Pitman, New Jersey

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Pitman is a borough in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,780,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> a decrease of 231 (−2.6%) from the 2010 census count of 9,011,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected a decline of 320 (−3.4%) from the 9,331 in the 2000 census.<ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref> The borough was named for Rev. Charles Pitman, a Methodist minister.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 19, 2015.</ref><ref>Weisenfeld, Bernie. "Grove's unique history still evident", Courier-Post, February 27, 2003. Accessed September 19, 2015. "One of numerous camp meetings held throughout South Jersey in the late 19th century, the Grove was named for Rev. Charles Pitman, a noted Methodist evangelist who died in 1854. The town took the same name when it incorporated in 1905."</ref>

History

Map of Pitman including the Grove
The intersection at Broadway leads to Uptown Pitman, lined with shops, restaurants, and bakeries

In 1871, land was chosen in both Glassboro and Mantua Township to be set aside for a Methodist summer camp meeting.<ref name="Parker">Template:Cite book</ref> The New Jersey Conference Camp Meeting Association was officially chartered and given authority over the land grant in 1872, and began planning the campground and organizing meetings. The land had an auditorium located on a central meeting ground, and twelve roads originated from the central area as spokes on a wheel.

This area became known as the Pitman Grove, and while worshipers' tents originally lined each of the twelve roads, cottages slowly replaced the tents and formed the foundation of the town of Pitman. By the 1880s, the number of cottages had climbed to 400 and residents had begun staying year-round, both of which led to the establishment of the first public school in 1884. By 1887, businesses had cropped up north of the Grove in an area then-named Arbutus Hill, and in 1892, Alcyon Park was established.<ref name="Parker"/> The Grove directors resisted the secularization of the Methodist retreat,<ref name="Parker"/> but in 1904, Grove residents voted 122 to 35 for incorporation as an autonomous borough. On May 24, 1905, Governor of New Jersey Edward C. Stokes signed a law granting the incorporation.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 140. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref><ref>Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 210. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed September 19, 2015.</ref><ref>About Us, Borough of Pitman. Accessed January 25, 2025.</ref>

The Pitman Grove was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.<ref>New Jersey, Gloucester County - Historic Districts, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed December 9, 2006.</ref>

Until August 2014, Pitman was a dry town. In 2015, the borough council authorized an ordinance permitting liquor licenses and a pair of local breweries opened in Pitman's Uptown business district in 2016 under the terms of a state law that allows the sale of beer by the glass in tasting rooms.<ref>Sixpack, Joe. "New state regs let craft breweries tap into dry N.J. towns like Pitman", The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 5, 2016. Accessed January 9, 2017. "There are no saloons in Pitman, N.J. No bottle shops or restaurants with liquor licenses, either. This is a dry town, a vestige of its founding as a Methodist retreat. Yet on Saturday afternoon, with a ceremonial tapping of the first keg, a brewery will open on Broadway, the Gloucester County town's main drag.... Though liquor licenses still are banned in Pitman, Kelly Green is opening under a new state law that allows so-called limited breweries to produce beer and sell it by the glass in a tasting room."</ref><ref>Kuhl, Jackson. "A Dry Town Goes Wet After More Than a Century Pitman, New Jersey, got a taste of booze this month.", Atlas Obscura, May 23, 2016. Accessed March 12, 2023. "And no wonder: Kelly Green is the first place to serve beer in the borough of Pitman, New Jersey, since 1871. The historically dry town of 9,000 citizens has gone wet. Drinking alcohol was never really illegal in Pitman–you just had to cross the town line to get it.... But after more than a century of being a dry town, last December Pitman’s council voted 4-2 in favor of the town solicitor drafting language for an ordinance to finally issue liquor licenses."</ref> In November 2016, nearly 65% of voters approved a non-binding referendum allowing the issuance of liquor licenses.<ref>"Pitman voters approved alcohol sales, but final decision rest with council", WHYY-FM, November 14, 2016. Accessed March 12, 2023. "That was the verdict when voters approved a non-binding referendum that would end the South Jersey town’s dry spell. Pitman residents approved issuing alcohol licenses by a 2-to-1 margin (2935 to 1604 votes), which would allow alcoholic beverages to be sold by the glass or other open container in restaurants."</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.26 square miles (5.85 km2), including 2.22 square miles (5.75 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.11 km2) of water (1.81%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 /> The borough borders the Gloucester County municipalities of Glassboro, Mantua Township, and Washington Township.<ref>Municipalities within Gloucester County, NJ, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Accessed November 7, 2019.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 7, 2019.</ref>

