USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Princeton > Guide to Princeton, the town, the university > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Guide to Princeton
F144 P9C72 copy 2
LIBRARY OF PRINCETOA
OCT AR 1919 THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Division A
29072 Section
COPY 2
Guide to Princeton
Guide to Princeton
The Town The University
LIBRARY OF PRINCETON OCT 16 1919 THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
By Varnum Lansing Collins
Princeton University Press Princeton, N. J. London: Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press 1919
Copyright, 1919, by THE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS, Princeton, N. J.
Published 1919
Foreword
This Guide attempts to be nothing more than an aid to the transient visitor who de- sires not only to see the University intelli- gently but also to have pointed out to him some of the historic or otherwise interesting spots in or near the village of Princeton.
For fuller details than could properly be included in the purpose of this little book, the reader is referred to: J. F. Hageman, Princeton and Its Institutions; J. R. Wil- liams, Handbook of Princeton; John Mac- lean, History of the College of New Jersey; E. M. Norris, Story of Princeton ; and V. L. Collins, Princeton. The last three volumes relate only to the University.
"There they are! above the green trees shis ing- Old towers that top the castles of our dreams-" -ROBERT BRIDGES, "The Towers of Princeton."
CONTENTS
Foreword
5
The Town II
Walks 56
The University
57
1
The Town
The Town
Against the northwest sky-line as the train reaches Princeton Junction, half way be- tween New York and Philadelphia, across three miles of green fields and woodland the gray roofs and towers of Princeton may be seen lifting above the trees.
The hamlet which in 1724 was thus named was settled before the end of the 17th cen- tury; but as late as 1675 the region was still a wilderness, with but a single Indian, trail through it, "a small path" so a Quaker pioneer called it, along which one travelled all day "and saw no tame creature." Like most Indian trails, this one followed high ground, and eventually became the main post road between New York and Philadel- phia, the King's Highway on which was played the varying pageant of colonial days.
12
Guide to Princeton
Along this route Washington with his army retreated across New Jersey in 1776, and after the Battle of Princeton followed it back through the village as far as Kingston where he turned off to Morris- town and safety. It is now a portion of the Lincoln Highway. So much as lies within the borough of Princeton is today known as Nassau Street and its extension Stockton Street.
As the halfway halting-place for the stage coaches to and from Philadelphia and New York, the village acquired importance even before the natural advantages of its physical situation brought to it the final location of the College of New Jersey. The taverns at Princeton were reputed to be better than average, and one or two remained famous long after coaching days were over. Among those which have vanished, the "Hudibras," situated at the corner of Nas- sau Street and College Place, (formerly College Lane), the driveway on the Uni- versity campus leading between Dickinson Hall and the Library, was one of the best
13
The Town
known. By 1765 it was already "noted and well accustomed." At the "Hudibras" John Adams, future president of the United States, put up when he spent a Sunday in Princeton in 1774 with other New England delegates to the First Continental Cogress at Philadelphia. The Inn was kept at that time by Colonel Jacob Hyer, a Revolu- tionary character and local quartermaster.
Probably the oldest buildings still ex- tant on Nassau Street were former inns, as for example, the modest two-story build- ing at 68 and 70 Nassau Street. This former tavern is mentioned, it is believed, as early as 1750. During the Revolution it was known as the "Washington Arms House." It then had a green in front of it and a flag staff around which the Fourth of July was celebrated. Rochambeau spent a night here in August 1781 when his army encamped at Princeton on the way to York- town. It figured in October 1781 in the local celebration of Cornwallis' surrender, and in 1783 in the celebration of the cessa- tion of hostilities.
.
1.4
Guide to Princeton
Just as old, although it has not preserved its ancient appearance, is the Nassau Inn, the oldest hotel in Princeton. The original portion of the building was erected in 1757 as the private residence of Judge Thomas Leonard, being then the finest house in the village, the brick having been imported from Holland. It has been a hotel continuously since 1769. In the 18th century it was best known as the "Sign of the College," or as the "College Inn." During the opening years of the 19th century John Gifford won high reputation as its proprietor. In his advertisement in the newspapers of 1800 he suggests the reason :
"The traveller who shapes his way Thro' heat and cold, thro' thick and thin, Secure shall meet, all times of day, Kind treatment at the College Inn."
