Whitesboro, New Jersey

Whitesboro, New Jersey
Census-designated place
Whitesboro School
Map of the former Whitesboro-Burleigh CDP in Cape May County. Inset: Location of Cape May County in New Jersey.
Whitesboro Location in Cape May County Show map of Cape May County, New Jersey Whitesboro Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Whitesboro Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°02′32″N74°52′05″W / 39.042252°N 74.868134°W / 39.042252; -74.868134
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Cape May
Township	Middle
Named for	George Henry White
Area [1]
• Total	3.56 sq mi (9.22 km2)
• Land	3.54 sq mi (9.17 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)  0.50%
Elevation [2]	20 ft (6 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	2,300
• Density	649.72/sq mi (250.83/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08252 - Cape May [4]
Area code(s)	609 and 640
FIPS code	34-80855 [5] [6] [7]
GNIS feature ID	02390509 [5] [8]

Whitesboro is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Middle Township in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ^[9] Until the 2000 census the area had been part of the Whitesboro-Burleigh CDP, which was split in 2010 into separate CDPs for Burleigh and Whitesboro. ^[10] As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 2,205. ^[11] Whitesboro was founded as a planned residential community for African Americans and has the majority of the township's black population.

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 North Carolina's 2nd congressional district. White and his fellow entrepreneurs wanted to create a self-reliant community for blacks without the discrimination faced by black residents of the southern states. Shares in the planned community were sold to African Americans from North and South Carolina and Virginia. ^[12]

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 appraiser Phillip Merrill. The Johnson Family Historical Trust holds rare items important to Whitesboro, such as a 1936 radio formerly owned by James L. Johnson, a nationally recognized ham radio operator. His radios are of interest to Whitesboro and national history in technology.^{[ citation needed ]}

There are more than 50 known and appraised artifacts from the original investors of the town that will be featured in Whitesboro in upcoming years. A dig for national history is planned to uncover more artifacts at various historical sites in Whitesboro, hosted by the Johnson Family Historical Trust.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 2024 there was a group, the one controlling the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project, advocating for establishing Whitesboro as an independent municipality. ^[13]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 3.632 square miles (9.406 km²), including 3.614 square miles (9.360 km²) of land and 0.018 square miles (0.047 km²) of water (0.50%). ^{[5] [14]}

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	2,205		—
2020	2,300		4.3%
Population sources: 2010 [11] [3]

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 2,205 people, 870 households, and 572 families in the CDP. The population density was 610.2 per square mile (235.6/km²). There were 1,072 housing units at an average density of 296.6 per square mile (114.5/km²). The racial makeup was 53.02% (1,169) White, 37.05% (817) Black or African American, 0.45% (10) Native American, 1.13% (25) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 3.13% (69) from other races, and 5.22% (115) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.75% (193) of the population. ^[11]

Of the 870 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18; 42.0% were married couples living together; 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.3% were non-families. Of all households, 30.2% were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.15. ^[11]

24.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 89.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 84.8 males. ^[11]

Government and infrastructure

The township's Martin Luther King Junior Community Center is located in Whitesboro. ^[15]

Education

It is within the Middle Township School District, ^[16] which operates Middle Township High School.

Front of Whitesboro School

Countywide schools include Cape May County Technical High School ^{[17] [18]} and Cape May County Special Services School District.

In the era of de jure educational segregation in the United States, a school for black children was maintained in Whitesboro for grades 1-8. ^[19]

Notable people

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

• Stedman Graham (born 1951), a 1,000-point scorer for the Middle Township High School boys varsity basketball team; he is an educator, author, businessman, and speaker who is the longtime partner of media mogul Oprah Winfrey. ^[20]

• 
  World War I memorial
• 
  Martin Luther King Community Center
• 
  St. Stephen AME Church

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Whitesboro Census Designated Place, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed October 19, 2012.
3. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
4. Look Up a ZIP Code for Whitesboro, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed October 19, 2012.
5. Gazetteer of New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 21, 2016.
6. U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
7. Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.
8. US Board on Geographic Names, United States Geological Survey. Accessed September 4, 2014.
9. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed April 19, 2015.
10. New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012, pg. III-3. Accessed October 19, 2012. "Cape May County—New CDPs: Belleplain, Burleigh (formed from part of deleted Whitesboro-Burleigh CDP and additional area), and Whitesboro (formed from part of deleted Whitesboro-Burleigh CDP); Deleted CDPs: Whitesboro-Burleigh (split to form all of Whitesboro and part of Burleigh CDPs)."
11. DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Whitesboro CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 19, 2012.
12. "N.J. Town's Oprah connection is just the beginning. It was also a haven from the racist South". September 29, 2019.
13. South, Christopher (August 5, 2024). "In Whitesboro, a Push for Self-governance". Cape May County Herald . Rio Grande, New Jersey . Retrieved August 6, 2024.
14. US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 4, 2014.
15. "Recreation". Middle Township. Retrieved April 8, 2024. Martin Luther King Center 207 W Main Street Whitesboro, NJ 08252
16. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Cape May County, NJ" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved April 8, 2024.
17. Frequently Asked Questions Archived October 27, 2019, at the Wayback Machine , Cape May County Technical High School. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All residents of Cape May County are eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School.... The Cape May County Technical High School is a public school so there is no cost to residents of Cape May County."
18. Technical High School Admissions Archived October 27, 2019, at the Wayback Machine , Cape May County Technical High School. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All students who are residents of Cape May County may apply to the Technical High School."
19. Jensen, Noma (Winter 1948). "A Survey of Segregation Practices in the New Jersey School System". The Journal of Negro Education . 17 (1). Journal of Negro Education: 84–88. JSTOR   2966093. - CITED: p. 86.
20. "Embrace Diversity With Stedman Graham: 'Diversity: Leaders Not Labels' Teaches Readers to Harness Their Skills and Achieve Success", ABC News, September 21, 2006. Accessed June 17, 2007. "Students were bused from Whitesboro to attend Middle Township schools, where I attended an integrated high school."

External links

• Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project
• Barlow, Bill (July 30, 2024). "Could Whitesboro be its Own Borough?". The Press of Atlantic City . Retrieved July 30, 2024.
• The Cape May County Gazette, community newspaper
• The Beachcomber