Demographics

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2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 9,011 people, 3,489 households, and 2,327 families in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,705 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 96.08% (8,658) White, 1.14% (103) Black or African American, 0.09% (8) Native American, 0.62% (56) Asian, 0.03% (3) Pacific Islander, 0.64% (58) from other races, and 1.39% (125) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.46% (222) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 3,489 households, 29.0% had children under the age of 18; 51.1% were married couples living together; 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present and 33.3% were non-families. Of all households, 28.6% were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.11.<ref name=Census2010/>

22.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 86.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 83.0 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $67,234 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,656) and the median family income was $92,120 (+/− $9,726). Males had a median income of $50,119 (+/− $5,616) versus $46,806 (+/− $6,937) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,777 (+/− $2,034). About 4.4% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Pitman borough, Gloucester County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 19, 2012.</ref>

2000 census

Alcyon Lake

As of the 2000 United States census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 9,331 people, 3,473 households, and 2,431 families residing in the borough. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,653 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the borough was 97.16% White, 0.91% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.41% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Pitman borough, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 19, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Pitman borough, Gloucester County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 19, 2012.</ref>

There were 3,473 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. Of all households 26.0% were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.15.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

In the borough, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

The median income for a household in the borough was $49,743, and the median income for a family was $59,419. Males had a median income of $40,894 versus $30,889 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $22,133. About 2.8% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.<ref name=Census2000/><ref name=Census2000SF1/>

Government

The entrance to Pitman Grove

Local government

Pitman is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 of 564 municipalities statewide that use this form of government, the most common in the state.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a 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.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 24.</ref> The borough form of government used by Pitman 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.<ref>Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask", New Jersey State League of Municipalities, March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 6. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>About Us, Borough of Pitman. Accessed July 31, 2022. "Pitman is governed by an elected Mayor and Council. The Mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term and Council is at-large, three-year terms."</ref>

Template:As of, the mayor of Pitman Borough is Republican Michael L. Razze, Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Pitman Borough Council are Council President Vanessa James (D, 2025), John Fitzpatrick (R, 2025), Debra Guarni (D, 2027), Adam Mazzola (D, 2026), Sarah Musto (R, 2027) and Robert Uyehara (D, 2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>Mayor & Council, Borough of Pitman. Accessed January 25, 2025.</ref><ref>2024 Municipal Data Sheet, Borough of Pitman. Accessed January 25, 2025.</ref><ref name=GloucesterDirectory>Gloucester County 2024 Official Directory, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Gloucester2024>General Election November 5, 2024 Unofficial Results, Gloucester County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Gloucester2023>General Election November 7, 2023 Unofficial Results, Gloucester County, New Jersey, November 20, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Gloucester2022>General Election November 8, 2022 Summary Report Unofficial Results, Gloucester County, New Jersey Clerk, November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

Federal, state, and county representation

Pitman is located in the 1st Congressional District<ref name=PCR2022>2022 Redistricting Plan, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 3rd state legislative district.<ref>Districts by Number for 2023-2031, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed September 18, 2023.</ref>

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Politics

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As of March 2011, there were a total of 6,118 registered voters in Pitman, of which 1,840 (30.1%) were registered as Democrats, 1,446 (23.6%) were registered as Republicans and 2,824 (46.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.<ref>Voter Registration Summary - Gloucester, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 8, 2012.</ref>

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In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 52.5% of the vote (2,340 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 45.7% (2,036 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (82 votes), among the 4,508 ballots cast by the borough's 6,297 registered voters (50 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 71.6%.<ref name=2012Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 52.4% of the vote (2,529 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 44.8% (2,164 votes) and other candidates with 1.7% (80 votes), among the 4,828 ballots cast by the borough's 6,486 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.4%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Gloucester County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 8, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 49.3% of the vote (2,369 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 48.8% (2,345 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (64 votes), among the 4,804 ballots cast by the borough's 6,350 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.7.<ref>2004 Presidential Election: Gloucester County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 8, 2012.</ref>

