History of Princeton, New Jersey
Early Roads And Boundries
The recorded history of the Princeton area began in the late 17th century when European travelers crossed the narrow "waist" of New Jersey between the Delaware and Raritan rivers along paths created by the Lenni Lenape Indians. Portions of these paths survive in present day Nassau and Stockton Streets, Princeton-Kingston Road, Princeton-Lawrenceville Road, and Mount Lucas Road. One former path became the King's Highway and central New Jersey's main road for well over a hundred years.
In 1683 a New Englander named Henry Greenland built a house on the highway which is believed to be the first by a European within the present Township boundaries. He opened it as a "house of accommodation" or tavern. Portions of this house survive within the Gulick House at 1082 Princeton-Kingston Road. Around 1685 Greenland's son-in-law, Daniel Brinson, settled along the highway on the land where the house known as "the Barracks" stands at 32 Edgehill Street.
East Jersey and West Jersey representatives met in 1683 at Greenland's tavern to establish their common boundary. George Keith, a prominent Quaker, surveyed what became known as the "Keith line", which also became the boundaries of several Counties and Townships, including the western border of Princeton Township in East Jersey. In the 18th century settlers developed the "province line" into roads in several places, including portions of the present Province Line Road. East Jersey prop 'rietors established four counties in 1683, including Middlesex County which extended to the province line and included the Princeton area as part of Piscataway Township. In 1688 the proprietors created Somerset County which included the northern portions of the Princeton area.
The Original Quaker Settlement
In the 1690's six Quaker families established a community along Stony Brook near the King's Highway (Route 206). Benjamin Clarke was the first to purchase 1,200 acres with the best meadow and the longest possible frontage along the stream. A list of Piscataway taxpayers around 1700 includes all the families - Clarke, Olden, Stockton. The Stony Brook settlers built a landing in 1707 and a grist mill in 1712-14. Land was given for the Friends Meeting in 1709 and a meeting house was built in 1724.
Kingston Mill Historic District
In 1710 Somerset County was redefined to include the northern portion of the Township's land area under its jurisdiction. In 1714 the boundary between Middlesex and Somerset counties was established along a portion of the old road (Nassau Street) "leading toward the falls of Delaware (Trenton), so far as the eastern division of this province extends" (Snyder) and along Harry's Brook. A portion of the main thoroughfare of Princeton thus separated two counties, as Route 27 in Kingston does today.
"Princeton" and the College of New Jersey
The name "Princeton" appeared in 1724 and became common about ten years later. When the colonial post riders began using the King's Highway a village with a tavern trade sprang up. By 1740 regular stage traffic was operating, and by 1745 the well known Dalley map of the King's Highway showed that the new village had eclipsed the Stony Brook settlement and had become an important landmark between New Brunswick and Trenton.
In 1756 the College of New Jersey moved from Newark and erected Nassau Hall, bringing the village prominence and a strong Presbyterian influence. The village initially clustered around the college - the Stockton family of Morven thought of themselves as living "near" the village rather than in it. Princetonians Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon and Joseph Hewes were signers of the Declaration of Independence, ( Hewes from his subsequent residence in North Carolina). The Battle of Princeton in January of 1777 was recognized as a turning point in the Revolutionary War and made Princeton famous. From June to November 1783 the Second Continental Congress met in Princeton and brought America's new leaders to town. The new State Legislature also met at Princeton.
The Two Princetons
Following the Revolutionary War a number of citizens tried to persuade the Legislature to incorporate Princeton as a Township-sized municipality, but the effort failed due to the objections of Stony Brook residents. Instead the Borough of Princeton was subsequently created in 1813 with boundaries similar to the present ones. At that time boroughs existed as subordinate governing units within Townships and were not autonomous as they are today. Boroughs were responsible for some municipal tasks and could raise taxes for certain services, but Townships still provided many services in the Boroughs. In 1838 Mercer County and Princeton Township were both established. Although this brought both sides of Nassau Street into the same county for the first time since 1714, the Borough remained divided between two Townships - West Windsor and Princeton. In 1843 West Windsor yielded some of its land south of Nassau Street to Princeton Township, and in 1853 it yielded the rest of its land between the Delaware and Raritan Canal and Nassau Street. The Borough became fully autonomous in 1894.
