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History of the Town |
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The Lenni-Lenape Indians were the first residents of the area.
Martine Avenue was the old Indian Trail. Fanwood was once part of Westfield, as was Scotch Plains. Like many Central Jersey communities, Fanwood was built along the railroad lines of the Central Railroad
of New Jersey, and the first homes in the borough were clustered around the train station, which as the time was located east of Martine Avenue. Once a summer vacation spot for well-to-do city dwellers,
Fanwood borough has evolved into an attractive suburban community and a "great place to raise kids". The borough was originally settled by vacationers who were attracted to the area by its "wide open
space and clean air". The 1.3 square-mile borough was carved out of the Township of Fanwood in 1895. To make the commute to the city easier, the early developers placed the railroad station in the center of the
borough, ensuring that it was no farther than a half mile from any part of town. |
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There is not much room for new residential or commercial
development in the borough. In 1988, The borough applied to the Coalition of Affordable Housing to be classified as a fully-developed town in order to reduce its low-and-moderate income housing needs from 87 to
zero. Fanwood grew like mad during the 50s and 60s and as of June, 1996 there were 7,115 residents. |
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