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 61.0% of the vote (1,842 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.2% (1,095 votes), and other candidates with 2.8% (85 votes), among the 3,090 ballots cast by the borough's 6,157 registered voters (68 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.2%.<ref name=2013Elections>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 46.4% of the vote (1,498 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 42.5% (1,373 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (270 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (34 votes), among the 3,231 ballots cast by the borough's 6,255 registered voters, yielding a 51.7% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Gloucester County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 8, 2012.</ref>

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Education

Pitman School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.<ref>Pitman Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Pitman School District, adopted January 20, 2010. Accessed September 17, 2025. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Pitman School District. Composition: The Pitman School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Pitman."</ref> As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,147 students and 104.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Pitman Boro School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Pitman School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.</ref>) are Memorial Elementary School<ref>Memorial Elementary School, Pitman School District. Accessed September 17, 2025.</ref> with 228 students in grades PreK–1, Pitman Elementary School<ref>Pitman Elementary School, Pitman School District. Accessed September 17, 2025.</ref> with 413 students in grades 2–6 and Pitman Junior / Senior High School<ref>Pitman Junior / Senior High School, Pitman School District. Accessed September 17, 2025.</ref> with 487 students in grades 7–12.<ref>Our Schools, Pitman School District. Accessed September 17, 2025.</ref><ref>2023-24 Gloucester County Office of Education Public School Directory, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Pitman Boro School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 1, 2025.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Pitman School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

Guardian Angels Regional School is a K–8 school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden and accepts students from Clayton.<ref>Schools, South Jersey Catholic Schools. Accessed February 27, 2023.</ref> Its PreK-3 campus is in Gibbstown while its 4-8 campus is in Paulsboro.<ref>Contact Information, Guardian Angels Regional School. Accessed February 27, 2023.</ref> Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Pitman is one of the sending parishes.<ref>Giordano, Rita. "After much work, newly merged school opens in Clayton", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 6, 2008. Accessed February 27, 2023. "St. Michael's is about people pulling together and getting it done - the families of the two former schools and others from their other sending parishes, Our Lady of Lourdes in Glassboro, Our Lady Queen of Peace in Pitman, and Nativity in Franklinville."</ref>

Transportation

Route 47 northbound the east edge of Pitman

Roads and highways

Template:As of, the borough had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality and Template:Convert by Gloucester County.<ref>Gloucester County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed October 31, 2013.</ref>

Route 47 is the main highway directly serving Pitman, running along the borough's eastern border with Glassboro.<ref>Route 47 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated April 2014. Accessed February 27, 2023.</ref> County Route 553,<ref>County Route 553 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated June 2012. Accessed February 27, 2023.</ref> and County Route 553 Alternate<ref>County Route 553 Alternate Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated June 2012. Accessed February 27, 2023.</ref> are the main county roads passing through Pitman. Route 55 passes just to the west of Pitman in neighboring Mantua Township.<ref>Gloucester County Highway Map, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed February 27, 2023.</ref>

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service between the borough and Philadelphia on the 313, 408 and 412 routes.<ref>Gloucester County Bus / Rail Connections, NJ Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed October 31, 2013.</ref><ref>Gloucester County's Transit Guide, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed November 7, 2019.</ref>

The community is a planned stop on the Glassboro–Camden Line, an Template:Convert diesel multiple unit (DMU) light rail system that was projected for completion in 2019.<ref>Fact Sheet 2013 for Glassboro-Camden Line, DVPA & PATCO. Accessed April 8, 2012.</ref> However, as of 2019, completion is not expected until 2025.<ref>Duhart, Bill. "18-mile light rail in South Jersey is coming, but not for another 6 years, at least", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 17, 2019. Accessed November 10, 2019. "The 18-mile commute time by light rail from Glassboro to Camden looks like it’s coming in now at just under six more years. That’s because a long-planned commuter rail project connecting a growing population hub in South Jersey with mass transit into Philadelphia still appears to be a few more years away, despite an old timeline that still says it’d be up and running in 2019."</ref>

Notable people

Template:Category see also People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Pitman include:

References

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