A 19th Century Construction Boom
Increased traffic through the area led to the construction in 1804 of the "straight turnpike" (Route 1) between Trenton and New Brunswick, which drew stage traffic away from Princeton. In 1807 the construction of the Princeton-Kingston Branch Turnpike (Mercer Road-Mercer Street-Nassau Street-Princeton-Kingston Road) helped to restore some of the lost activity. In 1811 the Presbyterian Church established Princeton Theological Seminary and in 1815 built Alexander Hall.
The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the Camden and Amboy Railroad in the 1830's stimulated considerable development in many areas along the route, including Princeton. With the construction of Princeton Basin as a shipping terminus and Canal Road (Alexander Street) linking it to the Borough, coal and building industries began to flourish in this area. The construction boom continued with the erection of Whig and Clio Halls at the College, Miller Chapel at the Seminary, and the new First Presbyterian Church. Charles Smith Olden built the central porticoed block of Drumthwacket with a fortune he brought home from New Orleans. It was the era of the Greek Revival, and each of these buildings adhered closely to the Greek temple form. Charles Steadman and other builders erected dozens of new houses, including the highly prized collection at the top of Alexander Road which combined elements from the Federal and the Greek Revival styles.
The major buildings of the 1840's and 50's were designed by Philadelphia architects in Picturesque Revival styles. The influential architect John Notman designed four imposing villas for Commodore Stockton and his relatives, including Prospect, Guernsey Hall, Springdale, and the Walter Lowrie House, plus a church, a parish school, and the restoration and modification of Nassau Hall. By the mid?nineteenth century, fashionable society with its fine architecture and large estates had become concentrated on the westerly side of the town.
Princeton University and Residential Growth
After the Civil War the College launched an aggressive building campaign that has continued to the present. During the presidency of James McCosh (1868-88), the college erected buildings in primarily the Victorian Gothic style. There was a brief period of construction in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, most notably the college's Alexander Hall. At its Sesquicentennial in 1896 when the college officially became Princeton University, it announced that the Collegiate Gothic style would be used for future campus buildings. During the next fifty years, twenty-seven University buildings were erected in this style. The campus expanded to the corner of Nassau Street and University Place, along the east side of University Place and along both sides of Washington Road.
As the college expanded, so did residential development. In the last quarter of the 19th century many large houses were built on Dickinson Street, University Place, and Bayard Lane. This was a period of great eclecticism in architecture. After the First World War developers began to create subdivisions with a relatively limited choice of house designs. With exceptions on Prospect Avenue, and in a few other places, the eastern end of the Borough and most of the Township continued to be developed in more vernacular styles. From Forest-to-Agriculture-to-Housing in the Township While residential growth in the Borough continued at a steady pace, the Township remained agricultural and rural until the 20th century. The 17th century wilderness that Greenland and the Stony Brook Quakers first found here was a forest of widely varying density with a small portion of open grassland. While the early settlers typically cultivated areas of fifty acres, deforestation was an annual chore for many years. By 1731 the view from the main highway was characterized by farm fields. By the third quarter of the century, newspaper advertisements reported that farmhouses two and three miles to the east had a clear view of Nassau Hall. Nassau Hall is visible from the Stony Brook in pictures by Revolutionary War artists.
By 1800 most of the Township's arable land was in agricultural production or reserved for woodlots for fuel. When coal replaced wood as the main fuel, the reserved lots were cut for timber, leaving much of the Township cleared. Since there was no more uncleared arable land available for new farms, agricultural advancement in the 19th century was dependent on new crops or technology. Some of the large, older farms were subdivided into smaller farms to take advantage of these new opportunities. The canal and the railroad brought new locational advantages, and urban markets quickly developed for special crops, particularly apples and peaches. While many farms prospered, others were unable to adapt to the changes.
