"Memo to Those Who Open the Historic Time Capsule." That was the title Maria Sartor gave a letter she published in October 1984, as spokeswoman for the township's Tercentennial Committee. Three days later, at 9:30 a.m. on October 13, a time capsule was buried in front of Town Hall. It held documents, photographs and videotapes from thirty to forty local organizations. It was meant to be opened in 2026, the nation's 250th year.
That year is here. This June the township reprinted the memo and set it beside the present. The Stage House Inn is now the Stage House Tavern. John's Meat Market, the Highlander and the Stone House Coin Shop are still open across from where the capsule went into the ground. Autumn Harvest and the Swiss Pastry Shoppe are still around the corner. The calendar still has the Halloween parade it had in 1984. The memo also records that Scotch Hills Golf Course has had its historic name, Shady Rest Country Club, officially restored.
The last part of the 250th in Scotch Plains takes place over two consecutive Saturdays. First, three historic sites open to the public for free. A week later, a ball at one of those sites raises money for all three. If you show up both weekends, you see the places and then help pay to keep them standing.
October 17 and 18: three addresses, free admission
Union County's Four Centuries in a Weekend runs Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, from noon to 5 p.m. More than 30 historic sites across the county open their doors, free unless otherwise noted. This year's program is built around the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Most towns on the list have one or two sites. Scotch Plains has three: the Frazee House, the Osborn Cannonball House Museum and Shady Rest Country Club.
Osborn Cannonball House Museum, 1840 Front Street. The house dates to about 1755 and was home to the Osborn family, whose sons fought in the Revolution. Its name comes from a local legend that a cannonball struck it during the Battle of Short Hills on June 26, 1777. The Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood plans a display of colonial-era clothing for the weekend, plus a live 18th-century stone-carving demonstration by a master gravestone cutter. Children get a craft and an early Halloween treat. The museum is open both days, noon to 5 p.m.
Frazee House, 1451 Raritan Road. This Anglo-Dutch farmstead dates to roughly 1720 to 1740. The house is best known for the story of Elizabeth "Aunt Betty" Frazee confronting Cornwallis. The organization that cares for the house calls that story a legend and says the conversation is not confirmed by primary-source documents. On Sunday the grounds host "The March to Yorktown," with Generals Washington and Rochambeau and music by the New Jersey Fife & Drums Corps. Exterior restoration began in May 2018 and was finished in spring 2020. The county listing confirms the Sunday event but does not say the interior will be open.
Shady Rest Country Club, 820 Jerusalem Road. From 1921 to 1964 Shady Rest was the first Black-owned and African American golf and country club in the United States. John Shippen, the first African American professional golfer, played there. The township bought the property in 1964 and opened it to the public. The county's program describes it as "one of the nation's earliest Black-owned country clubs."
All participating sites hand out a free Union County History Passport to stamp at each stop. Some sites also carry collectible Union County History Trading Cards, and the full set runs to more than 80. All three Scotch Plains stops are in one township, so you can collect three stamps without leaving town.
Don't mix up the two cannonball houses. Springfield's Cannon Ball House is also on the county list. There, visitors can sign a replica Declaration of Independence that will be kept as a Semiquincentennial keepsake. The Scotch Plains house is the Osborn, on Front Street. The county also says hours vary at several sites and some are open only on Saturday or only on Sunday, so check the full schedule at ucnj.org/4c before you plan your route.
October 24: the same three landmarks get the proceeds
The following Saturday, the township's Colonial Ball runs from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Shady Rest clubhouse. The evening includes traditional colonial dancing, live period music, games, a colonial-themed food tasting and historic figures mingling with guests. Period dress is encouraged but not required. Tickets are $75 per person, and parking on site is free. All proceeds go to the Shady Rest Country Club, the Osborn Cannonball House and the Frazee House.
Some of this work already has public funding behind it. In 2024 the New Jersey Historic Trust awarded a $150,000 Capital Level I grant to the Preserve Shady Rest Committee to restore the clubhouse's historic interiors and exteriors. The ball is in the same building that grant covers.
The township's Revolution 250 page lists the Colonial Ball as its only dated event for October through December. The township's main 250th celebration was held June 26 and 27, timed to the 249th anniversary of the Battle of Short Hills. The ball is the last township-run 250th event on the calendar this year.
