuilding work which started in  1090.

In 1177, the Waltham became an Augustinian foundation, and the new incumbents published Vita Haroldi ("The Life of Harold") soon afterwards, which records a legend that Harold survived the battle and retired as a hermit to either Chester or Canterbury; it is thought that the motive for this was to distract attention away from Harold's tomb in the church, as he was still a politically sensitive figure to the Norman ruling class.

In the 18th century, the historian David Hume wrote that Harold had been buried by the high altar in the Norman church and moved to the choir of the later Augustinian abbey. Visitors were shown a stone slab bearing the inscription "Hic iacet Haroldus infelix" ("Here lies Harold the unfortunate"), although it had been destroyed when that part of the abbey was demolished at the Dissolution. An earlier 18th-century reference comes from Daniel Defoe's A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain. In his description of Essex, Defoe mentions Waltham Abbey where "the ruins of the abbey remain; and tho’ antiquity is not my proper business, I cou’d not but observe, that King Harold, slain in the great battle in Sussex against William the Conqueror, lies buried here; his body being begg’d by his mother, the Conqueror allow’d it to be carried hither; but no monument was, as I can find, built for him, only a flat grave-stone, on which was engraven, Harold Infoelix."

Organ
At the Dissolution in 1540, an inventory states that there was "a lyttel payre of organes" in the Lady Chapel and in the Choir, "a great large payre of organes" and also "a lesser payre". The parts of the Abbey that housed these instruments were demolished shortly afterwards. The church currently contains a large 3 manual organ. A plaque on the organ case has the inscription, "Flight & Robson 1827, the gift of (Thomas) Leverton Esq.", although this instrument dates from 1819. It was fully rebuilt in 1860 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. In 1879, the organ was dismantled and rebuilt at the eastern end of the North Aisle, but was finally rebuilt in the West Gallery in 1954, with the console in the chancel. The "Waltham Abbey Church Heritage Organ Appeal" was launched in July 2008 to replace the existing organ, which was deemed to have come to the end of its useful life.

Following the success of the Organ Appeal, Mander Organs installed the new instrument in 2019. The organ includes a new principal chorus on the Great division, and a new 32-foot reed on the Pedal.

The carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" was first heard sung to a melody from Felix Mendelssohn's Festgesang in the church on Christmas Day 1855 with William Hayman Cummings, who made the adaptation, at the organ.

Organists
Its organists have included:
 * Thomas Tallis
 * Polly Thompson
 * William Hayman Cummings, 1847–1853
 * Mr. Gibbons
 * Mr. Banks
 * Joseph Chalk, from 1859
 * Norman Rimmer
 * Jamie Hitel
 * Stuart Nicholson
 * Stephen Bullamore, 2005–2013
 * Jonathan Lilley, appointed 2013

Other burials

 * Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (1282–1316)
 * Hugh de Neville
 * Honora Grey Denny, mother of Edward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich

title: Waltham Abbey Church


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Whitesboro-Burleigh, New Jersey

Whitesboro-Burleigh was a census-designated place and unincorporated community located within Middle Township, in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the CDP's population was 1,836. In the 2010 United States Census, the Whitesboro-Burleigh CDP was split into two new CDPs, Whitesboro and Burleigh.

Whitesboro was founded as a planned residential community for African Americans and has the majority-black population of the township.

History
Whitesboro was founded about 1901 by the Equitable Industrial Association, which had prominent black American investors including Paul Laurence Dunbar, the educator Booker T. Washington and George Henry White, the leading investor and namesake. He was an attorney who had moved to Philadelphia after serving as the last black Republican congressman representing NC's 2nd congressional district. White and his fellow entrepreneurs wanted to create a self-reliant community for blacks, without the discrimination faced in the southern states. Shares in the planned community were sold to African Americans from North and South Carolina and Virginia.

In 2006, the Johnson Family Historical Trust discovered the value of its original deed to Whitesboro property from the George H. White Realty Company. It has been called one of "America's Untold Treasures" by the renowned African-American appraiser Phillip Merrill. The Johnson Family Historical Trust holds rare items important to Whitesboro, such as a 1936 formerly owned by James L. Johnson, a nationally recognized ham radio operator. His radios are of interest to Whitesboro and national history in technology.

There are more than 50 known and appraised artifacts from the original investors of the town that planned to be featured in Whitesboro in the few years to come. This summer a dig for national history will take place to uncover more artifacts at various historical sites in Whitesboro hosted by the Johnson Family Historical Trust.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.7 km2. 10.6 km2 of land and 0.24% of it was water.

Demographics
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 1,836 people, 759 households, and 478 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 172.5 /km2. There were 975 housing units at an average density of 91.6 /km2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 60.08% White, 35.19% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.

There were 759 households, out of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,231, and the median income for a family was $42,568. Males had a median income of $32,179 versus $24,612 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,812. About 4.2% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
It is within the Middle Township School District which operates Middle Township High School.

Countywide schools include Cape May County Technical High School and Cape May County Special Services School District.

In 1993 Richard Degener of The Press of Atlantic City described what is now the location of the private K-12 school Cape Christian Academy as being in Burleigh. The school is currently in the Cape May Courthouse CDP and not the Burleigh CDP.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Whitesboro-Burleigh include:
 * Stedman Graham, one of the numerous 1,000-point scorers for the Middle Township High School boys varsity basketball team. He is an American educator, author, businessman, speaker and served in the United States Army. He is also the longtime partner of media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Whitesboro-Burleigh, New Jersey


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Wildwood, New Jersey

Wildwood is a city in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's year-round population was 5,157, a decrease of 168 (−3.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,325,  which in turn reflected a decline of 111 (−2.0%) from the 5,436 counted in the 2000 census. A popular Jersey Shore resort destination, the population can swell to 250,000 during the summer. Wildwood was the first city in New Jersey to have a female mayor, Doris W. Bradway, who was ousted in a 1938 recall election.

