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An Act to Create a New Township in the County of Union, to be
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Called the Township of Fanwood.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey, That all that portion of the Townships of Westfield
and Plainfield, in the County of Union, lying within the boundaries
and descriptions following, to wit: Beginning in the center of the
Terrell Road at the junction with the Green Brook and the City of
Plainfield; thence northerly following the Green Brook to Feltville,
until it meets the road coming down the mountain near the factory;
thence in a southerly direction straight over the mountain until it
strikes the Jerusalem Road., where the Morse Road meets the Jerusalem
Road; thence in a southerly Course to the intersection of Broad Street
and the Rahway Road, opposite the residence of Theodore Hatfied; thence
along the center of said Rahway Road to the line of Clark Township;
thence along the line of Clark Township in a southwesterly direction
to the line of Middlesex County; thence in a westerly course along
the line of Middlesex County to the Short Hill Road and line of the
City of Plainfield; thence northerly along the line of the City of
Plainfield to its intersection with the Randolph Road; thence in a
northeasterly course to the intersection of the extension of Leland
Avenue and the road leading to the Jackson school house; thence along
said road northeasterly to the Terrell Road; thence along the Terrell
Road in a northwesterly direction to the place of beginning, be and
the same is hereby set off from the said Townships of Westfield and
Plainfield and created into a new Township, to be called and known
by the name of "The Township of Fanwood."
And be it enacted, That the inhabitants of the Township of Fanwood
are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate in law, and shall
be styled and known by the name of "The Inhabitants of the Township
of Fanwood, in the County of Union," and shall be entitled to all
rights and powers, authority, privileges and advantages, and subject
to the same regulation, government and liabilities as the inhabitants
of the other townships in the said County of Union are or may be entitled
or subject to by existing laws of this State, and to the provisions
of any special laws in relation to the said Townships of Westfield
and Plainfield, so far as the same are or can be applicable to said
Township of Fanwood, when set off as aforesaid.
And be it enacted, That the inhabitants of the Township of Fanwood
shall hold their first town meeting at the truck house of the Excelsior
Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, in the Village of Scotch Plains in
said Township, on the second Tuesday of March next, and thenceforward
at such place in said village as the inhabitants may appoint at each
prior annual town meeting.
And be it enacted, That the Town Committee of the Townships
of Fanwood and Westfield, respectively, shall meet at such time as
they are a majority of each of them shall agree upon, not later than
the first day of July next, and on said first day of July next, at
ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day, if not sooner agreed upon,
at the place hereinbefore mentioned in the Village of Scotch Plains,
and then and there proceed in writing signed by a majority of the
members present, to allot and divide between the townships all properties
and moneys in hand or due belonging to said Township of Westfield,
and all debts owing by said Township of Westfield in proportion to
the taxable properties and ratables with the Township of Fanwood and
Westfield, respectively, or appraised by the Commissioners hereinafter
mentioned, and the inhabitants of the Township of Fanwood shall be
liable to pay the proportion of the debts of the Township of Westfield,
so assigned and allotted to them; and it shall be the duty of the
Town Committee of the Township of Fanwood, if necessary, to issue
a bond or bonds, with interest payable semi-annually to the Township
Committee of the Township of Westfield for their proportion of the
debt, as allotted to them by the Commissioners hereinafter mentioned;
and if any of the persons comprising either the Township Committees
should neglect or refuse to meet as aforesaid, those assembled may
proceed to make such division, and the decision of a majority of those
present shall be final and conclusive.
And be it enacted, That the Town Committee of the Townships
of Fanwood and Plainfield, who for that purpose shall be continued
in office, respectively, shall meet at such time as they or a majority
of each of them shall agree upon, not later than the first day of
July next, and on said first day of July next, at ten o'clock in the
forenoon of that day, if not sooner agreed upon, at the place hereinbefore
mentioned in the Village of Scotch Plains, and then and there proceed
in writing, signed by a majority of the members present, to allot
and divide between the Townships all properties and moneys in hand
or due belonging to said Township of Plainfield, and all debts owing
by said Township of Plainfield in proportion to the taxable properties
and ratables within the Townships of Fanwood and Plainfield, respectively,
as appraised by the Commissioners hereinafter mentioned; and the inhabitants
of the Township of Fanwood shall be liable to pay the proportion of
the debts of the Township of Plainfield, so assigned and allotted
to them; and it shall be the duty of the Town Committee of the Township
of Fanwood, if necessary, to issue a bond or bonds, with interest
payable semi-annually, to the Township of Plainfield, or its successor,
for their proportion of the debt, as allotted to them by the Commissioners
hereinafter mentioned; and if any of the persons comprising either
of the Township Committees should neglect or refuse to meet as aforesaid,
those assembled may proceed to make said division, and the decision
of a majority of those present shall be final and conclusive.
And be it enacted, That it shall be the duty of the Township
Committee of the Township of Fanwood, if necessary, and they are hereby
required to cause to be assessed upon the real estate and personal
property of said Township of Fanwood, and collect therefrom such sum
or sums annually as may be sufficient to meet the payments falling
due, as provided by the foregoing sections.
And be it enacted, That Seth B. Ryder, of Elizabeth, Edgar Pierson,
of the Township of Springfeld, and Noah Woodruff, of the Township
of Union, are hereby appointed Commissioners to appraise the taxable
properties and ratables of the said Townships of Fanwood, Westfield
and Plainfield which appraisement shall be made prior to the first
day of July next, and upon that day if not sooner done, and shall
be the basis for the apportionment of the properties, money and debts
of the Townships of Fanwood, Westfield and Plainfield, as aforesaid,
and the proper expenses of the appraisement shall be allowed by said
Town Committees in their said respective joint meetings; one-third
of said expenses shall be paid by each of said three Townships.
And be it enacted, That nothing in this act shall be so construed
as to impair or in anywise affect the right of the said Township of
Fanwood of, in or to any portion of the surplus revenue of the United
States government, to which the said Township may now, or at any time
hereafter be entitled in the distribution of the surplus revenue of
its income.
And be it enacted, That the Township of Fanwood shall form a
part of the Third Assembly District of the County of Union.
And be it enacted, That nothing in this act shall be so construed
as to interfere with the officers now elected, in that part of the
Township set off and called Fanwood, nor with the commissions of the
Justices of the Peace, nor Commissioners to take acknowledgement of
deeds, until they shall expire by their own limitations.
And be it enacted, That the inhabitants of the Township of Fanwood
shall hold their first Township meeting at the time and place hereinbefore
set forth, and at the first Township election William C. Stanberry
shall be the judge of election, and Richard H. Nodyne and George W.
Randolph inspectors of election, and in case of the absence of one
or more of them the vacancy shall be filled by the electors present
as in other Township elections, and a majority of such inspectors
and judge shall appoint a Clerk of said election.
And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect immediately.
Approved March 6, 1878.
