Brigantine is a city located in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 12,594.
Brigantine is located at 39°24'8" North, 74°22'45" West (39.402150, -74.379074).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.4 km2 (9.8 mi2). 16.7 km2 (6.4 mi2) of it is land and 8.7 km2 (3.4 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 34.32% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 12,594 people, 5,473 households, and 3,338 families residing in the city. The population density is 756.2/km2 (1,959.0/mi2). There are 9,304 housing units at an average density of 558.7/km2 (1,447.2/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 83.15% White, 3.94% African American, 0.18% Native American, 5.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.67% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races. 9.41% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,473 households out of which 24.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% are married couples living together, 11.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% are non-families. 30.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.89.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $44,639, and the median income for a family is $51,679. Males have a median income of $40,523 versus $29,779 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,950. 9.4% of the population and 7.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.9% of those under the age of 18 and 7.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Early History
The rich heritage of Brigantine Beach began in the 1500s when the Lenni Lenape Native Americans called the island their "summer playground" or "Watamoonica."
The Dutch were the first Europeans to explore the Jersey coastline searching for a waterway through the New World to the Orient. The log book of Henry Hudson's ship "Half Moon" recalls the first observation of Brigantine Beach on September 2, 1608: "This is a very good land to fall in with, and a pleasant land to see..." The legendary pirate, Captain William Kidd is said to have buried treasure under Brigantine Beach sand.
The name "Brigantine" came from a type of 1600s ship; perhaps one of the first of over three hundred vessels wrecked on the notorious offshore shoals - during a two hundred year period.
In the 1700s several families, whose large landholdings were known as "plantations," owned the island. During the American Revolution, American privateers (patriot - pirates) hid in the north and south inlets and would suddenly streak to attack unwary or disabled British ships. Shipbuilding and salt manufacturing (from sea water) became important industries during the war.
Whalers used Brigantine Beach to launch attacks on migrating whales from New England. (Today the Marine Mammal Stranding Center assists sick and injured whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles. The Brigantine Wildlife Refuge on the north end is a state protected haven for birds, rabbits, and foxes.).
Turn of the 19th Century
Several attempts were made during the late 1800s to develop Brigantine on a significant scale. In connection with one of these attempts, made by the Brigantine Improvement Company, the island's name was briefly changed to "North Atlantic City."
During this period, a railroad was built to connect Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Brigantine; 16 trolleys ran the length of the island; and steamboats carried people to and from Atlantic City during the "Gay Nineties." Hotels sprang up and some served as getaways for important people including U.S. President Grover Cleveland. Hard times and harsh storms ended this boom in the early 1900s. In 1917 the City had only 54 full-time residents and an operating budget of $5,400.
During the 1920s, with the advent of automobile access to the island, Brigantine became the object of a large scale development effort by the Island Development Company, which had succeeded to title to most of the island from the Brigantine Land and Transportation Company. In 1924, a bridge was constructed linking Atlantic City and Brigantine, and a land boom ensued. A boardwalk, a school and a golf course became realities. The Brigantine Lighthouse was built as an attraction and landmark, not as a navigational aid.
The City also undertook a variety of infrastructure improvements, such as streets and sewage and water facilities, for which it issued bonds. With the Stock market crash of 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression, the island experienced a cessation of demand for homes and the Island Development Company ceased operating, deeding its remaining properties to the City.
World War II to Present
Brigantine Beach bounced back again and again, and survived major storms in 1944 and 1962. The Brigantine Inn was the site of the Coastal Warning Service of the United States Army during World War II when local citizens made extraordinary sacrifices.
After the war the island grew steadily, building up to the present day year-round population of 12,600. The maintenance of controlled, primarily residential, development of the City is mandated by the City's 1992 Master Plan and by state control of types of development in barrier islands such as Brigantine. The advent of legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City in 1978 has caused an increase in certain of these trends, but in the experience of City officials, the basic pattern of orderly growth has continued.
From mid-1976 to 1987, an amusement park on a fishing pier remained famous for its "haunted house" known as "Brigantine Castle". Brigantine Castle burnt down due to arson in 1987.
Source:
BrigantineNewJersey.com
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