Plainfield High School - Milestone Yearbook (Plainfield, NJ)

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. a look into the past BABCOCK BUILDING George H. Babcock, supposedly one of Plainfield’s first millionaires, was a great inventor. He built one city block, thought to be one of the finest architecturally between New York and Philadelphia. One building, built in 1893, located on West Front Street and Madison Avenue, was known as the Babcock Building. This building was five stories high and had many offices, such as a post office and department store. On March 6, 1902, the building was destroyed by one of the largest fires in Plainfield’s history. The Babcock Building OTR PTT ya Bt — yn ee: Oy ee Pst SS m4) % Pk. Vie ‘Nix o DI0 i Pass The Plainfield Public Library QUAKER MEETING HOUSE The Quaker Meeting House, located on Watchung Avenue, was built on the property of William Webster. This meeting house, still serving Plainfield’s Society of Friends, lent its name to the pet community, which officially became ‘Plainfield’, Kall os — pice ailooe aumesy when the post office was established in 1800. This is Plainfield’s only surviving 18th century building in the center of town — the Quaker Meeting House. The Quaker Meeting House DRAKE HOUSE i i ae The Drake House, located at 602 West Front Street, is said to have been Washington’s es eae Headquarters in Plainfield during the Battle of CAE Ae Short Hills in the American Revolution on June Heat AU 26, 1977. This house was built by Issac Drake in 1745 and was passed on from generation to generation within his family. In 1864, it was purchased by John Harburger, who added several rooms to the house. In 1920, the West End Civic Associat ion bought the house in order to preserve it. The deed was later transferred to the Historical Society of Plainfield and North ot Plainfield. It is maintained today as a public ca nies eee eee museum by the Historical Society and the City of Daake Haws, Planfall 2.) Krall Plainfield. | The Drake House

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Plainfield is fortunate to have industrial development, a large downtown shopping area, a hospital, a good public school system, a public library, and even two large parks, along with several smaller parks comprising a well-rounded city. The two major parks in Plainfield are Greenbrook Park and Cedarbrook Park. They are located at opposite ends of town. Pictured here is Cedarbrook Park, which is located off Park Avenue and bordering South Plainfield. Cedarbrook and Greenbrook Parks each have a pond for fishing in spring and summer and ice skating in winter. They also have several baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and playground equipment for children. Cedarbrook Park boasts a brook, and picnic areas, and is well known for its Shakespeare and Iris gardens. Today Plainfield has a population exceeding 45,330. Although the city is primarily residential in character, it possesses a number of major industries that make it the business center of central New Jersey. Its chief manufacturers include: automotive equipment, painting, aircraft parts, storage tanks, machinery, chemicals, garments, appliances, printing presses, metal products, trophies, electric components, along with several others. Plainfield also has over 50 historical sites. Besides these historical spots there are also many modern sites such as the Public Library and the new building of PHS itself.

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The Municipal Building MONDAY AFTERNOON CLUB The Monday Afternoon Club was founded by Miss G.G. Kenyon, principal of now defunct Plainfield Seminary, in 1887. The main purpose of the club was to have a mother’s organization in which problems concerning the schools could be worked out through meetings with the faculty. It was during these meetings, that the idea of forming a club devoted to literature, art, science, and other related fields surfaced. In 1888, a constitution was‘adopted, and the club was christened, ““Monday Afternoon Club’. It was named this because the meetings were held on the afternoons of the first and third Mondays of each month. ets is peter eh F Ziel oteg Pham fateh Ce ued Walon Plainfield Railroad Station Old Man Hachet’s House CITY HALL Until 1918, Plainfield had no City Hall. The Cutter Building which later became Kreison’s Billard Hall was the earliest known place where the city council met. Later, the Stillman Music Hall on West Front Street was used. From 1891 until 1902, council meetings were held in the Coward Building on Park Avenue. The old Smalley building on North Avenue was used from 1902 till City Hall was occupied. The property at Watchung Avenue and East Sixth Street was purchased for $31,000 from Mrs. Elizabeth Brooks for construction of a $200,000 City Hall. The cornerstone was laid February 17, 1917. The only major change made in the building since it was built has been the addition of an elevator, completed in 1958. The Monday Afternoon Club