Ridgewood Village Hall is located at 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood NJ 07450.
Phone: 201‑670‑5500.
Beginnings [1]
In 1698 the site of Ridgewood became the property of John Van Emburgh, who built the first frame house in 1700. Ridgewood's real development began in the nineteenth century. Cornelius Wortendyke named the section Newton in 1810, and later Abraham Godwin called it Godwinville. After the construction of the Paterson and Ramsey Railroad in 1849, some families moved in from New York. In 1866 the town became known as Ridgewood because of the many wooded ridges close by, and 10 years later the community was separated from the larger Township of Ridgewood.
Ridgewood lies in an extremely attractive natural setting. The Saddle River winds slowly along its eastern boundary, and Hohokus Creek flows southward through the center of the village. The countless willows bordering these streams and the spacious lawns, luxuriant flower beds and beautiful rock gardens surrounding homes of various architectural styles, give the impression of an orderly, dignified memorial park.
The village is one of the principal stations on the main line of the Erie Railroad, and its 4,000 commuters use this facility almost exclusively, although several bus lines are available. An extensive retail business district is concentrated about the $1,000,000 Erie station, and the Chamber of Commerce asserts that the merchants serve an area embracing 55,000 persons. Unlike other large towns in the county, Ridgewood has no heavy industry, and large plants are not encouraged.
In the last 40 years the community has absorbed families of many nationalities, but old Dutch stock is still conspicuous, and the names of early families are ubiquitous Zabriskie, Ackerman, Banta, De Baun, Bogert and Hopper among others. The residents have formed more than 150 organizations which include every type from local chapters of national fraternal and patriotic societies to political, charitable and cultural associations. One of the most influential groups in the State is the Ridgewood Woman's Club, which today has a roster of more than 1,000 women and its own clubhouse, an attractive Colonial sandstone and clapboard building.
Ridgewood has one of the largest and finest high schools in the State, a beautiful red brick building equipped with the most modern facilities. The school stands at the top of a grassy incline, overlooking the natural amphitheatre where the athletic field was built.