County of Union, New Jersey

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 jprescott@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners announces that the Deserted Village of Feltville will once again host an annual open house featuring old-fashioned children’s games, apple cider pressing, an archaeological activity, and guided tours as part of Union County’s Four Centuries in a Weekend event this Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, from noon to 5:00 p.m. each day.

“The Deserted Village of Feltville is a treasure, with a rich history that dates back to 1720,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph Bodek. “As we celebrate the 250^th Anniversary of the founding of our country, this is one of Union County’s best sites to visit with family and friends and see how that history has unfolded.  I hope to see you there!”

All activities for the Four Centuries weekend are rain or shine, and are free of charge. Enter the Deserted Village parking lot from Glenside Avenue (use GPS address 1 Cataract Hollow Road, Berkeley Heights).  A haywagon provides barrier-free access to key sites within the 130-acre historic district.  Visitors can pick up a free self-tour guidebook at the parking lot, or use their cell phones to take an audio tour.  

The Deserted Village of Feltville is located in Union County’s Watchung Reservation. It was established in 1845 by entrepreneur David Felt, who built a printing mill, housing for his workers, and other buildings for communal use by Feltville’s 175 residents. As part of the weekend’s festivities, the “ghost” of David Felt will stroll the grounds of the Deserted Village and converse with visitors, telling tales of the factory town he built and recounting memories of the people who worked in his mill, on his farm, and in his store and school.  At 12:30 pm each day, Mr. Felt will offer an armchair tour from the porch of his general store, with an interactive opportunity for children.

Other activities for children will include old-fashioned games on the Deserted Village’s grass tennis court, writing with a quill pen and ink, and searching for artifacts at the site of David Felt’s house. A garden and a small apple and peach orchard has been recreated to recall the 600-acre farm established by Mr. Felt to provide food for the villagers.  Visitors can taste the apple cider being pressed by Scout Troop 23 of Elizabeth.

Visitors can also bring their National Parks Passport to the general store and get it stamped, thanks to Union County’s inclusion in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. While at the General Store, visitors are invited to view exhibits of artifacts, photographs and maps depicting the history of the Deserted Village across four centuries. Photos from the late 1800’s that were found just last year will be on display.  Nostalgic candy, snacks, toys and games will be sold at the store.  Families are also invited to pack a picnic and use one of the nearby picnic tables.

The beautifully restored circa-1882 Masker’s Barn carriage house will be open for the weekend. Visitors can tour the building and then linger outside to roast marshmallows around a campfire with the ghost of Anna Malloy, wife of an early caretaker.  Inside the Barn, visitors can meet historian Priscilla Hayes and real-life archaeologists Matt Tomaso and Carissa Scarpa.  A curated collection of artifacts from an 18th century homestead, the Raddin-Badgley house site, will help illustrate what life was like in rural New Jersey during the Revolutionary War and the years that followed!

Visitors can take a short walk to a small family graveyard on a hillside just behind the church and general store. John Willcocks, a New Jersey militia soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War along with General George Washington’s regular army, will greet visitors.  He died 250 years ago, on November 22, 1776, just a few months after the Revolutionary War began.

He will explain how the discovery of a human tooth started a quest to find the unmarked graves of two dozen members of the Willcocks and Badgley families.  Archival research and non-invasive archaeological investigation revealed the site of the missing cemetery, which has been cleared and marked.  An historically accurate fence was erected on two sides of the cemetery this past summer.

The Deserted Village has seen many changes since its origin as David Felt’s business enterprise. Over the years, it has been used as a farm for fancy cattle, a summer resort called Glenside Park, relief housing during the Great Depression, and an outdoor education center. By the 1970’s, the Deserted Village was all but forgotten.  David Felt and the historian and archaeologists will recount how research, archaeology and dumb luck has helped reveal that history as they lead a tour of the Village, starting from Masker’s Barn at 2:30 pm each day.

Fortunately, restoration work has been ongoing since 1985.  Felt’s general store now serves as a visitor center.  Masker’s Barn is a rental venue that hosts 100 events each year.  Plans are progressing for projects authorized by the Union County Board of County Commissioners for new roofs, building restoration work, museum exhibits, and improvements to the Barn.

