USA > New Jersey > Burlington County > Burlington > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 43
USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > History of Burlington and Mercer counties, New Jersey : with biographical sketches of many of their pioneers and prominent men > Part 43
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619
PRINCETON.
built in 1880 by the Rev. John Miller, who preaches enemy, and subjected the property of its citizens to wanton devastation when the enemy was quartered upon them.
in it every Sabbath evening. In the morning he preaches in his church at Plainsborough, about four miles from Princeton. He has not yet organized a church in Princeton as he has at Plainsborough, but devotes this chapel to public preaching and worship in anticipation of an ecclesiastical organization.
Mr. Miller earnestly holds the incarnation of God in the man Christ Jesus, and proceeds to build upon this all the gospel as it is usually taught, but utterly denies that it is the incarnation of a second person in God, or that the Holy Ghost is any other than the One Almighty. As his denial of the Trinity does not affect the Godhead of either person, but presents the sub- ject as it has never been presented before, while he accepts all the doctrines of redemption, it is not so strange that some denominations accord him fellow- ship as that others should seem not always to do so.
There is preaching every Sabbath morning in the college chapel by the clerical professors of the col- lege, and in the seminary chapel by the professors of the seminary. These services are attended by the families of professors and others temporarily abiding in the place, or whoever may choose to attend.
Sunday-Schools .- All these churches have Sunday- schools connected with them in prosperous condition.
Bible Society .- Princeton Bible Society, estab- lished long before the Mercer County Bible Society was organized, and very soon after the Nassau Hall Bible Society was instituted, is maintained chiefly by the Presbyterian and Methodist congregations.
There are several other benevolent and religious associations sustained by the Christian men and women of Princeton, operating at home and abroad.
Princeton in the Revolution .- Perhaps no place in the province was more prominent in the incipient stages of the Revolution, and in shaping the political status of the State under the first Constitution, than the little village of Princeton. Its opposition to the oppressive legislation of the mother-country, its cen- tral position on the great thoroughfare across the State, its college and the cluster of influential public men who resided here, and who ardently cspoused the cause of liberty, naturally made it obnoxious to the
There was a large Quaker population in and around Princeton which sympathized with the liberty party, bnt at the same time was opposed to all war. Still there was a goodly number of brave men here who were wise in council, and who did not shrink from
Mr. Miller is Presbyterian in his church polity, but was obliged to withdraw from that body from a differ- pledging their lives and their reputation for the cause ence of belief. He holds the great essentials of the of independence. Princeton was a focal point,-a seat of consultation, a scat of legislation, and a seat of war. The Committee of Safety held its first sessions here. The government under the State Constitution of 1776 was organized here, and the Legislature and Governor were here, except when the hostile army had possession of the place. It was a military posi- tion of the American army for several years during the war, a military prison aud a military hospital being maintained here. Congress met here also in 1783, and here celebrated the announcement of pcace. confession, total depravity, the Deity of Christ, vica- rious atonement, the new birth, salvation by faith, plenary inspiration, and eternal rewards and punish- inents; but his main difference was a total denial of the Trinity. He believes that the one personal God became incarnate in Clirist and is the Holy Ghost. A part of his Presbytery desired to depose him, but after lengthened trials in Synod and Assembly, this last court of appeals passed a minute allowing him to withdraw, in which his Presbytery acquiesced with but two dissenting votes, and he is reported in 1878 among "ministers dismissed."
All these are fully set forth in the " History of Princeton and its Institutions," and are also stated in a preceding chapter in the general history of Mercer County, to which our readers are referred to avoid repetition.
Academies and Schools,-We have no account of any school in Princeton previous to the removal of the college hither. There was undoubtedly an ele- mentary school in the neighborhood, perhaps none nearer than Stony Brook. The Quakers, who built a church there in 1709, certainly had a school at that time, but how early a school-house was built we can- not learn. The earliest record of it that we have been able to obtain bears date in 1781. At that time the school was fully organized, perhaps reorganized after the war. A committee appointed by the Preparative Meeting had the care and oversight of the school, and the following rules and regulations were adopted for its government, to wit:
"1. The master shall keep a particular account of employers' names, number of scholars, and time of entrance, and a particular account of all transient scholars, and the time they come.
"2. No scholar shall be admitted into the school who will not comply with the rules and orders.
