Collingswood is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, located 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Center City, Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 13,926, reflecting a decline of 400 (-2.8%) from the 14,326 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 963 (-6.3%) from the 15,289 counted in the 1990 Census.
Owing in part to its Quaker history, Collingswood was founded as a dry town where alcohol cannot be sold, however restaurant patrons are permitted to bring their own wine and beer to consume. In July 2015, the town introduced an ordinance that will allow craft breweries to operate in the town but not serve food. The ordinance is expected to be passed in August 2015. Under the terms of a limited license, Devil’s Creek Brewery opened a tasting room in May 2016 where beers made by the microbrewery are available for sale to the public. A state ordinance also allows select restaurants to serve wine produced by New Jersey vineyards.
Collingswood is well known for its selection of shops and restaurants and was ranked as the “#1 small-town food scene in America” by USA Today in May 2018.
The land in what is present day Collingswood was originally inhabited by Lenni Lenape Native Americans. Quakers from England and Ireland settled along Newton Creek and Cooper River in the late 17th Century, establishing what was known as the Newton Colony and eventually Newton Township. Much of what is now Collingswood was a farm owned by members of the Collings family during the 18th and 19th Centuries. Later a section of Haddon Township, Collingswood was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 22, 1888, based on the results of a referendum held that same day. That same year, town resident Edward Collings Knight, a wealthy sugar, real estate and railroad magnate, donated the land that became Knight Park. Knight was a descendant of the Collings family for whom the borough is named.
Collingswood has several historic homes including the 1820s-era house of the Collings family, known as the Collings-Knight homestead, which stands at the corner of Browning Road and Collings Avenue, shadowed by the Parkview at Collingswood apartment homes. The Stokes-Lees mansion located in the 600 block of Lees Avenue dates back to 1707, making it one of the oldest houses in Camden County. Sections of Harleigh Cemetery, the location of poet Walt Whitman’s tomb are in Collingswood, as is the mailing address for the Camden County Historical Society.
Collingswood is located in the Delaware Valley, 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Philadelphia and 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Trenton, New Jersey’s capital.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Collingswood had a total area of 1.923 square miles (4.980 km2), including 1.823 square miles (4.721 km2) of land and 0.100 square miles (0.259 km2) of water (5.19%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Knight Park.
Collingswood shares land borders with Camden, Haddon Township, Oaklyn, Pennsauken Township and Woodlynne.
The Cooper River serves as the northern border of Collingswood and Newton Creek as the southern border.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,926 people, 6,299 households, and 3,345 families residing in the borough. The population density was 7,639.4 per square mile (2,949.6/km2). There were 6,822 housing units at an average density of 3,742.3 per square mile (1,444.9/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 81.78% (11,388) White, 9.11% (1,268) Black or African American, 0.32% (45) Native American, 2.20% (307) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 4.01% (559) from other races, and 2.56% (357) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.67% (1,347) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