Special programming on Sunday of the Four Centuries weekend will focus on the events of 250 years ago.  Benjamin Franklin, whose son, William, was the last Royal Governor of New Jersey, will be visiting with the Willcocks and Badgley families while on a trip to New York City.  Feel free to converse with him and hear some of his famous wit and wisdom. 

Also on Sunday, Joseph Badgley will be on site.  Like his cousin Joh Willcocks, Joseph served in the New Jersey Militia.  He will instruct children in military drill and will fire his musket for them.

For more information about the Deserted Village of Feltville, visit the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation online at ucnj.org/dv or follow Priscilla Hayes’ monthly posts on her website, www.feltvillefeatures.com.  

“Four Centuries in a Weekend is one of Union County’s most popular annual traditions, bringing families back year after year to explore the history in their own communities,” said Union County Commissioner Vice Chair Rebecca L. Williams, liaison to the Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “Throughout this year, we have celebrated our nation’s 250th anniversary through programs that highlight Union County’s place in America’s story. This weekend continues that celebration at the historic sites where those connections come to life, thanks to the staff and volunteers who preserve these places and share their stories with each new generation.”

Four Centuries in a Weekend is funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, part of the Division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State, and is organized by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, in collaboration with staff and volunteers at the sites and is sponsored by the Union County Board of County Commissioners.

For locations, hours, special events, and other details about more than 30 other historical sites participating in Four Centuries in a Weekend this year, visit the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs, www.ucnj.org/4c or call (908) 558-2550.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites residents and visitors to explore the people, places and stories that shaped our communities during Four Centuries in a Weekend on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, 2026.

This popular annual tradition brings history to life at sites throughout Union County through guided tours, reenactments, exhibits, demonstrations and family activities. In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, this year’s programs offer special opportunities to discover local connections to the American Revolution and the generations who helped shape our nation.

“Four Centuries in a Weekend gives residents a chance to step inside a historic home, hear a story they may never have known and see their community in a new way,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. “As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, we invite families to spend the weekend discovering the history right here in Union County.”

At the Deserted Village of Feltville in Berkeley Heights, visitors can take guided or self-guided tours, ride a hay wagon, press apple cider, roast marshmallows and meet figures from the Village’s past, including Revolutionary War soldier John Willcocks.

New to the event this year, the UCNJ Union College of Union County NJ (UCNJ) Historic Tree Grove in Cranford connects science and history through trees grown from seeds or cuttings of trees associated with significant people and events in American history. Located near the Sperry Observatory on UCNJ’s Cranford campus, the grove offers a living connection to the past during the nation’s 250th anniversary.

In Westfield, the Atlas Pythagoras Lodge #10 will host a presentation of a 26-foot oil-on-canvas mural depicting the Battle of Spanktown in Rahway. Painted by artist Lloyd Garrison in 1988, the work portrays American militia and Continental forces facing British troops during a 12-hour engagement in 1777, part of the American Revolution’s “Forage War.”

The Drake House Museum in Plainfield will display the rarely shown Tree of Life quilt, reportedly made by the daughter of Declaration of Independence signer John Hart.

The Frazee House in Scotch Plains will host The March to Yorktown on Sunday, featuring portrayals of Generals George Washington and Rochambeau, along with music by the New Jersey Fife & Drums Corps.

At Springfield’s Cannon Ball House, visitors can add their names to a replica Declaration of Independence, which will be preserved as a keepsake of the nation’s Semiquincentennial.

The Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway will offer a Sunday presentation on American history, a student reading of the Declaration of Independence and guided tours of its historic theater.

Twin Maples in Summit will present a Sunday lecture exploring the important roles women played during the American Revolution.

All participating sites will offer a free Union County History Passport, which visitors can have stamped at each stop. Several locations within the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area will also offer a special stamp for the Passport to Your National Parks book.

Visitors can also collect Union County History Trading Cards featuring notable people, places and events. With more than 80 cards to collect, the series offers another way for families to discover local history as they travel from site to site.

