The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to announce Union County’s “Four Centuries in a Weekend” countywide history event returns for its 30th season on Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th. Unless noted otherwise, all participating historic sites are open from 12:00 p.m. noon to 5:00 p.m. Each day is packed with tours, exhibits, and various special events and activities at more than 30 house museums and historic sites in Union County, all open to the public free of charge.
“Our ‘Four Centuries in a Weekend’ event aims to ignite interest in the great history of our county for both history enthusiasts and curious visitors,” said Union County Commissioner Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded. “Attendees will have the opportunity to witness a reenactment of the Revolutionary War era in Elizabeth, learn to make butter the colonial way at Caldwell Parsonage in Union, or even try their hand at apple cider pressing as our ancestors did in Berkeley Heights. With 38 locations participating this year, there will be something for everyone to enjoy and take away from Union County’s diverse and storied past. I invite you to join us in exploring as many historic sites as you can and bring your friends and family. I hope to see you there.”
Union County’s ‘Four Centuries in a Weekend’ is the first and oldest History ‘Open House’ Weekend of its kind in New Jersey. The event started in 1994 with 16 participating locations and will now celebrate its 30th anniversary with 38 participating sites, the largest number to date.
“I proudly join in celebrating 30 years of connecting our residents and visitors to New Jersey’s historic beginnings,” said Union County Commissioner Bette Jane Kowalski, Liaison to the Union County Cultural and Heritage Advisory Board. “Union County is rich with historical treasures, traditions and stories. You can see and enjoy many of them at Four Centuries in a Weekend. I want to thank the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, their dedicated staff and the volunteers whose contributions make this lively weekend possible.”
Attendees can stop by Revolutionary War burial grounds, the county’s oldest railroad station, quaint house museums, special exhibitions, and much more. Each site will provide visitors with a free Union County Passport to stamp. Visitors can also pick up free Union County History trading cards at many sites.
At most sites, representatives or docents will provide tours or answer questions. These exhibits provide the opportunity to learn about aspects of every-day life during the 1700s, the 1800s, and more recent times.
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.
Participating Sites are:
Berkeley Heights
- Deserted Village of Feltville / Glenside within Watchung Reservation
1 Cataract Hollow Road, Berkeley Heights
- Little-Lord Farmstead
31 Horseshoe Road, Berkeley Heights
Clark
- Dr. William Robinson Plantation Museum
593 Madison Hill Road, Clark
Cranford
- Crane-Phillips House Museum
124 North Union Avenue, Cranford
- William Miller Sperry Observatory
UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ
1033 Springfield Avenue, Cranford
Elizabeth
- Belcher-Ogden Mansion & Bonnell Homestead
1046 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth
- Boxwood Hall State Historic House
1073 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth
- Elizabeth Public Library
Open Saturday only/ Closed Sunday
11 South Broad Street, Elizabeth
- Siloam Hope First Presbyterian Church and Snyder Academy
42 Broad Street, Elizabeth
Fanwood
- Fanwood Train Station Museum
Open 12-4 pm both days
230 North Avenue, Fanwood
Hillside
- Evergreen Cemetery
1137 North Broad Street, Hillside
- Woodruff House/ Eaton Store Museum
Open 12-4 pm both days
111 Conant Street, Hillside
Kenilworth
- Oswald J. Nitschke House
49 South 21 Street, Kenilworth
Mountainside
- Deacon Andrew Hetfield House
Constitution Plaza, Watchung Avenue, Mountainside
New Providence
- Salt Box Museum
1350 Springfield Avenue, New Providence
Plainfield
- Drake House Museum
602 West Front Street, Plainfield
- duCret Center of Art
Open Saturday 9am-3pm / Open Sunday 9am-12pm noon
1030 Central Avenue, Plainfield
- Quaker Meetinghouse
Open Saturday only/ Closed Sunday
225 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield
Rahway
- African-American History & Heritage Learning Center
Open Saturday only/ Closed Sunday
261 Central Avenue, Rahway
- Merchants & Drovers Tavern Museum
1632 St. Georges Avenue, Rahway
- Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC)
1601 Irving Street, Rahway
Roselle
- Abraham Clark Memorial House
101 West 9th Avenue, Roselle
Roselle Park
- Roselle Park Historical Society & Museum
9 West Grant Avenue, Roselle Park
Scotch Plains
- Frazee House
1451 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains
- Osborn Cannonball House Museum
1840 Front Street, Scotch Plains
- Shady Rest Country Club
820 Jerusalem Road, Scotch Plains
Springfield
- Cannon Ball House
126 Morris Avenue, Springfield
Summit
- Carter House
90 Butler Parkway, Summit
Reeves-Reed Arboretum
Open Saturday 10am-4pm only/ Closed Sunday
165 Hobart Avenue, Summit
Twin Maples
214 Springfield Avenue, Summit
Wallace Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church
138-142 Broad Street, Summit
Union
- Caldwell Parsonage
909 Caldwell Avenue, Union
- Connecticut Farms Church
888 Stuyvesant Avenue, Union
- Donald M. Payne Vauxhall Meeting Center
333Russell Street, Vauxhall (Union)
- Liberty Hall Museum
1003 Morris Avenue, Union
Westfield
- Miller-Cory House Museum
614 Mountain Avenue, Westfield
Reeve History & Cultural Resource Center
314 Mountain Avenue, Westfield
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route
Pop-Up Visitors Center, 10 Prospect Street, Westfield
For more information, including a complete list of activities and participating locations, visit www.ucnj.org/4c or contact the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs at culturalinfo@ucnj.org or 908-558-2550.