Madison, New Jersey, United States

🇺🇸 Madison is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Madison is noted for its historic railroad station. The station is located on the Morris & Essex Lines, which was one of the nation's first commuter railroads. Many wealthy residents of Manhattan relocated to Madison and its surrounding communities since the rail line offered direct transport to New York City. Madison is known as "The Rose City" and was named in honor of President James Madison.

Madison was ranked 33rd in Money magazine's ranking of the "Best Places to Live" in 2011, the third-highest ranked location in New Jersey and second-highest in Morris County behind Montville. New Jersey Monthly ranked Madison first in its 2019 rankings of the "Best Places to Live" in New Jersey.

Madison is a college town that is the home of both Drew University and Fairleigh Dickinson University; Saint Elizabeth University is located in neighboring Convent Station, New Jersey. Madison is also home to the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, one of the largest professional Shakespeare companies in North America.

History Native Americans occupied present-day Madison and most of New Jersey for several thousand years, following the retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier. Lenape settlements in present-day Madison were agriculturally-based following matrilineal lines. The protected lands nearby, Jockey Hollow, are what is remaining of the settlement. Occupation changed with the seasons, the variable nature of the climate, and to preserve the fertility of the rich soil. Their fishing and hunting territories were wide-ranging and similarly divided among the three clans of the matrilineal culture in this Eastern Woodland environment. Trade with these native peoples for food and furs was conducted by the Dutch during the period of colonization of New Netherland. Although the European principle of land ownership was not recognised by the Lenape, Dutch West India Company policy required their colonists to purchase land that they settled, but typically, trading relationships were established in this area, rather than Dutch settlements.

History: 18th century During the British colonial period of the 17th and 18th centuries, the earliest settlers arriving in Madison were of European descent in what was then the colonial-era Province of New Jersey. Traditional native trails and pathways were followed as settlement began. Pressures upon the Lenape constantly drove them westward.

In or around 1715, Bottle Hill, a village, was established at the crossing of Ridgedale Avenue and Kings Road. Village governance principles followed the British model. The Luke Miller house at 105 Ridgedale Avenue is thought to be the oldest remaining home, having been built around 1730. During British colonial rule, Kings Road was a toll road that assessed fees levied by the government appointed by the English king. Farther south was the Shunpike, a road with a parallel path that was used by colonists to avoid the fees.

In 1739, Morris County, New Jersey was founded and was divided into three townships. The portion of the village north of Kings Road was put under the governance of Hanover Township and the portion to the south, under the governance of Morris Township. A meeting house for the Presbyterian Church of South Hanover, as Madison was then called, was started in 1747 where the Presbyterian Cemetery still exists between Kings Road and Madison Avenue. With the Treaty of Easton in 1758, the Lenape were required to vacate their lands in colonial New Jersey and to move westward. Their leaders allied with the colonists during the American Revolutionary War in hopes of regaining former lands, but those hopes were never realized.

Following the American Revolution, changes to governing the former colonies occurred gradually as the new nation organized. The state of New Jersey formed its government and debated best policies.

History: 19th century During a reorganization of Morris County in 1806, Chatham Township was established and included all of present-day Chatham Township and the three pre-Revolutionary War villages of Chatham, Florham Park, and Madison, which were still governed by Chatham Township, and ended the governmental division of Bottle Hill.

In 1834, the name of the settlement was changed to Madison. As a tribute to the name every year there is a fair that is called Bottle Hill Day.

In 1838, the Morris and Essex Railroad was founded, connecting Newark and Hoboken and providing transportation for farm produce grown in Madison. The railroad made possible the establishment of a flourishing rose growing industry, still commemorated in Madison's nickname, The Rose City. The rail service connected the commerce to the markets of Manhattan. Madison's growth accelerated after the Civil War and the Morris and Essex Lines became one of America's first commuter railroads, attracting well-to-do families from Manhattan (many of whom already owned large parcels land in the area for farming, hunting, and recreation) and contributing to the development of "Millionaire's Row", which stretched from downtown Madison to downtown Morristown. Greenhouses dotted the countryside. Talented horticulturalists were attracted to the area for employment at the many wealthy estates in the immediate area and to establish related businesses. One of the first grand houses to be built on "Millionaire's Row" was the Ross Estate. In 1893, Florence Adele Vanderbilt and her husband Hamilton McKown Twombly began to built the impressive Florham estate. Home to Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham is a Gilded Age mansion and the 9th largest house in the United States.

On December 27, 1889, based on the results of a referendum passed on December 24, 1889, the village seceded from Chatham Township and adopted the newly created, borough government (when it first became available), to develop a local water supply system for its population of 3,250. Madison annexed additional portions of Chatham Township in 1891, and again each year from 1894 to 1898, which was followed by an exchange of certain lands in 1899 with Chatham Township.

