A unique landmark stands about north of the Route 1-Washington Road traffic circle. The Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery is one of New Jersey's oldest surviving burial grounds and one of West Windsor Township's most historic sites, holding town founders, colonial families, and perhaps a few Revolutionary War soldiers. This is its story.

Current Conditions

Schenck Covenhoven Cemetery or, much more rarely also called the "Penns Neck Cemetery"​ or the "Old Conover Graveyard," sits about 2,000 feet north of the intersection of Washington Road and Route 1 (click here for a map pin). it features around 130 gravestones, representing between 80 and 100 burials from the 1730s/40s to 1941. Most graves face east-to-west, contrasting with the surrounding fieldstone wall (built 1876), which parallels Route 1 and Washington Road. Several surveys have taken place since the 1880s; the Historical Society of West Windsor has copies of most or all of them.

Although surrounded by Princeton University's "West Windsor Meadows Neighborhood" (opened 2024),[1] the cemetery is a legally separate "orphaned" plot not owned by any entity. Moreover, despite the U.S. Postal Service's 08540 "Princeton" zip code, it is actually within West Windsor Township. It's important to note that the entire border between the municipalities of Princeton and West Windsor is the Delaware and Raritan Canal, about half a mile northwest. For generations, the cemetery served the nearby 18th century neighborhood of "Penns Neck," after which it was named.

The cemetery in 2020, from Paul Ligeti. Click to enlarge.

Although the oldest legible gravestone at the time of this writing (June 2025) displays a date of 1746 (for "M. I." - individual unknown), some surveys assert that there may be a grave as old as 1737.[2] With the exception of one burial from 1941, the stones are roughly equally distributed in age from the mid-1700s to the late 1800s. Families are generally buried together, and there are several family clusters scattered throughout.

The stones vary in size and material: some are sandstone footstones only a foot tall; others are six-foot-long marble vaults. Many are professionally carved with detailed epitaphs, but some older stones were handmade by amateurs and feature sparse identifying information. The condition also varies: while some are still quite legible, others are eroded or are even broken or missing, and a handful have toppled, sunk below ground, or been swallowed by tree roots. Over the years, several stones have been moved, vandalized, and repaired, and the perimeter wall is also showing signs of aging. Yet, the University periodically manages the weeds, and perhaps most importantly, most graves are identified with specific individuals, thanks in part to past surveys.​

Inside the cemetery, 2020, from Paul Ligeti.

Colonial Roots

In 1693, William Penn - famed Quaker dissident and founder of Pennsylvania - purchased over 6,500 acres here, bounded the Stony Brook, Millstone River, Assunpink Creek, and a few artificial property lines.[3] Penn and his sons kept it as an investment property for decades but never lived here. It was presumably not until 1737 - when two Dutchmen from Monmouth County, Garret Schenck and John Van Couwenhoven, acquired the tract from Penn's sons[4] - that colonists began settling those 6,500+ acres. This was also the same year the term "Penns Neck" first appears in writing in reference to this territory. [5]

Both Garret and John descended from families who had left Holland in the mid-1600s to settle in the Dutch colony of "New Netherland," centered around its capital of "New Amsterdam" (southern Manhattan).[6],[7] Over generations, these families expanded across New Jersey and had profound significance on the state's development. Descendants still live in the general area. In fact, the Historical Society of West Windsor operates the West Windsor History Museum out of the mid-1700s Schenck Farmstead, about a 15-minute drive southeast of the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery.​

New Amsterdam in 1660, redrawn in 1916 by John Adams & Isaac Stokes.

Penns Neck lots, ca. 1737, based on old deeds. From Paul Ligeti, 2025. Click to enlarge.

Lineage of Ownership

Like the Penns before them, neither John Van Couwenhoven nor Garret Schenck ever lived in the West Windsor area and are buried elsewhere. However, almost immediately following their 1737 Penns Neck land grant, the two men divided this territory into multiple large estates amongst their children (see map above), who did settle here.[8],[9],[10],[11],[12] One of them, Albert Schenck (1721-1786), is buried in the cemetery, as are others from younger generations. Over several decades, these colonists replaced native forests and meadows with vast farms stretching across the horizon in every direction. They also founded the "Penns Neck" community, now largely centered on Washington Road to the southeast.