Most popular of all the proprietors of this famous hostelry however was Gifford's successor, John Joline, who managed the establishment from about 1812 to 1836. During his proprietorship coaching travel through Princeton reached its height ; newer and handsomer vehicles took the place of
15
The Town
old; there were several competing lines ; as many as fifteen coaches would often start off each way together, and a hundred horses would be waiting to take the place of jaded steeds arriving. Obviously Joline's was an exciting and popular resort, and the students of the college were forbidden not only to enter the tavern but even to loiter around arriving or departing coaches. The col- lege Commencement ball was usually held at Joline's, and is often referred to by con- temporary travelers. It was here that James K. Paulding and Washington Irving, im- mortalizing a visit to Princeton in 1813, set the scene of the "Lay of the Scottish Fiddler,"-an itinerant minstrel who accord- ing to the last lines of the poem long re- mained a ghostly visitant of the old tavern :
"Once a year he deigns to play First fiddle on Commencement Day, When in Joline's high stately hall Is held the students' annual ball."
The ball now takes place in the gymna- sium, and the only formal-or informal- college function connected with "The Nass" is the speech delivered from the balcony as a
16
Guide to Princeton
feature of the undergraduate St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Across the street is the First Presbyter- ian Church of which the organization dates from 1755, although no step was taken toward erecting a church before 1762. Prior to this date the people of Princeton rented pews in the college chapel in Nassau Hall, and heard Presidents Aaron Burr, Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Davies and Samuel Finley, who, besides being presi- dents of the college, were also pastors of the local congregation. In 1762 the college loaned both money and land to the church for the purpose of erecting a building but the edifice was not completed until 1766. It stood on the present site but was placed parallel to the street. On the occupation of Princeton by the British ten years later, troops were quartered in the church, a fireplace was built in it, a chimney was carried through the roof, and the pews and gallery were used for fuel. On the evacua- tion of Princeton by the enemy, the church was used by the American troops and it was not fully restored until after the close
I7
The Town
of the war. By arrangement with the church, the college Commencements until 1896 were held here, one or two of them being famous. The most interesting was that of 1783 attended by General Washing- ton, the Continental Congress, the French Minister, La Luzerne, and important offi- cials of the national government. In 1814, General Winfield Scott, commanding a body of troops on their way to the front, was a distinguished guest at the Commencement exercises and the recipient of marked honors. The church had been destroyed by fire the year before and had been rebuilt in haste, but in the present situation at right angles to the street. It was burned down a second time in 1835. The present edifice dates from that restoration with certain modern alterations and improvements. The present parsonage is on Library Place, but a for- mer parsonage was the Wiggins House on Witherspoon Street.
On the corner of Chambers Street is the Second Presbyterian Church, organized in 1847. The present building dates from 1868, but still lacks its steeple.
18
Guide to Princeton
At the west end of Nassau Street, beyond University Place and Mercer Street, past the small park where Bayard Lane turns sharply to the right, Nassau Street contin- ues as Stockton Street.
A few yards along Stockton Street on the left is Trinity Church, organized in 1833. The present building dates from 1868 and has recently been enlarged and beautified by a stone choir and apse designed by Ralph Adams Cram. The tower contains a chime of ten bells by Meneely, all of which are memorials. In the church are numerous memorials to early parishioners. A stone set over the chancel door is from the 13th century church of St. Oswald's at Malpas, the Stockton home in England. The church property extends through to Mercer Street. Opposite Trinity Church is the former Princeton Inn, now a girls' school, on land which formed part of the estate of "Morven." The Princeton Battle Monu- ment is between the Inn and "Morven." The group, which is 26 feet high placed in relief against a 50-foot column, represents Washington on horseback sternly refusing
19
The Town
defeat at the Battle of Princeton, and in- spiring his tired troops to final victory. The female figure is young Liberty with a banner urging the soldiers forward. The group is by Macmonnies, and the architectural de- sign by Thomas Hastings.
