Scotch Plains, New Jersey Real Estate
Scotch Plains: A Home "in the Country"

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Scotch Plains is a Township located in Union County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 22,732.

The native people living in this area were the Raritans, of the Leni Lenape branch of the Delawares. They lived in a large wig-wam village near what is now Shackamaxon Golf Course and in the Ashbrook golf course area. The first white man in the region was probably Verrazano in 1524 but the land was first claimed by the Dutch in 1609 as a result of Henry Hudson's explorations. The heartland of Scotch Plains was first owned by a Dutchman, Peter Sonmans, until the English conquest in 1664. Twenty years later, the village was re-settled by Scotch immigrants who had landed at Perth Amboy under the leadership of George Scot - who named the area Scot's Plains. In those early years Scot's Plains was part of West Fields (later Westfield) which was, in turn, a part of Elizabethtown.

By World War I, Scotch Plains had grown up as paved streets replaced mud roads. Italian immigrants brought with them experience in shoemaking, masonry, carpentry and plumbing. After World War 1, the town grew mostly in homes for commuters with construction of Route 22 in 1930 playing a part in the town's development. City people began to move here "to the country."

Today, with a population of 22,000, Scotch Plains retains its small town image. Scotch Plains is a family-oriented community, featuring many parks for recreation as well as a park area in the Watchung Mountains. One Country Club, two golf courses (one Township & one Union County course) and an amusement park add to the options available to active residents. The rich culture of Scotch Plains includes people from all walks of life, from corporate executive to the rich array of trades people who have contributed to not only the quaint look of the Town but also the convenience of easy living.