Elizabeth Groups Among 26 Union County History Grant Recipients
Robert Hargrove · Union County Life
According to Union County's announcement.
Union County is giving small grants to 26 historic sites and local groups to help residents learn about the nation's 250th anniversary.
The awards total nearly $24,000. Three of them, at $1,000 each, went to groups in Elizabeth. The Elizabeth Public Library will restore the historic Red Lion Inn plaque, and the Elizabeth Historical Society will produce a video called "The Corner That History Made."
The third Elizabeth award went to First Presbyterian Church and Snyder Academy for "Black History Speaks," a program of portrayals of historical figures. The Union County Board of County Commissioners is awarding the special project grants through the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.
The grants pay for living history demonstrations, educational programs, exhibits, historical markers and materials residents can use to explore the county's past.
Other funded projects include a Revolutionary War encampment at the Dr. Robinson Plantation in Clark, and a lecture and children's activities about Patriot soldiers associated with Cranford from the Cranford Historical Society. In Union, Caldwell Parsonage received funding for a historical kiosk about the Battle of Connecticut Farms.
Several of the projects were part of Union County's Four Centuries in a Weekend in October. Other awards support programs held throughout the anniversary year. In Rahway, for example, the African American History and Heritage Learning Center is getting two secure display cabinets for historical artifacts.
The county says the projects highlight the people, places and experiences that shaped Union County, and that the grants support the local groups that keep those stories open to the public. Some of the improvements will keep serving visitors beyond 2026.
The announcement does not say how each award was chosen, whether more grant rounds are planned, or what anniversary events remain on the calendar. For details, contact John Prescott at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-436-2912 or jprescott@ucnj.org.
Find more Elizabeth events, businesses, and local news on Union County Life.
Source: Union County
Photo: Bacho Grigolia / Pexels
Frequently asked questions
How much did Union County award for local history projects?
Union County is awarding nearly $24,000 in special project grants to 26 historic sites and organizations for the nation's 250th anniversary.
What kinds of projects do the grants support?
The grants support living history demonstrations, educational programs, exhibits, historical markers and materials residents can use to explore Union County's past.
Who can I contact for more information?
Contact John Prescott at the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-436-2912 or jprescott@ucnj.org.
Related articles
HistoryPlainfield Black Heritage Marker Honors School Desegregation Ruling
A New Jersey Black Heritage Trail marker at Anna and Charles Booker Elementary honors the Booker plaintiffs and Plainfield’s 1965 school desegregation ruling.
HistoryRahway Historic Sites Receive Union County 250th Anniversary Grants
Union County grants of $1,000 went to three Rahway historic sites for 250th anniversary programs, posters, display cabinets, and living history demonstrations.
HistoryPlainfield School Desegregation Marker to Be Unveiled at Booker School
A NJ Black Heritage Trail marker honoring the 1965 Booker case against segregation in Plainfield public schools will be unveiled at the Booker School.
Get Union County news in your inbox
Subscribe for local headlines, town updates, and community stories from across Union County.
Sign up for the newsletter