The name Florham was designated in 1899 as a blending of the names Florence and Hamilton Twombly. They were part of the influx of millionaires who came to Morris County during the last two decades of the 19th Century. Before the final designation, the town was also known as Hoppingtown, Broomtown, Columbia and Afton. The name of Broomtown was born out of the area being known for making quality brooms. Though starting out small, being a borough without a water, electrical or telephone system, they have grown to over 12,000 residents. The area is 30 miles west of New York City and covers 7.6 square miles. The location is close to airports, buses and train stations.
In the 1960s, Florham had only one stoplight in the whole town. After people began taking notice of this sleepy town, industry began to follow. Businesses like the Automatic Switch Company and the future named Exxon moved into the area. Exxon has since left the area, but more notable residents moved in.
In 2008, the New York Jets decided to call the town home and built their training facility and corporate headquarters in Florham. In 2012, BASF North American headquarters was dedicated on Park Avenue. BASF is the world’s largest chemical company. Some prominent residents of the town include Tiki Barber (former New York Giants player) and Snookie (Jersey Shore actor). New Jersey Monthly magazine chose Florham Park as the Best Place to Live in New Jersey in 2015. What makes Florham so special is that it has never lost the small town feel, even being home to approximately 100 business and five schools. The people living there have stated that it is like living among a great big family.
The town is noted for its amount of volunteerism. The first-aid squad, town council and fire department are made up entirely of volunteers. There are several committees within the community that are served completely by volunteers as well. It is the strong sense of community that brings the town out to freely help one another, whether through individual efforts or through a group working together for a common purpose.
There have been many improvements made to the town including $1 million spent on the municipal pool, the addition of Spring Gardens Lake, and the Elmstreet Recreation Complex. These facilities and more allow the residents of the town to stay physically active, get out and experience nature, and enjoy a concert in the outdoor gazebo. The town has been very frugal with its money. Every purchase or improvement the town has been made has been carefully planned out allowing the town to operate with a very low debt burden. This has drawn recognition from Moody’s Corporation, which awarded Florham a bond rating of AAA.
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