The city of Wildwood proper constitutes the center of the island communities collectively known as The Wildwoods. The Wildwoods is used as a collective term to describe four communities on the island with the name Wildwood attached to them: North Wildwood, West Wildwood, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest. Also part of The Wildwoods are Diamond Beach and a portion of Lower Township on the island. The city, and the surrounding communities that share the name, derives its name from the wild flowers found in the area. Wildwood is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

History
Wildwood was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 1, 1895, from portions of Middle Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day. On January 1, 1912, Wildwood was incorporated as a city, replacing both Wildwood borough and Holly Beach City.

The Wildwoods began developing as a resort in the last decade of the 19th century. A building boom began in the 1950s, due partially to the construction and completion of the Garden State Parkway in 1955.

"Rock Around the Clock", often credited as the first rock and roll record, was first performed on Memorial Day weekend in 1954 at the HofBrau Hotel in Wildwood by Bill Haley & His Comets. The song's status as one of the first rock and roll hits has given rise to the city's claim as "the birthplace of rock and roll". Chubby Checker introduced his version of "The Twist" at the Rainbow Club in Wildwood. On occasion, American Bandstand broadcast from the Wildwood's Starlight Ballroom. Murals in the community honor Checker, Bill Haley; and Bobby Rydell. Rydell's major hit, "Wildwood Days" in 1963, is about Wildwood.

Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District
Wildwood is home to over 200 motels, built during the Doo-Wop era of the 1950s and 1960s, in an area recognized by the state of New Jersey, known as the Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District. The term "doo-wop" was coined by Cape May's Mid-Atlantic Center For The Arts in the early 1990s to describe the unique, space-age architectural style, which is also referred to as the Googie or populuxe style.

The motels are unique in appearance, with Vegas-like neon signs and fantastic architecture. New construction in the area has seen the demolition of several motels to make room for larger condominiums. The Wildwood Doo Wop Preservation League has taken action to help save and restore these historic buildings. The Caribbean Motel in Wildwood Crest, and the Chateau Bleu Motel in North Wildwood are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A 1950s Doo Wop museum includes property from demolished motels such as neon signs and furniture. Neo-Doo Wop buildings in the area feature a neon lit Wawa and a 1950s styled Acme Supermarket.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 1.65 square miles (4.28 km2), including 1.54 square miles (3.99 km2) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.29 km2) of water (6.79%).

The city is located on a barrier island facing the Atlantic Ocean. On the same island is the city of North Wildwood, borough of Wildwood Crest, and the unincorporated community of Diamond Beach, a place in Lower Township. Collectively with the town of West Wildwood (located on a separate, adjacent island), these communities form "The Wildwoods" resort. Wildwood also borders Middle Township.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Five Mile Beach.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 5,325 people, 2,251 households, and 1,146 families in the city. The population density was 4082.0 /sqmi. There were 6,843 housing units at an average density of 5245.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 68.04% (3,623) White, 11.15% (594) Black or African American, 0.73% (39) Native American, 0.79% (42) Asian, 0.13% (7) Pacific Islander, 16.24% (865) from other races, and 2.91% (155) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.21% (1,662) of the population.

Of the 2,251 households, 22.5% had children under the age of 18; 29.5% were married couples living together; 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 49.1% were non-families. Of all households, 40.7% were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.03.

20.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 105.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 104.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $32,783 (with a margin of error of +/− $9,471) and the median family income was $45,125 (+/− $24,251). Males had a median income of $24,416 (+/− $1,945) versus $26,043 (+/− $7,007) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $25,118 (+/− $3,877). About 16.2% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 5,436 people, 2,333 households, and 1,273 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,212.6 PD/sqmi. There were 6,488 housing units at an average density of 5,027.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 70.55% White, 16.65% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 8.85% from other races, and 2.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.62% of the population.

Among Wildwood's Hispanic community in 2000, 69.7% were from Puerto Rico, while an additional 17.0% were from Mexico.

There were 2,333 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.2% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,981, and the median income for a family was $28,288. Males had a median income of $30,787 versus $23,320 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,682. About 20.2% of families and 26.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.7% of those under age 18 and 21.9% of those age 65 or over.

Commerce
Portions of the city—together with areas in North Wildwood, West Wildwood and Wildwood Crest—are part of a joint Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The four municipalities in The Wildwoods were selected in 2002 as one of a group of three zones added to participate in the program as part of a joint zone with. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the $6 5/8$% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in September 2002, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023. The joint UEZ is overseen by the Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board, which includes representatives from all four municipalities.

Wildwood has an unusually large number of liquor licenses for its population. State law normally provides for one consumption license (i.e., for a bar, restaurant) for every 3,000 residents, and one distribution license (i.e., for a liquor store) for every 7,500 residents. Because of a state law allowing a municipality to grandfather in liquor licenses that existed before 1948, Wildwood has a permanent population of 5,300, but has 61 active liquor licenses.

