Historical Society of Princeton

Historical Society of Princeton http://www.princetonhistory.org
(1)

Inspired by the worldly and entrepreneurial spirit of the citizens of Princeton, and graced by the important legacy of the town, the Historical Society of Princeton develops signature programs of learning and discovery to connect the lessons of the past to the issues which inform our future. Using our historic sites and collections, we teach local and international visitors that history is relevan

t in daily life, and can be used to explore a shared connection among people; to celebrate a love of place; and to promote conversations on creating a better future.

"Turning Point," by Ann Gross, mixes cartographic, symbolic and historical elements to illustrate the significance of th...
05/26/2026

"Turning Point," by Ann Gross, mixes cartographic, symbolic and historical elements to illustrate the significance of the three battles that took place between December 25, 1776 and January 3, 1777. Part of the Ten Crucial Days Portfolio created for the bicentennial by the Princeton Printmakers collective, this screenprint is currently on view at the New Jersey State Museum.

: As Princeton University alums gather for tomorrow's P-rade, let’s look back at the festivities during the 1976 Bicent...
05/22/2026

: As Princeton University alums gather for tomorrow's P-rade, let’s look back at the festivities during the 1976 Bicentennial, when orange and black mixed with red, white, and blue. Pictured is the Class of 1946, which graduated the year the University celebrated its 200th anniversary, led by a stilt-walking Uncle Sam and a colonial themed marching band. To accommodate the record crowd of 10,000, the U.S. Army set up 700 cots in Jadwin Gymnasium and Caldwell Field House to house younger alumni.

in 1915, Henry Ostermann, vice president of the Lincoln Highway Association, and a film crew drove through Princeton o...
05/21/2026

in 1915, Henry Ostermann, vice president of the Lincoln Highway Association, and a film crew drove through Princeton on a cross-country journey from New York to San Francisco. The goal was to generate publicity for the highway, which officially opened two years earlier, created out of existing roads and marked with special red, white, and blue signs bearing a large “L.”

The trip over rough, muddy, and irregular roads lasted 102 days and generated around 10,000 feet of film. Only 30 seconds of footage has survived, visible in a 1950s Disney production called “Magic Highway, USA.” Pictured is the official Lincoln Highway Car in the Pacific Ocean.

When was the first parade in Princeton? In 1918, members of the Princeton University Naval Training Unit, local fire c...
05/19/2026

When was the first parade in Princeton? In 1918, members of the Princeton University Naval Training Unit, local fire companies, and the Princeton Athletic Club formed a parade from the (old) Nassau Inn to Princeton Cemetery, serving as an honor guard for Civil War veterans. Later, “patriotic airs” were played in front of the Nassau Inn, and an evening service with hymns and patriotic songs was held in Alexander Hall.

The following year, the Princeton American Legion Post 76 was granted its charter and held its first “Decoration Day Parade.” (A federal law in 1967 officially changed the holiday to Memorial Day.) Later joined by the Charles W. Robinson American Legion Post 218, the Legion was the sponsor until 1995. The Spirit of Princeton Committee has been coordinating the event, along with the Flag Day ceremony and Veterans Day observance, since 1998.

HSP is proud to be marching in the 2026 parade, this Saturday at 10:00 am (rain or shine), with Capt. Andrew Eberhart (US Navy) Ret. as Grand Marshal. The one mile route along Nassau Street starts at Princeton Ave. and ends at the Battle Monument with a short ceremony at 11:00 am.

HSP is grateful for the dedication and leadership of our volunteer trustees and looks forward to another year of preserv...
05/15/2026

HSP is grateful for the dedication and leadership of our volunteer trustees and looks forward to another year of preserving Princeton’s rich history and sharing the stories that connect our community.

05/14/2026

One of our favorite stories to share on HSP walking tours has come to life at the George Street Playhouse! Watch what happens when opera singer Marion Anderson is denied a hotel room because of her race and Albert Einstein invites her to stay at his home. Based on true events, the play offers an intimate look at their friendship and the events that ignited Anderson’s legendary 1939 performance at the Lincoln Memorial. See it in person or stream online before it closes this Sunday!

: Gish Jen acquired her nickname in high school, for actress Lillian Gish. Her work explores themes of cultural identit...
05/14/2026

: Gish Jen acquired her nickname in high school, for actress Lillian Gish. Her work explores themes of cultural identity, particularly the Asian American experience. Her sixth novel, "Bad Bad Girl", which came out in 2025, is a fictionalization of the life of her mother, tracing her life from childhood to leaving Shanghai as the Chinese Communist Party takes power, to immigrating to New York as a graduate student and becoming a wife and a mother.

In addition to teaching at Harvard University, her alma mater, she taught creative writing at NYU Shanghai and Brandeis University. In February 2022, she was a part of the Althea Ward Clark W'21 Reading Series at Princeton University.

Check out the incredible LEGO creations from this year's Building Princeton! Teams constructed their models in about 2 h...
05/12/2026

Check out the incredible LEGO creations from this year's Building Princeton! Teams constructed their models in about 2 hours, using only a photograph. Thank you to all the participants for their creativity and enthusiasm. We are so grateful to our generous sponsors for making this event possible: Adams Rental, Princeton Montessori School, Studio Hillier, Experience Princeton, McCaffrey's Food Markets, TRAC Intermodal, and NJParenting.com.

Celebrated on May 8, commemorates the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red ...
05/08/2026

Celebrated on May 8, commemorates the birthday of Henry Dunant, the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Some local history: In 1898, Princeton women banded together to form a local Auxiliary Committee of the Red Cross Society, which primarily provided aid to sick and wounded soldiers and sailors. The group rented a room in Lower Pyne (today's Hamilton Jewelers) for sewing and packing, as well as to receive contributions of cash and clothing. Examples of the group's early work include local fundraising and supply drives for the Galveston, Texas hurricane in 1900; for relief of Belgian food shortages during World War I; and for support of sick soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The Princeton Chapter of the American Red Cross received its charter from the national organization in 1914.

Thank you to our incredible trustees and supporters for attending HSP's Annual Meeting Monday night. Historian Larry Kid...
05/08/2026

Thank you to our incredible trustees and supporters for attending HSP's Annual Meeting Monday night. Historian Larry Kidder treated us to an engrossing account of what the people of Princeton experienced during the Revolutionary War.

Address

354 Quaker Road
Princeton, NJ
08540

Telephone

(609) 921-6748

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Historical Society of Princeton posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Historical Society of Princeton:

Shortcuts

Share

Category