"3. No distinction shall be shown to the children of rich or poor. but the strictest impartiality shall be observed by the trustees and teachers to all.
"4. The hours of teaching shall be from 8 o'clock to 12, and from 2 to 6 from the 1st day of the 4th mo. to the 1st day of the 10th mo., and from half-past 8 to half after 4 from the 1st of the 10th mo. to the Ist of the 4:> mo., allowing two bours at noon.
"5. The master shall be careful to speak the grammatical, plain Scrip- ture language, and require it on all occasions, and shall give the strictest attention to prevent evil words and actions and vice of every kind. Every scholar is to behave himself or berself orderly and becoming un pain of being expelled the school, but the master shall not dismiss any without a sufficient cause, approved by a majority of the trustees ; ami when auy employed is dissatisfied with the master's conduct in school he or she shall lay it before the trustees that it may be settled in a friendly manner as becomes people professing Christianity.
"6. The master shall suffer no scholar in the school who hath the itch, or any other infectious distemper.
"7. It is expected that the master will attend our own religious fourth-day meetings, accompanied by his scholars.
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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
"S. In future no scholars to be admitted without the approbation of a majority of the trustees.
"9. The master is not to withhold correction from any when needful, but is to be careful not to strike in any improper or tender place, espe- cially the face."
In addition to these rules the following were ap- proved, and directed to be kept up in a convenient public place in the school, to be observed by the seholars, viz .:
" RULES TO BE OBSERVED BY SCHOLARS."
"1. Fail not to be at school precisely at the time appointed, unless good reason can be assigned to the master.
"2. Be always silent at your studies, so that your voices be not heard, unless when saying your lessons or speaking to your master. Hold no discourse with your school-fellows during the time of study, unless to ask something relating to your learning, and then in a low voice. Be careful on all occasions to use the plain grammatical Scripture lan- guage: at no time use the word you to a single person.
"3. Behave yourselves always in a gently obliging manner to your school-fellows, tenderly affectionate, never provoking one another, con- tending or complaining about frivolous matters, but courteously use kind expressions one towards the other.
"4. Be not forward to divulge anything passed in school."
The old Quaker school-house still stands near the Quaker meeting-house, and on the same lot of land, but no school has been maintained in it for the last twenty years aud upwards.
After the college was opened in Princeton, in 1756, there was generally maintained under its auspices a grammar school or Latin school. There was one mentioned by the Rev. William Tennent in a letter to Dr. Finley in February, 1757, and described by . him as having been reached by the great revival in Princeton at that date.
- The same school was continued under President separate rooms. After Mr. Baird withdrew from it, Edwards, who was authorized to introduce geography, history, and chronology into it if he thought it proper. It was also contiuucd till after Dr. Finley's death, when it was under the charge of Joseph Periam, a tutor in college, with Tapping Reeve to assist him.
During the Revolutionary war it was suspended . for a few years, and then was revived by Dr. Wither- spoon. Both Ashbel Green and Robert Finley as- sisted in teaching in it.
In 1786, S. Stanhope Smith advertised in the New Jersey Gazette for a teacher of the English school in Princeton, also for the girls' school adjoining. It is quite probable that the grammar school had an Eng- lish as well as a Latin department, and that the boys of the town were permitted to attend it. As there was no system of public schools in those days, there were numerous private schools for boys and girls, but they have left no record behind them.
elected president. They erected a public building on the Presbyterian Church lot, on the northeast corner of it. There were two rooms or departments iu it, one classical and the other English. It seems to have been the village school as well as a boarding-school. Robert Adrain became one of its most prominent and carliest teachers. Afterwards, Jared W. Fyler, James Carnahan, David Comfort, James Hamilton, and others had charge of it. It was at this school that Ilenry Clow, Charles S. Olden, Job G. Olden, Paul Tulane, Samuel J. Bayard and brothers, Robert F. Stockton and brothers, Richard S. Field, Thomas Passage, James W. Alexander, Edward N. Kirk, and others acquired their early education preparatory to college or business. This school building was taken down and removed from the church lot about the year 1815, and the school was taught in some other place in the town.