Sometime between 1737 and 1746, these settlers built this burial ground, bisected by two large farms owned at the time by the Covenhovens (see map above).[13],[14],[15] Back then, the nearest church was in Princeton, since the congregation of the Princeton Baptist Church on Route 1 (which, despite its name, is actually in West Windsor) would not form until 1787.[16] Thus, as the years passed, and other families moved to the Penns Neck area, they, too, interred their dead here. The gravestones reveal their surnames: Cruser, Dye, Hight, Martin, Oppie, Rowland, Slayback, Smith, Stout, Van Dyke, and Voorhees.​

Inside the cemetery, from "Old Princeton's Neighbors," 1939.

The cemetery formally split off as a plot separate from the surrounding farmland via two deeds: the first in 1812, when William Kovenhoven granted his portion of the cemetery to Jacob S. Stout and John C. Schenck,[17] and the second in 1813, when Samuel Worth (of the same family of "Worth's Mill" in Princeton) ceded his portion to these same two men.[18] Jacob, without any heir, predeceased John in 1820,[19] leaving John the sole owner. After John died in 1846,[20] it passed to his son, George, then after George's passing, to his son and daughter, George, Jr. and Clarissa.[21] George Jr., without any heir, predeceased Clarissa in 1849,[22] leaving her as the cemetery's last individual proprietor.[23]

Later, a group of Penns Neck neighbors resolved to ensure the cemetery's continued upkeep that did not rely on a familial line of succession. In 1877, they incorporated the "Penns Neck Cemetery Association."[24] Their first meeting was held in Thomas Jewell's long-gone farmhouse (pictured adjacent), in whose "backyard" the cemetery effectively stood.[25] One of the Association's founding members, Eliza Schenck,[26] had the stone wall and iron gate built in 1876 and gave the Association $500 for the cemetery's care.[27] Two years later, Clarissa Schenck formally deeded the burial ground to the Association.[28]

Kovenhoven-Jewell farmhouse, from "Old Princeton's Neighbors," 1939.

Cemetery and farmland, 2020, from Paul Ligeti. Click to enlarge.

Abandonment & Maintenance

However, by the time the Association acquired the graveyard, almost all of its burials had already occurred. Only three were left to take place: for Eliza Schenck and Caroline Cruser, both in 1895,[29],[30] and Sarah Martin, in 1941.[31] By the late 1800s, the Penns Neck community had almost entirely switched to using the Princeton Baptist Church's graveyard and those of other local churches.

​Although the Association's articles of incorporation provided for annual elections,[32] all of its original trustees had died by the 1930s[33] and there were so few successors that it was effectively nonfunctional by then.[34] The Association never deeded the cemetery to another entity, so after the organization's eventual dissolution (exact date unknown but probably the 1940s), the burial ground was a legal "orphan" with no owner or caretaker. It soon became increasingly overgrown with saplings and weeds and its stones began to erode and break. Although Princeton University purchased hundreds of acres immediately surrounding - but not including - the cemetery via two deeds in 1945 and 1948,[35],[36] the land continued to be farmed for several more generations. Meanwhile, the burial ground- physically isolated from, and increasingly forgotten by, the neighborhood that had created it all those generations prior - continued to decay.

From "West Windsor Then and Now," 1997. Courtesy of Jeff Curie.

