History:
Garwood was created as an industrial town at the turn of the century. The area that is now Garwood was on the fringes of Westfield and Cranford. A large tract of land along the Central Railroad of New Jersey was acquired in the 1890’s by John Maxwell, a former president of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. He formed the "Garwood Land and Improvement Company” to attract industry and provide workers’ housing. Two of the original companies were the Hall Switch and Signal Company and the Aeolian Company (which produced musical instruments).
A series of houses from 1896 still stand, built by the Garwood Land and Improvement Company, on Myrtle Avenue, these homes being continuously occupied and frequently altered.
The town was incorporated as a borough in 1903, named for Samuel Garwood, president of the Land Company. Garwood expanded from strictly factory-related development to regular suburban housing after World War II. It is a closely knit community.
The town center has a large shopping center, with major food markets and a variety of other stores and commercial businesses.
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