The 24th runs from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
That Saturday is also the busiest family day of the month. A household could fill it start to finish.
| Time | Event | Location | Rain plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 a.m.–1 p.m. | Scotch Plains Farmers Market | Municipal Parking Lot, 430 Park Ave. | Rain or shine |
| Noon–3 p.m. | Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA Fall Harvest | YMCA | Oct. 25 |
| 3–5 p.m. | Trunk or Treat | East Second Street | Oct. 25 |
| 6:30–9 p.m. | Union County Haunted Hayrides, half-hourly departures | Deserted Village of Feltville, Watchung Reservation | Oct. 26 |
| 7–10 p.m. | Colonial Ball | Shady Rest clubhouse, 820 Jerusalem Rd. | None listed |
The YMCA's Fall Harvest is free and includes a pumpkin patch, a haunted walking trail, rides and a costume contest. The Haunted Hayrides run Friday, October 23, through Sunday, October 25. Sunday departures end at 8:30 p.m., and Monday, October 26, is the rain date. The Fall Harvest and Trunk or Treat share an October 25 rain date, so if the weather turns, Sunday will be just as crowded. The farmers market runs rain or shine.
October weather has already disrupted at least one local event. On Sunday, October 4, Union County canceled the afternoon Hayride & Campfire at Trailside Nature & Science Center because of rain and said ticket holders would get rescheduling instructions by email.
On Sunday, October 25, Fanwood's Jersey Central Theatre Company stages a Halloween-themed reading of Jane, Joseph, and the Jersey Devil at the Carriage House. The reading starts at 3 p.m. and doors open at 2:30. The suggested cash contribution is $10, seating is limited and there are no reservations.
Where to eat between stops
Three places that opened this year are worth working into an October route.
- Sushi BBY Omakase, 1832 East Second Street near Park Avenue. It took over a former juice bar. There is no menu, only a 12- or 17-course progression built around the day's catch. Seatings last 90 minutes, are by reservation only and are BYOB. Partners Carmen Gumina, Po Chen and Xida Zhao met while working as omakase chefs in northern New Jersey. At the August 18 ribbon-cutting, they said reservations were already booked into October. If you want a table on the night of the ball, book well ahead.
- Meet Again Café, 1985 Route 22, in the building that used to be a Dunkin' Donuts. It pairs Italian-style cappuccinos and lattes with Japanese light bites such as onigiri and a Purple Rice Roll. Co-owners are Tony Chen and Catherine Zhuo.
- Outsiders Coffee Roasters, 1943 Route 22, which held its ribbon-cutting on June 9.
The 1984 businesses are still here too. The Swiss Pastry Shoppe, John's Meat Market and the Stage House Tavern are all named in the township's memo as still open. A day at the 250th events can include both the new places and the ones that were open when the capsule went into the ground.
After the ball
The calendar keeps going after the 24th. On Thursday, October 29, the township's Diwali Celebration fills the Alan M. Augustine Village Green at 430 Park Avenue from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The flyer lists dance, music, activities and henna, with food and tea for sale. The rain date is November 5. On Sunday, November 1, the Great Pumpkin Sail floats on Echo Lake Park in Mountainside, with sessions at 5:15, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m. The rain date is November 2.
The farmers market keeps its Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours at 430 Park Avenue into November. Vendors new this season include 201 Sauce Company, Amara's Caribbean BBQ, MariGateaux, Lara's Mediterranean and TriBoro Vegan. The sources give two different end dates. TAPinto's season preview says the market runs through mid-November. The market's own site says the last Saturday before Thanksgiving. Check before you plan around the final week.
If you miss October 17 and 18, the Osborn Cannonball House is free and normally open for tours on the first Sunday of each month, except January and February. You can also call (908) 322-6700, ext. 230, to book a visit. The next first Sunday is November 1.
Frank Isoldi has spent many seasons watching how Scotch Plains landmarks like Shady Rest, Front Street and the Stage House shape the way people feel about the town. If you'd like to talk about what that history means for a home you own or one you're considering, The Isoldi Collection is glad to help. Request a Private Market Consultation.
