Announced October 15 by the Union County Board of County Commissioners through its Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, the awards support 26 recipients. Projects include educational programs, living history demonstrations, exhibits, historical markers and printed materials that help residents explore their communities’ past.
The grants were established as part of Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek’s initiative marking the anniversary.
“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,” Bodek said.
Several projects were scheduled for October’s Four Centuries in a Weekend. Others support anniversary-year programming or improvements intended to benefit visitors beyond 2026.
Berkeley Heights: Littell Lord Farmstead received $1,000 for a George Washington reading and commemorative coins as part of its Fall Festival.
Clark: Dr. Robinson Plantation received $1,000 for a Revolutionary War encampment during Four Centuries weekend.
Cranford: The Cranford Historical Society received $500 for a lecture and children’s activities about Patriot soldiers associated with Cranford.
Elizabeth: Three organizations received $1,000 each: Elizabeth Public Library for restoration of the historic Red Lion Inn plaque; First Presbyterian Church/Snyder Academy for “Black History Speaks,” featuring portrayals of historical figures; and the Elizabeth Historical Society for production of “The Corner That History Made” video.
Fanwood: The Fanwood Train Station Museum received $557 to develop a walking-tour brochure.
Kenilworth: Nitschke House received $1,000 for an illustrated historical timeline.
Mountainside: Hetfield House received $1,000 for “A Day in 1776,” exploring everyday life in colonial America.
New Providence: The Salt Box Museum received $995 for vintage baseball programming and a pamphlet featuring research on Patriots buried in New Providence.
Plainfield: Drake House Museum received $1,000 for brochures and signage related to the New Jersey Black History Trail.
Rahway: Three recipients received $1,000 each: Union County Performing Arts Center for posters highlighting Rahway’s role in American history; the African American History & Heritage Learning Center for two secure artifact display cabinets; and Merchants & Drovers Tavern Museum for living history demonstrations at Rahway’s Colonial Fair.
Scotch Plains: Awards of $1,000 each went to Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary/Frazee House for an American Revolution encampment; Osborn Cannonball House for a historic stonecutting demonstration; and Preserve the Shady Rest Committee for Independence Day and Labor Day jazz and blues performances.
Summit: Twin Maples received $923 for lectures on women in the American Revolution. Carter House received $551 for a Summit Historical Society brochure. Wallace Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church received $1,000 for programming about the Rev. Florence Spearing Randolph, a civil rights leader and suffragist.
Union: Three organizations received $1,000 each: Liberty Hall Museum for “Music in the Garden”; Caldwell Parsonage for a kiosk about the Battle of Connecticut Farms; and the First Presbyterian Congregation of Connecticut Farms Church for a Crossroads of the American Revolution interpretive panel.
Westfield: Reeve House received $600 for patriotic readings and children’s activities. Miller-Cory House received $850 for Sheep to Shawl and Fall Festival programming. Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route received $1,000 for an exhibit featuring soldiers and an updated brochure.
The awards support both public programming and the practical work of preserving local history, from protecting artifacts to developing resources visitors can use independently.
For information about the grants and county history programs, contact John Prescott at 908-436-2912 or jprescott@ucnj.org.