Tourism
Wildwood is a resort city that is very popular with vacationers and tourists mostly from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and even nearby parts of Canada (particularly Ontario and Quebec) during the summer months. The year-round population of Wildwood of over 5,300 grows to as many as 250,000 or more during the peak tourist season during the summer. Its most notable features are its beach and 1.8 mi boardwalk, home to the Morey's Piers amusement complex and Raging Waters and Ocean Oasis waterparks owned by Morey's Piers. The boardwalk features a trolley called the "Tramcar", which runs from end to end. In June 2006, its Doo-Wop-style motels were placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual Eleven Most Endangered List, described as "irreplaceable icons of popular culture." In June, thousands of recently graduated high school seniors come to Wildwood for Senior Week. During Senior Week, the graduates stay in hotels and rent beach houses in Wildwood where they party and participate in underage drinking.

Wildwood was ranked the best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 "Top 10 Beaches Contest" sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. Wildwood is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards, joining Atlantic City, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and Upper Township's Strathmere section.

Wildwood is home to the New Jersey Firefighter's Convention, held annually every September since the 1970s. Known for its parade featuring fire company apparatus from across the state, it moved from Atlantic City due in part to rising crime and the disallowing of the parade on city streets. Wildwood is also home to an annual co-ed beach Ultimate Frisbee tournament drawing teams from all over the country that attracted 430 teams and over 5,000 players to its 19th annual event in 2011.

French Canadian tourists from Quebec visit Wildwood during the summer. There are motels in the Wildwoods named to attract tourists from Quebec, including Chateau Bleu, Fleur de Lis, Le Voyageur, Royal Canadian, and Quebec. Several hotels in Wildwood have signs in both English and French. The French Canadian tourists primarily vacation in Wildwood in July when Canada takes a two-week construction holiday.

Boardwalk
The Wildwood Boardwalk features several amusement parks, water parks, an aquarium, and shops, most notably three piers collectively known as Morey's Piers. Due to the distance of the ocean from the boardwalk, the beach is home to many sporting events, concerts, and monster truck rallies in view of the boardwalk. Wildwood is the tenth most popular boardwalk in the United States. A stage is set off to the side of the boardwalk near Mariner's Landing Pier where several performances are held throughout the summer.

In 2008–2009, a section of the boardwalk was rebuilt using ipe tropical hardwood, even though the town had made a commitment to use domestic black locust as a more environmentally friendly option. The black locust wood shipped by the supplier was deemed unacceptable and the commissioners decided to use ipe wood to ensure that the project could be completed in time for the upcoming season.

Boardwalk Chapel is a summertime Christian Gospel outreach on the boardwalk, sandwiched between a pizzeria and a gift shop. Visitors to the boardwalk are invited to attend any of its 77 consecutive evening services held during June, July and August.

Sports
Beach racing, featuring motorcycles and hot rods, takes place every year.

Over a four-day period each June, Wildwood hosts the National Marbles Tournament at Ringer Stadium, an event that dates back to 1922.

The Wildwood Aces were a professional basketball team that played in the United States Basketball League in 1985 and 1986. Their home court was the Wildwood Convention Hall.

Local government
Wildwood is governed by a three-member commission under the Walsh Act Commission form of municipal government. The city is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected at-large on a nonpartisan basis to serve concurrent four-year terms of office, with the vote taking place as part of the November general election. At a reorganization conducted after each election, the commission selects one of its members to serve as mayor and gives each commissioner an assigned department to oversee and manage. As part of the May 2009 election, voters approved a ballot question that shifted elections from May to November. The first election under the new cycle was held in November 2013, with prospective savings of $25,000 each election cited as the primary justification for the change.

, members of Wildwood's commission are: Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property), Deputy Mayor Steve Mikulski (Commissioner of Public Affairs and Public Safety) Krista Fitzsimons (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance), all serving concurrent terms of office ending December 31, 2027.

In June 2022, Mayor Peter Byron and Commissioner Steven Mikulski, together with former Mayor Ernest Troiano, were all charged with unlawful taking and tampering with public records in a case in which it was alleged that they improperly declared that they worked full-time for the city so that they could collect health insurance from the city under the State Health Benefit Plan worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Wildwood Housing Authority oversees public housing in the city of Wildwood, providing affordable housing to low and moderate income families, senior citizens, and disabled people. The agency is governed by a seven-member board of commissioners, with six appointed by the Mayor and one appointed by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. The housing authority owns two housing developments with a total of 170 units between them. Sandman Tower offers 100 one-bedroom apartments while Commissioners Court offers 70 apartments.

History of recall elections
Since the City of Wildwood has been incorporated on January 1, 1912, there have been three recall elections all of which were successful. The first was in 1938 when the State's first female Mayor Doris W. Bradway and Commissioner Frederick W. Murray were voted out of office. The second successful recall was in December 1984 when Mayor Earl B. Ostrander was recalled. The third successful recall was in December 2009 when Mayor Ernest Troiano Jr. and Commissioner William N. Davenport were recalled.

Federal, state and county representation
Wildwood City is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,791 registered voters in Wildwood City, of which 611 (21.9%) were registered as Democrats, 732 (26.2%) were registered as Republicans and 1,448 (51.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.3% of the vote (991 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 38.2% (617 votes), and other candidates with 0.6% (9 votes), among the 1,635 ballots cast by the city's 2,979 registered voters (18 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 54.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 54.4% of the vote (964 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received 44.2% (783 votes), with 1,772 ballots cast among the city's 2,583 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.6%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 52.6% of the vote (949 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 45.8% (825 votes), with 1,803 ballots cast among the city's 3,161 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 57.0.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.1% of the vote (622 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 32.6% (307 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (12 votes), among the 976 ballots cast by the city's 2,828 registered voters (35 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 34.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 50.8% of the vote (540 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 41.7% (444 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.5% (48 votes), with 1,064 ballots cast among the city's 2,908 registered voters, yielding a 36.6% turnout.

