Scotch Plains, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Township
Malcom E. Nettingham Middle School, constructed in the 1920s as Scotch Plains High School, later becoming Park Middle School, was renamed to honor Nettingham, a Tuskegee Airman and an alumnus of the school.
Flag Seal
Map of Scotch Plains Township in Union County. Inset: Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Scotch Plains, New Jersey Location in Union County, New Jersey Show map of Union County, New Jersey Scotch Plains, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Scotch Plains, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Union
Incorporated	March 6, 1878 (as Fanwood Township)
Renamed	March 29, 1917 (as Scotch Plains)
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (council–manager)
• Body	Township Council
Area
• Total	9.06 sq mi (23.46 km2)
• Land	9.02 sq mi (23.36 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.09 km2)  0.40%
Area rank	220th of 565 in state 4th of 21 in county
Elevation	141 ft (43 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,968
• Estimate  (2023)	24,430
• Rank	105th of 565 in state 7th of 21 in county
• Density	2,767.8/sq mi (1,068.7/km2)
• Density rank	232nd of 565 in state 19th of 21 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07076
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	3403966060
GNIS feature ID	0882217
Website

Scotch Plains is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is located on a ridge in northern-central New Jersey, within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 24,968, an increase of 1,458 (+6.2%) from the 2010 census count of 23,510, which in turn reflected an increase of 778 (+3.4%) from the 22,732 counted in the 2000 census.

History

Native settlement

The Lenape are the ancestral community indigenous to a large chunk of the Mid-Atlantic region, stretching from Eastern Pennsylvania to the Atlantic Ocean, and from Delaware to Southern New York. Scotch Plains and the Mid-Atlantic region was used by the Lenape and their ancestors for roughly 10,000 years. It is suggested that the Lenape used Scotch Plains as a temporary camp in between the highly-utilized Delaware River and mountains to the West, and the Atlantic Ocean to the East.

Chronology and Ways of life

From the earliest periods of the Paleo-Indian (10,000-12,000 years ago) to the Archaic Period (4,000-10,000 years ago), there is evidence suggesting a high degree of mobile hunting in the rivers and woods around the Scotch Plains area, with spears, atlatls, and axe heads being found. During the Woodland period (450-4,000 years ago), it was common for communities to make items such as dugout canoes and nets for fishing, two artifacts the Lenape have come to be known for, along with their shelter of choice, the wigwam. During this time they also extensively farmed, moving around to different areas in search of productive land as the seasons progressed.

Colonial era

The area known as Scotch Plains was first settled by Europeans, including many Scottish Quakers, as early as 1684. The name is said to have come from George Scott, a leader of a group of Scottish settlers. It later served as a stop on the stage coach line between New York City and Philadelphia.

The Lenni Lenape were significantly impacted by the establishment of colonies in the 17th century, with colonists taking up a large majority of land that had once been the living area of the community. In 1778, the US ratified the first treaty with an American Indian tribe, the Treaty of Fort Pitt; the treaty eventually fell apart, causing the inter-cultural relationship to rupture. Today, the Lenni-Lenape, now known as the Delaware Nation, are found in small regions across the US and Canada. A variety of treaties, conflicts, and migration have spread out the community, although a small group continue to live in their ancestral region, hoping to educate and bring to light their claims to the land, including Scotch Plains.

The Ash Swamp in Scotch Plains was the scene of a key action in the Battle of Short Hills, on June 26, 1777, which included skirmishes as Washington's forces moved along Rahway Road in Scotch Plains toward the Watchung Mountains. An ancient house in Scotch Plains recalls those skirmishes and with the acreage adjoining the house, presents a vista of that decade, the 1770s. This was the home of Aunt Betty Frazee, whose retort to Lord Cornwallis led the British to find their bread from friendlier bakers in the same battle. The farmstead of Betty and Gershom Frazee is being restored by local organizations.

What is now Scotch Plains was originally incorporated as Fanwood Township on March 6, 1878, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of Plainfield Township and Westfield Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Fanwood Borough on October 2, 1895. Fanwood Township was renamed as Scotch Plains on March 29, 1917, based on the results of a referendum held that same day.

