Nestled away in Bergen County, New Jersey, is a small borough called Westwood. With slightly more than 11,000 people, Westwood, NJ has a history that dates back to 1894, when the township officially incorporated as a borough. Westwood was one of many townships to take advantage of the shift to borough status that became popular in Bergen County during that period.
The Lenni-Lenape Indians were the first denizens of the Westwood, NJ area, and they shared the land with various hunters and trappers who transited through the region – until permanent settlers began to arrive around two hundred and fifty years ago. Harrington Township was created by royal charter in 1775, with the western part of the Township becoming Washington Township in 1840. At the time, Washington Township consisted of a handful of stores, several schools, and twenty mills. Westwood, NJ was formed out of parts of Washington Township.
Throughout the late 1800’s, Westwood experienced a wealth of growth and development – as did many areas of the country where the railroad appeared. The Hackensack and New York Railroad arrived in 1870, following the route that is now known as the Pascack Valley Line – and which has caused Westwood, NJ to be known as the Hub of the Pascack Valley.
With numerous factories, distilleries, and a new school, the residents of the area formed a petition drive to incorporate as an independent borough, which became modern Westwood, NJ. With the addition of a reliable city water supply, the new borough experienced a surge in new home construction and rapid growth in its population. By the turn of the century, telephones, cars, and other modern conveniences began to transform the area.
Westwood, NJ today is a suburban center with an educated, fairly affluent population. While the borough has grown in size over the last hundred years, it is still small enough to avoid many of the social difficulties faced by larger urban areas.
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