Historians of agriculture have noted that farming in New Jersey declined more or less continuously since the 1870's, and this is true in Princeton Township as well. As general farming continued to give way to special crops, marginal farmland was abandoned. Although the hilly areas of the Township were never completely cleared, forests returned to many formerly cultivated areas. By 1890 the owner of Worth's mill, located on the Stony Brook and what is now Route 206, suspended operations. He had operated it as a "convenience" to the neighborhood. Many of the old farm houses became inhabited by tenant-farming families.
By 1900 the Mount Lucas neighborhood was in decline. The small farms in the hilly areas of the Township began to be abandoned. In his history of Mount Lucas, Sylvester referred to the "encroaching" woods, and reported that no self-sufficient small farms were left at Mount Lucas by 1925. The Cedar Grove area, once the home of numerous French emigres, was also partly abandoned early in this century.
For most farmers, agriculture in the Township was not profitable enough to withstand the reward promised by real estate development. In the 1920's and '30's the northwestern section of the Township along the borough line was the first part to become suburbanized. Housing development boomed as postwar employment expanded in Princeton and nearby communities and as commuting to New York became more affordable and practical.
Historic Princetonians
Job Stockton (1734-1771)
Job Stockton, grandson of Richard Stockton the settler, was a Princeton tannery owner and original owner of Bainbridge House. His tannery complex consisted of a barn, hay barracks, a bark house, tanning yards with tubs, and a mill house.
Richard Stockton III (1730-1781)
Richard Stockton III was a native to the town of Princeton and like Job Stockton, a grandson of Richard Stockton the settler. Stockton was a member of the first graduating class of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and went on to became a prominent lawyer and active politician. He was a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Annis Boudinot Stockton (1736-1801)
Annis Boudinot Stockton was an accomplished writer and poet whose work appeared in newspapers under the pseudonym "Emelia." She and her husband, Richard Stockton III, presided over Morven, one of the larger farms in Princeton.
William Bainbridge (1774-1833)
Bainbridge House is named after William Bainbridge, who was born in the house May 7, 1774. Bainbridge became a famous naval war hero during the War of 1812, in which he commanded the frigate USS Constitution or "Old Ironsides." His father, Dr. Absalom Bainbridge, rented Bainbridge House from the owner at the time, Robert Stockton, Job Stockton's brother. Dr. Absalom Bainbridge, a Loyalist, was forced to flee Princeton in 1777 after the British were defeated at the battles of Trenton and Princeton.
William Drew Robeson (1845-1918)
William Drew Robeson was father of performer and activist Paul Robeson. In 1860, at age fifteen, the enslaved Drew Robeson made his escape to Pennsylvania from North Carolina to serve as a laborer for the Union Army. Robeson went on to receive an A.B. in 1873 and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1876 from Lincoln University. In Princeton, he served as pastor from 1880-1901 at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Albert Einstein made his first visit to Princeton during his 1921 USA tour when he delivered five Stafford Little Lectures on his Theory of Relativity. In 1933 Einstein fled from Nazi Germany and became one of the first faculty members at the newly formed Institute for Advanced Study. He lived at 2 Library Place from 1933 to 1935 and at 112 Mercer Street from 1936 until his death in 1955. While in Princeton, Einstein enjoyed playing his violin, sail boating on Lake Carnegie, and walking. His home remains a private residence. Battlefield Monument Park features a bust of him by sculptor Robert Berks, dedicated in 2005.
Paul Robeson (1898-1976)
Paul Robeson was born on April 9th, 1898, in a house on Witherspoon Street. Son of William Drew and Maria Louisa, he lived in Princeton until 1907 when the family moved to Westfield. From 1916 to 1919, Robeson attended Rutgers College and graduated as valedictorian of his class. He was a graduate of Columbia Law School and an internationally acclaimed performer, activist, and humanitarian.
