Garden Falls

In the middle of the Great Depression, a child was abandoned in a coal bin. The child was discovered and brought up in a state-sponsored home by a remarkable woman named Elizabeth Van Fleet, who managed to raise 60 children with skill & love in the course of her life, three of whom were mentally challenged. The boy left in a coal bin was nicknamed "The Greek" by the kids in the home who learned of his ancestry, and he kept this name as a reminder of the place where he was raised. "Greek" also made an oath to the lady who raised him that he would devote half the money he made in life to charity and specifically causes involved with the physically and mentally challenged.

For better or worse, I am the child found in the coal bin. Luckily, I became a successful landscaper and was actually able to keep my promise to Elizabeth, building a facility on 87-acres in Monroe Township where state and philanthropic organizations could bring kids for a free day of fun in the sun, including food, refreshments, amusements, and a half-mile covered walkway around a scenic lake. Since 1973, over 100,000 people have attended the parties at "Greek's Playland." While many of the agencies using our barrier-free facility are involved with "challenged" children, groups such as Head Start in New Brunswick also visit the Playland with hundreds of kids every year (a partial list of the state agencies is listed).

Our multipurpose facility houses the Stone Museum, a free museum of rocks and fossils that includes displays of fluorescent minerals, dinosaur eggs, Native American artifacts, minerals formerly mined in New Jersey, and a rock collection which visitors can touch that contains 1800 specimens from around the world. For the kids, we've built Monroe the Dino, a 25-foot tall dinosaur replica in a stone-like enclosure that growls with real ferocity. As you can see, we have something for everyone at our facility.

The challenge that faces the Playland, however, lies in the future. I have always supported the Playland (a non-profit charity without paid employees) solely out of the revenue drawn from the landscaping operation, but now I am advancing in age and need to provide a stable source of funding to guarantee the continued existence of the facility. With this purpose in mind, the facility can be rented for any type of indoor and outdoor event or affair, from weddings and bar mitzvahs to company picnics and fund-raisers. Clients have the opportunity to select their own caterer or event planner for an event or choose one from our recommended list.

Our facility, its grounds, and most importantly, the harmonious spirit found throughout are dedicated to the life of Elizabeth Van Fleet (1883-1968). "Mom" raised sixty foster children, several of whom were mentally challenged. By discipline and example, she strove to teach every child the ethic of hard work, as well as unselfishness, benevolence, and respect for religious and racial diversity. Her life served as the inspiration for the creation of Greek's Playland on our site in 1973, a non-profit organization which provides kids and adults from state institutions with a free day of fun in the sun. "Mom" would have liked the idea and we are grateful for her memory.


Elizabeth was one of nine children. She married Harry Van Fleet and had three children (John, Margaret, and William), residing her entire life at a single address-135 Runyon Avenue, Middlesex, New Jersey.

Harry was killed in a freak accident at a local factory on his third day of work. He was a carpenter by trade, but took a job in the mill for the winter months when it was too cold to work outdoors. At the time William, their son, was only a month old.

Since there was no insurance, Elizabeth took in wash and did housework for hire. -"Mom" loved to iron. In addition she took in foster children for various lengths of time, raising a total of sixty, three of whom were mentally challenged. "Mom" loved children, no matter what their problems or difficulties.

She was about five feet tall, had a temper when occasion called for one, never complained and was a hard worker.

She always had a pot of tea on the back of the stove and was ready to feed anyone who came through her door.




Since 1972 we have had 10,000 visitors come on tour each year at The Stone Museum. Approximately 5000 are Boy and Girl Scouts. The rest are schools, philanthropic organizations, etc. This is a list of the groups that have enjoyed a free day at Greek's Playground:

Abeel St. Day Care Center - Perth Amboy
Aberdeen-Hazlet & Matawan Therapeutic Recreation
Adolescent Services Sec. of Trenton Psychiatric Hospital
Aldrich School - Howell Township
Arnold Walter Nursing Home - Hazlet
Asbury Park Day Care Center
Association for Retarded Citizens - Tinton Falls
Bayshore Social Club
Bayview Convalescent Center
B.J. Guest Home - Chesilhurst
Big Brothers - Big Sisters - Somerville
Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts
Brandeis University National Womenís Committee
Burlington County Association for Retarded Citizens
Burlington County Unit for Retarded Citizens
Camp Star
Centennial High School for the Emotionally Disturbed - Cranford
Community Care
Crest Manor Rest Home - Sea Girt
D.A.D. Activity Center - Red Bank
Dayton School ñ Dayton
Downs Syndrome - Staten Island
East Brunswick Daisy Drop in Center
East Brunswick Special Education
Eden Institute - Princeton
Edison Recreation for the Retarded
Evergreen Day Care Center - East Orange
Freehold Convalescent Center
Freehold Recreation ñ Freehold
Greenbrook School - Kendall Park
Grove Convalescent Center - Neptune
Hadassah (Alisa Chapter)
Head Start - New Brunswick
Indian Field School - South Brunswick
Janet Memorial Home - Elizabeth
Jersey Ave. Day Care Center - Jersey City
KinderCare
Lodge Nursing Home - Neptune
Madison Ave. Day Care Center - Perth Amboy
Madison Park School - Old Bridge
Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital
Metuchen Christian Academy
Middlesex County Day Training Center
Middlesex County Resources for the Mentally Handicapped
Mill Lake School - Monroe Twp.
Monmouth County A.C.L.D. - Camp Reap
Monmouth County Four ìHî Club
Monmouth County Migrant Project
Monmouth County Board of Social Services
Monmouth County Park System
Monmouth County Park System for the Mentally & Physically Handicapped
Monmouth Center for Vocational Rehabilitation
Monmouth Junction School
Monroe Township Recreation
Mt. SEPA
N.J. Div. of Youth & Family Services
Occupational Center of Essex County
Old Bridge Parks & Recreation Special Ed Program
Pine Brook Nursing Home - Englishtown
Pixie Pre-School
Prospect House - East Orange
Providence School
Red Bank Convalescent Center
Rutgers Community Mental Health Center
Search Day Program - Ocean
Shalom Torah ñ Manalapan
Shape Program - Newark
Shepardís School - Old Bridge
Somerset County Head Start
South Brunswick YMCA
St. Rose - Millstone Twp.
The Marian House - Belmar
Thrive Program - Orange
Y.M.H.A. - Englishtown