The Municipality of Princeton is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of which are now defunct. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 30,681, an increase of 2,109 (+7.4%) from the 2010 census combined count of 28,572. In the 2000 census, the two communities had a total population of 30,230, with 14,204 residents in the borough and 16,027 in the township.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010 , New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Princeton was founded before the American Revolutionary War. The borough is the home of Princeton University, one of the world's most acclaimed research universities, which bears its name and moved to the community in 1756 from the educational institution's previous location in Newark. Although its association with the university is primarily what makes Princeton a college town, other important institutions in the area include the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton Theological Seminary, Opinion Research Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Siemens Corporate Research, SRI International, FMC Corporation, Educational Testing Service, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Amrep, Church and Dwight, Berlitz International, and Dow Jones & Company.
Princeton is roughly equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia.Sullivan, Ronald. "Princeton Adopts Plan for Big Tract" , The New York Times, November 4, 1973. Accessed February 18, 2024. "The Princeton development would lie midway between New York City and Philadelphia on approximately 900 acres the university owns and 700 acres to be acquired by the school or developed jointly with its present owners." It is close to many major highways that serve both cities (e.g., Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1), and receives major television and radio broadcasts from each. It is also close to Trenton, New Jersey's capital city, New Brunswick and Edison.
The New Jersey governor's official residence has been in Princeton since 1945, when Morven (in what was then Princeton Borough) became the first governor's mansion. In 1982, it was replaced by the larger Drumthwacket, a colonial mansion located in the former township, but not all have actually lived in these houses. Morven became a museum and garden, owned and operated by the New Jersey Historical Society.Janson, Donald. "A Tour of Princeton Landmarks" , The New York Times, April 30, 1989. Accessed June 25, 2020. "In 1945 the Stockton family sold Morven to Gov. Walter E. Edge. Six years later, while still in office, the Governor donated the mansion to the state with the requirement that it be used as the gubernatorial mansion or a state museum. From 1953 to 1982 Morven was home to the families of four Governors: Robert B. Meyner, Richard J. Hughes, William T. Cahill and Brendan T. Byrne. The National Park Service designated the house a National Historic Landmark in 1972.... After the Byrne family moved out, work began to transform Morven into a state museum. Drumthwacket became the official address of New Jersey governors."
Throughout much of its history, the community was split into two separate municipalities: a township and borough. The central borough was completely surrounded by the township. The borough seceded from the township in 1894 in a dispute over school taxes; the two municipalities later formed Princeton Public Schools, and some other public services were conducted together before they were reunited into a single Princeton in January 2013. Princeton Borough contained Nassau Street, the main commercial street, most of the university campus, and incorporated most of the urban area until the postwar suburbanization. The borough and township had roughly equal populations. Other major streets include Harrison, Witherspoon, Bayard, Washington, and Stockton.Historic Princeton , Municipality of Princeton. Accessed March 26, 2024.
History Early history
The Lenape Native Americans were the earliest identifiable inhabitants of the Princeton area.
Europeans settled into the area in the late part of the 17th century, arriving from Delaware to settle West Jersey, and from New York to settle East Jersey, with the site destined to become Princeton being amid the wilderness between these two boroughs. The first European to find his home in the boundaries of the future municipality was Henry Greenland. He built his house in 1683 along with a tavern, where representatives of West and East Jersey met to set the boundaries between the two provinces.A Brief History of Princeton , Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed November 29, 2019. "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 municipal boundaries. He opened it as a 'house of accommodation' or tavern.... East Jersey and West Jersey representatives met in 1683 at Greenland's tavern to establish their common boundary." Greenland's son-in-law Daniel Brimson inhabited the area by 1690, and left property in a will dated 1696.
