West Windsor
​Historic Bike Tour

Journey into the past with this free, self-guided history tour of West Windsor Township! Explore centuries of heritage with several route options (see map below):

• Gray Trail: 9 Miles
• Black Trail: 15 Miles
• Black Trail + White Spur: 18 Miles​ ​
• Or make your own route!

CLICK FOR A MAP OF ALL 3 ROUTES

All three trails start at the wooden kiosk at 501 Village Road West (pictured above), next to the World War II memorial. Scroll down this page and follow the directions as you bike to each site at your own pace. At each stop, read the history of the places and people that made West Windsor what it is today.

This tour was created in 2011 by Paul Ligeti for his Boy Scout Eagle Project. He later joined the Historical Society and wrote our Township History Book.

Please also make sure to wear a helmet, bring proper bike maintenance gear, water bottles, and other items to ensure your ride is safe and comfortable. Also be constantly vigilant for vehicles, people, and environmental conditions. The Historical Society is not responsible for any injuries incurred on this route.

ENJOY THE TOUR BELOW!

SITE 1: DUTCH NECK (HISTORIC VILLAGE)

*Remain by the wooden starting kiosk.*

This is one of several historic farming villages that appeared in West Windsor over the centuries. This hamlet developed in the mid-1700s after the Lyell family sold the area to settlers, many of whom were Dutch like the Voorhees and Updikes. The term “Neck” likely means tract of land. After Windsor Township split into East and West Windsor in 1797, West Windsor’s government often met here until the 1970s. Dutch Neck featured a town hall, inn, schoolhouse, blacksmith, courthouse/ library/chapel, store/post office, more businesses, and substantial farms. The Presbyterian church (1816) replaced a 1700s-era “Neck Meeting House.” Its graveyard’s earliest known burial dates to 1771. A cemetery for Black and poor locals (1834) was replaced by the current Dutch Neck School in 1917 and its graves were moved. The West Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. formed here in 1921. More Christian and Jewish houses of worship were built in the mid-late 1900s amid suburban growth.
​
Now, let's explore some Dutch Neck sites!

SITE 2: DUTCH NECK INN

*​Ride to 212-214 South Mill Road.*

This is one of West Windsor's oldest and most historic sites. It was originally stood at the village crossroads. Its earliest known owner was Elisha Cook in 1784. In 1795, Jacob G. Bergen, a Revolutionary War soldier, purchased the property. Bergen had previously also owned the long-gone "French Arms" tavern in Trenton in 1784 when it served as the ninth capital building of the United States. The Dutch Neck inn hosted West Windsor Township's very first municipal meeting on April 8, 1797 and virtually all others thereafter until 1808. Town Committee then met at various locations (including this inn) until  In 1891, when government returned to an "Election Building" in Dutch Neck (location unknown). It moved to Old Town Hall in 1912 (our next site). The Dutch Neck Inn formally shut down around 1879. It was moved to its present location some time between 1914 and 1930. It remains a private residence and a monument to centuries of local history.

SITE 3: OLD TOWN HALL

*​Ride back to the starting kiosk.*

This little park where you began your tour was once home to the building pictured above. Constructed in 1912, this was West Windsor's seat of government for decades. It was also the original headquarters of the West Windsor Volunteer Fire Company (starting in 1921) and the West Windsor Police Department (1968). This building was fully vacated and demolished in 1977. Also note the World War II memorial just feet away from you. Installed in 1947, it features 227 names. At the time, West Windsor's entire population - of any age - was about 2,400 residents! Seven of them died - note the stars. Also note the female service-members listed. The war was also felt by civilians at home through Civil Defense squads, scrap drives, rationing, and more.