Scotch Plains was home to the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club, the nation's first African-American country club. Its pro, John Shippen, the first African-American golf professional, led the 1892 U.S. Open in the final round before finishing fifth. The Shady Rest clubhouse hosted Cab Calloway and other greats as a local center for African-American culture in the 1920s and 1930s. It is preserved today as the Scotch Hills Municipal course.

A much more complete history of the township can be found in the October 28, 1999, "Our Towns: Scotch Plains-Fanwood (2nd Annual)" issue of The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood, produced by the town's newspaper of record at the time as well as on the township's website.

The ancestors of many residents immigrated from the area of Montazzoli, Italy, as part of a wave of Italian immigrants who arrived in the area in the early 20th century. In recognition of this longstanding connection, the township established "Montazzoli Plaza" in October 2015 in front of the Italian American Club.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 9.06 square miles (23.46 km²), including 9.02 square miles (23.36 km²) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km²) of water (0.40%).

The township borders the municipalities of Berkeley Heights, Clark, Fanwood, Mountainside, Plainfield and Westfield in Union County; Edison and South Plainfield in Middlesex County; and Watchung in Somerset County.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Alton, Goodmans, Graceland, Two Bridges and Willow Grove.

The Robinson's Branch of the Rahway River additionally flows through Scotch Plains en route to the Robinson's Branch Reservoir.

Demographics

Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Scotch Plains as the most affordable suburb in New Jersey in its 2009 report.

2020 census

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 23,510 people, 8,595 households, and 6,429 families in the township. The population density was 2,606.9 per square mile (1,006.5/km²). There were 8,896 housing units at an average density of 986.4 per square mile (380.9/km²). The racial makeup was 77.43% (18,203) White, 11.08% (2,605) Black or African American, 0.12% (29) Native American, 7.65% (1,799) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 1.39% (327) from other races, and 2.32% (545) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.73% (1,582) of the population.

Of the 8,595 households, 37.4% had children under the age of 18; 62.6% were married couples living together; 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.2% were non-families. Of all households, 21.7% were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.20.

25.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $104,873 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,397) and the median family income was $126,138 (+/− $7,410). Males had a median income of $90,016 (+/− $11,033) versus $66,022 (+/− $5,055) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $52,488 (+/− $3,094). About 1.3% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Shady Rest Clubhouse, listed on the NRHP

Parks in the township include:

• Watchung Reservation is a 1,945-acre (787 ha) nature reserve on the north side of the township that includes open space, playgrounds, nature trails, a nature and science center, gardens, stables, and many other amenities.
• Ponderosa Farm Park is a park on Cooper Road. Modest park featuring playgrounds and a sprinkler area, plus open green spaces and restrooms.
• Scotch Hills Municipal Golf Course, known as the Shady Rest Golf and Country Club before it was taken over by the township, was at one time the only African-American country club in the United States.
• Ashbrook Golf Course, is a public golf course with 18-holes of championship golf as well as a 9-hole pitch and putt course located on Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.
• Shackamaxon Country Club is a private golf course, swimming and tennis facility also hosting celebrations, founded in 1916 and is located on Shackamaxon Drive in Scotch Plains. Some of its 130+ acres occupy land in Westfield.
• Willow Grove Swim Club: established in 1958.
• Highland Swimming Club, established in 1952.
• Bowcraft Amusement Park was an amusement park located on Route 22 West that was featured in scenes in the films Mortal Thoughts (1991) and North (1994). It officially closed in 2018.

Education

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School

Public school students in Scotch Plains attend the schools of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Borough of Fanwood and the Township of Scotch Plains. The district has five elementary schools (grades PreK to 4), two middle schools (5–8) and a comprehensive high school (9–12)., all of which are located in Scotch Plains. Students from School One, Evergreen and Brunner pool into Nettingham Middle School, while students from Coles and McGinn feed into Terrill. School One is the only elementary school that teaches English as a second language. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 5,649 students and 438.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Howard B. Brunner Elementary School with 414 students in grades Pre-K–4, J. Ackerman Coles School with 552 students in grades Pre-K–4, Evergreen School with 402 students in grades Pre-K–4, William J. McGinn School with 512 students in grades K–4, School One with 395 students in grades Pre-K–4, Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School with 909 students in grades 5-8, Terrill Middle School with 811 students in grades 5–8 and Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School with 1,574 students in grades 9–12. Seats on the district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with seven seats assigned to Scotch Plains.