Then, Princeton was known only as part of nearby Stony Brook. Nathaniel Fitz Randolph, a native of the town, attested in his private journal on December 28, 1758, that Princeton was named in 1724 upon the making/construction of the first house in the area by James Leonard, who first referred to the community as Princetown when describing the location of his large estate in his diary.Woodward, E.M.; Hageman, John F. History of Burlington and Mercer counties. New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Everts & Peck, Philadelphia, 1883. The community was later known by a variety of names, including: Princetown, Prince's Town and finally Princeton.Hageman, John Frelinghuysen. History of Princeton and its Institutions, vol. 1 of 2, J.B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, 1879. The name Princeton was first used in 1724 and became common within the subsequent decade. Although there is no official documentary backing, the municipality is said to be named after Prince William of Orange.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names , New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 21, 2015. Another theory suggests that the name came from a large land-owner named Henry Prince, the son-in-law of a well-known English merchant, but no evidence backs this contention. A royal prince seems a more likely eponym for the settlement, as three nearby towns had names for royalty: Kingston, Queenstown (in the vicinity of the intersection of Nassau and Harrison Streets) and Princessville (Lawrence Township).
Princeton was described by William Edward Schenck in 1850 as having attained "no very considerable size" until the establishment of the College of New Jersey in the town. When Richard Stockton, one of the founders of the township, died in 1709 he left his estate to his sons, who helped to expand property and the population. Based on the 1880 United States census, the population of Princeton comprised 3,209 persons (not including students). Local population has expanded from the nineteenth century. According to the 2010 census, Princeton Borough had 12,307 inhabitants, while Princeton Township had 16,265.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 from the 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Princeton Borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 21, 2015.DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 from the 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Princeton Township, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 21, 2015. The numbers have become stagnant; since the arrival of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, in 1756, the town's population spikes every year during the fall and winter, and drops significantly over the course of the summer.
Revolution In the pivotal Battle of Princeton in January 1777, George Washington forced the British to evacuate southern New Jersey. After the victory, Princeton hosted the first Legislature under the State Constitution to decide the State's seal, governor and organization of its government. In addition, two of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence—Richard Stockton and John Witherspoon—lived in Princeton. Princetonians honored their citizens' legacy by naming two streets in the downtown area after them.
Note: The ghosts of Hessian soldiers are occasionally said to haunt the Princeton battlefield. These sightings are most common near the Mass Grave, a stone patio located directly behind the park's Ionic Colonnade. This site serves as the common grave for 21 British and 15 American soldiers killed during the battle
Princeton is located in Mercer County, named after General Hugh Mercer—a close friend and confidant of George Washington. Mercer was mortally wounded during the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. The tree he rested under after the battle became known as the Mercer Oak; it stood on the battlefield for over two centuries until it finally collapsed in 2000
On January 10, 1938, Henry Ewing Hale called for a group of citizens to establish a "Historical Society of Princeton". Later the Bainbridge House, constructed in 1766 by Job Stockton, would be dedicated for this purpose. Previously the house was used once for a meeting of Continental Congress in 1783, a general office, and as the Princeton Public Library. The House is owned by Princeton University and is leased to the Princeton Historical Society for one dollar per year."New Life for Historic Bainbridge House" , Princeton University Art Museum, June 2019. Accessed November 29, 2019. "The origins of Bainbridge House date to 1766, when Job Stockton (1734–1771)—a wealthy tanner, grandson of an early English settler to the area, and cousin to one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton—built it along the primary thoroughfare of the young village." The house has kept its original staircase, flooring and paneled walls. Around 70% of the house has been unaltered. Aside from safety features such as wheelchair access and electrical work, the house has been restored to its original appearance and character.
Government history During the most stirring events in its history, Princeton was a wide spot in the road; the boundary between Somerset County and Middlesex County ran right through Princeton, along the high road between New York and Philadelphia, now Nassau Street. When Mercer County was formed in 1838, part of West Windsor was added to the portion of Montgomery Township which was included in the new county, and made into Princeton Township; the area between the southern boundary of the former Borough and the Delaware and Raritan Canal was added to Princeton Township in 1853. Princeton Borough became a separate municipality in 1894.