In the year 1822 a new academy was established. It was a stone building two stories high, with a cupola and bell, and was situated on the west side of Wash- ington Street, on the hill adjoining Prospect. It was built by a joint-stock company. The Rev. Dr. Rob- ert Baird, then a theological student in Princeton, a private teacher and tutor in college, became princi- pal of this new academy. Hewas a successful teacher, and among his pupils at this school were Addison Alexander, William B. Napton, late chief justice of Missouri, David Comfort, aud William King, of Sa- vannah. He retained this school until the year 1828. There was an English and a classical department in it was taught by several others successively, auiong whom were Mr. Maynard, Mr. Sears, and George W. Schenck.
In 1840 this building, having for several years stood unused, became the public school building of the vil- lage, and was occupied by Oliver H. Willis, who es- tablished a first-class public free school and main- tained it for about two years; but the school fund was inadequate at that time, and the school system too imperfect to insure permanent success as a free school. Mr. Willis removed to Hightstown, thence to Freehold, and is now principal of the Alexander Institute at White Plains, N. Y.
THE EDGEHILL HIGH SCHOOL was established in 1829. It was beautifully situated at the west end of Princeton, on Stockton Street, on a tract of thirteen acres of land, sloping to the south,-hence its name. It contained large and imposing build-
We have an authentic record of the first effort ; ings, with handsome grounds, and altogether it was made by the citizens of Princeton to establish an a very attractive and commodious public board- ing-school. Professor Robert B. Patton may be re- garded as the founder of this school. He took none but boarding scholars, and these were required to be under twelve years of age when they entered. It was one of the best and most thorough schools in the country. academy. The original subscription-paper is extant, and bears date Jan. 2, 1790. The associated pro- prietors, the leading men of Princeton, beenme in- corporated in 1795 as the "trustees of the Princeton Academy." The trustees were Col. George Morgan, Dr. Thomas Wiggins, James Hamilton, John Harri- son, and Maj. Stephcu Morford. Col. Morgan was . Professor Pation was succeeded in 1833 by the
621
PRINCETON.
Rev. E. C. Wines, D.D., who in 1837 was succeeded by Professor John S. Hart, who held it till 1841. The property was subsequently held by David Pratt, by Rev. Mr. Helm, by Mr. William Hughes, by Rev. Thomas W. and Rev. William C. Cattell, who en- larged and improved it. In 1869, Mr. Thomas Cat- tell removed to Merchantville, near Camden, N. J., ! and sold the Edgehill property to Admiral Emmons, who has fitted it handsomely for a private residence and now occupies it as such.
THE MARQUAND PREPARATORY SCHOOL was estab- lished under the auspices of the college in 1873, through the gift of Henry G. Marquand, of New York. It is on the road to Kingston, about a mile and a half east of the college. Its cost was about twenty-five thousand dollars. Its first principal was Mr. Dabney, of Virginia, who in 1875 was succeeded by the Rev. Charles J. Collins, of Wilkesbarre, Pa. It is at the present time vacant.
There have been other private and more select classical schools for day scholars, and in some in- Princeton in 1857 were combined and incorporated stances for boarding scholars, taught in private with a board of education. This board, with the as- houses or small school buildings. Among such were sistance of Professor Phelps, principal of the State the schools taught by Rev. Frederick Knighton, Rev. Normal School at Trenton, organized and opened a George W. Schenck, John C. Schenck, George H. Burroughs, Rev. Robert Cruikshank, Rev. J. H. O'Brien, William Nevius, and others.
The female boarding-schools of Princeton have 1 not been famous. That of Miss Hanna was the prominent one, and was kept in the Col. Beatty house, in Nassau Street. There were those of the . Misses Simpson, Miss Hoyes, Miss Alden, the Misses Craig, the Rev. Mr. Hood, Mr. David Comfort, Mrs. Hosmer, and Miss Rockwell.
Though there have always been public schools in : Mr. Hartwell, who is the present principal.
Princeton, the need of a system of free common schools in the State had been felt, and the effort to obtain it had been prominently advocated by Princeton gen- tlemen years before such a system was adopted. Among those advocates were the Rev. Robert Baird and Professor John Maclean, who wrote on the subject. The former visited the several counties of the State and held public meetings, made addresses, and wrote a series of essays on the advantages of a good system of publie schools. The New Jersey Lyceum, formed in 1834 at Princeton, was in aid of the cause of com- mon-school education, and the Monthiy Journal of Ed- ucation, first published in 1835, and edited by E. C. Wines, gave special attention to the history and ad- vancement of common schools. Mr. Wines, Professor A. B. Dod, Professor James W. Alexander, and R. S. Field were all zealous supporters of the cause.