SITE 4: DUTCH NECK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

*Stay by the kiosk. Look across the street toward the church with the tall steeple.*

Towering over the crossroads is Dutch Neck's historic focal point. By the mid-1700s, a Presbyterian community had formed in the village. Some time in the mid-late 1700s, they built the "Neck Meeting House" on this site as a religious and social gathering spot. This building was replaced by the present structure in 1816, when the First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck formally incorporated. This congregation dominated spiritual and social life in old Dutch Neck. Over the years, the church and its graveyard (now containing over 1,000 burials) expanded significantly. The graveyard includes farmers, teachers, leaders, preachers, soldiers, craftspeople, husbands, wives, children, fathers, mothers, and more. They all made Dutch Neck, and West Windsor, the place it is today.

SITE 5: DUTCH NECK CHAPEL

*Stay by the kiosk. Look toward the WW-P Board of Education building directly next to you.*

In 1882, this Victorian Gothic building was constructed by the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church. It originally functioned as a chapel and Sunday school that expanded over the years. In 1966, the chapel was sold to the West Windsor Township and turned into a township court and county library. In 1987, it was converted into offices for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District.

SITE 6: DUTCH NECK SCHOOLHOUSE

*Bike to 516 Village Road West.*

By 1818 (if not earlier), local residents had built a small wooden schoolhouse for their youth. This was just 10 years before West Windsor Township formally incorporated a public school system. This building stood near the crossroads in the center of the village. It's said to have burned down around 1850. Between then and 1860, a new - but still small and wooden - schoolhouse was built - the one at 516 Village Road West. It operated until 1917 when the brick-and-stone Dutch Neck School was built. The schoolhouse was then auctioned off and turned into the private residence you see before you. The front porch was added later and the detached garage reputedly used to be part of the house before it was split off.

SITE 7: DUTCH NECK GENERAL STORE/POST OFFICE

*Bike to 420 Village Road East.*

This building was likely erected in the early 1800s and expanded over time. It was a general store by the 1830s/40s and a post office starting in 1851. It provided dry goods, produce, and all the necessities for residents in old West Windsor. The post office shut down in 1966 and starting in the late 1960s/early 1970s, the building was converted into a toy/hobby shop, pizza parlor, dance studio, deli, and more. It was converted into a private residence in the late 1900s.

SITE 8: WEST WINDSOR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY

*Bike to brick firehouse at 153 South Mill Road next to the general store.*

The West Windsor Volunteer Fire Company is our town's oldest volunteer organization. Founded in 1921, it originally met in Old Town Hall. They built this fire station in 1952 and expanded it over the years. They've saved countless lives and are still a 100% volunteer organization that's always looking for new members - CLICK HERE to learn more!

SITE 9: HIRAM A. COOK HOUSE

*Bike to 413 Village Road East.*

Built in 1907, this is one of several houses along Village Road East that are older than a century. It was constructed by Hiram Augustus Cook - Township Clerk for over 30 years, founding President of the West Windsor Volunteer Fire Company, and head of a farm machinery/plumbing/heating business that operated out of his property. 

SITE 10: WINDSOR CHAPEL

*Bike to 401 Village Road East.*

This property contains two structures - a late-1800s farmhouse near the road and the Evangelical Windsor Chapel in the rear. This property was part of the Roszel family farm for much of the 1900s and the Hutchinsons before that. In 1980, the Windsor Chapel purchased the property from the Kaplans and converted the barn into a church, but some of the original barn structure remains inside.

SITE 11: DUTCH NECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

*Bike to 392 Village Road East.*

Standing before you is West Windsor's oldest educational institution. It, and a long-gone identical twin called the "Penns Neck School" (which stood at Alexander Road and Route 1 until 1995), were constructed in 1917 to replace the small old wooden schoolhouses that had served West Windsor for generations. In 1969, the Dutch Neck School - along with all other public schools in the West Windsor School District - became part of the newly-incorporated West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District.