Education
The Wildwood Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 938 students and 92.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Glenwood Elementary School with 470 students in grades Pre-K–5, Wildwood Middle School with 186 students in grades 6–8, and Wildwood High School with 245 students in grades 9–12. For ninth through twelfth grades, students from North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest attend Wildwood High School as part of sending/receiving relationships. Public school students from West Wildwood, a non-operating school district, attend the district's schools for grades 9–12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship.

Students are also eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School in the Cape May Court House area, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents. Special needs students may be referred to Cape May County Special Services School District in the Cape May Court House area.

There is one Catholic school on the island, Wildwood Catholic Academy (PreK–12) in North Wildwood, which operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. There was previously a Catholic elementary school in Wildwood, St. Ann's School, which operated until 2010, when it merged into Cape Trinity Regional School (PreK–8) in North Wildwood. Upon its creation Cape Trinity Catholic Regional School operated separately from Wildwood Catholic High School but shared a common building. In April 2020, the Diocese of Camden announced that both of its Wildwood schools would permanently close at the end of the 2020-21 school year. However, both schools avoided closure after agreeing to merge to create Wildwood Catholic Academy. Additionally Bishop McHugh Regional School in Dennis Township takes students from Wildwood.

Roads and highways
The city had a total of 32.38 mi of roadways, of which 29.93 mi were maintained by the municipality, 2.37 mi by Cape May County and 0.08 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 47 (Rio Grande Avenue) has its southern terminus in Wildwood and continues into Lower Township via the George Reading Wildwood Bridge, which provides access to the Garden State Parkway. County Route 621 (New Jersey Avenue) runs for 1.3 mi through the city, from Wildwood Crest to the south to North Wildwood in the north, and serves as part of Ocean Drive.

Parking in the beach and downtown areas of Wildwood is regulated by on-street parking meters and paid parking lots. Parking meters in Wildwood are in effect from May 15 to October 31. Wildwood has 24 paid parking lots in the beach area that are privately owned and charge varying rates based on demand. Among these lots is a 719-space lot operated by the Wildwoods Convention Center. There is also a public parking lot along Schellenger Avenue in the downtown area. In 2018, Wildwood began offering paid parking on the beach for vehicles with four-wheel drive at Baker Avenue, with space for 1,000 vehicles.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia on the 313 and 315 routes and to Atlantic City on the 552 route, with seasonal service to Philadelphia on the 316 route, to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 319 route, and to Rio Grande on the 510 route. NJ Transit buses stop at the Wildwood Bus Terminal, which is located on Washington Avenue between Burk Avenue and Davis Avenue.

The Great American Trolley Company operated trolley service in Wildwood during the summer months. There were two trolley routes that provided service to the boardwalk at Schellenger Avenue in Wildwood during the evening hours, with one route serving Wildwood and Wildwood Crest daily and the other route serving North Wildwood on Fridays and Saturdays. Another trolley route ran from North Wildwood and Wildwood to shopping centers in Rio Grande, operating Mondays through Fridays. The Great American Trolley Company also ran trolley service to the Irish Fall Festival in North Wildwood, with a route connecting Wildwood Crest and Wildwood to the festival site during the weekend of the festival.

The Tramcar is a trackless train service running along the entire length of the Wildwoods boardwalk from Cresse Avenue in Wildwood to 16th Avenue in North Wildwood during the summer season.

Television and radio stations

 * WMGM-TV virtual channel 40 (UHF channel 36) is a Justice Network affiliated TV station and is the first and only TV station licensed to Wildwood. Their offices and studios are located in Linwood in neighboring Atlantic County.
 * WCMC (AM) is a radio station licensed to Wildwood and broadcasts on 1230 AM with an Oldies format which it simulcasts from sister station WMID.
 * WZXL is a radio station licensed to Wildwood and broadcasts on 100.7 FM with a Classic rock format.
 * Residents of Wildwood are served by Comcast Cable's Xfinity service.

Newspapers
The City of Wildwood is served by local and distance newspapers with local editions. They are:

 * The Press of Atlantic City a major daily newspaper in South New Jersey which includes a Cape May County edition.
 * Cape May County Herald a weekly newspaper with news and information for residents of Cape May County.
 * The Star-Ledger a major daily newspaper based in Newark which prints a local edition for Cape May County.
 * Philadelphia Daily News a major daily newspaper based in Philadelphia with local editions for Cape May County.
 * The Philadelphia Inquirer a major daily newspaper based in Philadelphia with local editions for Cape May County.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Wildwood has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above 32.0 F, at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above 50.0 F, at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above 71.6 F and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Wildwood, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values at or above 95.0 F. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30, which can bring storms, most typically between August and late October. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy destroyed much of the Wildwood Boardwalk, which has since been restored. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values below 0.0 F. The plant hardiness zone at Wildwood Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 6.7 F. The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is 12 to 18 in, and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Wildwood would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (73) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).

Religion
Notre Dame de la Mer Catholic Parish, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden has its primary worship site in Wildwood. Previously it was a standalone church, St. Ann's Church. In 2008 the diocese announced that it would merge into Assumption Church of Wildwood Crest, and the merger occurred in 2010.