The necessity of a Normal School to prepare teachers found early advocates in Princeton. In January, 1830, Dr. Samuel Miller and Rev. G. S. Woodhull, in making a report as a committee of an association for the promotion of popular education in New Jer- sey, stated their "deep conviction of the importance of some institution being established in New Jersey . press.
to educate young men for the occupation of teaching. Without such an institution we cannot expect to have such teachers and such numbers of them as will secure to our citizens all the advantages to be derived from a good system of common schools." And afterwards, in January, 1835, at a special meeting of the New Jersey Lyceum held at Trenton, Mr. Wines reported on the subject of common schools and needed legisla- tion, whereupon resolutions in favor of seminaries for the education of schoolmasters were offered and advo- cated by Professor Dod, R. S. Field, and Charles Kinsey.
There are four publie school districts in the town- ship of Princeton at the present time, viz. : the Stony Brook district, the Mount Lucas district, the Cedar Grove district, all of which are outside of the bor- ough, and the Princeton district within the borough ; and each has a suitable school-house with a flourish- ing school in attendance.
The several public schools within the borough of
free public school in Princeton, with Mr. H. Farrand as principal and five assistant female teachers. This board erected the large and commodious public school building in Nassau Street in the year 1858, and which has continued from that time to be occupied by the į public school. Mr. Farrand was educated at the Normal School. In 1860 he resigned and went to New York ; he was succeeded by Wm. J. Gibby, who had been a pupil at the Normal School, and he remained principal for about fifteen years. Mr. Gibby was succeeded by
This school has been well sustained by adequate taxation. The number of pupils in attendance is from three to four hundred, and with its corps of teachers it has the sympathy of the community. There is a separate department in this school for colored pupils, maintained in a new school-house in Witherspoon Street, built for that purpose. It has three teachers, and is under the supervision of the same board of education and principal.
Within the last two or three years the great body of the Roman Catholie children of the district have been withdrawn from the school by their parents and entered the Catholic Church school, where about two hundred of them are taught by the Sisters of Mercy. They were withdrawn on religious grounds, and receive no share of the public school money.
The number of children in the township in 1880 reported was 1265, and the total of money appro- priated for the year was 86528.50; the Princeton dis- trict containing 986 of the children, and receiving $5088.62 of the appropriated moneys.
The Press (Newspapers and Magazines ,- Princeton was early in the field with her printing-
622
HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
The Princeton Packet and General Advertiser was the first newspaper published in Princeton. It was commeneed in May, 1786, and was published weekly by James Tod. It was a sheet ten by eighteen inehes in size, with three broad columns ou a side. It had a neat head-letter, with a vignette of Nassau Hall. It entered upon its second volume, but when it eeased to exist is not known. There are at least two eopies known to be in existenee.
The Princeton Religious and Literary Gazette was a weekly newspaper, commenced in May, 1824, edited by Rev. Robert Gibson, printed by Borrenstein.
The New Jersey Patriot was a weekly newspaper, commenced in 1825; at first a political and after two years a literary one. It lived a few years.
A Series of Tracts, issued monthly in 1824, was pub- lished by Borrenstein, making a volume of three hundred pages.
The American Journal, by Rev. Robert Gibson, was published weekly. First number was issued April 2, 1825. .
The American Magazine was a monthly, published in 1826, and took the place of the Journal.
The Princeton Courier was a weekly newspaper, published about four years from 1831. It had a vig- nette of Nassau Hall and adjoining buildings. Ber- nard Connoly was its publisher. It advocated the election of Jackson and Van Buren.
The American System was a weekly paper, pub- lished by R. E. Hornor, edited by Dr. L. V. Newton ; first issued Sept. 7, 1832, advocating Clay and Ser- geant on the Presidential ticket.
The Princeton Whig eame out of the American Sys- tem, Robert E. Hornor becoming editor, and John T. Robinson, publisher. It continued from 1832 till 1851, when Hornor, just before his death, sold out to Robinson.
The Princeton Press was a new name to the Prince- ton Whig, and was edited and published by John T. Robinson till 1861, when the Press became consoli- dated with the Standard.