In 1969, the Historical Society of Princeton formed a committee to rehabilitate (but not own) the cemetery.[37],[38] Funds were raised, and weeds were removed. In 1976, a "West Windsor Landmarks Committee" and various Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops performed further restoration.[39],[40] Still, over the ensuing decades, the cemetery was largely neglected, with only infrequent restoration projects, some by volunteers of the Historical Society of West Windsor (founded in 1983).[41],[42] In 1993, the Historical Society of Princeton handed over stewardship to the Princeton Baptist Church of Penns Neck,[43] which performed some additional restoration over the years. Four years later, New Jersey's State Historic Preservation Office wrote an opinion declaring it "eligible" for the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.[44]

In December 2021, Princeton University broke ground on its "Lake Campus" (now called the "West Windsor Meadows Neighborhood)" in the land surrounding - but not including - the cemetery.[45] Soon, this farmland was replaced by athletic facilities, a parking garage, student housing, and more.[46]

Now, the orphaned cemetery persists, seemingly out of place in its new context. However, it is in fact right at home - as one of New Jersey's oldest surviving burial grounds, a jewel of historic Penns Neck and West Windsor, and deserving of recognition, preservation, and respect from all. To that end, in 2025, the Historical Society of West Windsor assumed stewardship in 2025 and is restoring the cemetery more thoroughly. Click here to learn about and support our vision!

Princeton Baptist Church, 2022, from Paul Ligeti. Click for more history.

Who is Buried There?

From 2020 to 2025, the Historical Society of West Windsor developed a comprehensive cemetery survey. Through multiple visits and reviews of previous surveys, we fully indexed, mapped, and photographed all remaining gravestones. Contact us for a copy.

​Notable internments include the following. This list is small, but we will expand it with further research (last update: June 2025).

• West Windsor Township Founders: On April 8, 1797, only two months after the Township was formed by an act of State Legislature,[47] a group of local men met at a tavern owned by Jacob Bergen in the nearby community of Dutch Neck.[4] At this first meeting, various individuals were elected to Township office. This included Joseph Stout (ca. 1760-1823) and Garret Schenck (ca. 1741-1810), both of whom are buried in the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. Joseph, for his part, was one of West Windsor's very first Overseers of the Highways, and Garret was a Township Committeeman. In addition, there are also about 10 other individuals buried in the cemetery who held various Township offices in the late 1700s and early-mid 1800s[49] 
• Revolutionary War Soldiers: Two individuals, specifically, may have served in the American Revolution:
  • Nicholas Hight (ca. 1726-1805): Believed to be a "Teamster" in Captain Disbrow's Team Brigade.[50] He is also related to the same family that founded Hightstown, N.J.,[51] and is presumably the same individual that owned historic "Ladyfair" in the 1770s/80s in the nearby community of Grovers Mill.[52],[53]
  • Jonathan R. Schenck (ca. 1740-ca. 1794): Believed to be the same Jonathan Schenck that served as a Captain in the Middlesex County Militia, and whose estate in Penns Neck was occupied and looted by British forces in December 1776, shortly before the Battle of Princeton.[54],[55],[56]
• Alexander Lucas Cruser (ca. 1764-1813): According to a newspaper article written in 1927 by one of his descendants, Alexander L. Cruser found an abandoned cannon after the Battle of Princeton near to the battlefield. If the article is true, then at first, this cannon was displayed in a blacksmith's shop in the historic West Windsor-Plainsboro village of Scudder's Mills. Over the years, the town of Princeton reputedly borrowed this cannon for fourth of July celebrations, but at an unknown point it was planted mouth down at the corner of Nassau and Witherspoon Streets in Princeton. It was later removed to its present location, planted face down between Clio Hall and Whig Hall (south of Nassua Hall) as the campus' "Little Cannon."[57] 

The oldest stone in the cemetery, and in West Windsor, 2022, from Paul Ligeti.

