Message from Deputy Mayor Ellen Zimmerman | August 11, 2023
Last Sunday, the Osborn Cannonball House on Front Street held its summer open house, with the mannequin ladies donning antique Edwardian summer attire to welcome everyone. It was a great opportunity for everyone to visit – or revisit – our township’s Colonial-era museum at 1840 Front St. in our downtown.
It was also the perfect time to learn the story of the Osborn family, who were instrumental in the early development of Scotch Plains, when it was just a simple farming community on the outskirts of the tiny village of Westfield.
It is amazing to think that Jonathan and Abagail Osborn were able to raise 13 children in this small, yellow clapboard home in the early 1700s, decades before the Revolutionary War and a century before the nearby stagecoaches took passengers along the rural journey between New York and Philadelphia.
The house is a lasting heartbeat of our entire community. Families with such familiar names as Osborn, Hetfield, Harper, Coles, Kelly and Snook lived in the cottage. The house managed to survive the evolution of our town until 1972, when it became a local museum, and thus, preserved.
The historic home has been carefully restored and furnished by the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood. Visitors last Sunday saw the original wide floorboards and hand-hewn ceiling beams. They also saw the original kitchen, with a bee-hive oven and a recessed porch. One of the parlors now features Victorian pieces; the other front room is furnished from a time when the Battle of Short Hills raged nearby at Ash Swamp.
So many other pre-Revolutionary War homes in New Jersey are not as fortunate. Sadly, with the ongoing march of modernization, our heritage is steadily vanishing.
As urbanization and development surge, many historic homes across our state are falling victim to neglect and demolition, putting the unique identity and cultural memory of New Jersey at risk.
This presents an opportunity for future generations to understand and appreciate the historical context that shaped the evolution of New Jersey. Public education is vital in fostering a sense of responsibility towards preserving New Jersey's cultural heritage. Preservation New Jersey, a non-profit that publishes an annual “10 Most Endangered Historic Places in NJ” list, draws attention to these structures in the hopes that funding and attention can ensure they still exist for future generations.
One of the endangered sites is next door, in Plainfield. The Grace Episcopal Church was founded in 1852 on Cleveland Avenue and remains a local gem. Last fall, the city’s planning board voted to move forward with preparing plans to redevelop, allowing mixed-use structures on the site. Preservation New Jersey is pushing for the church to be part of the redevelopment efforts, rather than having it demolished.
To mark the importance of local history and preservation, Union County announced grant applications are now available. All eligible non-profit organizations in the county are invited to apply, supporting museums, schools, libraries and other history organizations. Through this funding, historical groups can continue providing our community with memorable, life-enhancing experiences. Information on applying can be found here.
I hope you can take an opportunity to visit the Osborn Cannonball House and join in the celebration of our rich history. Click here to learn more. In addition, click here to join our local historical society to make a donation and to take part in education and preservation events throughout the year. You can also send an email to