Madison's historic railroad station was funded by the community, which passed an ordinance authorizing $159,000 for railroad improvement bonds. The result, with the cooperation of the D.L. & W.R.R. in the planning, was completed in 1916. The tracks were elevated through the downtown so that no established roadways were hindered by crossing delays. Mrs. D. Willis James financed much of the road grading caused by the elevation of the tracks. The station included baggage and cargo facilities readily accessible by wagon, as well as the stationmaster offices, a newsstand, and waiting facilities featuring extensive banks of high-backed wooden seating. Weeping mulberry trees were planted among the landscaping and in natural areas in the parking area.

The rose industry and the large estates in the area attracted working-class people of all kinds. As a result, Madison developed a diverse population very early, both in terms of socioeconomic status and ethnic background. The original settlers were of British stock; French settlers came after the American Revolution; African Americans have been members of the community from early in the nineteenth century; Irish came in the mid-nineteenth century; and then Germans and Italians arrived around the turn of the twentieth century. To this day there is a substantial population of Italian descent in Madison. Madison remains a diverse community, with recent newcomers arriving from Central America, South America, and Asia. Madison is a railroad suburb of New York City.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 4.33 square miles (11.20 km²), including 4.31 square miles (11.17 km²) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) of water (0.30%). Madison is located about 25 miles (40 km) west of downtown Manhattan, and is a suburban town of New York City.

Madison borders the Morris County municipalities of Chatham Borough to the east, Chatham Township to the south, Harding Township and Morris Township to the west and Florham Park to the north.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Brooklake Park, East Madison and North Park.

Economy Madison's downtown is supported by the Madison Downtown Development Commission and a downtown manager. Many historical buildings remain in the community. The Madison Civic Commercial Historic District, which includes much of "downtown" as well as the borough hall and the train station, is listed on the State Register of Historic Places. The borough hall was donated to the community by Geraldine R. Dodge and Marcellus Hartley Dodge Sr. as a memorial to their son who died in an automobile crash shortly after his graduation from Princeton University. Commercial vacancy rates are low. In recent years Madison has become noted for the number and quality of its restaurants.

Giralda Farms, a planned office development, occupies 175 acres (0.71 km²) of the former Geraldine R. Dodge estate in Madison The site includes the corporate headquarters of Quest Diagnostics. Covering 181 acres (73 ha), the site requires that all parking be underground and that 85% of the land be undeveloped.

Arts and culture Madison holds an annual event, Bottle Hill Day, during which the community is able to celebrate with games, food, music, and a variety of activities for as many as 20,000 participants.

Madison is home to the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, one of 25 professional theatres in the state. Serving 100,000 adults and children annually, it is New Jersey's only professional theatre company dedicated to Shakespeare's canon and other classic masterworks. The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, the company's main stage, is a short walk from Madison's downtown shopping district.

Madison is also home to the Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, a New Jersey history museum located in the historic downtown district. The building is listed on both the state and national registers of historic buildings. The museum houses a collection of more than 8,000 artifacts and is host to thousands of visitors each year, mostly school students on field trips.

In October 2017, it was announced that a long-lost sculpture by Auguste Rodin had been found in the Hartley Dodge Memorial. A student from Drew University, who had been hired to archive the art in the building, discovered the bust of Napoleon and reached out to the Comité Auguste Rodin in Paris to have it authenticated. A public viewing was held for locals before the statue was loaned to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Education: University Seton Hall College (now Seton Hall University) was established in Madison in 1856 and relocated to its location in South Orange, New Jersey, in the late 19th century.

Drew University was founded in 1867 and continues to operate in Madison, on a wooded campus near downtown that was previously a private residence.

Fairleigh Dickinson University's Florham Campus is located in Madison on the former Twombly estate.

Landmark Conference, an NCAA Division III conference, is based in Madison.

Saint Elizabeth University is located just outside Madison, in Convent Station in Morris Township.

Transport: Road As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 54.73 miles (88.08 km) of roadways, of which 46.38 miles (74.64 km) were maintained by the municipality, 4.76 miles (7.66 km) by Morris County and 3.59 miles (5.78 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The main thoroughfare is Route 124 which connects with Morris Township in the north-west and Chatham Borough to the southeast.

Route 24 is the only limited access road to pass through the borough, doing so briefly for 0.47 miles (0.76 km), but the closest exit is in neighboring Florham Park.

Transport: Public NJ Transit provides trains service at the Madison station. Commuter service is available on the Morristown Line, with trains heading to Hoboken Terminal, and to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan via the Kearny Connection.

NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 873 and 879 routes, replacing service that had been offered on the MCM3 until subsidies to the local providers were eliminated in 2010 as part of budget cuts.

Madison also has a private commuter bus line run by Boxcar Transit that operates five days a week, running directly to and from Midtown Manhattan.

A low-cost campus/downtown shuttle bus operates along Madison Avenue and Main Street during afternoon and evening hours.

Points of interest • Drew University • Fairleigh Dickinson University • Grace Episcopal Church • Museum of Early Trades and Crafts • The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey • Thursday Morning Club.