Llewellyn Park | |
---|---|
Location in Essex County Location in New Jersey | |
Coordinates: 40°47′15″N74°14′29″W / 40.78750°N 74.24139°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New Jersey |
County | Essex |
Township | West Orange |
Elevation | 318 ft (97 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 821 |
Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 |
ZIP Code | 07052 |
FIPS code | 34-40990 [2] |
GNIS feature ID | 0883314 [3] |
Llewellyn Park is a historic gated community and census-designated place (CDP) [4] located within West Orange in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Llewellyn Park is thought to be the country's first planned residential community, and the site of the first large-scale naturalization of crocus, narcissus, and jonquils. The community features 175 homes on 425 acres (172 ha) and is located 12 miles (19 km) west of New York City. [5]
Llewellyn Park was one of the first gated communities in the United States, where the natural environment was both carefully cultivated and allowed to remain undisturbed. [6] The landscaping is in the 19th century romantic style of New York's Central Park, and includes winding paths, ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers. [7]
The Llewellyn Park Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and was added to the state register the following year. [8]
Llewellyn Park was founded in 1853 by Llewellyn Solomon Haskell, a New York City businessman and was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis. Haskell discovered the lush, wooded area on the eastern slope on the first range of the Watchung Mountains which was originally farmland owned by Ira Harrison Condit. [9] Purchasing 100 acres from Condit in 1855, Haskell set out to create a suburban community of country estates. These finely crafted homes would stand amid majestic trees and running streams. The first annual meeting of proprietors was held at the Park's Gatehouse on January 1, 1858, and continues today. [10]
The Park became home to many residents of note, especially Thomas Edison, whose home Glenmont is part of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Other residents over the years included abolitionist James Miller McKim, whose charming house contained secret chambers to hide escaped slaves traversing the Underground Railroad, the Merck family (George W. Merck was raised there), and the Colgate family.
Its annual meeting, going on for 158 years, is the longest continuous string of meetings of any residential association in the United States.
A number of Llewellyn Park's homes were designed by prominent American architects including Alexander Jackson Davis, Calvert Vaux, Charles McKim, Stanford White, and Robert A.M. Stern.
The main entrance to Llewellyn Park is located on Main Street in West Orange, near Thomas Edison's factory complex, now a museum and also a part of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. The entrance is within West Orange's historic district, which is entering a phase of major revitalization. There is a side entrance to Llewellyn Park located on Eagle Rock Avenue that is electronically monitored and activated by the security guards within the Gatehouse on the Main Street entrance.
Llewellyn Park residents enjoy the combination of close proximity to New York City, a relaxed semi-rural lifestyle, and exceptional privacy.
As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 821. [1]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | 821 | — | |
U.S. Decennial Census [11] 2020 [1] |
The Ramble is a common area of 50 acres (200,000 m2) landscaped with streams and paths. Period gas lamps line the curving streets of the community. The Llewellyn Park Ladies Association is largely responsible for the beautification of the Park. Its activities include annual plantings; purchasing, and selecting appropriate sites for rustic architecture including gazebos and benches; and directing the Park's maintenance staff to care for the trees, shrubs and flowers.
A major function of the Ladies Association is its commitment to fostering a sense of community among Park residents by planning social activities for adults and children. These activities include a Halloween Party for the children and a Holiday Party for adults. Recently the Ladies Association has also sponsored a barn dance, an Easter egg hunt, a Victorian picnic, and a High Tea. Residents' professions and occupations range widely and include business persons, professionals, academics, and artists.
Residents operate a Llewellyn Park Historical Society dedicated to preserving historic artifacts relating to the creation and history of the Park. The Llewellyn Park Preservation Foundation (an independent 501 c(3) charitable organization) is dedicated to maintaining and restoring the historic character.
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Llewellyn Park include:
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.
Essex County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is one of the centrally located counties in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's second-most populous county, with a population of 863,728, its highest decennial count since the 1970 census and an increase of 79,759 (+10.2%) from the 2010 census count of 783,969.
Glenmont is the name of some places in North America:
Montclair is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse suburban commuter town of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 40,921, an increase of 3,252 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 37,669, which in turn reflected a decline of 1,308 (−3.4%) from the 38,977 counted in the 2000 census. As of 2010, it was the 60th-most-populous municipality in New Jersey.
The City of Orange is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 34,447, an increase of 4,313 (+14.3%) from the 2010 census count of 30,134, which in turn reflected a decline of 2,734 (+8.3%) from the 32,868 counted in the 2000 census.
South Orange, officially the Township of South Orange Village, is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 18,484, an increase of 2,286 (+14.1%) from the 2010 census count of 16,198, which in turn reflected a decline of 766 (−4.5%) from the 16,964 counted in the 2000 census. Seton Hall University is located in the township.
Edison is a township located in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated in Central New Jersey within the core of the state's Raritan Valley region, Edison is a commercial hub and is a bedroom community of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township was the state's sixth-most-populous municipality, with a population of 107,588, an increase of 7,621 (+7.6%) from the 2010 census count of 99,967, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,280 (+2.3%) from the 97,687 counted in the 2000 census.
Metuchen is a suburban borough in Middlesex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is a commuter town of New York City, located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. The borough, along with Edison, is a regional commercial hub for Central New Jersey. The borough is 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of New Brunswick, 17 miles (27 km) southwest of Newark, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Jersey City, and 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 15,049, an increase of 1,475 (+10.9%) from the 2010 census count of 13,574, which in turn reflected an increase of 734 (+5.7%) from the 12,840 counted in the 2000 census.
Charles Edison was an American politician. He was the Assistant and then United States Secretary of the Navy, and served as the 42nd governor of New Jersey. Commonly known as "Lord Edison", he was a son of Thomas Edison and Mina Miller Edison.
Menlo Park is an unincorporated community located within Edison Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.
Frederick Paul Ott, a skilled machinist, was a key employee of Thomas Edison's laboratories from the 1870s until Edison's death in 1931. His likeness appears in two of the earliest surviving motion pictures – the well-known Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze and the little-seen Fred Ott Holding a Bird – both from 1894.
Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. While the State of New Jersey is often divided into North Jersey and South Jersey, many residents, including the governor, recognize Central Jersey as a distinct entity.
Clarksburg is an unincorporated community located within Millstone Township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 08510.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserves Thomas Edison's laboratory and residence, Glenmont, in West Orange, New Jersey, United States. These were designed, in 1887, by architect Henry Hudson Holly. The Edison laboratories operated for more than 40 years. Out of the West Orange laboratories came the motion picture camera, improved phonographs, sound recordings, silent and sound movies and the nickel-iron alkaline electric storage battery.
Theodore Miller Edison was an American businessman, inventor, and environmentalist. He was the fourth son and youngest child of inventor Thomas Edison, and founder of Calibron Industries, Inc. He was the third child of Edison with his second wife, Mina Miller Edison.
Brookside is a historic unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Mendham Township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) west of Morristown. It is close to the Washington Valley Historic District in neighboring Morris Township.
John Eyre Sloane was an American industrialist
West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Llewellyn Frost Haskell was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
Mina Miller Edison was an American community activist and the second wife of inventor and industrialist Thomas Edison. She was a community activist in Fort Myers, Florida, known for her work advancing the use of public spaces and education initiatives.