Colorado of the East, the Queen City,
City of Homes, and Wall Street Suburb are all monikers that have been applied to Plainfield over the years, but no single phrase can capture the essence of this wonderfully diverse and unique place. From its inauspicious start as an agrarian Quaker community in the fields beyond Elizabethtown, post-Civil War Plainfield developed into a complete incarnation of gilded-age splendor. It flourished briefly as a summer resort before becoming an affluent bedroom community for New York City’s financiers and captains of industry. As economic and development patterns changed, Plainfield slipped into a secondary role, but not for long. Rediscovery of its rich history and outstanding architectural heritage by new generations has renewed the vigor that has been so much a part of Plainfield’s legacy. Plainfield is a work that expresses the authors’ devotion to their hometown. They have carefully selected images that contrast everyday activities with little-known events in the city’s three-hundred-year saga.