Mary Foster Farmhouse

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Historical Overview

A 2-story American Foursquare style house stands in front of a 1-story detached garage at 1638 Old Trenton Road. Although, at the time of this writing (2024) a  ​sign out front indicates that this is part of Mercer County Park, it was in fact historically part of the Mary Foster farm. It is also a member of West Windsor's "100 Club."

The house was probably built between 1906[1] and 1920.[2] In the very early 1900s, this property - house or not - was part of a (roughly) 140-acre farm owned by Samuel Tindall.[3] He had purchased it in 1880 from the heirs of Jonathan Watson for about $8,300.[4] Samuel was the son of Amos Tindall,[5] who had owned the large farm and distillery across the road at 1645 Old Trenton Road.[6]

Samuel died in 1914,[7] and after a few sales, the property seems to have been sold to Mary E. Foster (nee Mack) in 1919.[8],[9] The 1920 census lists her of Irish origin, originally, and living here with two daughters: Ella and Ida.[10] Not listed was her husband, John Foster, who had died nine years earlier.[11] The 1930 census, meanwhile, listed a third daughter - Hannah (teacher at a public school) - and denoted the property as a poultry farm.[12]

Mary died in 1939,[13] but the Fosters continued residing in the house[14] and operating it as a turkey farm.[15] Finally, in 1967, Hanna and Ella sold the property to Mercer County.[16] The house has long been used by the county.

Foster farm, 1965.

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Bibliography

1. Gannett, Henry, George H Cook, C C Vermeule, H M Wilson, F A Dykeman, J I Treidel, and J M Whitman. “New Jersey Princeton Quadrangle.” Map. Past Maps. Pastmaps. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://pastmaps.com/map/princeton-somerset-county-nj-usgs-topo-1906. Map created May/June 1906 by the U.S. Geological Survey. Originally surveyed in 1885 but appears to have been updated in 1906.
2. ​United States Census, 1920 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1920.
3. “Automobile Driving and Trolley Map of Mercer County, New Jersey, 1905 : from the Latest Geological and Actual Surveys.” Map. Princeton University Library - Digital Maps & Geospatial Data. https://maps.princeton.edu/catalog/princeton-5q47rr19d, n.d. 
4. Robbins, George R., Tindall, Samuel, Watson, Joseph L. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1880. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 125 Page 391.
5. United States Census, 1880 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1880.
6. Tindall, Amos H. Tindall, William I. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1855. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 32 Page 94.
7. "Mercerville." Sunday Times-Advertiser. February 22, 1914.
8. Foster, Mary E., Tindall, Lydia. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1919. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 417 Page 575.
9. "Death of John S. Foster." Messenger-Press (Allentown). June 15, 1911.​
10. United States Census, 1920 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1920.
11. "Death of John S. Foster." Messenger-Press (Allentown). June 15, 1911.
12. United States Census, 1930 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1930.
13. "Mrs. Mary E. Foster." Trenton Evening Times. May 22, 1939.
14. Ligeti, Paul Thomas Imre, and Kay Tindall Reed. Discussion between Kay Reed and Paul Ligeti about Mary Foster house. Personal, March 29, 2024. Note: At the time of the interview, Kay Reed had lived in the West Windsor area for decades and personally remembered "a pair of sisters living in the house" before it was sold to Mercer County.
15. "Obituary - Mrs. Ella F. Gramm." The Evening Times (Trenton). May 19, 1976.
16. Gramm, Ella F., Foster, Hannah, Mercer County. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1967. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1812 Page 827.