Dr. George Gallup (1901-1984)
George Gallup was the head of the Research Department of the ad agency Young and Rubicam (NYC). In 1935 he formed his own small "side" company in his hometown of Princeton to conduct opinion polls which reported on the viewpoints of the nation. These polls were called "sampling referendums" and his small company grew into today's famous Gallup Polls.
Historic Sites of Princeton
Bainbridge House (1766)
Headquarters of the Historical Society of Princeton and open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays, this Georgian building at 158 Nassau Street is one of the few remaining 18th-century houses in Princeton Borough. Almost all of the 1766 structure remains, including original paneled walls and staircase. Built by Job Stockton, a wealthy tanner and descendant of one of the earliest Princeton settlers, the property remained in the Stockton family for over 100 years. In 1774 it was leased to Dr. Absalom Bainbridge whose son, Commodore William Bainbridge, a hero of the War of 1812, was born in the house on May 7, 1774. In the late 19th century Bainbridge House served as a boarding house for families and Princeton University students. In 1910 the owner, Princeton University, leased it to the Public Library, and in 1967 it became home of the Historical Society.
Nassau Hall (1756)
When this building was completed in 1756, it was the largest academic building in the colonies, and it housed the entire College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) for nearly 50 years. Named for King William III, Prince of Orange and Nassau, it survived bombardment during the Revolutionary War, and two devastating fires in 1802 and 1855. In 1776 Nassau Hall was the first capitol of New Jersey, and in July of that same year a reading of the Declaration of Independence took place on the lawn. Nassau Hall also housed a British garrison prior to the Battle of Princeton in 1777, and it became the site of the nation's capital when the Continental Congress met there between June and November of 1783. Today it is used for administrative offices, including the Univerisity President's office.
Morven (c. 1750-1800)
The home of Richard Stockton III, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife Annis Boudinot Stockton, a published poet, Morven (located at 55 Stockton Street) was one of Princeton's social hubs during the 18th century. The original dwelling is believed to date from the 1750s, although recent research indicates that little of this structure remains. Much of the present building was constructed in the 1790s, with major alterations made in the 1850s by Commodore Robert F. Stockton, a United States Senator and a grandson of the original owner. In 1954 the owners, Governor and Mrs. Walter Edge, donated Morven to the State, stipulating that it be used either as a Governor's mansion or a museum. Governors Meyner, Hughes, Cahill, and Byrne lived in Morven until 1982, when Drumthwacket became the official governor's mansion.
Maclean House (1756)
Built by Robert Smith as a residence for the presidents of the College, it was used as such until the acquisition of Prospect in 1878. The first president of the College to live here was Aaron Burr, Sr., whose son Aaron Burr, Jr. became Vice-President of the United States in 1801. Jonathan Edwards, the New England theologian, took up residence in 1758. Visitors to the house have included George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay. Subsequently called the Dean's House, today it houses the Alumni Council and is named in honor of John Maclean, Jr., President of the College from 1854 to 1868 and founder of the Alumni Association.
Thomas Clarke House (c. 1772)
Built circa 1772 by Quaker Thomas Clarke, the Thomas Clarke House in Princeton Battlefield State Park was originally surrounded by a 200-acre farm. On January 3, 1777, the Battle of Princeton was fought on the farm. The Clarke House served as a field hospital for the wounded of both sides. American General Hugh Mercer died here nine days later. The 85-acre park, a National Historic landmark, contains a cutting from the historic Mercer Oak, the memorial colonnade and a graveyard for British and American soldiers.
Beatty House (c. 1780)
Originally located on Nassau Street opposite Bainbridge House, Beatty House (located at 19 Vandeventer) was the home of the Hudibras Tavern proprietor, Jacob Hyer, who is thought to have built the house c.1780. In 1816 the house was purchased by Colonel Erkuries Beatty. The Marquis de Lafayette is known to have spent the night of July 15 in the house on his tour of the United States in 1825. After Beatty's death in 1823, the building housed Miss Hanna's Boarding School for young women. James Vandeventer, merchant, and longtime Princeton resident, purchased the house and moved it to its present location in 1875.
