Historical Society of Princeton

      Thursday, May 12, 2022: It has been 16 years since I’ve visited Princeton, New Jersey. Back then, I toured the campus of Princeton University. This time, I stopped into the Historical Society of Princeton, 354 Quaker Road, Princeton (609-921-6748). Located at the Updike Farmstead, the museum’s exhibits were in a few different rooms in this late-18th-/early-19th-century farmhouse. Once inside, a very helpful tour guide told us the history of Princeton from the time of the Lenni-Lenapes to the current times. In six exhibit areas, I looked at a lot of pictures and some texts, videos, and exhibit items. The first was my favorite because it had to do with some famous former residents of Princeton: Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, and others. As for the rest of the display areas, they presented the following subjects: photos of farm workers who worked on farms in the Princeton area around the early 20th century, African-American migrant workers, and Nassau Street through the years, as well as paintings done by artists from Trenton and photos of the Updike Farmstead that the Princeton Photography club took during a visit in 2012. Once outside, I glanced at a historical garden and farm buildings mostly from the 19th century. There was also a history trail where six signs along the way explained the different parts of Princeton’s history. Throughout the year, the Historical Society of Princeton played host to special events and offered tours of the area. Anyway, this has been one place that I highly recommend for an introduction to Princeton, NJ!