The Plainfields are a group of three municipalities spanning the convergence of
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
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, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
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Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
, and
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
Counties in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, all of which have the word ''Plainfield'' in their name. They are the
Borough of North Plainfield (Somerset County),
City of Plainfield (Union County), and the
Borough of South Plainfield (Middlesex County). The towns of
Scotch Plains and
Fanwood are nearby.
The region was part of the colonial era
Elizabethtown Tract The Elizabethtown Tract was a property that was purchased on October 28, 1664, by John Baily, Daniel Denton and Luke Watson from the Native Americans that is in the area of (and surrounding) present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Native American ...
and later part of
Piscataway Piscataway may refer to:
*Piscataway people, a Native American ethnic group native to the southern Mid-Atlantic States
*Piscataway language
*Piscataway, Maryland, an unincorporated community
*Piscataway, New Jersey, a township
*Piscataway Creek, Ma ...
settled by Scottish
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Among them, was John Laing, whose holdings were known as
Plainfield Plantation. It is not certain whether the name derives from the plain clothing worn by the founders or is a reference to the landscape.
While each community has its own independent government, and the three municipalities have no shared governance even at the county level, the term is often used to refer to the area, including on highway exit signs. Signage for Exit 40 on
I-78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...
, for example, refers to "The Plainfields" as a destination.
See also
For other groups of similarly named municipalities in New Jersey, see:
*
The Amboys
The Amboys are a pair of municipalities in Middlesex County, New Jersey, both of which have the word ''Amboy'' in their name. The two municipalities are the City of Perth Amboy and the City of South Amboy, located across from each other on the R ...
*
The Brunswicks
The Brunswicks are a group of four municipalities in Middlesex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word ''Brunswick'' in their name. New Brunswick, New Jersey, the first formed of the four, was named in 1730 after the British royal House of ...
*
The Caldwells
The Caldwells are a group of three municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word ''Caldwell'' in their name. All of these communities are named after the Reverend James Caldwell, a Patriot who played an active role suppo ...
*
The Oranges
The Oranges are a group of four municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word ''Orange'' in their name. The four municipalities are Orange, East Orange, South Orange and West Orange. All of these communities were n ...
*
The Ridgefields
The Ridgefields are a pair of municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey, both of which have the word ''Ridgefield'' in their name. The two municipalities are the Borough of Ridgefield and the Village of Ridgefield Park.
Both municipalities had ...
*
The Wildwoods
The Wildwoods are a group of five communities (four distinct municipalities and one census-designated place) in Cape May County, New Jersey. These are situated on the Island of Five Mile Beach, a barrier island facing the Atlantic Ocean. These Je ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plainfields
Scottish-American culture in New Jersey