About Roosevelt NJ

Roosevelt was originally called Jersey Homesteads, and was created during the Great Depression as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal. The town was home to a cooperative farming and manufacturing project. The project fell under the discretion of the Resettlement Administration, but was conceived and largely planned out by Benjamin Brown and Hyman Alef.

Farmland in Central Jersey was purchased by Brown. Construction started around 1936. Soon after there were 150 homes and various public facilities in place. The plan was to construct 50 more homes eventually. The economy of the town consisted of a garment factory and a farm.

Albert Einstein gave the town his political and moral support. Artist Ben Shahn lived in the town and painted a mural.

Objectives of the community were to help residents escape poverty; show that cooperative management can work, and as an experiment in socialism.

David Dubinsky and the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union opposed the project arguing that the factory town would cause unions to lose their power over wages. Political opposition came from those who thought too much money was being spent on the project, as well as those opposed to the New Deal in general.

The Jersey Homesteads cooperative didn't last through World War II. It failed for a number of reasons.

Roosevelt is a historic landmark.