Penns Grove is a borough in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 5,147, reflecting an increase of 261 (+5.3%) from the 4,886 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 342 (-6.5%) from the 5,228 counted in the 1990 Census.
The area was long primarily agricultural. Penns Grove was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 8, 1894, from portions of Upper Penns Neck Township (now Carneys Point Township), based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier. It began to industrialize around this time. The borough’s name comes from William Penn.
In the early 20th century, many Italian immigrants from Valle San Giovanni and the surrounding southern province of Teramo came to work at the local E.I. DuPont de Nemours plant in Carneys Point. Many settled on Pitman Street in Penns Grove. In 1925, the Italian community arranged to commission a copy of the statue of the Madonna and Child from the Chiesa della Madonna delle Grazie in Teramo, and had it installed in the Saint James Roman Catholic Church in Penns Grove. Other immigrants from eastern Europe also settled in the county, markedly increasing the population.
Also in the 20th century, the area became a destination for Black Americans in the Great Migration who came north for industrial jobs. Some Black Americans in the area were descended from slave families from the colonial and early federal period. Since the late 20th century, new immigrants have arrived from Central and South America, an increasing Latino minority.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.912 square miles (2.361 km2), including 0.910 square miles (2.357 km2) of land and 0.002 square miles (0.004 km2) of water (0.18%).
The borough borders Carneys Point Township and the Delaware River. The borough is located across the Delaware River from Wilmington, which is part of the Delaware Valley, and 33 miles (53 km) south of Philadelphia.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,147 people, 1,801 households, and 1,235 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,656.0 per square mile (2,183.8/km2). There were 2,004 housing units at an average density of 2,202.2 per square mile (850.3/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 41.83% (2,153) White, 39.77% (2,047) Black or African American, 0.66% (34) Native American, 0.49% (25) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 12.40% (638) from other races, and 4.86% (250) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.27% (1,455) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
