Martha Stewart Gets Named

MS

Martha has always been vocal about her appreciation for her childhood. Our founder grew up in a modest home on Elm Place in Nutley, New Jersey, where she lived with her parents and five siblings. Martha spent much of her time there learning the skills that made her a household name, like cooking, cleaning, and gardening. 

During a recent segment of The Drew Barrymore Show, Martha received an extra-special surprise from residents of her hometown. New Jersey township officials (who appeared during the episode remotely) unveiled that Elm Place has been lovingly renamed "Martha Stewart Place."

Martha's niece, Sophie Herbert Slater, and her nephew, Chris Herbert attended the ceremony to celebrate the renamed street. Nutley Mayor John V. Kelly III and town commissioners Mauro G. Tucci, Alphonse Petracco, and Thomas J. Evans were also in attendance to reveal the street's new name.

“One of the things I always say is Nutley is a destination in life,” Kelly said. “It’s an important destination in life because of people like Martha who are from here who have had so much success in so many different fields. We wanted to honor that legacy here in Nutley so we passed this unanimous proclamation in honor of Martha.”

Martha was born in Jersey City in 1941 and moved into her home on Elm Place with her family a few years later. Martha graduated from Nutley High in 1959 and is one of five siblings: Frank, Kathryn, Laura, Erik, and George. Her parents, Edward and Martha, were do-it-yourselfers who taught her how to cook, sew, garden, and repair just about anything. 

A Timeline of Martha's Most Important Milestones, From Childhood to Present Day

When Barrymore asked Martha about growing up on Elm Place, she said: "We had so much fun...we knew all our neighbors, we would have meals at everybody’s house. It was a really nice street, Elm Place.”

During the episode, Martha also shared how everyone in her hometown loved her mother, nicknamed Big Martha. “Teachers could come home with you for lunch, and they always wanted to come to my house because we had really good food in my house," Martha said. "My mother was a great cook." Martha added that her mother taught sixth grade at the Lincoln School in Nutley. Former students still sing Big Martha's praises when they see our founder.

While she has come a long way since her time living on Elm Place, Martha's love for Nutley has never dwindled. “I’ve always written very fondly about Nutley,” Martha told Barrymore. “I have had no complaints about Nutley, ever ... it was the nicest place to grow up.”