Kenilworth is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

in Union County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, the borough's population was 7,914,DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Kenilworth borough, Union County, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

. Accessed June 18, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Kenilworth borough
,

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of t ...

. Accessed June 18, 2012. reflecting an increase of 239 (+3.1%) from the 7,675 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 101 (+1.3%) from the 7,574 counted in the 1990 Census. Kenilworth was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 13, 1907, from portions of Cranford and Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held on June 18, 1907.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 239. Accessed June 18, 2012.

History

In the late 1890s, the New Orange Industrial Association purchased land in Cranford and

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

that was subdivided into building lots. The firm brought in several large industries and lured Upsala College from

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

with an offer of cash and free land for its campus. Because New Orange was often confused with one of The Oranges in Essex County, the name "Kenilworth" was chosen when the borough was incorporated in 1907. The name Kenilworth came from a literary society (The Kenilworth Club) which the businessmen belonged to. The Kenilworth Club was named in honor of the novel '' Kenilworth'' written in 1821 by Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

. The novel refers to England's

Kenilworth Castle Kenilworth Castle is a castle in the town of Kenilworth in Warwickshire, England managed by English Heritage; much of it is still in ruins. The castle was founded during the Norman conquest of England; with development through to the Tudor pe ...

located in Kenilworth, England.

Geography

According to the

, the borough had a total area of 2.15 square miles (5.57 km²), including 2.15 square miles (5.56 km²) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km²) of water (0.19%). The upper reaches of

Rahway River Parkway The Rahway River Parkway is a greenway of parkland along the banks the main stem Rahway River and its tributaries in Union County, New Jersey, United States. Created in the 1920s, it was one of the inaugural projects of the newly-created Union ...

along tributaries of the

Rahway River The Rahway River is a river in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex, Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex, and Union County, New Jersey, Union Counties, New Jersey, United States, The Rahway, along with the Elizabeth River (New Jersey), Elizabeth ...

run through the borough. The borough is bordered to the north and east by Union Township, to the southeast by Roselle Park, to the southwest by Cranford, and to the northwest by Springfield Township.

Parks and recreation

Lenape Park is a wildlife reserve and park that is part of the

in Union County. The park also includes portions of Cranford, Springfield and Westfield.

Kenilworth RVRR rail trail

Galloping Hill Golf Course in November 2022

Area residents have proposed a 7.3-mile pedestrian linear park along the "main line" of the abandoned Rahway Valley Railroad that would run through Kenilworth. The rail trail would run eastbound from Overlook Medical Center on the edge of downtown Summit and head south through Springfield,

, over Route 22 to Kenilworth. In Kenilworth, it would pass between Party City and Burger King on Route 22, run behind Retro Fitness, running south past the Galloping Hill Golf Course and

ACME Markets Acme Markets Inc. is a supermarket chain operating 161 stores throughout Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, the Hudson Valley of New York, and Pennsylvania and, as of 1999, is a subsidiary of Albertsons, and part of its presence in t ...

, and end at the southwest edge of Roselle Park at the Cranford border. A northern portion of the rail trail on the RVRR main line is under construction as the Summit Park Line, with a footbridge over Morris Avenue installed in October 2022. In parallel, advocates have been pushing for immediate development of the portion of the RVRR Main Line south of Route 22, running past the Galloping Hill Golf Course through Kenilworth and Roselle Park. The

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transporta ...

, which owns the railbed, has been working to clear it in anticipation of possible future trail use for pedestrians and cyclists.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...

was $76,500 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,607) and the median family income was $84,097 (+/− $6,220). Males had a median income of $58,327 (+/− $7,147) versus $42,589 (+/− $5,730) for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $31,959 (+/− $2,853). About 4.0% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

there were 7,675 people, 2,854 households, and 2,117 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 3,584.9 people per square mile (1,384.7/km²). There were 2,926 housing units at an average density of 1,366.7 per square mile (527.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 92.30%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.30%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.25% Native American, 2.88% Asian, 1.80% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.38% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino residents of any race were 8.64% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Kenilworth borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed May 17, 2013.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Kenilworth borough, Union County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed May 17, 2013. There were 2,854 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15. In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $59,929, and the median income for a family was $66,500. Males had a median income of $40,808 versus $34,698 for females. The

for the borough was $24,343. About 1.9% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the

, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Kenilworth include

Maingear Maingear (stylized as MAINGEAR) is an American privately held ("boutique") computer manufacturer headquartered in Warren, New Jersey. Producing Maingear builds, designs, and supports custom desktops, gaming computers, customizable laptops, and ...