Alexander Hall (1817)
The Princeton Theological Seminary was started by the Presbyterian Church in 1812 with three students and the Reverend Dr. Archibald Alexander as its first professor. By 1815 the number of students had gradually increased and work began on a building for the seminary. Designed by John McComb, Jr., a New York architect, the structure was occupied in 1817. The original cupola was added in 1827; it burned in 1913 and was replaced in 1926. The building was simply called "Seminary" until 1893, when it was officially named Alexander Hall.
Drumthwacket (1835)
Drumthwacket, official residence of the Governor of New Jersey at 354 Stockton Street, was built in 1835. The house was the private residence of three owners, Charles Smith Olden, Moses Taylor Pyne, and Abram Spanel, before being purchased by the State of new Jersey in 1966. Intended for use as the official residence of the governor, it was not until 1981 that funds were raised by the New Jersey Historical Society to begin to accomplish the task.
Nassau Presbyterian Church (1836)
In 1751 Princeton residents petitioned the New Brunswick Presbytery to build their own meeting house, and the original structure was completed in 1764. The church burned down twice, once in 1813, and again in 1835. The structure at 61 Nassau Street in its present Greek Revival style was dedicated the following year. Charles Steadman designed the church using a facade plan purchased for $10.00 from Philadelphia architect Thomas U. Walter. David Peterkin, a local tombstone carver, executed the carving for the capitals and bases of the front columns. In the 1840s ninety members, mostly African-American, established a new congregation at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church.
Alexander Street (1834)
First named Canal Street, the street linked Princeton with the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which along with the railroad stimulated growth throughout the town in the 1830s. Charles Steadman, a local architect/carpenter, subdivided the land in the 1830s and 1840s and constructed houses, decorating the doorways and cornices using motifs from published pattern books. At the height of its activity Canal Street was a lively commercial center that included two basins where barges could load and unload, a railroad station, haypress, iron roofing manufacturer, sash and blind factory, and a hotel. The poet T. S. Eliot stayed at 14 Alexander Street in the fall of 1948, while he was a visiting fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study.
Joseph Henry House (1838)
In 1832 Joseph Henry came to Princeton University as a professor of natural philosophy. Henry, best known for his discovery of the electromagnetic phenomenon of self-inductance, built a large magnet at Princeton, which could lift 3,500 pounds. In 1846 he left Princeton to become the first secretary and director of the new Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The house, probably designed by Joseph Henry, was built in 1838 and was moved three times before being set in its present location. House moving has been a common occurrence in Princeton since the 18th century and at least 100 houses in the town have been moved.
Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church (1840s)
The Witherspoon Street Church at number 124 is known for the role it has played in working towards social justice. Dating back to 1840, church leaders and members spoke out against slavery, assisted with the Underground Railroad, and later were active in the Civil Rights Movement. The church's Rev. Benjamin Anderson led the effort to build Princeton's first integrated housing development in the 1950s. Anderson also helped area restaurant and hotel workers to unionize.
Einstein House (c.1840)
Albert Einstein lived at 112 Mercer Street from 1936 until his death in 1955. His theory of relativity made him a world-wide celebrity and in 1921 he received an honorary degree from Princeton University. In 1930 he agreed to spend part of each year at the newly founded Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, an academic center where scholars could pursue their research free from the pressures of teaching. When the Nazis came to power, Einstein was forced to resign his position at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin and chose to settle in Princeton permanently. He assisted over 200 European scholars, scientists, and artists who appealed to him for help in emigrating. His house, originally located on Alexander Street, was moved to its present location c.1875. Today it is a private residence.
Prospect House and Garden (1851)
Originally a model farm, Prospect was purchased in 1824 by John Potter, a wealthy merchant from South Carolina. His son Thomas F. Potter demolished the original Georgian farmhouse and replaced it with the present Italianate villa designed by John Notman in 1851. In 1878 it was presented to Princeton University for use as a residence for the president. Woodrow Wilson occupied the house when he was president of the University between 1902 and 1910. The form of the flower garden was designed by Ellen Axson Wilson, and the landscape displays a great variety of trees and shrubs, including many exotic specimens from around the world. Since 1968 the house has been used as a faculty club.