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Bibliography

1. Gilpin, Don. “Meadows Neighborhood on Washington Road in Full Swing This Fall.” Town Topics. July 24, 2024. Retrieved from the following URL: https://www.towntopics.com/2024/07/24/meadows-neighborhood-on-washington-road-in-full-swing-this-fall/
2. Frederick, Wilhelmina Schenck. “The Schenck-Covenhoven Burial Ground On the Jewell Farm at Penns Neck.” Princeton, August 8, 1938. This survey and history of the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery was read before the Historical Society of Princeton, New Jersey, at their regular meeting, November 21, 1938, by Mrs. William L. Ulyat. A digital copy of this survey is located in the Historical Society of West Windsor's archives. A physical copy is at the archives of the Historical Society of Princeton.
3. Hamilton, Andrew, John Barclay, David Mundie, Thomas Warne, John Reid, George Willocks, and William Penn. Ms. "Indenture." New Jersey State Archives, 1693. Conveyance of Penns Neck tract to William Penn from the Proprietors of East New Jersey - May 16, 1693. Even though the deed bears a date of May 16, 1692; this is due to differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Located in the New Jersey State Archives: E (EJ): Folio 45 (SSTSE023).
4. Schenck, Garret, and Albert Schenck. “Indenture.” Middlesex County, November 28, 1737. Deed from Garret Schenck to Albert Schenck - found in New Jersey State Archives, East Jersey Deeds Volume F-2 p. 461. The term "Penns Neck" is first found in this deed.
5. Schenck, Garret, John Covenhoven, Thomas Penn, Richard Penn, and John Penn. Indenture. New Jersey State Archives, 1737. Deed of 6,500 acres from the heirs (sons) of William Penn to Garret Schenck and John Covenhoven. Located in New Jersey State Archives F-2 (EJ): Folio 380 (SSTSE023).
6. Schenck, Benjamin Robinson, and Adrian Adelbert Schenck. The ancestors and descendants of Rulef Schenck: a Genealogy of the Onondaga County, New York, Branch of the Schenck Family. Detroit, Michigan: The Wilson Printing Company, 1911. 
7. “Wolphert Gerritsen (Van Couwenhoven).” Historical Society of the New York Courts, January 25, 2019. https://history.nycourts.gov/figure/wolphert-gerritsen/. 
8. Schenck, Garret, and Albert Schenck. “Indenture.” Middlesex County, November 28, 1737. Deed from Garret Schenck to Albert Schenck - found in New Jersey State Archives, East Jersey Deeds Volume F-2, page 461. The term "Penns Neck" is first found in this deed.
9. Schenck, Garret, Schenck, Roelef. “Indenture.” Middlesex County, November 28, 1737. Deed from Garret Schenck to Roelof Schenck found in New Jersey State Archives, East Jersey Deeds Volume F-2, page 318. The term "Penns Neck" is first found in this deed.
10. Covenhoven, John, Covenhoven, William. “Indenture.” Middlesex County, March 27, 1738. Deed from John Covenhoven to William Covenhoven, found in New Jersey State Archives, East Jersey Deeds Volume E-3, page 338.
11. Reynolds, John. “Map of Schenck Lands.” 1737. Map. Poor-quality photocopy of a map of the 6,500+ acre "Penns Neck" tract, surveyed and delineated in November 1737 John Reynolds for Garret Schenck and John Van Couwenhoven in 1737. This map shows the original division lines of when Garret and John divided up their lands that year. The location of the original map is unknown, but the photocopy is at the Rutgers Special Collections, Manuscript Map Drawer #12,005. In the margins of the photocopy's boundaries are written the following: (1) "Original map owned by Mrs. John H. Frederick, Austin, Texas, Schenck family of Princeton." (2) "Given by Mr. Waddel Smith." (3) "Map of Schenck Lands, Penns Neck (Princeton) N.J. 1737. Original owned by Wm. I. Schenck, Princeton, N.J. Photostated for Phebe P. Woodew Smith 6/16/33."
12. “Penn’s Neck.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press, 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
13. Covenhoven, Cornelius, Covenhoven, John. “Indenture.” Windsor, 1773. Deed from John Covenhoven to Cornelius Covenhoven, found in New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 17, Page 97. This deed references an older deed made on March 27, 1738 between John Covenhoven and Cornelius Covenhoven for this same property, but does not specify the book and page in which it could be found.
14. Covenhoven, John, Schenck, John. “Indenture.” Windsor, 1768. Deed from John Covenhoven to John Schenck, found in New Jersey State Archives, East Jersey Deeds Volume E-3, Page 344. This deed mentions that the property to the northwest - i.e., the large farm that bisected the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery on the cemetery's southern half - was owned at that time or before by William Covenhoven.