Morven has been the home of the Prince- ton Stocktons since Richard Stockton, grandfather of the Signer of the Declara- tion of Independence, purchased the land from William Penn in 1701. The Signer's father built the main portion of the house probably between 1701 and 1709. The name dates from the time of Richard Stock- ton, the Signer. He improved the planta- tion extensively, the row of catalpas on the street front and most if not all of the older trees on the property, which in his day was very extensive, being set out by him. He and his wife made "Morven" one of the most charming residences in the State, no less famous for the beauty of its garden and grounds than for the hospitality of its own- ers. Enlarged by later generations, the home has, however, maintained its colonial atmosphere. The old brick slave quarters
20
Guide to Princeton
are still to be seen in the rear. When the British occupied Princeton in 1776 "Mor- ven" was for a time the headquarters of Lord Cornwallis. The house and property suffered in the general plundering of the neighborhood. The history of the house is brilliant, but possibly it never had a more interesting period than when the Continen- tal Congress was in Princeton in the sum- mer and autumn of 1783 and Mr. Elias Boudinot, president of Congress and brother of Mrs. Stockton, made "Morven" his offi- cial residence, with the result that it en- tertained a succession of distinguished guests. A particularly memorable state din- ner was served on the Fourth of July in 1783 when the entire Congress was present. General Washington was a warm friend of Mrs. Stockton and among his papers are several autograph specimens of her skill at verse writing, addressed to him, with cop- ies of his acknowledgments.
Opposite "Morven" is Thomson Hall, formerly "Belgarde," the residence of the late Mrs. Josephine Thomson Swann of Princeton, who bequeathed the property
21
The Town
to the borough of Princeton as a town hall and park. The house contains an auditor- ium and public library, while the executive offices of the borough are in a separate building on the Mercer Street side of the grounds.
In Thomson Hall may be seen the ship's bell of the U. S. S. Princeton, the first screw propelled steam war vessel ever built. De- signed by the famous engineer Ericsson, under the patronage of Commodore (then Captain) R. F. Stockton, it was named in the latter's honor after his home town. In February 1844 on the Potomac River, one of her guns, the "Peacemaker," then the largest piece of ordnance afloat, burst, killing sev- eral distinguished guests, among them the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Navy.
Just within the entrance to the grounds of Thomson Hall is Rose Cottage-so known at least as early as 1803, when it was the residence of Mrs. Robert Field, daughter of Richard Stockton, the Signer. The rose gardens from which it derived it name have long since disappeared, and the
22
Guide to Princeton
cottage during the recent European war was a tea-house conducted by a group of ladies of Princeton in the interest of the Red Cross and of French reconstruction work, having under its particular care the village of Saint Paul aux Bois.
Returning now to Bayard Lane, on the right hand corner is the Garrett House, owned by Mr. Robert Garrett of Baltimore, and built by Mr. John Potter in 1825, being the residence of Commodore R. F. Stock- ton, U. S. N., during his father's lifetime. The second house on the left hand side of this street is The Peacock Inn, an old resi- dence moved from Nassau Street (approxi- mately where Madison Hall begins) to make room for University Hotel (afterwards known as University Hall), which was itself removed to make room for Madison Hall. The house was the 18th century home of Jonathan Deare, a prominent Princeton pa- triot, member of the New Jersey Provincial Congress in 1775 and later of the State Leg- islature. After removal to Bayard Lane, it was occupied by Colonel William Libbey of Princeton until the erection of Thanet
23
The Town
Lodge, his large stone residence diagonally across the street in the residence park "Greenholm." This park was formerly a playing field used by the undergraduates of the college.
North of Thanet Lodge is Avalon, the home of Dr. Henry van Dyke. Part of the house dates from the 18th century so it is believed, at that time being owned by Dr. Edmund Bainbridge, uncle of the Commo- dore (see later, Bainbridge House), and subsequently by the Hon. Samuel Bayard. Across the street from Avalon is West- land, residence of the late Ex-President Grover Cleveland, who died here in 1908 (buried in Princeton Cemetery). The house was built in 1854 by the celebrated Commo- dore Robert F. Stockton, for his daughter. Next to Avalon is Merwick, the present residence of the Right Rev. Paul Matthews, Bishop of New Jersey, but formerly the residence of Professor George L. Raymond, and later used by the Graduate School of the University as a residential building, being Princeton's original Graduate College. Further down the hill on the same side is
24
Guide to Princeton
Stanworth, the home of Professor Wil- liam M. Sloane of Columbia University and formerly of Princeton University. Inside the gate of "Stanworth" is the common grave of Hessian soldiers killed in the Bat- tle of Princeton in 1777.
