1201 Old Trenton Road
Overview
Actually one of at least three historic Tindall Farms on Old Trenton Road, this property, which is situated directly south of Mercer County Community College, is one of West Windsor's best preserved agrarian land. It is not known exactly when the farm was founded, but architectural analysis indicates that the farmhouse may be from the 1700s. A house shows up on both the 1849 and 1875 maps of West Windsor - the first, indicating ownership by a "S. Hutchinson" and the latter showing a "W. Hutchinson" operating a 95 acre farm:
Actually one of at least three historic Tindall Farms on Old Trenton Road, this property, which is situated directly south of Mercer County Community College, is one of West Windsor's best preserved agrarian land. It is not known exactly when the farm was founded, but architectural analysis indicates that the farmhouse may be from the 1700s. A house shows up on both the 1849 and 1875 maps of West Windsor - the first, indicating ownership by a "S. Hutchinson" and the latter showing a "W. Hutchinson" operating a 95 acre farm:
As mentioned, the house possibly dates from the 18th century - a reasonable estimate, given how prolific agriculture has historically been in the township. The building is a 2 story, 4 bay house with an entrance in a modern wing. An interior end chimney which connects to a rebuilt corner fireplace suggests Delaware Valley architectural influence.
The property is surrounded by several modern barn buildings, outbuildings, garages, and silos. It was purchased in 1914 by the grandfather of Doug Tindall, its current owner. The Tindall family raised milk cows on the property until the 1950s, when they started farming potatoes - a popular West Windsor staple - instead. According to Doug, his father (Harold) was one of the first local potato farmers to install his own harvester and pipeline system for irrigation.
According to an article published in "American Farm Publications," Doug served as mayor for nearby Washington Township (now Robbinsville) for a few years, starting in 2000. He started working on the farm during the Russian "wheat crisis" of the early 1970s, and still manages it in 2019.
The farm now grows soybeans, corn, straw, and hay, hosts U-Pick events for strawberries, and has been listed as preserved farmland (under New Jersey's Farmland Preservation Program) since 2006. It remains a great example of West Windsor's agrarian past still lingering to this day.
According to an article published in "American Farm Publications," Doug served as mayor for nearby Washington Township (now Robbinsville) for a few years, starting in 2000. He started working on the farm during the Russian "wheat crisis" of the early 1970s, and still manages it in 2019.
The farm now grows soybeans, corn, straw, and hay, hosts U-Pick events for strawberries, and has been listed as preserved farmland (under New Jersey's Farmland Preservation Program) since 2006. It remains a great example of West Windsor's agrarian past still lingering to this day.
The farm in 2018
