David Bergen House

David Bergen house, 2022.

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Historical Overview

Standing at 409 Village Road East is a deep, 5-bay Victorian-style home with full-length front porch and detached barn/garage. This building - hereafter called the "David Bergen" house - is a contributing element of the historic Dutch Neck community and a member of West Windsor's "100 Club." 

The date of construction is unknown​. Township records suggest construction between 1850[1] and 1880.[2] In the mid 1800s, this property was part of a much-larger 120-acre farm owned by Henry and Rebecca Applegate. In 1851 - presumably around the time of Henry's death - a 1-acre parcel fronting Village Road East (containing the properties of both 409 and 407 Village Road East) was sold to Jane Vannest. This deed specifically mentions a house existing on this 1-acre joint tract at the time, although it's unknown if this is the current house that exists in 2023, or a predecessor.[3]

Dutch Neck, 1860. Note "Mrs. J. VanNest."

By 1867, the 1-acre joint tract had passed to a "J. A. Exton," who sold the property to Enoch Forman that year.[4] Enoch maintined the property for the next eleven years.[5] Subsequent owners included:

• Euphema Davis (1878-82).[6],[7]
• Levi and Adeline Updike (1882-1887). In 1882, the 1-acre tract divided into 407 and 409 Village Road East, which from then on were separate properties. The deed from this year still mentions a house at 409 Village Road East.[8],[9]
• William and Annie Rogers (1887-90). William was a West Windsor Township Constable in the 1870s and Freeholder in the 1880s/90s.
• Samuel and Carrie Hulse (1890-90).[10],[11],[12]
• Fred V. Conover (1890-1898). Fred was presumably a co-owner of "Conover & Bros," which operated a wheelwright and blacksmith shop out of Dutch Neck. Learn more by reading about the history of the Hiram Cook house. at 413 Village Road East.[13],[14],[15]
• William J. Hutchinson (1898-1907). William was a West Windsor "Overseer of the Highways" in the 1870s, 1880s, and early 1900s.[16],[17],[18]
• Fred and Vinnie Robins (1907-07)[19],[20]

Dutch Neck, 1875. Note "Enoch Forman."

Finally, in 1907, the property passed to David D. Bergen.[21] David was a real estate, insurance, and farm implement salesman.[22],[23] Between the 1890s and 1930s, he also served in West Windsor's government in a variety of ways: as Township Committeeman, Overseer of the Highways, and Tax Collector/Overseer of the Poor. These last two positions he served for about three decades, starting in 1903.[24]

David died in 1946,[25] after which the property passed to his daughter, Sara M. Bergen.[26] Sara, too, played an important local role - as one of the very first Principals of the Dutch Neck School, in the 1920s.[27] Like her father, she owned this property for quite some time, only selling it in 1965.[28]

People standing in front of 409 Village Road East. The three on the right are Sara Shangles Bergen, David D. Bergen, and between them, their daughter Sara M. Bergen. The two people on the left are unknown - let us know if you can identify them!

The buyers were Donald Perrine and his wife, Audrey.[29] Donald was a member of West Windsor's Planning Board for much of the 1970s.[30] Following him and Audrey in ownership were:

• William and Mary Grace Royal (1967-78) - William was a Township Committeeman, Deputy Mayor, and Parking Authority member from the 1970s-80s.[31],[32],[33]
• Michael and Jeanne Marie Karaim (1978-92)[34],[35]
• Donald and Carol Hierman (1992-96)[36],[37]
• Robert and Frances Hamer (1996-2003)[38],[39]
• Peter Dolan (2003-05)[40],[41]
• And others[42]

The current owners keep this home as a contributing structure in the historic West Windsor community of Dutch Neck.

David D. Bergen house, December 2018.

Go to Dutch Neck

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Bibliography

1. “Section IX – Conservation Plan Element – West Windsor Master Plan.” West Windsor Township, 2002.
2. “West Windsor Tax Assessor Address List, 2019.” West Windsor, 2019. List of all residences in West Windsor with dates of construction, according to tax assessor. Sent to the Historical Society by Lorraine Jones and Dawn Moretti.​
3. Jewell, William D., Applegate, Rebecca, Vannest, Jane. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1851. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 56 Page 283.
4. Exton, J. A., Forman, Enoch. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1867. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 72 Page 37.
5. Davis, Euphema, Forman, Enoch. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1878. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 119 Page 134.
6. Ibid.
7. ​Davis, Euphema, Updike, Adeline, Updike, Levi. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1882. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 134 Page 17.
8. Ibid.
9. ​Rogers, Annie, Rogers, William, Updike, Adeline, Updike, Levi. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1887. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 155 Page 517.
10. Ibid.
11. ​​Hulse, Carrie E., Hulse, Samuel V., Rogers, Annie, Rogers, William. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1890. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 175 Page 46.
12. "West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
13. Conover, Fred V., ​​Hulse, Carrie E., Hulse, Samuel V. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1890. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 176 Page 39.
14. Conover, Fred V., Hutchinson, William J. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1898. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 288 Page 131.
15. ​“West Windsor.” Map. Scarlett and Scarlett's Fire Map of Mercer County, New Jersey, Including Trenton and Suburbs. Newark, New Jersey: Scarlett and Scarlett, 1890. 
16. Conover, Fred V., Hutchinson, William J. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1898. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 288 Page 131.
17. Hutchinson, William J, Robins, Fred A., Robins, Vinnie. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1907. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 288 Page 129.
18. "West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
19. Hutchinson, William J, Robins, Fred A., Robins, Vinnie. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1907. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 288 Page 129.
20. Bergen, David D., Robins, Fred A., Robins, Vinnie. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1907. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 302 Page 450.
21. Ibid.
22. United States Census, 1920 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1920.
23. United States Census, 1910 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1910.
24. ​"West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
25. ​​"Brief Illness Fatal to David D. Bergen at 93." Trenton Evening Times, April 3, 1946.
26. Bergen, David D. “Will - David D. Bergen.” Trenton, NJ: Mercer County Clerk's Office, n.d. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Book of Wills Book P Page 405-6.​
27. "Dutch Neck.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
28. Bergen, Sara M., Perrine, Donald C., Perrine, Audrey S. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1965. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1738 Page 950.
29. Ibid.
30. ​​"West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
31. Perrine, Donald C., Perrine, Audrey S., Royal, Mary Grace, Royal, William L. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1967. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1795 Page 254.
32. Karaim, Jeanne Marie, Karaim, Michael D., Audrey S., Royal, Mary Grace, Royal, William L. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1978. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2702 Page 990.
33. ​​"West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
34. Karaim, Jeanne Marie, Karaim, Michael D., Audrey S., Royal, Mary Grace, Royal, William L. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1978. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2702 Page 990.
35. Hierman, Carol, Hierman, Donald, Karaim, Jeanne Marie, Karaim, Michael D. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1992. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2592 Page 74.
36. Ibid.
37. Hamer, Frances E., Hamer, Robert M., Hierman, Carol, Hierman, Donald. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1996. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 3058 Page 95.
38. Ibid.
39. Dolan, Peter, Hamer, Frances E., Hamer, Robert M. “Deed.” West Windsor, 2003. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 4658 Page 19.
40. Ibid.
41. Dolan, Peter, SIRVA Relocation LLC. “Deed.” West Windsor, 2005. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 4970 Page 123.
42. Ibid.