15. Reynolds, John. “Map of Schenck Lands.” 1737. Map. Poor-quality photocopy of a map of the 6,500+ acre "Penns Neck" tract, surveyed and delineated in November 1737 John Reynolds for Garret Schenck and John Van Couwenhoven in 1737. This map shows the original division lines of when Garret and John divided up their lands that year. The location of the original map is unknown, but the photocopy is at the Rutgers Special Collections, Manuscript Map Drawer #12,005. In the margins of the photocopy's boundaries are written the following: (1) "Original map owned by Mrs. John H. Frederick, Austin, Texas, Schenck family of Princeton." (2) "Given by Mr. Waddel Smith." (3) "Map of Schenck Lands, Penns Neck (Princeton) N.J. 1737. Original owned by Wm. I. Schenck, Princeton, N.J. Photostated for Phebe P. Woodew Smith 6/16/33."
16. Wilson, Peter. “Minutes of the William’s Burrough Baptist Church, 1812-1852.” West Windsor, NJ: Princeton Baptist Church, 1812. Physical copy located at the Princeton Baptist Church sanctuary; digital copy in the Historical Society of West Windsor's digital archives.
17. Kovenhoven, William, Schenck, John C., Stout, Jacob S. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1812. Located in New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 11, Page 106.
18. Schenck, John C., Stout, Jacob S., Worth, Samuel. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1813. Located in New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 11, Page 107.
19. This date is according to his headstone in the Schenck-Covenhoven, still legible to the author of this article (Paul Ligeti) at the time of this writing.
20. Ibid.
21. Penns Neck Cemetery Assn., Schenck, Clarissa. "Deed.” Mercer County, 1878. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 118, Page 508.
22. This date is according to his headstone in the Schenck-Covenhoven, still legible to the author of this article (Paul Ligeti) at the time of this writing.
23. Schenck-Covenhoven Assn., Schenck, Clarissa. "Deed.” Mercer County, 1878. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 118, Page 508.
24. Wikoff, J H, Andrew L Rowland, James S Schenck, and Alexander Schenck. “Certificate of Incorporation of the Penns Neck Cemetery Association.” West Windsor, New Jersey, June 29, 1877. Recorded in the Mercer County Clerk's Office on June 27, 1877, in Volume "A" of Corporations, Page 217. Digital copy located in the archives of the Historical Society of West Windsor. Physical copy located at the archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. The articles mention the procedures by which the Penns Neck Cemetery Association was created, and by which it would continue operations. The document also lists the location of the first meeting (the "house of Thomas Jewell"), the people in attendance (men and women alike), and the first six trustees (all men): William E. Schenck, Joseph S. Schenck, James H. Wikoff, Thomas Jewell, Harris R. Schenck, and James S. Schenck.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Frederick, Wilhelmina Schenck. “The Schenck-Covenhoven Burial Ground On the Jewell Farm at Penns Neck.” Princeton, August 8, 1938. This survey and history of the Schenck-Covenhoven was read before the Historical Society of Princeton, New Jersey, at their regular meeting, November 21, 1938, by Mrs. William L. Ulyat. A digital copy of this survey is located in the Historical Society of West Windsor's archives. A physical copy is at the archives of the Historical Society of Princeton.
28. Penns Neck Cemetery Assn., Schenck, Clarissa. "Deed.” Mercer County, 1878. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 118, Page 508.
29. This date is according to Eliza Tilton Schenck's headstone in the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery, still very legible to the author of this article (Paul Ligeti) at the time of this writing (June 2025).
30. This date is according to Caroline S. Cruser's headstone in the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery, still very legible to the author of this article (Paul Ligeti) at the time of this writing (June 2025).
31. This date is according to Sarah Eleanor Martin's headstone in the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery, still very legible to the author of this article (Paul Ligeti) at the time of this writing (June 2025).
32. Wikoff, J H, Andrew L Rowland, James S Schenck, and Alexander Schenck. “Certificate of Incorporation of the Penns Neck Cemetery Association.” West Windsor, New Jersey, June 29, 1877. Recorded in the Mercer County Clerk's Office on June 27, 1877, in Volume "A" of Corporations, Page 217. Digital copy located in the archives of the Historical Society of West Windsor. Physical copy located at the archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. The articles mention the procedures by which the Penns Neck Cemetery Association was created, and by which it would continue operations. The document also lists the location of the first meeting (the "house of Thomas Jewell"), the people in attendance (men and women alike), and the first six trustees (all men): William E. Schenck, Joseph S. Schenck, James H. Wikoff, Thomas Jewell, Harris R. Schenck, and James S. Schenck.