Woodrow Wilson Houses
In addition to Prospect, Woodrow Wilson occupied three houses during his time in Princeton: 72 Library Place, 82 Library Place, and 25 Cleveland Lane. Graduating from Princeton in 1879, Wilson served as professor of law from 1890 to 1902, and as president of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, during which time he revolutionized the school's curriculum and teaching system. He was governor of New Jersey between 1910 and 1912 and president of the United States between 1913 and 1921. The house at 72 Library Place was built in 1836 by Charles Steadman, and acquired by Woodrow Wilson in 1889. Wilson commissioned New York architect Edward S. Child in 1895 to design the Tudor Revival house at 82 Library Place
Grover Cleveland House (1854)
Grover Cleveland and his wife settled in Princeton after his second presidential term ended in 1897. The Clevelands purchased a Georgian Revival house on Hodge Road, which they called Westland after Andrew Fleming West, first dean of the Graduate College. In turn, the main tower of the Graduate College was named after Cleveland. The Cleveland home became a gathering place for undergraduates, especially after athletic or debating triumphs, and the students paraded there every March 18 to celebrate Grover Cleveland's birthday. Cleveland died in 1908 and is buried in Princeton Cemetery.
Mt. Pisgah AME Church (1860)
Named after a mountain ridge in ancient Palestine mentioned in the Old Testament, this 1832 Methodist Church (the present structure dates to 1860) at the corner of Witherspoon and MacClean Streets, is the oldest African-American church in Princeton. Organized by Samson Peters, a preacher in the Trenton AME Church, the congregation met in a frame house on Witherspoon Street until 1835 when the first church building was constructed. A tiny cemetery in the yard has tombstones dating back to the 1850s.
Paul Robeson's Birthplace (c. 1870)
Born in this house in 1898 at 110 Witherspoon Street, Paul Robeson became one of Princeton's best known residents. Son of a former slave, the Reverend William Robeson of the Witherspoon Street Church, Robeson achieved fame as an athlete, a singer and actor, a scholar, a law school graduate and a political activist, for which he was persecuted during the McCarthy era. He eventually quit his film career because he was dissatisfied with the types of roles that were available for black performers. He lived abroad in voluntary exile for five years, returning to the United States in 1962.
Battle Monument (1922)
This limestone monument was designed by the prominent Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick MacMonnies with the help of architect Thomas Hastings. Commissioned in 1908, it was finished and dedicated in 1922, with President Harding in attendance. On the sides of the monument are the seals of the United States and the original thirteen states, including New Jersey. The creation of the monument served to commemorate the Battle of Princeton, which took place on January 3, 1777. The sculpture depicts Washington leading his troops into battle, as well as the death of General Hugh Mercer. (Princeton Battlefield Park is located on Mercer Street, 1.25 miles west of the center of town.)
University Chapel (1928)
Designed by the renowned Gothic Revival architect Ralph Adams Cram, the cornerstone of the chapel was laid in 1925 and the chapel dedicated in 1928. This cross-shaped gothic chapel is 249 feet long, 61 feet wide, and seats 1800 people. Italian stonemasons hired from Milan, working for the Matthews Construction Company, used Pennsylvania sandstone trimmed with Indiana limestone to create the building. The woodwork was carved from pollard oak imported from England. Cram was supervising architect of the University from 1907 to 1930 and designed many Princeton buildings including the Graduate College.
Palmer Square (1936-39)
The Palmer Square development was the dream of Edgar Palmer, heir to the New Jersey Zinc Company fortune. Palmer's plan, which he announced in February of 1929, called for the creation of a new municipal center in the heart of Princeton. The design, prepared by architect Thomas Stapleton, was part of the Colonial Revival movement taking place in America at that time. The project, delayed until 1936 due to the Depression, included the removal of many of the homes of Princeton's poor and minority families. It remained incomplete until the 1980s, when stores and townhouses were added on the north and east sides of the square.