Park Middle School was renamed in 2021 to honor Malcolm V. Nettingham, who had served with the Tuskegee Airmen.

Shackamaxon School, was built in 1951 (the same year as Evergreen School) and operated until 1981, when it was leased to the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey as their Jewish Community Center and offices. The Federation bought the building outright five years later.

The Union County Vocational Technical Schools includes the Union County Magnet High School, the Academy for Information Technology, the Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences, the Union County Academy for Performing Arts and the Vocational-Technical School. The grouping of different schools is for vocational as well as gifted students, publicly funded by the combined taxes of Union County municipalities.

Union Catholic Regional High School (often abbreviated UC), a private Roman Catholic school, brings in students from Union County and parts of Essex and Middlesex counties and operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The Newark Archdiocese also supervises operation of the K–8 St. Bartholomew Academy.

Union County College has a facility in Scotch Plains.

Transportation

Roads and highways

U.S. Route 22 eastbound at Park Avenue in Scotch Plains

As of May 2010^[update], the township had a total of 89.39 miles (143.86 km) of roadways, of which 75.06 miles (120.80 km) were maintained by the municipality, 11.95 miles (19.23 km) by Union County and 2.38 miles (3.83 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The two major roads that pass through are Route 28 for a brief stretch in the central part and U.S. Route 22 in the north.

The township is accessible from major limited access highways in neighboring communities, such as Interstate 78 in both Watchung and Berkeley Heights, the Garden State Parkway in Clark and Interstate 287 in Edison Township.

Public transportation

Scotch Plains is bisected by NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line, formerly the mainline of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. A passenger station is located in Fanwood. Another rail line, the Lehigh Line, carries freight trains through the southernmost tip of the township.

New Jersey Transit offers service on the 112, 113, 114 and 117 routes to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, and service to Newark on the 59, 65 and 66 (Limited) routes.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 14 miles (23 km) east of Scotch Plains, most conveniently reached via Route 22, and Linden Airport, a general aviation facility is in nearby Linden, New Jersey. Newark Liberty International Airport is also accessible via New Jersey Transit train by transferring from the Raritan Valley Line to the Northeast Corridor Line at Newark Penn Station.

Scotch Plains also has access to Amtrak service, by taking the Raritan Valley Line to Newark Penn Station. This gives Scotch Plains rail access to destinations along the entire east coast.

News coverage

The township falls in the New York media market, with daily news being based in New York City. Its weekly newspaper of record is the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Times, also publisher of the neighboring town's newspaper of record, The Westfield Leader.

Points of interest

• The Aunt Betty Frazee House is a farmhouse of a colonial-era couple Gershom and Elizabeth Frazee, the latter of whom was approached by British generals in 1777 who sought to buy bread she'd been baking that day. Aunt Betty's famous retort ("I offer this bread not in love but in fear"—whereupon the generals courteously abandoned their effort to buy) puts her in company with Betsy Ross, Molly Pitcher and other women who distinguished themselves in the American Revolution. Her house is on state and national historic registers, and many in the community are seeking a way of restoring the house (at 1451 Raritan Road) to honor Betty's story and secure it in American history.
• Osborn-Cannonball House Museum is a historic home located at 1840 Front Street that is operated by The Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood New Jersey.
• Hillside Cemetery is the burial site of Dudley Moore and Senator James Edgar Martine.
• The Stage House Inn was constructed in 1737 and is still in use as a bar/restaurant. It was a primary meeting place for troop messengers and officers during the Revolutionary War; in fact, General Lafayette is known to have stopped at the inn while General George Washington was nearby.
• John's Meat Market is the site of Mr. T's reality TV show for TV Land.
• John H. Stamler Police Academy trains officers and volunteers throughout Union County and is located on Raritan Road.
• The Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey has its Jewish Community Center and offices on Martine Avenue.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Scotch Plains include:

See also

In Spanish: Scotch Plains para niños