HISTORY  

In 1680 Sir George Carteret paid the Minsi the equivalent of $55 for land that included the present area of Chatham. The area was named Chatham in 1773 in honor of the English Prime Minister, Sir William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. Chatham citizens were staunch revolutionaries during the revolutionary war and troops were active in the area. After the revolutionary war, in 1801, the Morris Turnpike was built connecting Elizabeth to Morristown through Springfield and Chatham. The Morris and Essex Railroad came to Chatham in 1837. Chatham became a center of the rose growing industry in the 1870's and 80's. The years between the Civil War and World War I were a period of quiet living and simple pleasures. Chatham's reputation as a fine, healthy place to live brought a community of bustling tourist trade. The trains that brought vacationers to Chatham also transported residents to city jobs. At the beginning of the 1900's, there were about 1,800 residents living in Chatham Borough and about 500 in the Township.  Population from the year 2000 US Census was 8,460 in the Borough and 10,086 in the Township.

Morris County had been carved out of Hunterdon County in 1738, due to increasing population in Hunterdon. In 1740 Morris County Courts convened and divided the county into three townships: Morris, Hanover, and Pequannock. The New Jersey Legislature created Chatham Township from parts of Morris, Hanover, Florham Park, Madison and Chatham. As Chatham Borough grew, the township form of government proved inadequate. The borough seceded from Chatham Township and incorporated as a borough in 1897.  Madison and Florham Park also seceded leaving Chatham Township at its present geographic size in 1900. Chatham Township has maintained its "committee" form of government since its founding in 1806.

CHATHAM NJ REAL ESTATE MARKET

Single family home prices typically start in the $500,000s.
Single family home prices range up to about $3,000,000.
Condos start in the $340,000s.

Market Update August 2007:  The Chatham NJ Real Estate market continues to improve.  Though technically it is still a buyers market, the home buyers have returned and are making purchase offers on homes which are priced properly.  Many people seem to be wondering if this is really a good time to be buying a home?  My answer to that is, most assuredly this is likely the best time in the past 2 years to be a home buyer.

 To see the year end Chatham NJ Real Estate report visit conventnews.org