Participating Sites

• Berkeley Heights: Deserted Village of Feltville/Glenside Park; Littell-Lord Farmstead.
• Clark: Dr. William Robinson Plantation Museum.
• Cranford: Crane-Phillips House; Union College of Union County NJ (UCNJ) Historic Tree Grove; William Miller Sperry Observatory.
• Elizabeth: Belcher-Ogden Mansion and Bonnell Homestead; Siloam-Hope First Presbyterian Church and Snyder Academy; Boxwood Hall State Historic Site; Elizabeth Public Library.
• Fanwood: Historic Fanwood Train Station Museum.
• Hillside: Woodruff House, Eaton Store Museum and Phil Rizzuto All Sports Exhibit; Evergreen Cemetery.
• Kenilworth: Oswald J. Nitschke House.
• Mountainside: Deacon Andrew Hetfield House.
• New Providence: Salt Box Museum, plus special Saturday archive and graveyard programs.
• Plainfield: Drake House Museum; Plainfield Friends Quaker Meeting House.
• Rahway: African American History and Heritage Learning Center; Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum; Union County Performing Arts Center.
• Roselle: Abraham Clark House.
• Scotch Plains: Frazee House; Osborn Cannonball House Museum; Shady Rest Country Club.
• Springfield: Cannon Ball House.
• Summit: Carter House; Reeves-Reed Arboretum; Twin Maples.
• Union: Caldwell Parsonage; Donald M. Payne Vauxhall Meeting Center; Connecticut Farms Church; Liberty Hall Museum.
• Westfield: Burial Grounds of the Presbyterian Church; Miller-Cory House Museum; Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center; Battle of Spanktown mural presentation at Atlas Pythagoras Lodge #10.

“Four Centuries is a tradition that residents look forward to every year, and our historic sites continue to give them new reasons to return,” said Union County Commissioner Vice Chair Rebecca L. Williams, liaison to the Cultural and Heritage Programs Advisory Board. “This year’s anniversary celebrations have brought so many opportunities to explore our past. This weekend builds on that excitement, with programs that share familiar stories alongside the contributions of people whose place in history deserves greater attention.”

Hours vary by location, and some sites are open on Saturday or Sunday only. Visitors should review the complete event schedule before planning their route.

This event is funded in part through a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the New Jersey Department of State. The program is organized by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.

For more information about Four Centuries in a Weekend, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-436-2912 or email jprescott@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites residents to explore a variety of upcoming programs, including sound bowl meditation, acrylic painting workshops, forest bathing and tea ceremonies, live animal presentations, senior nature walks, toddler programs, and more.

Upcoming highlights include:

• Sound Bowl Meditation — October 17, November 14 & December 5
• Art Workshops for Adults — October 17, November 21 & December 12
• Forest Bathing & Tea Ceremony — October 24 & November 14
• Remarkable Raptors — October 24
• Creatures of the Night — November 14
• Plus toddler programs, senior nature walks, astronomy, and other special events throughout the season!

Trailside Nature & Science Center
452 New Providence Road, Mountainside

👉 Register for all programs at ucnj.org/trailside

The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites residents to attend “The Women of Congress 1776,” a musical dramatization of the debate surrounding the Declaration of Independence, on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Trailside Nature & Science Center, located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside.

Click here to register.

“As we mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this performance offers residents an engaging way to connect with the history behind it,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. “We invite the community to join us at Trailside for an evening that brings together the performing arts and the ideas that helped shape our nation.”

Presented by the Union County Department of Parks & Recreation, the performance features an all-female cast from Offbook Productions portraying the congressional delegates of 1776. Through music and dramatic storytelling, the production brings audiences into the debates behind one of the most influential documents in history.

“An all-female cast portraying the delegates of 1776 gives audiences a fresh way to experience this familiar chapter of history,” said Union County Commissioner Vice Chair Rebecca L. Williams. “It also invites us to consider whose voices were heard at our nation’s founding and the generations of women who worked to make their voices count. We are pleased to welcome Offbook Productions for an evening that encourages both reflection and appreciation of the arts.”

The program is organized by the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and is funded in part by grants from the New Jersey Historical Commission and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, both divisions of the New Jersey Department of State.

The event is open to the public, however you do have to click on the link to register. For more information, please contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550 or email Culturalinfo@ucnj.org

The Union County Board of County Commissioners is reminding residents that the final Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) event of the 2026 season will be held on Sunday, October 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vocational-Technical School, West Hall/ Police Academy Lot, located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. Residents are encouraged to bring a variety of household chemicals for proper recycling or disposal that include, but are not limited to, oil-based finishes, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides and more. For a complete list of acceptable items, please visit ucnj.org/recycling/household-special-waste/ or call the Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9890.