When the Dutch Neck School was originally built, it actually replaced a much-older cemetery. You see, In 1833, West Windsor’s “Overseer of the Poor,” who managed an early form of public welfare, founded a pauper’s burial ground where the school's eastern parking lot now exists. It is unknown how many were interred here. It eventually also became a dedicated African American cemetery. Its graves were dug up and moved elsewhere when Dutch Neck School was built in 1917. More were discovered when the school expanded in the 1950s.

SITE 12: GROVER FARM

*Bike to 348 Village Road East.*

You should be standing at the entrance to a long-gravel driveway with several flagpoles. Although the farmhouse pictured above is long-gone, the land is still farmed. This was once the farm of the Grover family from the early 1900s until the early 2000s. It was a popular destination for families to come and pick their own food. Among those who lived there was Thomas Roy Grover, who died in the Vietnam War in 1969 at the age of 22. Thomas R. Grover Middle School (just up the road) was named after him. In the 1990s, this property became West Windsor's first preserved "open space" parcel.

SITE 13: BETH CHAIM

*Bike to 329 Village Road East.*

This synagogue was opened in 1976, five years after the Reform Jewish congregation - whose name means "House of Life," was incorporated. It was West Windsor's first non-Christian House of Worship and has expanded significantly over the decades.

SITE 14: SCHENCK FARMSTEAD/WEST WINDSOR HISTORY MUSEUM

*Bike to 50 Southfield Road. Look for a long gravel driveway and large red barn.*

Now home to the West Windsor History Museum, this is one of our town’s oldest and best-documented sites. It likely began as a farm in the 1730s or 1740s. In 1741, Fenwick Lyell sold over 900 acres here to Cornelius Voorhees Jr, who later split it among his family. The Voorhees farmed this land until Samuel Fisher acquired the property around the late 1700s. The Fishers likely enlarged the 1700s-era house and barn. After them were the Youngs (1863-65), Everetts (1865-99), and finally John and Anna Schenck in 1899 after having rented it since 1888. The Schencks further enlarged the house and barn and added several other structures. Three generations owned the farm until they sold it to Max Zaitz. After renting it to several tenants, Max donated it to West Windsor Township in 1991/2. The town, and the nonprofit Historical Society of West Windsor, have since restored and maintained the property as a public history museum. Visit us when we're open!

SITE 15: DAVIS-CHAMBERLIN-PERRINE HOUSE

*Bike to 221 Southfield Road. Careful when crossing Princeton-Hightstown Road.*

This house was likely built between 1800 and 1825 by the Davis family. It was once the longtime home of the Perrines family and hosted "Hollyfield Nursery" for many years. It was sold to the WW-P Regional School District in 2023.

SITE 16: TROLLEY LINE TRAIL

*Bike to where the grey and black trails diverge on the trail map. There's a button at the top of this page to download the map.*

***This is where the tour first splits. To complete the 9-mile loop, read the history below and follow the Trolley Line Trail all the way to Penn-Lyle Road (Site 17). For the 15-mile or 18-mile routes, read the history below then proceed to Site 20.***

You are now standing at the northern terminus of the Trolley Line Trail - a pedestrian walkway running through much of the center of West Windsor. However, did you know this was indeed a trolley line in the early 1900s? In 1902, the Trenton & New Brunswick Railroad Company laid tracks between Trenton and New Brunswick. This "Fast Line" became part of a much-larger interstate network ultimately connecting the Philadelphia and New York metropolitan regions. There were four stops - at Cranbury Road, Princeton-Hightstown Road, Penn-Lyle Road, and South Mill Road. The trolley shut down in 1937 due to competition from automobile traffic. The tracks were later torn up but in 2007 the Trolley Line Trail was paved, largely following the old trolley route.

If you choose to follow the Trolley Line Trail, note the metal bridge spanning the Bear Brook just before West Windsor Community Park. This is known as "Pig Town Bridge." The general area was reputedly dubbed "Pig Town" by a trolley conductor. Although disliked by some, it amused many others and the nickname stuck.

