Wortendyke, New Jersey Explained

Wortendyke, New Jersey
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:USA New Jersey Bergen County#USA New Jersey#USA
Pushpin Label:Wortendyke
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Wortendyke, Bergen County, New Jersey
Coordinates:40.9975°N -74.1503°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Bergen
Subdivision Type3:Borough
Subdivision Name3:Midland Park
Established Date:1796
Unit Pref:imperial
Elevation Ft:266
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:−05:00
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:−04:00
Area Code:201
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:881955

Wortendyke is a residential and commercial unincorporated community located within Midland Park, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[1]

History

Wortendyke was established in 1796, originally named "Newtown", and then "Godwinville".[2]

A Methodist church was organized in 1805.[2]

A cotton mill was opened in 1812 by Cornelius Wortendyke. In 1875, his grandson, Cornelius A. Wortendyke, oversaw an extensive enlargement to the mill, as well as the addition of the largest silk mill in New Jersey.[2] [3]

The mills were located along Goffle Brook, and employed more than 500 people, many of them immigrants from the Netherlands. The cost of the workers' transportation to the United States, as well as their housing costs, was deducted from their pay.[3] [4]

By the early 1880s, Wortendyke had the largest school in the Township, and a population of 300.[2] [5] [6]

When the New Jersey Midland Railway was built in the 1880s, Cornelius A. Wortendyke was its president, and had the railway's principal shops located in Wortendyke. The Wortendyke Railroad Station is still located in the area.[7]

Historic sites

The Wortendyke-Demund House, constructed in 1797, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 10, 1983.[8]

Notable people

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

Notes and References

  1. http://www.state.nj.us/infobank/localnames.txt Locality Search
  2. Book: Clayton, W. Woodford . History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, New Jersey: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men . Everts & Peck . 1882 . 109, 205, 206, 208.
  3. Book: Brown . T. Robins . Warmflash . Schuyler . DelGiudice . Jim . The Architecture of Bergen County, New Jersey: The Colonial Period to the Twentieth Century . Rutgers University . 2001 . 42, 85. 9780813528670 .
  4. Book: Parrillo . Vincent . Parrillo . Beth . Wrubel . Arthur . Ridgewood . . 1999 . 19. 9780738501895 .
  5. Book: Industries of New Jersey . Historical Publishing Company . 1882 . 118. 24332547M .
  6. Book: Annual Report . New Jersey State Board of Assessors . 1890 . 137.
  7. Book: Kaminski, Edward S. . New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad in New Jersey . . 2010 . 63. 9781439638972 .
  8. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/nj/bergen/state6.html NEW JERSEY - Bergen County