1777 March Made Scotch Plains Farmhouse Historic. Now It’s Part Of America’s 250th

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ - Scotch Plains will celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence with a two-day community commemoration on June 26 and 27, centered on the township's own deep ties to the Revolutionary War — including a historic farmhouse that stood as the British Army marched past it nearly 250 years ago.

At the center of events is the Frazee House, a farmhouse built in 1759 that has stood on the same spot since before the Revolution. Former Councilman Ted Sparrow, whose father Gabe Sparrow served as mayor of Scotch Plains, described the property's significance in a video message with Mayor Joshua Losardo this week.

"This humble farmhouse was here 250 years ago... a witness to the American Revolution," Ted Sparrow said. "It was here during the Battle of the Short Hills, which was fought right here in front of this house. General Howe, General Cornwallis passed, and the whole British Army passed right in front of this house."

The house was once listed among the most endangered historic sites in New Jersey before the Rotary Club and community members spearheaded its restoration. Ted Sparrow and other representatives from local historic organizations will be on the Village Green on June 26 to answer questions about the Frazee House and other historic properties. More information is available at frazeehouse.org.

The celebration begins Friday, June 26 — the anniversary of the 1777 Battle of Short Hills, which was fought in what is now Scotch Plains and Edison — with an afternoon and evening of historical tributes and family-friendly festivities. It continues Saturday, June 27, with the township's annual fireworks show at Shady Rest Country Club, 820 Jerusalem Rd.

Friday's events begin at 4:30 p.m. with a ceremony and wreath-laying at Scotch Plains Baptist Church, 333 Park Ave., honoring Revolution-era patriots and soldiers interred there. Members of the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution will participate.

At approximately 5 p.m., a parade led by a professional reenactor portraying Gen. George Washington on horseback — John Koopman, who has appeared in films and written books about Washington — along with reenactors portraying General Rochambeau and a Dragoon Officer, will proceed down Park Avenue to Town Hall.

There, the mayor and local officials will unveil and open a time capsule buried on Oct. 14, 1984, during the township's 300th anniversary celebration and sealed with instructions to open it in 2026. The opening is expected at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Festivities continue from approximately 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the Alan M. Augustine Village Green, with food, music and activities. The historic Stage House Tavern, built in 1737, will sponsor and donate food. Local historic organizations — including the Frazee House, Preserve Shady Rest and the Scotch Plains and Fanwood Historical Society — will share information about the township's heritage. scotchplainsnj

The dayslong celebration also features another Scotch Plains landmark with Revolutionary ties: the Doremus family home on Route 202, still standing today, which hosted George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and both Continental and French troops during the war.

Saturday evening's celebration begins at 5 p.m. at Shady Rest and will feature live music from the JB Barns Jazz Band and Glen Alexander and Shadowland starting around 6:30 p.m., followed by a fireworks display at dusk. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Saturday's live music is sponsored by Preserve Shady Rest.

"Scotch Plains is a destination that is rich with Revolutionary War history; these special commemorative events will be a wonderful opportunity to explore what makes our community so special, generation after generation," Mayor Losardo said.

The June 26 program is supported in part by a 2026 HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of County Commissioners, as well as RevolutionNJ, a statewide partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission and the nonprofit Crossroads of the American Revolution. The Township Council passed a resolution in 2023 to become an official RevolutionNJ community.

More information is available at scotchplainsnj.gov.

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