The street turning to; the left behind "Westland" is Cleveland Lane, No. 25 of which was the residence of President Wood- row Wilson while Governor of New Jersey and when elected President of the United States. His residence while a professor in the University was No. 82 Library Place which he built. His residence as President of the University was at "Prospect." His present (1919) legal voting residence is an apartment over the store at No. 10 Nassau Street, which, however, he has never occu- pied.
The second turning to the left on Cleve- land Lane is Library Place by following which Stockton Street at right angles to it is once more reached. The Lenox Library of the Princeton Theological Seminary is opposite (see later). Proceeding west along Stockton Street we now follow what is
25
The Town
known as the "Big Triangle" (Stockton Street, the Quaker Road at Stony Brook, and the Trenton turnpike back to Mercer Street) as distinguished from the "Lit- tle Triangle" (Stockton, Lovers' Lane and Mercer) referred to in the campus "Triangle Song" by Henry van Dyke and reminiscent of bygone, riotous, undergraduate days :
"Well the old Triangle knew the music of our tread,
How the peaceful Seminole would tremble in his bed,
How the gates were left unhinged, the lamps without a head
While we were marching through Princeton."
The first turn to the left on Stockton Street is Edgehill Street, on the right hand of which is an old stone house known as The Barracks. The street wall is modern, but the house itself is one of the oldest in Princeton, if not the oldest, having been a portion of the Stockton homestead before the erection of "Morven." The house has been carefully enlarged by the present own- er, Professor J. Duncan Spaeth, of the Uni-
26
Guide to Princeton
versity. It derives its name, if a well found- ed tradition be accepted, from the fact that it was used as a barracks during the Revo- lution. It is possible, however, that the name antedates that period, as there are nu- merous indications that the convenient loca- tion of Princeton frequently made it a mili- tary post, and it is well known that the vil- lagers petitioned for the erection of a bar- racks during the French and Indian War, when this house may have been so used and have acquired its name. According to a map of 1776 it was then known as the "Old Stockton House."
Returning to Stockton Street, directly op- posite the end of Edgehill Street is Allison House, the residence of Mr. George A. Ar- mour, but originally built by Commodore Stockton for his son, John P. Stockton, At- torney General of New Jersey, U. S. Sena- tor, and American Minister to Rome in 1858, and after him occupied by Mr. Paul Tu- lane, a Huguenot resident of Princeton and founder and benefactor of Tulane Univer- sity, New Orleans.
A few steps past the corner of Edgehill
27
The Town
Street is the property from which it gets its name-Edgehill, built in 1829 as a board- ing school for boys and for forty years one of the best known schools in this part of the country. It then became and has since re- mained a private residence.
The estate beyond "Edgehill" is Guern- sey Hall, formerly "Woodlawn," the home of the late Judge Richard S. Field of Prince- ton, but now the residence of Professor Al- lan Marquand of the University.
The lane dividing "Guernsey Hall" from the next estate is Lover's Lane, a probable corruption of Loverly (or Lubberly) the name of a former owner of property at this point. The lane forms part of the bor- ough western line.
The large house and property beyond "Al- lison House" and opposite "Guernsey Hall" is Constitution Hill, the residence of Mr. Junius S. Morgan. The house is built on the site of the residence of Quartermaster Rob- ert Stockton of the Revolutionary Army, an actively patriotic citizen of Princeton. According to persistent tradition the house took its name from the fact that the Con-
28
Guide to Princeton
stitution of New Jersey was drafted here in the summer of 1776. Here Washington established headquarters for the few hours he spent in Princeton when retreating across New Jersey in December of that year.
On the opposite side of the street, next to Lover's Lane is Drumthwacket, the estate of Mr. M. Taylor Pyne. Visitors may walk through the grounds but are desired not to approach the house. The grounds are best entered by the rustic gate on Lover's Lane, from which a path may be followed past the deer park and through the woods to the walks leading to the lakes and lower grounds. The house was built in 1832 and was the home of Charles S. Olden, Governor of New Jersey during the Civil War, and treasurer of the College. The property has been enlarged and improved by its present owner until it is now one of the most beau- tiful estates in New Jersey. The little white cottage on the roadside, known as Drumthwacket Lodge and now used as an aviary, was built in 1696. From its front porch in December 1776 Washington re- viewed his troops on their march to Trenton.