33. Updike, Frank M. The Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. West Windsor, NJ: Frank Updike, 1993. This booklet details the history of the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. Frank Updike was a longtime Penns Neck resident and, effectively, the neighborhood's unofficial "historian" for many years. He was a driving force in having the Princeton Baptist Church and Red Lion Inn placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This booklet, self-published by Frank, details the cemetery's history, and has photocopies of older primary and secondary sources. It was written for the Princeton Baptist Church (of which Frank was a member) just as the Church was taking over caretaking responsibilities of the cemetery from the Historical Society of Princeton. Within this book is a photocopy of a letter from March 7, 1934, written by Alexander S. Rowland to the Nassau Herald, talking about the Penns Neck Cemetery Association. Alexander was a son of one of its founding Trustees (Andrew L. Rowland) and enclosed a key to the cemetery with the letter in the hopes that the Herald could convince the local community to look after the cemetery. He also mentioned that "...none of the former trustees are living; and no one is available to appoint their successors." Frank Updike gave multiple copies of his booklet to the Historical Society of West Windsor; they are stored in the Historical Society's archives.
34. Frederick, Wilhelmina Schenck. “The Schenck-Covenhoven Burial Ground On the Jewell Farm at Penns Neck.” Princeton, August 8, 1938. This survey and history of the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery was read before the Historical Society of Princeton, New Jersey, at their regular meeting, November 21, 1938, by Mrs. William L. Ulyat. A digital copy of this survey is located in the Historical Society of West Windsor's archives. A physical copy is at the archives of the Historical Society of Princeton.
35. Trustees of Princeton University. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1948. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1048, Page 487.
36. Palus, Matthew M, and Lyle C Torp. “Phase I Archeological Survey for Development of the Princeton University Lake Campus, West Windsor Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.” Silver Spring, MD, February 2021. HPO Project #17-1263-2. Prepared by the Ottery Group of Silver Spring, Maryland. This is a 118-page archeological report, with accompanying 501-page appendices, detailing archaeological and historical findings of Princeton University's land holdings along Route 1, Washington Road, Lower Harrison Street, and the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Digital copies of the report and appendices were provided to the Historical Society of West Windsor via email; the copies are located in the Historical Society's digital archives.
37. French, Bruce H. Letter to Mrs. Robert Lee Logan. Princeton, NJ, January 23, 1969. A copy of this letter is in the archives of the Historical Society of West Windsor. This letter details how Nathaniel Burt, then-President of the Historical Society of Princeton, requested this letter be written in response to correspondence from Mrs. Robert Lee Logan, who had inquired into the existence of the Penns Neck Cemetery Association. The letter from Bruce French mentions that at "its board meeting this summer the Historical Society agreed to undertake [responsibility of caring for the cemetery] and to have five of its trustees" informally revive the Association. However, after much research by the Historical Society of West Windsor throughout 2025, including detailed discussions with the Historical Society of Princeton and former members of the committee the Historical Society of Princeton created in 1969 to care for the cemetery, it is clear that this was not a formal legal revival of the original Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. Instead, this was merely an ad-hoc committee. In other words, ownership still rested, and still rests to this day (June 2025), in the hands of the long-since-disappeared Penns Neck Cemetery Association. Thus, the cemetery continues to have no owner, even in June 2025. 