, a privately held computer manufacturer specializing in custom gaming computers, desktops, custom laptops, media center computers and workstations, all of which are manufactured in the United States. Merck & Co. announced plans in October 2013 to move its global headquarters to Kenilworth from Whitehouse Station in Readington Township, on a site that the company had previously used as a manufacturing facility, with the relocation to be completed by 2015. The campus had been used as the global headquarters for Schering-Plough, which was acquired by Merck in 2009. In April 2020, Merck announced that it would be moving its global headquarters from Kenilworth to

Rahway Rahway () is a city in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway Valley region, in the New York metropolitan area. The city is southwest of Manhattan ...

by the end of 2023.

Arts and culture

Since 2004, the Hudson Shakespeare Company has brought their

Shakespeare in the Park Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This c ...

programs to the Kenilworth Library known as the "Bard on the Boulevard". The Friends of the Kenilworth Library, with the assistance of a grant from the Union County Office of Cultural Affairs, sponsor these events.

Government

Local government

Kenilworth is governed under the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

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. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of 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.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 90. The Borough form of government used by Kenilworth 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 A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. 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 In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Kenilworth is Democrat Linda Karlovitch, serving a four-year term of office ending December 31, 2023. Members of the Kenilworth Borough Council are Council President Fred Pugliese ( R, 2023), Kay Anne Ceceri (D, 2022), Mark David (D, 2022), Joseph Finistrella (R, 2024), Scott Pentz (R, 2023) and John Zimmerman Jr. (R, 2024).Elected Officials
Borough of Kenilworth. Accessed June 19, 2022.''Union County Elected Officials''

Union County, New Jersey Union County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 575,345, making it the seventh-most populous of New Jersey's 21 counties. Its county seat is Elizabeth.

Clerk. Accessed April 30, 2022.General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results

, updated November 15, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.General Election November 3, 2020 Official Results

, updated December 14, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results

, updated December 5, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In August 2020, the Borough Council appointed Louis DeMondo to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been vacated the previous month following the resignation of Robert Schielke. In November 2020, Joseph Finistrella was elected to serve the balance of the term of office, defeating DeMondo. In January 2020, the Borough Council appointed Daniel Lopez to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Linda Karlovitch until she resigned from her council seat to take office as mayor. In May 2016, the Borough Council again appointed Scott Pentz, this time to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been vacated by Brian Joho when he resigned from office. In January 2016, the Borough Council appointed former councilmember Lawrence Clementi to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Anthony DeLuca, until he resigned from the council to take office as mayor; Clementi will serve on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. In July 2015, the Borough Council selected Scott Pentz from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Barbara Macecsko, until she resigned from office the previous month. Pentz served on an interim basis until the November 2015 general election, when he lost to Democrat Kay Anne Ceceri, who was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.November 5, 2015 General Election Official Results

, updated November 9, 2015. Accessed August 3, 2016. Mayor Kathi Fiamingo resigned her position in April 2014 after being selected to serve as a tax court judge. Council President Scott Klinder was chosen by the Borough Council to fill Fiamingo's vacant mayoral seat and serve in that role until the November 2014 general election, when a successor would be chosen. Kevin Leary was then chosen to fill Klinder's vacant council seat. In the November 2014 general election, Republican Fred M. Pugliese won the special election for the remaining term through December 2015 of the mayoral seat, while Democrats Anthony DeLuca and Nicholas Mascaro won both of the council seats up for election for terms starting January 1, 2015. Richard LoForte was appointed to fill Pugliese's vacant council seat expiring in December 2015.

Mayors of Kenilworth

Federal, state, and county representation

Kenilworth is located in the 10th Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District
New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Kenilworth had been in the 20th state legislative district.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 59, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015. Union County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners, whose nine members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members. , Union County's County Commissioners are Chair Rebecca Williams ( D, Plainfield, term as commissioner and as chair ends December 31, 2022), Vice Chair Christopher Hudak (D, Linden, term as commissioner ends 2023; term as vice chair ends 2022), James E. Baker Jr. (D,

, 2024), Angela R. Garretson (D, Hillside, 2023), Sergio Granados (D,

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...

, 2022), Bette Jane Kowalski (D, Cranford, 2022), Lourdes M. Leon (D, Elizabeth, 2023), Alexander Mirabella (D, Fanwood, 2024) and Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded (D, Westfield, 2024). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (D, Union Township, 2025), Sheriff Peter Corvelli (D, Kenilworth, 2023) and Surrogate Susan Dinardo (acting). The County Manager is Edward Oatman.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,891 registered voters in Kenilworth, of which 1,496 (30.6% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,076 (22.0% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2,317 (47.4% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as either

Libertarians Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's enc ...