29
The Town
On January 3, after the Battle of Princeton, he came again to the door asking that British officers wounded in the fight be taken in and cared for, which was done. A few yards below this at the turn of the hill is the Washington Spring, where Washington is said to have refreshed himself after the Battle of Princeton. The American and
British soldiers killed in the Battle were buried where they fell on a part of "Drum- thwacket." A monument was erected in 1917 on a nearby wooded knoll to mark the spot, and bears the inscription :
Near Here Lie Buried The American and British Officers and Soldiers Who Fell at the Battle of Princeton January 3d, 1777
with these lines by Alfred Noyes, Visiting Professor in the University, written for the monument :
"Here Freedom stood, by slaughtered friend and foe,
And, ere the wrath palcd or that sunset died, Looked through the ages; then, with eyes aglow Laid them to wait that future side by side."
30
Guide to Princeton
On the opposite side of the road is the entrance to Edgerstoune, part of the large tract bought by Richard Stockton of William Penn in 1701, now the estate of Mr. A. D. Russell, overlooking the wooded upper reaches of Stony Brook and beyond to the distant hills. The wide grass allée, 1800 feet long, with Mt. Rose in the background, is very unusual.
At the foot of the hill the road crosses Stony Brook (the Indian name was Wopo- woc), climbs Bruere's Hill and goes on to Lawrenceville and Trenton. At the triple- arched bridge, which dates from 1792 and was erected to take the place of the one destroyed in the Battle, are the remains of Worth's (or Bruere's) Mill dating from 1714, which ceased operation only in the beginning of the 20th century. The highway was originally at meadow level and the massive masonry of the mill wall seemed impervious to time, but the raising of the road and the use of the west wall of the mill as a retaining wall weakened the whole structure. The mill connects modern Princeton with the earliest settlers of the
31
The Town
region, deriving its name from Joseph Worth, a Quaker who came to Stony Brook in 1696 and bought the property on which the mill was erected. His descendants in the family held the mill until well after the middle of the 19th century, when it became the property of Mr. Joseph H. Bruere. whose heirs own the picturesque ruin and whose name is attached to it and to the hill across the Brook. The road which turns to the left at the foot of the hill and follows the bank of the winding stream is the old Quaker Road, in a few hundred yards crossing the Trenton turnpike (laid out in 1807) and leading past the little Quaker Meeting House. The old bridge at the turnpike is particularly picturesque.
The Meeting House dates from 1726 but was rebuilt in 1760. Prior to 1757 it was the only house of worship in the neigh- borhood of Princeton and was attended by all the early Princeton families. A Quaker schoolhouse antedating 178I was near by, with a house for the schoolmaster. Both were removed some years ago. The Meet- ing House is a two story building with fire-
32
Guide to Princeton
. places at each end. Its enclosed burial ground is the oldest in the vicinity. The first settlers of Princeton and their descendants for many generations were buried here, but in Quaker fashion without stones to mark the graves. Richard Stockton, Signer of the Declaration, was buried here (see tab- let to his memory erected in 1913 by the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution) and also Governor Charles S. Olden.
A quieter spot can hardly be imagined than this, where the "forefathers of the hamlet" lie; but it was only a few steps north of the Meeting House, shortly after sunrise on January 3, 1777, that the Battle of Princeton began. After retreating through New Jersey, past Princeton down the postroad to Trenton which the visitor has just followed as far as Stony Brook, Washington had surprised the Hessians at Trenton on Christmas Night in 1776. Lord Cornwallis with large reinforcements had reached Trenton late on January 2, 1777, leaving a British brigade in Princeton to join him the next morning, in his plan of catch-
33
The Town
ing Washington in an untenable position. The latter escaped the predicament by si- lently slipping away during the night of the 2nd along an unguarded and circuitous route which led at length to the Quaker Road at Stony Brook and thence to the rear (or south) of the village of Princeton, where he hoped to surprise the British gar- rison, and hurrying on, possibly to seize the important military post at New Brunswick. The line of march from Trenton to the Princeton battle ground is marked at half mile intervals by stone posts on which bronze tablets have been placed by the Sons of the Revolution. The details of the engagement may be followed in General W. S. Stryker's Battles of Trenton and Prince- ton, and in General A. A. Woodhull's Bat- tle of Princeton-a Preliminary Study. Briefly, on reaching Stony Brook, part of the American force (under General Mercer) near the Quaker Meeting House was dis- covered from the top of the hill (Bruere's) across the brook, by the British commander, Colonel Mawhood, on his way with the van- guard of his forces to join Cornwallis at
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.