SITE 17: PENN-LYLE ROAD

*Bike to where the Trolley Line Trail lets out onto Penn-Lyle Road - around 160 Penn-Lyle Road.*

West Windsor's first colonial landowner was William Penn (legendary Quaker founder of Pennsylvania), who purchased over 6,500 acres of land in what is now western West Windsor in 1693. Four years later, an English goldsmith named David Lyell bought about 5,000 acres of land directly east of Penn's tract. The division line between their two properties was the "Penn-Lyell Line." In 1860, a road was built along this path - what we now know as "Penn Lyle Road."

SITE 18: SAINT DAVID THE KING

*Bike to the intersection of Penn-Lyle Road and Village Road West.*

In the 1970s, the "West Windsor Catholic Club" was established to provide a group for Roman Catholics. In 1991, they built this church. It has expanded significantly over the decades.

SITE 19: SLAYBACK-REED HOMESTEAD

*Bike to 540-542 Village Road West.*

You are now looking at one of West Windsor's oldest sites. Likely built around 1750/60, it was the homestead of the Slayback family from the mid-1700s until the early 1800s. Its last Slayback owner was Abel Slayback, West Windsor's first tax collector starting in 1797. After the Slaybacks were a few families, but particularly the Updikes in the 1800s. In the 1930s, it was purchased by the Reed family who have owned it ever since. In the mid-late 1980s, it was moved much closer to the road when LeParc II residential development was constructed. Also, note Reed Drives North/South next to the house - named after the Reed family!

*Bike back to the starting kiosk at 501 Village Road West.*

***Congrats on completing the tour! We hope you enjoyed learning a bit about West Windsor's rich history. Please consider joining or donating to the all-volunteer Historical Society of West Windsor to help us continue preserving and promoting local history!***

***BELOW ARE THE SITES FOR THE 15 & 18 MILE TRAILS***

SITE 20: VAN NEST PARK

*Bike to the park at 218 Cranbury Road.*

Opened in 1962 on land donated by the Van Nest family, this park is our informal entrance to the historic West Windsor community of Grovers Mill, which we'll explore in a bit. Located in the open grass field and surrounded by bushes is a bronze plaque, commemorating one of West Windsor's most famous historic incidents. On the evening of October 30, 1938, rising star Orson Welles thrust West Windsor into the national spotlight during his infamous "War of the Worlds" radio play. This tale about a Martian invasion of the planet Earth pegged Grovers Mill as the aliens' original touchdown site, and reputedly sparked mass hysteria among radio listeners. While this panic was largely exaggerated or fabricated, the broadcast remains one of West Windsor's most infamous events. This plaque was installed in 1988 for the broadcast's 50th anniversary.

SITE 21: GROVERS MILL (HISTORIC VILLAGE)

*Bike to the parking lot of the large red barn at 163 Cranbury Road.*

This hamlet grew around mid-1700s saw/gristmills powered by the Bear Brook. The earliest known millwright was Daniel Wolsey in 1759. Early families included the Van Nests, Atchleys, and Bergens. The area was also successively called “Bergen’s Mill,” “Bear Mill,” and “Schwenger’s Mill” before Joseph Grover bought the mills in 1868. Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson reputedly frequented the area to hunt/study. The sawmill stopped operating in the mid-1800s but the gristmill ran until the mid-1900s. The early-1900s statewide “Fast Line” trolley route had a station nearby. The community was thrust into the national spotlight as the site of a Martian invasion in Orson Welles’ 1938 “The War of the Worlds” radio play. Local suburban growth began in the mid-1900s. The old mill, mill pond,
and several buildings memorialize the community’s early history.

​Now, let's explore some Grovers Mill sites!