Culture and recreation
Every June, the Barefoot Country Music Festival is held on Wildwood Beach, drawing tens of thousands of attendees. Acts like Blake Shelton, Kid Rock, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell, Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line have played the festival.

In popular culture

 * Cozy Morley, a popular entertainer and club owner, recorded a song called On the Way to Cape May.
 * Wildwood is home to the beverage known as the "Lime Rickey".
 * The song "Wildwood Days" by Bobby Rydell is about the shore town.
 * The song "Everything's Wild in Wildwood" by The Treniers was inspired by summers in the early 1950s during which they played residencies at a night club in the town.
 * 1967: The psychedilic rock band Nazz releases "Wildwood Blues", a song about Wildwood scene.
 * 1975: A portion of the rock band Kiss's 1975 album Alive! was recorded from a July 23, 1975 concert at the old Wildwoods Convention Center.
 * In the 1987 movie Wall Street, when Charlie Sheen's character tells Daryl Hannah's character she could have bought a beach house for four hundred thousand dollars (the value of a painting they were looking at) she sardonically replies, "Sure you could, in Wildwood, New Jersey".
 * 2005: WWE Raw came to the Wildwood Convention Center late summer of 2005. WWE SmackDown came to the Wildwood Convention Center late summer of 2006. WWE Raw broke an attendance record at the Wildwood convention center on August 10, 2007.
 * A CKY song entitled "The Boardwalk Body" was written about a body found under the boardwalk on one of lead singer Deron Miller's childhood trips to Wildwood.
 * The video for Jason Aldean's song "Laughed Until We Cried" is set in Wildwood.
 * '2008: The documentary Wildwood Days is released, featuring Chubby Checker, Dick Clark, Bobby Rydell, and Bruce Willis describe their experiences with Wildwood's rock music history during the 1950s and 1960s.
 * 2008: The movie Wipe Out is released, featuring beach scenes filmed in Wildwood.
 * A season 4 episode of Hoarders features Randy Senna, the owner of "Randyland" based out of Wildwood.
 * Summer 2016: the Travel Channel filmed Season 8, Episode 6 of the television show Hotel Impossible at the White Caps Motel in Wildwood.
 * September 2017: The movie Wetlands, featuring Heather Graham, was partly filmed in Wildwood.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Wildwood include:

 * Joseph R. Applegate (1925–2003), linguistics expert who was the first black faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * J. Thompson Baker (1847–1919), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1913 to 1915, and was the first mayor of the consolidated city of Wildwood
 * Randy Beverly (born 1944), former NFL cornerback who played for the New York Jets
 * Edwin Corle (1906–1956), author
 * Ace Darling (born 1975), professional wrestler
 * Remy Hamilton (born 1974), Arena Football League player, Los Angeles Avengers
 * Joy Bright Hancock (1898–1986), one of the first female U.S. Navy officers
 * Wes Hills (born 1995), American football running back who has played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions
 * Ernest Ingenito (1924–1995), mass murderer who shot nine people and killed five in a 1950 rampage
 * Betty Jackson King (1928–1994), pianist, singer, teacher, choral conductor and composer who was best known for her vocal works
 * Sue Lowden (born 1952), former member of the Nevada Senate who was Miss New Jersey in 1973
 * Joey Maggs (1969–2006), professional wrestler
 * Guy F. Muziani (1925–1988), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 1st Legislative District from 1982 to 1988 and served 11 years as mayor of Wildwood
 * Bernie Parent (born 1945), goalie for Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and most notably Philadelphia Flyers where he back-stopped the team to two consecutive Stanley Cups
 * Mickey Shaughnessy (1920–1985), actor
 * George Sheldon (1947–2018), Acting Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families who served in the Florida House of Representatives

title: Wildwood, New Jersey


text:
Wildwood Crest, New Jersey

Wildwood Crest is a borough in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 3,101, a decrease of 169 (−5.2%) from the 2010 census count of 3,270, which in turn reflected a decline of 710 (−17.8%) from the 3,980 counted in the 2000 census.

Wildwood Crest was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1910, from portions of Lower Township. The area of the borough was first developed by Philip Baker in the 1910s as a southern extension to the resort of Wildwood. The borough's name comes from Wildwood, which in turn was named for the area's wild flowers.

It is a dry town, where alcohol cannot be sold, affirmed by the results of a referendum held in 1940. Wildwood Crest joins Cape May Point and Ocean City among municipalities in Cape May restricting the sale of alcohol. Adjoining Wildwood allows the sale of alcohol, including at bars on its boardwalk.

The borough was ranked the second-best beach in New Jersey in the 2008 "Top 10 Beaches Contest" sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. Wildwood Crest is one of five municipalities in the state that offer free public access to oceanfront beaches monitored by lifeguards, joining Atlantic City, North Wildwood, Wildwood and Upper Township's Strathmere section.

History
The motels of Wildwood Crest are characterized by a distinctive "Doo Wop" or Googie style of architecture. Collectively, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest contain the nation's largest collection of mid-century "Doo Wop" resort architecture.

