Jemison House

Jemison house, date unknown.

Historical Overview

A 2-story, 3-bay high-style Greek Revival house with smaller 2-story western wing stands at 51 Lower Harrison Street in West Windsor. This structure - the Jemison house - is a contributing element of the historic West Windsor/Plainsboro community of Scudder's Mills and a member of West Windsor's 100 Club. 

The Jemison house's date of construction is unknown. The smaller, western wing may be the earliest portion of the house and originally had a deep porch adjoining the southern and western elevations; albeit this has long since been largely enclosed.[1] In 1848, Isiah and Elizabeth Jemison purchased this property, then a little over 24 acres, from the heirs of William Bickner for $3,000. The associated deed mentioned a preexisting house, although it's unknown if it was this exact house or another one on the larger property.[2] Indeed, the tract also contained what is now the land surrounding the house at 65 Lower Harrison Street,[3] although it is suspected that that house was moved from a different property in the early 1900s.[4] Moreover, a map from 1840 does seem to show a structure on or around the location of the present house.[5]

Jemison house, date unknown.

The house is notable for its prominent back porch.[5] Before the creation of Carnegie Lake flooded the Millstone River in 1905/6, a road ran behind this house and the Thompson and David Schenck houses next door.[6] Thus, all three houses effectively had two "front" sides, and the porch in the rear of the Jemison house still reflects this early history.

​The 1860 census shows Isiah and Elizabeth's children: Jonathan, Samuel, Caroline, and Sarah.[7] Seven years later, the family sold the property to Henry and Caroline Blackwell.[8] From there, it passed to John R. Slayback in 1871,[9]  Warren Bartlett in 1903,[10] and finally Theodore Williamson in 1904.[11] Theodore, a carpenter, is shown in the 1900 census living here with his wife, Kate, and his sons, George and Frank.[12] After he died in 1914,[13] the property passed to George.[14]

In 1929, the Jemison house was finally sold as a separate lot to Frederic S. Jones.[15] After his death in 1934, it passed to Maude Sinclair Jones,[16] John and Faith Goble in 1946,[17] Vincent and Gerry Groupe in 1950,[18] John and Faith Goble again in 1959,[19] Bruce and Helen Westcott in 1974,[20] and finally John and Susan Coleman in 1983.[21] It has long since come under new ownership.

Unknown couple at Jemison house, date unknown.

Go to Scudder's Mills

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Bibliography

1. “Penns Neck Area EIS - West Windsor and Princeton Townships, Mercer County and Plainsboro Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey - Historic Architectural Survey - Volume 2 of 2,” May 2003. Prepared for the New Jersey Department of Transportation by John Milner Associates (Architects/Archaeologists/Planners).​
2. Furman, Benjamin A., Furman, James, Furman, Sarah A., Furman, William B., Jemison, Elizabeth, Jemison, Isiah, Slyer, Margaret. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1848. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book Q Page 131.
3. Ibid.
4. “Mercer County Historic Sites Survey: West Windsor Township, Mercer County, NJ.” Princeton, 1988. Conducted by Kinsey & Hand Associates.
5. Hassler, F. R., & Gerdes, F. H. (1840). US Coast Survey - Princeton and Vicinity. map, Princeton and Vicinity, New Jersey. Scale 1:20,000
6. “Mercer County Historic Sites Survey: West Windsor Township, Mercer County, NJ.” Princeton, 1988. Conducted by Kinsey & Hand Associates.
7. United States Census, 1860 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1860.
8. Blackwell, Caroline W., Blackwell, Henry D., Jemison, Elizabeth, Jemison, Isiah. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1867. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 67 Page 503.
9. Blackwell, Caroline W., Blackwell, Henry D., Slayback, Jonathan R. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1871. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 81 Page 293.
10. Bartlett, Warren S., Slayback, Caroline H., Slayback, Jonathan R. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1903. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 266 Page 239.
11. Bartlett, Warren S., Williamson, Theodore F. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1904. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 269 Page 220.
12. United States Census, 1900 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1900.
13. Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church. (n.d.). Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church graveyard. West Windsor. Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church graveyard gravestones, which often list birth dates, death dates, and ages of those buried there - including those of many of West Windsor's oldest families.
14. Jones, Frederic S., Williamson, George E. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1929. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 654 Page 356.
15. Ibid.
16. Goble, Faith B., Goble, John, Jones, Maude Sinclair. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1946. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 940 Page 375.
17. Ibid.
18. Goble, Faith B., Goble, John, Group, Gerry N., Groupe, Vincent. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1950. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1111 Page 100.
19. Goble, Faith B., Goble, John, Group, Gerry N., Groupe, Vincent. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1959. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1518 Page 70.
20. Goble, Faith B., Goble, John, Westcott, Bruce J., Westcott, Helen O. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1974. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1976 Page 412.
21. Coleman, John M., Coleman, Susan Lavine, Westcott, Bruce J., Westcott, Helen O. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1983. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2230 Page 229.