38. Updike, Frank M. The Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. West Windsor, NJ: Frank Updike, 1993. This booklet details the history of the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. Frank Updike was a longtime Penns Neck resident and, effectively, the neighborhood's unofficial "historian" for many years. He was a driving force in having the Princeton Baptist Church and Red Lion Inn placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This booklet, self-published by Frank, details the cemetery's history, and has photocopies of older primary and secondary sources. It was written for the Princeton Baptist Church (of which Frank was a member) just as the Church was taking over caretaking responsibilities of the cemetery from the Historical Society of Princeton. Within this book is a photocopy of a letter from March 7, 1934, written by Alexander S. Rowland to the Nassau Herald, talking about the Penns Neck Cemetery Association. Alexander was a son of one of its founding Trustees (Andrew L. Rowland) and enclosed a key to the cemetery with the letter in the hopes that the Herald could convince the local community to look after the cemetery. He also mentioned that "...none of the former trustees are living; and no one is available to appoint their successors." Frank Updike gave multiple copies of his booklet to the Historical Society of West Windsor; they are stored in the Historical Society's archives.
39. ​"Old Burying Ground on Washington Road, Itself Now Buried in Vines, Will Undergo Restoration." Town Topics. April 8, 1976.
40. "Cemetery Clean-Up Succeeds." Town Topics. May 13, 1976.
41. Ligeti, Paul, and David Parris. Discussion with David Parris. Personal, February 2025. Paul Ligeti was the President of the Historical Society of West Windsor at the time of the interview. David Paris was also a longtime Historical Society volunteer and by 2025, he had lived in the Penns Neck area for many decades. David helped lead the 1976 restoration of the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery, was close friends with members of the Princeton Baptist Church, and was knowledgeable about various other restoration efforts to the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery over the decades, and the cemetery's general degradation as well.
42. Ligeti, Paul, Reed, Clifford, and Reed, Kay. Discussion with Kay and Clifford Reed. Personal, February 2025. Paul Ligeti was the President of the Historical Society of West Windsor at the time of the interview. Kay Reed was a co-founder of the Historical Society of West Windsor (est. 1983) and still a Board member at the time of the interview. Clifford Reed (Kay's husband) was also a Board member at the time of the interview. Clifford had also been a Historical Society volunteer for decades by that point and had served as its President from 2005 to 2020. During the February 2025 interview, Kay and Clifford mentioned in detail how Clifford and his cousin Stuart - who had both worked professionally as stonemasons in the area for decades - had personally restored some of the gravestones in the cemetery. According to them, these restoration efforts were per the request of Mary Schenck (another Historical Society of West Windsor co-founder, who was related to some of the people buried in the cemetery) as well as per the request of leaders of the Princeton Baptist Church of Penns Neck, such as John Roeder.
43. Updike, Frank M. The Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. West Windsor, NJ: Frank Updike, 1993. This booklet details the history of the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery. Frank Updike was a longtime Penns Neck resident and, effectively, the neighborhood's unofficial "historian" for many years. He was a driving force in having the Princeton Baptist Church and Red Lion Inn placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This booklet, self-published by Frank, details the cemetery's history, and has photocopies of older primary and secondary sources. It was written for the Princeton Baptist Church (of which Frank was a member) just as the Church was taking over caretaking responsibilities of the cemetery from the Historical Society of Princeton. Within this book is a photocopy of a letter from March 7, 1934, written by Alexander S. Rowland to the Nassau Herald, talking about the Penns Neck Cemetery Association. Alexander was a son of one of its founding Trustees (Andrew L. Rowland) and enclosed a key to the cemetery with the letter in the hopes that the Herald could convince the local community to look after the cemetery. He also mentioned that "...none of the former trustees are living; and no one is available to appoint their successors." Frank Updike gave multiple copies of his booklet to the Historical Society of West Windsor; they are stored in the Historical Society's archives.