SITE 22: THE MILL

*Stay in the parking lot of the large red barn and look across the road to 164 Cranbury Road.*

This is one of West Windsor's oldest and most historic sites and its only known remaining mill. It was constructed some time before 1759 and originally functioned as both a grist-mill (to grind grain into flour) and saw-mill (for cutting lumber). It used the flow of the adjacent Bear Brook to turn machinery within the building. Its first known owner was Daniel Wosley in 1759. After him it passed to Mahlon Wright, then to the Bergen family (1760s/70s-early 1800s), Joseph Walker (early 1800s), the Thomas family (early 1800s-1837), Gottlieb Schwenger (1837-1868), and finally Joseph H. Grover (after whose family the community is named) in 1868. The saw-mill shut down in the mid-1800s. Joseph's son, Walter, was reputedly friends with Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Grover Cleveland and entertained them in his house next door (175 Cranbury Road). Eventually, the mill passed through more families and shut down in the 1960s. It was then turned into an art studio, chiropractor's office, and, starting around 2015, apartments.

SITE 23: THE BARN

*Stay in the parking lot of the large red barn and look at the barn.*

Constructed at an unknown date in the 1700s or 1800s, this was presumably originally a warehouse for the mill next door and was for many generations owned by the millwright. Some time in the 1930s, Charles L. Dey (the millwright at the time) formed the Grovers Mill Company, Inc. with William T. Dennison of Cranbury, his brother-in-law, as president and general manager. At some point, Dey sold his shares of the company to Denison. In 1955, William Jr. opened a shop in the barn across the street. He repaired and sold lawnmowers. In 1961, he hired Edward Kemp from Plainsboro, who took over the mower shop and ran it with his son, Robert Kemp. The Kemps bought the business in 1973, and also sold hardware, paint, and garden supplies. ​In 2010, local engineer Carl Van Dyke purchased the barn and, two years later, with the help of architect Kyle Van Dyke, converted the interior into studio apartments and office space.

SITE 24: THE MILLWRIGHT'S HOUSE

*Use the sidewalks to walk to the front of 175 Cranbury Road.*

Likely constructed some time in the last quarter of the 1700s, this was historically the house of the "millwright" - the owner and operator of the mill next door. It remained the millwright's house until the mill shut down. The house has expanded over time (the front portion dates to 1852 and another addition was constructed in the 1920s). You may notice a tall pointy structure in the backyard - what was once a functioning windmill/water tower in the early 1900s. According to this legend, during Orson Welles' 1938 "War of the Worlds" broadcast (see Site 20), a drunken farmer mistook the this structure for an alien tripod and peppered it with bullets. It's unknown if this is actually true, but the water tower still looms over the backyard of the Millwright’s House as a well-recognized and beloved local historical icon.

SITE 25: LADYFAIR

*Bike to 429 Clarksville Road.*

This is one of West Windsor's oldest sites and was likely constructed in the mid-1700s. The house was built in at least three sections: the first, nearest to the road (with the cobbled stone chimney) - perhaps originally a Dutch-style one-room house with a sleeping loft above, followed by the two-story middle section, and then the section furthest from the road, possibly in the early 1800s. This structure may have served as the original millwright's (mill-operator's) house before the (likely late-1700s[5]) construction of 175 Cranbury Road. Longtime - but uncorroborated - legend posits that Lafayette once slept overnight in this house. Similarly, Aaron burr is also said to have carved his name, and those of several friends, into an old walnut cupboard.[12] The truth of these tales is up for question, but nevertheless colors the home's identity. It has passed through many owners over the centuries but remains a familiar local landmark.

SITES 26-28: TENANT HOUSES

*Bike to the sidewalk across the street from 152 Cranbury Road.*

The three houses pictured above are at 160 Cranbury Road (red brick house), 152 Cranbury Road (white brick house), and 148 Cranbury Road (green clapboard siding house). They were likely built around 1758-62, 1888-92, and 1860-79, respectively. They are presumed to have originally been tenant houses for the workers of the mill next door. They each have passed through many families but still stand as contributing elements to the historic Grovers Mill community.

