The state granted a charter to a new school in 1833, which was called Newark College. Newark Academy and Newark College joined together in the following year, becoming Delaware College. The school was forced to close in 1859, but was resuscitated eleven years later under theMorrill Act when it became a joint venture between the State of Delaware and the school's board of Ttustees. In 1913, under thelegislative Act, Delaware College came into sole ownership of the State of Delaware. The school was renamed theUniversity of Delaware in 1921.
Newark received a license from King George II to hold semi-annual fairs and weekly markets for agricultural exchange in 1758. A paper mill, the first sizable industrial venture in Newark, was created around 1798.[8] This mill, eventually known as the Curtis Paper Mill, was the oldest paper mill in the United States until its closing in 1997.Methodists built the first church in 1812, and the railroad arrived in 1837.
One of Newark's major sources of employment and revenue was theChryslerNewark Assembly plant, which was built in 1951. Jamaican reggae starBob Marley worked as an assembly-line worker at the plant during his short stint in Delaware in the 1960s.[9] Originally constructed to build tanks for the US Army, the plant was 3.4 million square feet in size. It employed 1,100 employees in 2008, which was down from 2,115 in 2005. This turn was due largely to the decline in sales of the Durango and Aspen vehicle models that were being produced. The plant stood for more than 50 years, providing jobs and revenue to the state of Delaware. The factory produced a wide variety of automobile models during its run. The plant was closed in late 2008 due to the recession and limited demand for larger cars.[10][11]
Newark is located directly east of theMaryland state line, adjacent to the unincorporated community ofFair Hill, and is less than one mile south of thetripoint where Delaware, Maryland, andPennsylvania meet, known asThe Wedge.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.19 square miles (23.8 km2), all land. Originally surrounded by farmland, Newark is now surrounded byhousing developments in some directions, although farmland remains just over the state lines in Maryland and Pennsylvania. To the north and west are small hills, but south and east of the city, the land is flat (part of Newark falls in the Piedmont geological region, and part of the city is in the Coastal Plain geological region, as is the majority of the land in the State of Delaware).
According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Newark has ahumid subtropical climate (abbreviatedCfa on climate maps).[12] Summers are hot and humid, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are moderate-to-cold, with occasional snow in December, January, and February. Newark averages more than 220 frost-free days. Thehardiness zone is 7a.
Climate data for Newark, Delaware (University of Delaware) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present
As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 28,547 people, 8,989 households, and 4,494 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,198.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,235.0/km2). There were 9,294 housing units at an average density of 1,041.4 per square mile (402.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.29%White, 6.00%Black, 0.16%Native American, 4.07%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 0.86% fromother races, and 1.57% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 2.53% of the population. 16.8% were ofIrish, 13.5% Italian, 13.4% German, 10.2% English, and 5.1%Polish ancestry according toCensus 2000.
Of the 8,989 households, 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43, and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 12.5% under the age of 18, 43.6% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. Themedian age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median household income was $48,758, and the median family income was $75,188. Males had a median income of $45,813 versus $33,165 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,376. About 4.1% of families and 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Newark is a recognized center of US and internationalfigure skating, mostly due to the many national, world, and Olympic champions (including many foreign nationals) that have trained at theUniversity of Delaware Figure Skating Club (an independent club operating within UD facilities) and at The Pond Ice Rink.
TheDelaware 87ers were a professional basketball team that played in theNBA G League (formerly the NBA D-League) as the affiliate of thePhiladelphia 76ers. From 2013 until 2018, they played their home games at theBob Carpenter Center in Newark on the University of Delaware campus. They moved to nearby Wilmington and the 76ers' newFieldhouse, rebranded as theDelaware Blue Coats.
Shue/Medill Middle School, in anunincorporated area, serves most of the Newark city limits, while small parts are zoned to Gauger-Cobbs Middle School in Brookside. George Kirk Middle School, also in Brookside, previously served sections.[21]
Until 1884, Newark's public education system was grades 1-8 only, withWilmington having the nearest public high school, and with the privateNewark Academy being the private option. TheOld Newark Comprehensive School served as the first public high school for Newark.[23]
The Newark School District merged into theNew Castle County School District in 1978. That district was divided into four districts, among them the Christina district, in 1981.[24]
Newark Reservoir, which supplies water to the city
The City of Newark Electric Department provides electricity within the city limits. The city's electric department purchases electricity on the wholesale market, serving about 12,800 customers and maintaining 175 miles (282 km) of electric lines.[29] The electric department is a member of theDelaware Municipal Electric Corporation.[30] The City of Newark Public Works and Water Resources Department provides trash collection, recycling, water, and wastewater service to Newark.[31] Water service is provided to 33,000 customers in Newark, with 91 miles (146 km) of water pipes serving the city.[32] The city's water supply comes from theNewark Reservoir.[33] The city maintains 73 miles (117 km) of sewer lines, with wastewater pumped through the New Castle County system to the Wilmington Regional Wastewater Treatment facility.[32] Natural gas service in Newark is provided byDelmarva Power, a subsidiary ofExelon.[34]
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