44. Guzzo, Dorothy P. Letter to Lynn Rich, Program Manager, Division of Project Management, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office, March 10, 1997. The letter lists Dorothy Guzzo as the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for New Jersey. Its stated intent is to provide comments on the following project: "Route U.S. 1, Sec. 2S & 3J, Washington to Mapleton Road Grade Separated Interchange, Mercer and Middlesex Counties." Specifically, the letter details Ms. Guzzo's professional opinion on the archaeological and historical value of various properties that would be affected by the project, and the impacts of said project on said properties. As part of this, Ms. Guzzo provides her professional opinion on the eligibility of various properties in the area, including the Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery (Block 3, Lot 15). Specifically, she states "I concur with the submitted report that Schenck-Covenhoven Cemetery, lock 3, Lot 5, West Windsor Township, Mercer County, is eligible to be listed in the NRHP under National Register Evaluation Criterion A because of its association with the early development of the [Penns Neck] community."
45. “Princeton Breaks Ground on Lake Campus Development.” Princeton University, December 9, 2021. https://www.princeton.edu/news/2021/12/09/princeton-breaks-ground-lake-campus-development. This article specifically states that ground was broken for the "Lake Campus" on December 7, 2021. This campus was renamed the "West Windsor Meadows Neighborhood" by the time it opened in 2024.
46. Based on the personal observations of the author of this article, Paul Ligeti, over several years, after multiple visits to the cemetery between 2020 (when the surrounding land was still farmland) and 2025 (by which point, much of the campus had already developed with said parking garage, student housing, and recreational facilities). At the time of this writing (June 2025) the cemetery is now in the middle of a mowed grass lawn, with small wildflower fields nearby.
47. An Act for Dividing the Township of Windsor in the County of Middlesex into Two Separate Townships. New Jersey State Archives, 1797. February 9, 1797. This split Windsor Township into West Windsor and East Windsor.f
48. ​ Ms. West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes - April 8, 1797. West Windsor, 1797. West Windsor Township’s first township meeting - held at the house of Jacob G. Bergen on April 8, 1797 and involved the election of West Windsor’s first town officers. Minutes located in the Municipal Center.
49. Ibid.
50. Stryker, William. Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War. Trenton, New Jersey: Wm. T. Nicholson & Co., 1872. Nicholas Hight is listed as a "Teamster" in "Captain Disbrow's Team Brigade" on Page 863 of this book.
51. “Hightstown History.” Hightstown Borough. Accessed January 7, 2023. https://www.hightstownborough.com/town-history/#1601496415419-b597b660-de9d. 
52. Hight, Bershaba, Hight, Nicholas, Maple, Jacob, Maple, Elizabeth. “Indenture.” Windsor, 1779. Deed from Jacob and Elizabeth Maple to Nicholas and Bershaba Hight for the property now now called "Ladyfair" (at 429 Clarksville Road). Located in the New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 1 Page 137.
53. ​Hight, Bershaba, Hight, Nicholas, VanNest, Abraham, VanNest, Jonathan. “Indenture.” Windsor, 1789. Deed from Nicholas and Bershaba Hight to Abraham and Jonathan VanNest for the property now now called "Ladyfair" (at 429 Clarksville Road). Located in the New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 1 Page 656.
54. Higby, Seward. “Application for Membership - Sons of the American Revolution.” Cedar Falls, September 12, 1908. This application asserts lineage from John Schenck (1740-1794) to Seward Higy. It mentions how John Schenck served as a Captain in the Middlesex County militia, and was the "owner of a good estate at Penns Neck near Princeton which was occupied by the British Troops for some time immediately before the Battle of Princeton." It further asserts that John died in Penns Neck. This Application was filed September 12, 1908; approved by Registrar General on September 29, 1908; and a Certificate of Membership delivered to Higby on September 30, 1908. The Historical Society of West Windsor possesses a digital copy of this accepted application in its archives.
55. Lee, Francis Bazley. Essay. In Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County New Jersey, 467–467. New York, New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1907. On Page 467 of this book is a blurb saying the following about John Schenck: "He settled at Penn's Neck and was a captain in the Revolutionary Army. He had a numerous family ... [his sons] John I. and William remained at Penns Neck."
56. Schenck, John. “Inventory of Damages to the Goods of John Schenck.” Windsor, Middlesex County: Penns Neck December 1776. Found in the New Jersey State Archives - Revolutionary War Damage Claims, 1776-1783 - B : Middlesex. Pg. 232. Claim No. [1]
57. "Cannon Between Whig and Clio Abandoned in Princeton Battle." Princeton Herald. January 14, 1927.