SITE 29: PRINCETON JUNCTION (HISTORIC VILLAGE)

*Bike to 31 Station Drive. Careful crossing the bridge over the train tracks - there IS a sidewalk you can use!*

In 1863, what we now know as the Northeast Corridor was constructed. Two years later, the short "Dinky line" railroad into Princeton was built. Around that time, a new community called "Princeton Junction" - centered around the junction (intersection) of these two lines and the newly-built train station - appeared. At first, "Princeton Junction" simply referred to the train station. However, within a few decades, it began to expand to a small commercial/residential cluster around Station Drive, where you are now standing. There were a store/post office, hotel, warehouse, feed mill, and large farms. The train station has hosted orators, presidential campaign stops, and more.

​Berrien City - West Windsor's first planned development - rose south of the station starting in the 1910s. From the 1930s onward, a commercial district east of the railroad (along Princeton-Hightstown Road between Cranbury and Alexander Roads) also appeared, featuring auto service stations, a lumber yard, moving company, hardware store, strips malls, and more. In the 1960s/70s, Maurice Hawk School and High School South were constructed. Our current Municipal Center opened in 1977. Starting in the mid-1900s, the area began to grow as a commercial, arts, and suburban center. So, let's explore!

SITE 30: HEY GENERAL STORE

*Stay at 31 Station Drive.*

This building was constructed in the 1880s or 1890s as Princeton Junction's first general store/post office. It was owned by Isaac Hey until his death in 1920; after that it passed to his sons, Jacob and Isaac. After their deaths in the 1940s, the general store shut down and the post office moved elsewhere. After that it was a barber shop run by the Tammaro family then, starting in the 1970s, a series of east-Asian restaurants: Peking Express, Good Friends, and finally Asian Bistro (starting in 2011).

SITE 31: DEWEY'S UPHOLSTERY SHOP

*Walk to 33 Station Drive.*

This building was likely constructed in the 1880s or 1890s as a warehouse for the adjacent general store. In 1956, Charles Waingart opened Dewey's Upholstery Shop in the building. Many decades later, it remains one of West Windsor's oldest businesses.

SITE 32: WYCKOFF FEED MILL

*Walk to the backyard of 37 Station Drive.*

This building was constructed some time in the 1800s as a warehouse for storing agricultural products/tools. In the early 1900s, it was owned and operated by Jacob Wyckoff. Its owners an expansion fronting Station Drive between 1975 and 1980. It was long ago converted into offices and its back portion was stuccoed over around the late 1990s/early 2000s.

SITE 33: NASSAU INTERLOCK TOWER

*Look toward the red brick building across the train tracks.*

This structure was built some time in the 1930s or 1940s. It functioned as a signal tower for the railroad for many decades. It has since stopped operating as such but is still maintained by Amtrak

SITE 34: NASSAU INTERLOCK TOWER

*Cross back over the Princeton-Hightstown Road bridge over the railroad. Stop at the top and read the following.*

Before 1903, Washington Road crossed straight over the railroad tracks, at-grade. This was replaced by a bridge in 1903. However, the bridge was dangerous - hairpin turns often caused crashes and tumbles onto the railroad tracks. So, after years of regional efforts by many residents (including of surrounding towns), the current bridge was constructed using Great Depression-era Works Progress Administration funds in 1939.

SITE 35: INDUSTRIAL PRINCETON JUNCTION

*Walk/bike toward the intersection of Princeton-Hightstown Road and Wallace Road.*

Princeton Junction today looks far different than it did in the 1930s. Just look at the image above from 1963! After the railroad bridge was constructed in 1939, Princeton Junction began to undergo a transformation along Princeton-Hightstown Road, between Cranbury/Wallace and Alexander Roads. Pictured above are some of its mid-1900s establishments. The big road running from left to right is Princeton-Hightstown Road; on the left are Cranbury road (top) and Wallace Road (bottom). Above Princeton-Hightstown Road, from left to right, are: Ellsworth TV repair/liquor store, Henry Schafer's auto service station, a strip mall, and Bohren's Moving & Storage. On the bottom is the "Building Center" lumber yard/hardware store. All of these businesses except for Ellsworth's were replaced in the 2000s/2010s, and even Ellsworth's has transformed dramatically.