“We have only a few weeks left until our final household hazardous waste event; this is a great opportunity for residents to gather any unwanted household materials and potentially hazardous chemicals for safe disposal,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. “By participating in our recycling programs, you are making our community safer for our families, pets, and wildlife; I encourage you to take advantage of this free program before the season comes to a close.”

Subsequent events to the October 2026 HHW Event will kick off in the spring of 2027.  Residents who have household chemicals in need of disposal and cannot make the October 2026 HHW event have the following options:

1. Middlesex County is having one additional HHW event on Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The event will be held at Middlesex College, located at  2600 Woodbridge Avenue in Edison. Please use the Mill Road entrance (Parking Lot #2).  To attend this event, please contact Bureau Chief Stuart Newman at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning at 908-654-9892 or email stuart.newman@ucnj.org to make arrangements.

2. The Morris County Utilities Authority (MCUA) operates a permanent HHW facility that is open year-round.  This facility accepts non-Morris County residents for the proper disposal of HHW. The facility is located at 168 Gold Mine Road in Flanders, NJ.  They accept vehicles by appointment only.  Morris County charges a fee of $2.00 per pound for disposal of material for non-Morris County residents. To schedule an appointment online, visit https://mcmua.com/sw_hhw_pfac.asp.  

3. Safely store your household hazardous waste items until Union County’s HHW events resume in the Spring of 2027. Please look for the 2027 dates on Union County’s Bureau of Recycling and Planning page in the coming weeks by visiting ucnj.org/recycling.  For further information on the proper home storage of household chemicals or HHW, you can consult the USEPA’s website (https://www.epa.gov/hw/household-hazardous-waste-hhw).

At the October 25^th event, the Union County Police Department (UCPD) Bomb Squad will be onsite at the Union County VoTech for the collection of unwanted ammunition only!  At this event, the UCPD will not be taking fireworks.  If you do have unwanted fireworks, it is recommended that you store them in a dry place in your home.  Arrangements are being made to accommodate firework disposal in the near future.  If you have any questions regarding disposal or management of household hazardous waste, please contact the Bureau of Recycling and Planning at 908-654-9890 or contact the Bureau Chief by email at stuart.newman@ucnj.org.

The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites residents to the 2026 Columbus Day Flag Raising Ceremony as we celebrate Italian American heritage and the contributions of Italian Americans to our community.

• Friday, October 9, 2026
• 12:00 p.m.
• Union County Courthouse, 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth

Come together with neighbors and friends as we raise the Italian flag and honor the traditions passed down through generations. We look forward to seeing you there!

Union County Deputy Clerk Clara Fernández announces that vote-by-mail ballots are now available for the November 3, 2026 General Election.

Union County voters may obtain a vote-by-mail ballot in person at either Union County Clerk’s Office location:

Westfield

• 300 North Avenue East
• Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday and Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Elizabeth

• 2 Broad Street, Room 113
• Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Both offices will also be open Saturday, October 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for voters who need to obtain or return vote-by-mail ballots. Ballots have already been mailed to voters who previously requested them.

Voters can review sample ballots and election information through the Union County Votes website and the County’s free mobile app. Reviewing election materials in advance can help voters become familiar with their ballot and plan ahead.

“Voting provides an important opportunity for Union County residents to participate in our democracy and make their voices heard,” said Deputy Clerk Fernández. “We encourage eligible voters to become informed, prepare ahead of time, and participate in the election.”

Voters are reminded that U.S. Postal Service postmarks reflect when mail is processed, rather than when it is dropped off. Ballots mailed close to Election Day could therefore receive a later postmark.

New Jersey law requires vote-by-mail ballots to be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted. Voters are encouraged to mail ballots early or use a secure County drop box.

For a complete list of secure ballot drop-box locations, visit the Union County Board of Elections Ballot Drop Box page.

For additional information about vote-by-mail ballots, drop-off options, sample ballots, and polling locations, visit Union County Elections, call 908-527-4996, or email ucvote@ucnj.org.