The term "Doo Wop" was coined by the Mid-Atlantic Center For The Arts in the early 1990s to describe the unique, space-age architectural style that was common in the 1950s and 1960s. Post World War II America was an optimistic, confident, and enthusiastic society. The new age style of architecture evolved into a showcase of colorful, flashy, modernistic architecture that captured the spirit of the times; it incorporated modern, sweeping angles, bright colors, starbursts, boomerang shapes, plastic palm trees, and angular wall and roof styles. "Doo Wop" was a celebration of the architecture, design, music, and pop culture of the 1950s and 1960s. During the 1950s, the economy had grown to unprecedented levels. Americans achieved a level of prosperity they had never known before. In response to this unprecedented growth, hundreds of motels were constructed in Wildwood and Wildwood Crest with the distinct "Doo Wop" style of architecture. The first motel to reflect this style was the Ebb Tide Motel, constructed in 1957, which was designed and built by Will and Lou Morey, who specialized in such designs.

Several "Doo Wop" motels, such as the Caribbean Motel, are registered on the National Register of Historic Places. In recent years, historic "Doo Wop" motels have been demolished to make way for the construction of condominiums, leading to organized efforts to preserve the remaining examples.

Wildwood Crest and its neighboring towns of Wildwood, North Wildwood, and West Wildwood make up "The Wildwoods" resort, a popular vacation destination for those living in all parts of New Jersey as well as the Philadelphia and New York City metropolitan areas. Many vacationers and tourists have come from as far away as, New England and Canada and have made The Wildwoods a vacation hotspot, due to the area's mild summer climate. Unlike its sister communities of Wildwood and North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest is generally set apart from the all-hours excitement that the resort area is known for. Many vacationers will find some of the quietest and most undisturbed beach space.

In recent years, condominiums have replaced many of the motels the area was known for, such as The Grand, The Ocean Breeze, El Coronado, and The Arcadia. Some restaurants have been torn down and replaced with condominiums, including The Captain's Table, The Surfside, and Duffenetti's. These changes in housing have significantly changed the demographics of this area, from being a more family oriented one-vacation-per-summer place (for the middle class) to being a weekend retreat for wealthier families.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.48 square miles (3.84 km2), including 1.30 square miles (3.36 km2) of land and 0.19 square miles (0.48 km2) of water (12.50%).

Part of the borough's beachfront has been closed off for the protection of native birds such as the piping plover. These small birds have this area all to themselves so that their eggs may be protected from beachgoers. There is a nature trail one may take through the dunes to explore this sheltered area of the beach.

Wildwood Crest borders the Diamond Beach section of Lower Township to the south, the City of Wildwood to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 3,270 people, 1,532 households, and 918 families in the borough. The population density was 2884.0 /sqmi. There were 5,569 housing units at an average density of 4911.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 93.18% (3,047) White, 1.68% (55) Black or African American, 0.15% (5) Native American, 1.01% (33) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.80% (59) from other races, and 2.17% (71) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.63% (184) of the population.

Of the 1,532 households, 18.7% had children under the age of 18; 44.6% were married couples living together; 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 40.1% were non-families. Of all households, 35.4% were made up of individuals and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.73.

16.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $46,111 (with a margin of error of +/− $13,652) and the median family income was $67,917 (+/− $15,113). Males had a median income of $49,567 (+/− $20,496) versus $54,250 (+/− $12,982) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $40,032 (+/− $8,687). About 8.1% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 U.S. census, there were 3,980 people, 1,833 households, and 1,114 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,453.9 PD/sqmi. There were 4,862 housing units at an average density of 4,219.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 94.87% White, 1.23% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 2.21% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.22% of the population.

There were 1,833 households, out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the borough, the population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 25.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $36,579, and the median income for a family was $47,462. Males had a median income of $42,727 versus $27,500 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,741. About 4.4% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Portions of the borough—together with areas in North Wildwood, West Wildwood and Wildwood—are part of a joint Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), one of 32 zones covering 37 municipalities statewide. The four municipalities in The Wildwoods were selected in 2002 as one of a group of three zones added to participate in the program as part of a joint zone with. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the $6 5/8$% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in September 2002, the borough's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023. The joint UEZ is overseen by the Enterprise Zone Development Corporation of the Wildwoods Board, which includes representatives from all four municipalities.

Notable motels in Wildwood Crest include the Caribbean Motel, built in 1957 in the Doo-Wop style and added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 24, 2005.

Parks and recreation
The borough is bordered on the bay side by Sunset Lake. This was once connected to the Atlantic Ocean by Turtle Gut Inlet, which was closed in 1922. The Sunset Lake and Turtle Gut Park is located at New Jersey and Miami Avenues. A nearby memorial commemorates the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet fought on June 29, 1776. This was the only American Revolutionary War battle fought in Cape May County.

Local government
Wildwood Crest has been governed under the Walsh Act, by a three-member commission, since 1937. The borough is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use the commission form of government. The governing body is comprised of three commissioners, who are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis to serve concurrent four-year terms of office, with the vote taking place as part of the November general election. At a reorganization conducted after each election, the commission selects one of its members to serve as mayor and gives each commissioner an assigned department to oversee and operate. As part of an effort to reduce the costs of conducting a standalone election for commissioners and to generate greater participation from voters, the election for borough commissioners was shifted from May to November by an ordinance passed in 2012, with the first November election held in 2013.

, the Board of Commissioners consists of Mayor Don Cabrera (Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Public Property), Deputy Mayor Joseph Franco Jr. (Commissioner of Revenue and Finance) and Joseph Schiff (Commissioner of Public Safety), all serving concurrent terms of office ending December 31, 2025.