SITE 36: APPLIED SCIENCE CORPORATION OF AMERICA

*Bike to 20 Wallace Road.*

During World War II, Princeton University was involved in research of telemetry (studying how signals are transmitted and received in telecommunications). After the war, funding diminished, so several researchers formed the Applied Science Corporation of America (ASCOP). They built their headquarters here, at 20 Wallace Road. Over the decades, the company innovated technologies used in military, industrial, and "Space Race" applications (such as the 1960 TIROS weather satellite and the 1972 Copernicus orbiting astronomical observatory). The company was acquired in 1959 by Electro-Magnetic Research (a subsidiary of the much-larger Schlumberger). The facility shut down in 2021.

SITE 37: BERRIEN CITY (HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD)

*Bike to 952 Alexander Road.*

Built on old farmland and the Elliott Nursery Co., this was West Windsor’s first planned development. It began as Montgomery Scott Berrien’s “Berrien Heights” in 1916, grew into Alexander L. Berrien’s “Berrien City” in 1924, and expanded with Michael McLaughlin’s “Princeton Gardens” in 1926. The three are now collectively called “Berrien City.” Most roads memorialize early residents and Berrien family members.  Buyers purchased empty lots and built homes in myriad styles over the years. The Berrien City Fire Co. formed in 1926 and opened its firehouse in 1931. It housed a Civil Defense station in World War II. The “City” has also featured a post office, stores, a shoe repair shop, several restaurants and water towers over many decades. Numerous residents have called the area “home,” including Nobel/Abel-prize Laureate John Forbes Nash Jr. Generations after its founding, Berrien City retains much of its historical character.

SITE 38: BERRIEN CITY FIREHOUSE

*Stay at 952 Alexander Road and look at the red brick firehouse.*

In 1926, a group of residents formed the Berrien City Fire Co., which soon became the Princeton Junction Volunteer fire Company. Five years later, they built this firehouse. At first, it contained only the portion (three garage bays) under the tall stepped roof. However, it has expanded over the years. In World War II, it was also a Civil Defense station. Also in the 1940s, it was briefly a post office before the post office moved next door to 948 Alexander Road. In 2002, the PJ Volunteer Fire co. moved out of this building and into significantly-expanded facilities on Clarksville Road. In 2010, the old Berrien City firehouse became the West Windsor Arts Center. The Princeton Junction Volunteer Fire Company saves many lives and supports our community as it has done so for generations, and it is always looking for volunteers and donations!

SITE 39: BERRIEN CITY STORE/POST OFFICE/RESTAURANT

*Walk/bike to 948 Alexander Road.*

It's unknown when this structure was built, but what is known is that it's served many purposes over its life. It was reputedly originally a general store in the 1940s. That same decade, the Princeton Junction post office moved here from the firehouse next door. In the 1950s or 1960s, it became "Howard's Luncheonette" and in 1970 the post office moved out. In 1976 it was purchased and turned into Galletta's Galley. The building expanded in 1979 and about a decade later, Galletta's Galley was replaced by Brother's Pizza.

SITE 40: MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

*Bike to 271 Clarksville Road.*

In 1977, the Municipal Building opened as the first of what would become several structures in a dedicated Municipal Complex. Now, the campus also features the Princeton Junction Volunteer Fire Company, West Windsor Police Department, Fire/Emergency Services, Senior Center, Library, Princeton Junction Post Office, and municipal courts.