or Greens.Voter Registration Summary - Union
New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed May 17, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 61.8% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 79.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 1,775 votes (52.6% vs. 32.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

with 1,535 votes (45.5% vs. 66.0%) and other candidates with 39 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,376 ballots cast by the borough's 5,167 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.3% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,064 votes (55.5% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,564 votes (42.0% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 54 votes (1.5% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,721 ballots cast by the borough's 5,039 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.8% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,949 votes (54.0% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

with 1,589 votes (44.0% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 3,608 ballots cast by the borough's 4,927 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in N ...

received 66.2% of the vote (1,357 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 32.1% (657 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (35 votes), among the 2,099 ballots cast by the borough's 5,073 registered voters (50 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.4%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,442 votes (59.9% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

with 759 votes (31.5% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 148 votes (6.1% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 25 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,408 ballots cast by the borough's 4,996 registered voters, yielding a 48.2% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education

The Kenilworth Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 1,466 students and 126.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1.District information for Kenilworth School District
National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Warren G. Harding Elementary School with 690 students in grades Pre-K–6 and David Brearley Middle School / David Brearley High School with 757 students in grades 7–12. Students from Winfield Township attend David Brearley High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Winfield Township School District. Kenilworth is home to a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

elementary school at St. Theresa's, which was founded in 1954 and serves students in pre-school through eighth grade through the

Salesians of Don Bosco , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turi ...

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Union County and by the

. Kenilworth is served by two county routes, County Route 509 (CR 509) and CR 617. CR 509 (Boulevard) runs west–east through the borough, connecting it to Cranford, Springfield and Westfield in one direction and

and Roselle Park in the other. CR 617 (Michigan Avenue) runs north–south, connecting Union and

U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 in the Newark Airport Intercha ...

at its north end to Roselle Park and Route 28 at its south end. The

Garden State Parkway The Garden State Parkway (GSP) is a controlled-access toll road that stretches the north–south length of eastern New Jersey from the state's southernmost tip near Cape May to the New York state line at Montvale. Its name refers to New Jerse ...

cuts northeast–southwest through the town, with Interchange 138 at CR 509 serving much of the town's long-distance travelers.

Public transportation

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

provides bus service between Kenilworth and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and to New Jersey points, including the city of

and nearby Union County College in Cranford. Local service is available on the 58 route, which is a direct descendant of Kenilworth's trolley route in the early 20th century. The closest NJ Transit rail station is Roselle Park, less than a mile from the Kenilworth border and offering direct service into New York City's Penn Station on the

Raritan Valley Line The Raritan Valley Line is a commuter rail service operated by New Jersey Transit (NJT) which serves passengers in municipalities in Union, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties in the Raritan Valley region in central New Jersey, United States. ...

. The Rahway Valley Railroad passed through the community but is currently out of service, the final train on the line having left the borough in April 1992. Originally established as the New York and New Orange Railroad, the line stretched from Aldene (now known as Roselle Park) to Summit. The headquarters of the railroad were located in Kenilworth, originally in Kenilworth's Victorian-style station house until that was severely damaged in a 1974 fire, after which railroad offices were moved into a trailer and then an unused railroad club car. Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately from Kenilworth.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Kenilworth include: * Tashawn Bower (born 1995),

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

who plays in the NFL for the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West div ...

* Mike Chalenski (born 1970), former professional

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

defensive lineman who played for six seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

Sam DeCavalcante Simone Rizzo "Sam" DeCavalcante (March 3, 1912 – February 7, 1997), known as "Sam the Plumber", was an Italian-American mobster who was boss of the DeCavalcante crime family of North Jersey. Claiming descent from the Italian royal family, DeCava ...

(1912–1997), boss of the

DeCavalcante crime family The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia organized crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth, Newark, West New York, and various other North Jer ...

known as "Sam the Plumber", who used a Kenilworth plumbing supply business as his front operation * John P. Gallagher (1932–2011), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from the 13th Legislative District from 1982 to 1984 * Sheldon Karlin (1950–2000), distance runner who won the

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor (commercial), sponsor) is an annual Marathon (sport), marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest mar ...

in 1972 *

Tony Siragusa Anthony Siragusa Sr. (May 14, 1967 – June 22, 2022), nicknamed "the Goose", was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 12 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football L ...

(1967–2022), Indianapolis Colts and

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...

defensive tackle, was born and raised in Kenilworth, and starred in football and wrestling for David Brearley High SchoolMiller, Randy
"N.J. native Tony Siragusa loses NFL broadcasting gig with Fox"
NJ Advance Media for

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

, March 17, 2016. Accessed June 23, 2022. "Meantime, Siragusa has other working adventures. The Kenilworth native and Brearley High alum is a co-host for Man Caves, a reality show on DIY network that recreates living spaces."

References

External links

Kenilworth Borough website
{{authority control 1907 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Union County, New Jersey Populated places established in 1907