Federal, state, and county representation
Wildwood Crest is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,341 registered voters in Wildwood Crest, of which 436 (18.6%) were registered as Democrats, 1,052 (44.9%) were registered as Republicans and 850 (36.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 61.1% of the vote (1,046 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 38.5% (659 votes), and other candidates with 0.4% (6 votes), among the 1,724 ballots cast by the borough's 2,419 registered voters (13 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 59.2% of the vote (1,090 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, who received 39.6% (729 votes), with 1,842 ballots cast among the borough's 2,319 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.4%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 60.4% of the vote (1,203 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry, who received around 38.4% (766 votes), with 1,993 ballots cast among the borough's 2,644 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 77.4% of the vote (920 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 20.9% (249 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (20 votes), among the 1,233 ballots cast by the borough's 2,410 registered voters (44 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 51.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 60.8% of the vote (806 ballots cast), ahead of both Democrat Jon Corzine with 32.9% (436 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 4.5% (59 votes), with 1,325 ballots cast among the borough's 2,448 registered voters, yielding a 54.1% turnout.

Education
The Wildwood Crest School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Crest Memorial School. As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 275 students and 34.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.0:1.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students from Wildwood Crest attend Wildwood High School in Wildwood as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Wildwood Public School District, together with students from North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest. As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 245 students and 29.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.2:1.

Students are also eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School in the Cape May Court House area, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents. Special needs students may be referred to Cape May County Special Services School District in the Cape May Court House area.

Wildwood Catholic Academy in North Wildwood (prior to 2020 it was two separate schools: Cape Trinity Catholic elementary school and Wildwood Catholic High School) operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.

Cape May County Library operates the Wildwood Crest Library.

Roads and highways
The borough has a total of 31.88 mi of roadways, of which 29.83 mi were maintained by the municipality and 2.05 mi by Cape May County.

County Route 621 (Pacific Avenue/New Jersey Avenue) runs for 2.0 mi through the borough, from Lower Township to the south to Wildwood in the north.

Parking in the beach area of Wildwood Crest is regulated by parking meters between mid-May and mid-September.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia on the 313 and 315 routes, with seasonal service to Philadelphia on the 316 route and to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 319 route.

The Great American Trolley Company operates trolley service in Wildwood Crest during the summer months. The company runs a trolley route that provides service from Wildwood Crest to the boardwalk at Schellenger Avenue in Wildwood daily during the evening hours. The Great American Trolley Company also runs trolley service to the Irish Fall Festival in North Wildwood, with a route connecting Wildwood Crest to the festival site during the weekend of the festival.

Landmarks

 * Crest Fishing Pier
 * Sunset Lake

Religion
Notre Dame de la Mer Catholic Parish, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden has a worship site in Wildwood Crest active in the summer. Previously it was a standalone church, Assumption Church. In 2008 the diocese announced that it would merge into St. Ann's Church of Wildwood, and the merger occurred in 2010.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Wildwood Crest has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above 32.0 F, at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above 50.0 F, at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above 71.6 F and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Wildwood Crest, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values at or above 95.0 F. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values below 0.0 F. The plant hardiness zone at Wildwood Crest Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 6.8 F. The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is 12 to 18 in, and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Wildwood Crest would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (73) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Wildwood Crest include:
 * J. Thompson Baker (1847–1919), one of the original developers of Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, who was also a politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1913 to 1915
 * Kenneth A. Black Jr. (1932–2019), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from District 3A from 1968 to 1974
 * Aliki Brandenberg (born 1929), children's literature author, was born in Wildwood Crest
 * Joe Maloy (born 1985), professional triathlete
 * Bill Osborn (born c. 1966), football scout and color analyst who played in the National Football League, World League and the Arena Football League
 * Bernie Parent (born 1945), goalie for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and most notably Philadelphia Flyers where he back-stopped the team to two consecutive Stanley Cups
 * Frank Vogel (born 1973), head coach of the Phoenix Suns

title: Wildwood Crest, New Jersey


text:
Woodbine, New Jersey

Woodbine is a borough in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough, and all of Cape May County, is part of the South Jersey region of the state and of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,128, a decrease of 344 (−13.9%) from the 2010 census count of 2,472, which in turn reflected a decline of 244 (−9.0%) from the 2,716 counted in the 2000 census.

Woodbine was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 3, 1903, from portions of Dennis Township.

History
Woodbine was founded in 1891 as a settlement for Eastern European Jews. The Baron DeHirsch Fund, organized by philanthropist Maurice de Hirsch, purchased 5300 acre of land in Dennis Township in Cape May County to start a settlement. Immigrants from Poland and Russia were invited to settle the new community. Within two years, they cleared the forest and built a settlement with thriving farms, with 800 acre of land set aside as town lots. The residential center of Woodbine still uses the same grid that was originally laid out in 1891. Using modern agricultural practices under the direction of agriculturist and chemist Hirsch Loeb Sabsovich, the first colonists (Woodbine was sometimes called the "Jewish Colony" in the early days) turned Woodbine into a model agricultural community.

Woodbine was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 3, 1903, from portions of Dennis Township. Because most of the original settlers were Jewish, Woodbine became known as "the first self-governing Jewish community since the fall of Jerusalem."

The community started the Baron DeHirsch Agricultural College in 1894. Until it was closed during World War I (1917), the college was a model of progressive education. The college and its graduates won many state, national, and international awards. World War I, however, signaled a change in the community from an agricultural economy to one with a light manufacturing economy. The Baron DeHirsch Agricultural College became what is today the Woodbine Developmental Center, a state-run facility for training the mentally handicapped. The Developmental Center is Cape May County's largest employer.