SITE 41: MAURICE HAWK SCHOOL

*Bike to 305 Clarksville Road.*

Opened in 1964, this educational institution replaced the long-gone Penns Neck School. It is named after Maurice H. Hawk - longtime Town Treasurer and West Windsor Board of Education member. It has expanded significantly over the decades.

SITE 42: HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH

*Bike to the intersection of Clarksville Road and Penn-Lyle Road.*

***This is the second split of the tour. To complete the 15-mile loop, read the history below and follow Penn-Lyle Road all the way to Village Road West (Site 17). For 18-mile route, read the history below then proceed to Site 43.***​

Before the 1970s, West Windsor, and several other surrounding towns, sent its students grades 9-12 to Princeton High School, as we did not have a high school of our own. However, as Princeton was growing in the mid-20th century, they were quickly running out of room and gave these other towns a deadline to remove their students. In 1969, West Windsor and Plainsboro consolidated their school districts, and four years later opened what is now known as "High School South." Some famous alumni include actor Ethan Hawk and director Christopher McQuarrie.

SITE 43: VANHISEVILLE (HISTORIC HAMLET)

*Bike to the intersection of Hendrickson Drive and North Mill Road.*

By the mid-1800s, a tiny community had clustered around the crossroads of Princeton-Hightstown Road, South/North Mill Roads, and Hendrickson Drive. It was named after the local Vanhise family but others lived here as well. Abraham Vanhise owned a store throughout much of the early to mid 1800s which also housed a post office for many years. John Vanhise was an innkeeper in the 1830s. In the early 1900s, the statewide "Fast Line" trolley route had a stop nearby at Princeton-Hightstown Road. a conuctor is said to have observed the pigs kept on a nearby farm and dubbed the area "Pigtown" - a nickname that stuck. In the imd-1900s, Howard ox, publisher of the famous "Raggedy Ann and Andy" book series, lived on seventy acres of farmland here, which was replaced by Community Park starting in the 1990s.

SITE 44: VANHISEVILLE STORE/POST OFFICE

*Walk to/look at 255 Hendrickson Drive.*

This structure probably dates to the early 1800s, when it was owned by Abraham Vanhise. Tax ratables show him operating as a merchant as early as 1817.What, exactly, he sold is not known, but dry goods and food are good guesses. In 1851, a post office appeared here as well, presumably in the same building. Abraham presumably operated the store until his death in the 1850sor 1860s. His estate was sold in 1867 to James Wyckoff, Sr. It is unknown if James continued the store or if it died with Abraham. However, the Vanhiseville post office, at least, lasted into the 1860s. It has long passed to other hands and has, for generations, simply been a private residence.

SITE 44: HOWARD COX FARM/RAGGEDY ANN PUBLISHING SITE

*Bike to 10 North Mill Road.*

This site features a small wooden barn, larger metal barn, and two small stucco buildings. In the mid-1900s, this was owned by Howard Cox - publisher of the world-famous "Raggedy Ann and Andy" children's book series. In fact, he published the series out of this property in the 1950s! This was part of a larger 70-acre farm that was turned into West Windsor Community Park starting in the 1990s. His old farmhouse was torn down that same decade, but the older wagon house, tenant house/guest cottage, and garage still stand.

SITE 45: HENDRICKSON HOUSE

*Bike to 219 Hendrickson Drive.*

***After reading the history below, bike back along Hendrickson Drive to Princeton-Hightstown Road, then to Clarksville Road, then to Penn-Lyle Road, and finally down Penn-Lyle Road to Site 17. Refer to the map for further directions. You'll finish your tour from there - only a few stops to go!***

This house is perhaps one of the oldest in West Windsor, as tax records suggest it was constructed in 1750. The property eventually wound up in the hands of Jacob Hendrickson in 1864. Jacob is presumably the namesake of Hendrickson Drive. He played a role in local government, as an Overseer of the Highways and Poundkeeper (animal control) in the 1860s/70s. The property long ago passed through a series of other owners, and remains a private residence.