The Mercer County Mirror was a weekly newspaper owned and edited by Howard V. Hullfish, a practical printer. He died in 1856, and the office was sold.
The Princeton Standard was a weekly newspaper es- tablished in 1859, by J. F. Hageman, with an imper- sonal editorship. In 1861 it was united with the Press, and published as the Standard by J. T. Robin- son till his death in 1862, and then by his sons, John A. Robinson, till his death, and then by Charles S. Robinson, who in 1867 purchased the paper and office and held it till 1870.
The Princetonian was the Standard, sold to Stille & Smith, published by C. S. Robinson, and edited by Rev. Professor Moffat. It was a double-sheet weekly, lit- erary in character, and too costly for its patronage. It went back to Mr. Robinson in 1873, who ealled it
& Co., and is the only weekly newspaper published in Prineeton.
The Princeton Journal, by Blanchard, in 1865, only survived a few months. It was a weekly newspaper.
The Princeton Magazine was a monthly, published in 1850, by J. T. Robinson, edited by W. C. Alexan- der, assisted by his father, Dr. Alexander, and his two brothers, Drs. James and Addison Alexander ; discontinued at the end of the year.
The Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review, a quar- terly, established in 1825, edited by Rev. Dr. Charles Hodge as sole editor till 1870, then was assisted by Rev. Dr. Atwater. After the reunion of the two branches of the Presbyterian Church its name was changed to the Presbyterian Quarterly and Princeton Review. Dr. Hodge withdrew. It has since become
The Princeton Review, a first-class bi-monthly. the cheapest and ablest magazine in the country, under the management of Mr. Jonas Libbey, of New York. It is non-eeclesiastieal.
The Missionary Review was established in Prince- ton in April, 1878, by the Rev. R. G. Wilder, for- merly a missionary in India. It is bi-monthly, and is independent of all eeclesiastical eontrol and connec- tion. It is ably edited and growing in influenee and patronage. It was printed by Mr. Sharp at Trenton until this year. It is now printed by C. S. Robinson & Co. in Prineeton.
There are several college papers, such as the Nassau Literary Magazine, Nassau Herald, Princetonian, and a new one ealled The Tiger, but their circulation is con- fined to that department of life.
The College of New Jersey .- This institution is known in its charter and general history as " The College of New Jersey." It is often designated as "Nassau Hall," because the old and original college building, now known as North College, was named by Governor Belelier Nassau Hall, to the immortal memory of the glorious King William the Third, who was a branch of the illustrious house of Nassau. This hall, which was for so many years the only building of the college, caine to represent the college, and hence it was common to speak of those who were graduated at this college as graduates of Nassau Hall. But since this originfal hall lias become only a central figure in a group of large and costly buildings sur- rounding it and used for college purposes which quite cast the original into the shade as the represen- tative of the college, and since there are now other colleges in New Jersey, a third name has been sug- gested, and is now generally applied when speaking of the institution, namely, Princeton College.
There are but three colleges in the United States which were founded before Princeton College, viz. : Harvard, in 1636, William and Mary's, in 1693, and Yale, in 1701.
The College of New Jersey received its first charter from John Hamilton, aeting Governor of New Jer-
The Princeton Press, which has been reduced to a single sheet, and is still published by C. S. Robinson 1 sey, Oct. 22, 1746. The application for this charter
623
PRINCETON.
having been previously made and denied, was now again presented to Governor Hamilton, who granted it without first obtaining the consent of the Provin- cial Legislature, and without having tirst obtained the leave of His Majesty's government to do so. The legality of this exercise of power was questioned as being at least unprecedented, but it seems to have been acquiesced in, and was followed by Governor Beleher, Governor Franklin, and Governor Bernard.
The following notice appeared in the Weekly Post- Boy, of New York, Feb. 10. 1747 :
" Whereas, a charter with full and ample privileges has been granted by His Majesty under the seal of the Province of New Jersey, bearing date the 22d of October, 1746, for erecting a college within the said province to Jonathan Dickinson, John Pierson, Ebenezer Pemberton, and Aaron Burr, ministers of the Gospel, and some other gentlemen, as trustees of said college, by which charter equal liberties and privileges are secured to every denominatiou of Christians, any different religious sentiments uotwithstanding.
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