Edgewater, NJ

Edgewater is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 10,927, reflecting an increase of 546 (+5.4%) from the 10,405 counted in the 2000 Census.

Edgewater was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1899, from portions of Hackensack Township and Saddle River Township. The borough's name is derived from its location on the Hudson River opposite Manhattan. The area that now constitutes Edgewater was originally known as "The Point" because it formed one end of a peninsula extending into Upper New York Bay from what is now Hoboken. The first European settler in what would become Edgewater was Nicholas Van Wart who built a home there in 1686.

In 1868 James Whelan purchased 160 acres at The Point and began developing what would become known as Whelan's Island (now Ferry Road). He erected several large homes including "Whelan Castle" which still stands today and has been converted to apartments. Other early developers included John J. McGovern who built homes along Ferry Road near present day Washington Avenue; William Keady who developed land on both sides of Washington Avenue; and Patrick Haggerty who developed land on both sides of Union Street near Hudson Street (the site now occupied by Haggerty Park).

The first commercial building erected in Edgewater was a store owned by James Whelan which opened on October 2nd, 1868 at 209 Ferry Road (now Washington Avenue). By 1870 there were already six businesses operating in Edgewater: two stores (Whelan's and McGovern's), two hotels (the Bellevue Hotel at 204-206 Ferry Road and the Queen Anne Hotel at 208-210 Ferry Road), two restaurants (McGovern's Restaurant at 214-216 Ferry Road and Brown's Restaurant at 218-220 Ferry Road), and a printing office operated by Jno Ahern & Co., which later became Ahern Printing Company Ltd..

As development increased throughout the 1870s new streets were laid out - Union Street between Hudson Street and Ridge Boulevard; Ridge Boulevard between Union Street and Main Street; Main Street between Ridge Boulevard and Riverside Drive; Riverside Drive between Main Street and Springdale Avenue; Springdale Avenue between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue; West End Avenue between Springdale Avenueand North End Avenue; North End Avenuebetween West End Aveand South End Ave.; South End Avebetween North End Aveand EastEnd Ave.; EastEnd Avebetween SouthEndAveand Cliffside Rd.; Cliffside Rdbetween EastEndAveand Bayview Terrace Blvd.; Bayview Terrace Blvdbetween Cliffside Rdand Summit Rd.; Summit Rdbetween Bayview Terrace Blvdand Glenwood Plank Rd.; Glenwood Plank Rdbetween SummitRdandeck Dr.(present day Tonnellea Dr.). Development continued apace through to 1890 with over 100 businesses open including five banks (First National Bank of Hackensack, First National Bank of Ridgewood, Farmers' Exchange Bank of Ridgewood, Peoples National Bank of Ridgewood & Hackensack Valley Trust Company), four churches (St John Evangelical Lutheran Church at 201-203 Ridge Boulevard; Trinity Episcopal Churchat 205-207 Ridge Boulevard ; Christ Episcopal Churchat 211-213 Ridge Boulevard ; Sacred Heart Catholic Churchat 215-217 Ridge Boulevard ), three newspapers (The Ridgewood News at 202 Grove St., The Evening Journal at 207 Grove St., The Daily Record at 210 Grove St.), two ice cream parlors (McDonalds Ice Cream Parlor @ 203 Grove St.), one bakery/cafeteria combo store called "The Lunch Box" @ 205 Grove St., one hardware store called " Hackensack Hardware" @ 207 Grove St., one photography studio called " Hackensack Photo Studio" @ 209 Grove St., one pharmacy called "Dr Sabinas Pharmacy" @ 211 Grove St.), one firehouse (@ 201 Glenwood Plank Rd.), four schools - Ridgewood High School(opened September 1st 1888 with 9 students) , Saint John Vianney School(opened September 15th 1889 with 26 students) , Holy Family School(opened January 1st 1893 with 46 students) , Central High School(opened September 1st 1895 with 822 students)) .

In 1897 construction began on what would become known as The Pointe - an elaborate complex consisting of luxury apartments designed by architect Stanford White which still stands today overlooking Hudson River opposite Midtown Manhattan (). White also designed numerous other buildings throughout Edgewater including: 101 Westend Ave.(1898); 107 Westend Ave.(1900); 111 Westend Ave.(1901); 115 Westend Ave.(1902); 119 Westend Ave.(1903); 121WestendAve.(1904); 125WestendAve.(1905); 129WestendAve.(1906 ); 133WestendAve.( 1907 ); 137WestenadAve( 1908 ); 141WestenadAve( 1909 ); 145WestenadAve( 1910 ); 149WestenadAve( 1911 ). In addition to his work in architecture White also served as president/director for several companies based in Edgewater including: American Sugar Refining Co./American Sugar Refining Co.'s Terminal Warehouse Incorporated aka ASR #1 aka American Sugar Refining Company Warehouse #1 aka ASR Terminal Warehouse #1 aka ASR TWhk#1 aka American Sugar Refining Company Warehouse 1901 Incorporated aka Amstercan Sugar Refineries Terminal Warehouse 1901 Incorporation (#2) (#3) (#4) (#5)(1899 - 1902), Edison Electric Light & Manufacturing Co./ Edison Electric Light & Manufacturing Company (#6)(1898 - 1899), Edison Storage Battery Co./ Edison Storage Battery Corporation (#7)(1900 - 1902), Edison Telephone Works/ Edison Telephone Works Corporation (#8)(1893 - 1896)).

By 1906 there were over 200 businesses operating within Ededgefield including 11 banks (First National Bank Of Hackensack,, Farmers' Exchange Bank Of Ridgewood,, Peoples National Bank Of Ridgewood& Hackensack Valley Trust Company,, First National Bank Of Clifton,, Citizens State bank Of NJ At Saddle River,, Essex FSB At Saddle River,, Franklin Savings And Loan Association At Clifton Park,, Franklin Savings And Loan Association At Palisades Park,,,, Madison Square Savings And Loan Association At Palisades Park,,,, Madison Square Savings And Loan Association At Englewood Cliffs)), 12 churches (), 13 newspapers (), 4 ice cream parlors (), 3 bakeries / Cafeterias Combo Store ("The Lunch Box") (), 3 hardware stores (" Hackensacks Hardware",," Englewood Hardware",," Bergenfield Hardware"), 2 pharmacies ("Dr Sabinas Pharmacy"," Saddle River Pharmacy"), 1 firehouse(), 4 schools(" Ridgewood High Schoo",,"Saint John Vianney Schoo",,"Holy Family Schoo","Central High Schoo").