Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city’s population was 10,174, reflecting a decline of 133 (-1.3%) from the 10,307 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 597 (-5.5%) from the 10,904 counted in the 1990 Census. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County.
Woodbury was originally formed as a borough on March 27, 1854, within Deptford Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 22, 1854. On January 2, 1871, Woodbury was reincorporated as a city, based on the results of a referendum held that day.
The Inspira Health Network is based in Woodbury. The now-defunct Woodbury Country Club operated in Woodbury from 1897 to 2010, closing due to declining membership and mounting debt that led to a bankruptcy filing by the club.
As recounted by the historian William McMahon, the Native Americans called the place where the city of Woodbury was to be founded, “Piscozackasing”, or, ‘place of the black burrs’.
Woodbury was founded in 1683 by Henry Wood, a Quaker from the Northwest of England, who had left Great Britain due to religious persecution. Wood was incarcerated in Lancaster gaol for practicing as a Quaker and left his home in the village of Tottington, near Bury, Lancashire, in a boat to set up a community in the new world where he and his family could practice his religion freely. His surname and his home town went to make up the name of the city he founded – Woodbury.
In 2000, the Borough of Bury, England, and the City of Woodbury were twinned as part of millennium celebrations in both countries. The twinning ceremony was the culmination of a week where more than 300 school children and college students, local dignitaries and local residents from Bury took part in sporting and cultural events held in and around Woodbury with local people. During the week there was a symbolic meeting and reconciliation of the Vicar of Henry Wood’s former church in Tottington and the Quaker meeting house in Woodbury and an ecumenical service attended by many of the residents and visitors.
Woodbury was the first city in the United States to mandate recycling. This effort was led by then-councilman and later mayor Donald P. Sanderson in the 1970s, and an ordinance was finally passed in December 1980. The idea of towing a “recycling” trailer behind a trash collection vehicle to enable the collection of trash and recyclable material at the same time emerged. Sanderson was asked to speak in municipalities throughout the country and other towns and cities soon followed suit.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 2.059 square miles (5.333 km2), including 2.009 square miles (5.203 km2) of land and 0.050 square miles (0.130 km2) of water (2.43%). Woodbury has a few lakes that feed off of Woodbury Creek.
The city borders Woodbury Heights, West Deptford Township and Deptford Township.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,174 people, 4,088 households, and 2,420 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,064.0 per square mile (1,955.2/km2). There were 4,456 housing units at an average density of 2,217.9 per square mile (856.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 66.01% (6,716) White, 24.91% (2,534) Black or African American, 0.23% (23) Native American, 1.28% (130) Asian, 0.28% (28) Pacific Islander, 3.19% (325) from other races, and 4.11% (418) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.66% (1,085) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
