Union County - Countywide - 2018 Four Centuries in a Weekend
Saturday-Sunday, October 20-21 – Union County
Union County History Comes Alive During
“Four Centuries in a Weekend,” Oct. 20-21
Saturday - Sunday, October 20 - 21 - Union County
Four Centuries in a Weekend
Experience Union County's rich heritage! The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, staff, and volunteers at 35 house museums, historic sites, and history organizations join together to invite the public to come and discover more than 370 years of history during the annual "Four Centuries in a Weekend, A Journey Through Union County's History." The two-day, free event is scheduled for 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
"Four Centuries in a Weekend" began in 1994 when 16 historic sites and the County of Union organized a weekend event to tell the story of how Elizabethtown of 1664 evolved into the 21 municipalities of today's Union County.
A visit to Hillside will bring you to the Woodruff House/Eaton Store, built in 1735; and the historic Evergreen Cemetery, a virtual museum of funerary art. In Rahway you'll be welcome at the Merchants and Drovers Tavern, a restored early 19th century hotel, and you can tour the Union County Performing Arts Center, a beautifully restored classic Vaudeville venue.
When you stop at the Dr. William Robinson Plantation in Clark, you'll discover a post-medieval English-style house where Dr. Robinson practiced healing with plants and herbs.
At the Abraham Clark House, home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, you'll learn about Early American life and the history of Roselle. In the Roselle Park Museum, housed in the Charles E. Stone Store, you'll be standing in the first electrically-lighted store in the world.
Three authentic 18th century farmhouses are open for touring: the Miller-Cory House in Westfield; the Salt Box Museum in New Providence; and the Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield, which was used as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War.
Venturing into the Watchung Mountains, you'll find the Deacon Andrew Hetfield House in Mountainside, home to the Hetfield family for 186 years; stroll through the Deserted Village of Feltville-Glenside Park in the Watchung Reservation, an 1845 town created by businessman David Felt; visit the Littell-Lord Farmstead in Berkeley Heights, a reminder of the County's agricultural past; and explore Summit, with its Twin Maples, a stately neoclassical mansion; the Carter House, the city's oldest house, built in the 1740s; and the Summit Playhouse, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure with a 120-seat auditorium.
Union County is also part of the Passport To Your National Parks program where Parks enthusiasts have their passports stamped when they visit historic sites around the county. Union County is one of 14 New Jersey counties that comprise the NPS’ Crossroads of the Revolution National Heritage area, which recognizes the role New Jersey played in the American Revolution. Twenty-three of the sites have stamps available.
Children can earn a Time Traveler's Certificate and a Four Centuries Patch by visiting and obtaining a Time Traveler Passport at any of the sites, having it stamped and returning the completed form to the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs. For free copies of the Four Centuries in a Weekend tour booklet, map, and further information visit http://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs/historic-sites-map.
Union County’s annual public heritage event, “Four Centuries in a Weekend: A Journey through Union County’s History,” will take place on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21 from noon to 5:00 p.m.
Four Centuries in a Weekend
Experience Union County's rich heritage! The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, staff, and volunteers at 35 house museums, historic sites, and history organizations join together to invite the public to come and discover more than 370 years of history during the annual "Four Centuries in a Weekend, A Journey Through Union County's History." The two-day, free event is scheduled for 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday."Four Centuries in a Weekend" began in 1994 when 16 historic sites and the County of Union organized a weekend event to tell the story of how Elizabethtown of 1664 evolved into the 21 municipalities of today's Union County.
A visit to Hillside will bring you to the Woodruff House/Eaton Store, built in 1735; and the historic Evergreen Cemetery, a virtual museum of funerary art. In Rahway you'll be welcome at the Merchants and Drovers Tavern, a restored early 19th century hotel, and you can tour the Union County Performing Arts Center, a beautifully restored classic Vaudeville venue.
When you stop at the Dr. William Robinson Plantation in Clark, you'll discover a post-medieval English-style house where Dr. Robinson practiced healing with plants and herbs.
At the Abraham Clark House, home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence, you'll learn about Early American life and the history of Roselle. In the Roselle Park Museum, housed in the Charles E. Stone Store, you'll be standing in the first electrically-lighted store in the world.
Three authentic 18th century farmhouses are open for touring: the Miller-Cory House in Westfield; the Salt Box Museum in New Providence; and the Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield, which was used as George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War.
Venturing into the Watchung Mountains, you'll find the Deacon Andrew Hetfield House in Mountainside, home to the Hetfield family for 186 years; stroll through the Deserted Village of Feltville-Glenside Park in the Watchung Reservation, an 1845 town created by businessman David Felt; visit the Littell-Lord Farmstead in Berkeley Heights, a reminder of the County's agricultural past; and explore Summit, with its Twin Maples, a stately neoclassical mansion; the Carter House, the city's oldest house, built in the 1740s; and the Summit Playhouse, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure with a 120-seat auditorium.
Union County is also part of the Passport To Your National Parks program where Parks enthusiasts have their passports stamped when they visit historic sites around the county. Union County is one of 14 New Jersey counties that comprise the NPS’ Crossroads of the Revolution National Heritage area, which recognizes the role New Jersey played in the American Revolution. Twenty-three of the sites have stamps available.
Children can earn a Time Traveler's Certificate and a Four Centuries Patch by visiting and obtaining a Time Traveler Passport at any of the sites, having it stamped and returning the completed form to the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs. For free copies of the Four Centuries in a Weekend tour booklet, map, and further information visit http://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/cultural-heritage-affairs/historic-sites-map.
Union County’s annual public heritage event, “Four Centuries in a Weekend: A Journey through Union County’s History,” will take place on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21 from noon to 5:00 p.m.
Sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, with the cooperation of staff and volunteers at 35 house museums and historic sites, the free two-day event opens the doors to more than 370 years of history throughout the county.
“Four Centuries in a Weekend began in 1994 when 16 historic sites and the County of Union organized a weekend event to tell the story of how Elizabethtown of 1664 evolved into the 21 municipalities of today’s Union County,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “This year, a beautifully restored mansion and church, Revolutionary War burial grounds, the county’s oldest railroad station, quaint house museums, special exhibitions and tours showcase the county’s treasure trove of history.”
This year’s event will branch out and highlight the rich history of innovation, invention and industry in Union County. For the first time, Nokia Bell Labs and the Sperry Observatory will be open for tours and activities.
The Bell Labs Technology Showcase will be open on October 20 by scheduled appointment (25 per group) at the following times: 12-1 p.m., 1-2 p.m., 2-3 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. Visitors can observe remarkable technological advancements, such as the first transistor and an original Telstar satellite. Pre-registration is required online at ucnj.org/4c.
