Union County Awards Nearly $24,000 to Support Local History Projects Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary

The Union County Board of County Commissioners, through the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, is awarding nearly $24,000 in special project grants to 26 historic sites and organizations to support programs and projects commemorating the nation's 250th anniversary.

Established as part of Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek's initiative to celebrate this milestone, the grants support a range of local history projects, including living history demonstrations, educational programs, exhibits, historical markers and materials that residents can use to explore Union County's past.

"Some of the most meaningful connections to our nation's history are right here in Union County, in the places we pass every day and the stories our local historical organizations work so hard to preserve," said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. "As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, these grants will help those organizations share that history with more people and give residents of all ages new opportunities to learn about the communities they call home."

Several grant-supported projects and programs will be featured during Union County's Four Centuries in a Weekend on October 17 and 18. These include Revolutionary War encampments, demonstrations of colonial life, historical presentations and new interpretive materials. Other awards support programs held throughout the anniversary year, as well as improvements that will continue to benefit visitors beyond 2026.

The grant recipients and supported projects, listed by municipality, include:

Berkeley Heights

• Littell Lord Farmstead: $1,000: A George Washington reading and commemorative coins as part of the Fall Festival.

Clark

• Dr. Robinson Plantation: $1,000: A Revolutionary War encampment during Four Centuries weekend.

Cranford

• Cranford Historical Society: $500: A lecture presentation and children's activities about Patriot soldiers associated with Cranford.

Elizabeth

• Elizabeth Public Library: $1,000: Restoration of the historic Red Lion Inn plaque.
• First Presbyterian Church/Snyder Academy: $1,000: "Black History Speaks," featuring portrayals of historical figures during Four Centuries weekend.
• Elizabeth Historical Society - $1,000: Production of "The Corner That History Made" video.

Fanwood

• Fanwood Train Station Museum: $557: Development of a brochure for a walking tour of Fanwood.

Kenilworth

• Nitschke House: $1,000: An illustrated historical timeline to be unveiled during Four Centuries weekend.

Mountainside

• Hetfield House: $1,000: "A Day in 1776," exploring daily life in colonial America during Four Centuries weekend.

New Providence

• Salt Box Museum: $995: Vintage baseball programming and a pamphlet featuring research on Patriots buried in New Providence.

Plainfield

• Drake House Museum: $1,000: Brochures and signage related to the New Jersey Black History Trail.

Rahway

• Union County Performing Arts Center: $1,000: Posters highlighting Rahway's role in American history.
• African American History & Heritage Learning Center: $1,000: Two secure display cabinets for historical artifacts.
• Merchants & Drovers Tavern Museum: $1,000: Living history demonstrations for Rahway's "Colonial Fair."

Scotch Plains

• Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary/Frazee House: $1,000: An American Revolution encampment.
• Osborn Cannonball House: $1,000: A historic stonecutting demonstration during Four Centuries weekend.
• Preserve the Shady Rest Committee: $1,000: Jazz and blues performances for Independence Day and Labor Day.

Summit

• Twin Maples: $923: Lectures on women in the American Revolution.
• Carter House: $551: Development of a Summit Historical Society brochure for Four Centuries weekend.
• Wallace Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church: $1,000: Programming about the Rev. Florence Spearing Randolph, a civil rights leader and suffragist.

Union

• Liberty Hall Museum: $1,000: "Music in the Garden," exploring the role of music at Liberty Hall.
• Caldwell Parsonage: $1,000: A historical kiosk about the Battle of Connecticut Farms.
• First Presbyterian Congregation of Connecticut Farms Church: $1,000: A Crossroads of the American Revolution interpretive panel.

Westfield

• Reeve House: $600: Patriotic readings and children's activities.
• Miller-Cory House: $850: Sheep to Shawl and Fall Festival programming.
• Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route: $1,000: An exhibit featuring soldiers and an updated brochure for Four Centuries weekend.

"Our local historical organizations put tremendous care into preserving the places, artifacts and stories that help us understand our past," said Union County Commissioner Vice Chair Rebecca L. Williams, liaison to the Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board. "These grants support that work in practical ways, from protecting artifacts to creating exhibits and programs that welcome new visitors. As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, we want residents to discover the many voices and experiences that are part of Union County's history."

Together, these projects highlight the people, places and experiences that have shaped Union County and its role in the nation's history, while supporting the local organizations that keep those stories accessible to the public.

For more information about the anniversary grants and history programs, contact John Prescott at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-436-2912 or [email protected].