During World War II, the United States Army built an airfield in Woodbine to be used as a training base and as a base for anti-submarine patrols. German U-boats were very active off the East Coast of America, especially off the Jersey coast. Today, Woodbine Municipal Airport is the center of Woodbine's redevelopment efforts.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 8.02 square miles (20.77 km2), all of which was land.

The borough borders Dennis Township and Upper Township.

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, Woodbine has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 2,472 people, 757 households, and 516 families in the borough. The population density was 308.2 /sqmi. There were 1,079 housing units at an average density of 134.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 58.21% (1,439) White, 24.72% (611) Black or African American, 0.24% (6) Native American, 0.73% (18) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 12.30% (304) from other races, and 3.80% (94) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.22% (574) of the population.

Of the 757 households, 27.7% had children under the age of 18; 38.0% were married couples living together; 23.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.8% were non-families. Of all households, 26.3% were made up of individuals and 9.5% 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 3.13.

20.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 135.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 143.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $28,125 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,957) and the median family income was $25,254 (+/− $5,816). Males had a median income of $35,500 (+/− $7,453) versus $31,298 (+/− $9,891) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,734 (+/− $2,126). About 33.9% of families and 38.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.8% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 2,716 people, 773 households, and 558 families residing in the borough. The population density was 339.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,080 housing units at an average density of 135.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 53.39% White, 32.40% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 11.01% from other races, and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.24% of the population.

There were 773 households, out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 27.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 142.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 158.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $30,298, and the median income for a family was $31,786. Males had a median income of $30,139 versus $24,150 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $13,335. About 18.8% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Woodbine is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Woodbine is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Woodbine is Republican William Pikolycky, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2026. The members of the Woodbine Borough Council are Council President Eduardo Ortiz (R, 2025), David Bennet (R, 2023), Michael E. Benson (R, 2024), Hector L. Cruz (R, 2023), Joseph E. Johnson III (R, 2024) and Mary Helen Perez (R, 2025).

In 2018, the borough had an average property tax bill of $1,947, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $4,301 in Cumberland County and $8,767 statewide.

Federal, state and county representation
Woodbine is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 1st state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,470 registered voters in Woodbine, of which 286 (19.5%) were registered as Democrats, 537 (36.5%) were registered as Republicans and 647 (44.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 71.6% of the vote (641 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 27.4% (245 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (9 votes), among the 917 ballots cast by the borough's 1,410 registered voters (22 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 65.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 66.4% of the vote (708 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain, who received 29.8% (318 votes), with 1,066 ballots cast among the borough's 1,386 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.9%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 59.0% of the vote (526 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush, who received around 38.6% (344 votes), with 891 ballots cast among the borough's 1,344 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 66.3.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 49.3% of the vote (302 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 46.3% (284 votes), and other candidates with 4.4% (27 votes), among the 793 ballots cast by the borough's 1,387 registered voters (180 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 57.2%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 56.5% of the vote (476 ballots cast), ahead of both Republican Chris Christie with 29.2% (246 votes) and Independent Chris Daggett with 3.3% (28 votes), with 842 ballots cast among the borough's 1,540 registered voters, yielding a 54.7% turnout.

Education
The Woodbine School District serves students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Woodbine Elementary School. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 239 students and 29.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 8.2:1.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Middle Township High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship that began with the 2013-14 school year; students from Avalon, Dennis Township and Stone Harbor also attend the school. As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 790 students and 65.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.2:1. In previous eras prior to 2013, students were sent to Millville Senior High School; after 2013, attendance at Middle Township High was phased in.

Students are also eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School in Cape May Court House, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents. Special needs students may be referred to Cape May County Special Services School District in the Cape May Court House area.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operates Bishop McHugh Regional School, a Catholic K–8 school, in the Ocean View area, in Dennis Township, which has a Cape May Courthouse postal address. It is the parish school of Marmora/Woodbine Catholic Church and three other churches.

The Cape May County Public Library operates the Woodbine Branch.

Infrastructure
The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority's Sanitary Landfill is in Woodbine.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 32.45 mi of roadways, of which 19.61 mi were maintained by the municipality and 12.84 mi by Cape May County.

No Interstate, U.S. or state highways traverse Woodbine. The most significant roads serving the borough are County Route 550 and County Route 557.

Public transportation
NJ Transit offers the 313 inter-city bus route that runs between Cape May and Philadelphia.

Culture
Stockton University maintains the Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage, located in the Woodbine Brotherhood Synagogue.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Woodbine include:

 * Samuel Gallu (1918–1991), writer and producer and director of film and television
 * Bubba Green (born 1957), former defensive lineman who played in the NFL for one season for the Baltimore Colts
 * Jacob Goodale Lipman (1874–1939), professor of agricultural chemistry and researcher in the fields of soil chemistry and bacteriology
 * Calvin Murray (born 1958), running back who played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles
 * Gregory Goodwin Pincus (1903–1967), biologist and researcher who co-invented the combined oral contraceptive pill
 * Joseph Rabinowitz, founder of the Woodbine Children's Clothing Company, the community's largest employer, who was elected at age 37 in 1910 as third mayor of Woodbine; his descendants include grandson, Jay Rabinowitz, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alaska; Robert Rabinowitz, creator of Beatlemania, clinical psychologist Barrie R. Cassileth and Olympic athlete Judy Rabinowitz
 * Herman Rosenthal (1843–1917), author, editor and librarian
 * Hirsch Loeb Sabsovich (1860–1921), agronomist, chemist and agricultural educator who served as the first mayor of Woodbine

title: Woodbine, New Jersey