Schafer House & Station
Left to right: House, garage, cottage.
Historical Overview
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Standing at 29-31 Washington Road, at the western foot of the Princeton-Hightstown Road bridge over the Northeast Corridor, is a small Craftsman-style house with fanned front windows. Next to it is a smaller gable-roof cottage, and at the back of the lot, a detached 2-car garage. This is the Schafer property, once an early-1900s gas station. It is also a member of West Windsor's "100 Club."
The age of the garage is unknown, but what is known is that the cottage predates the house. It was presumably constructed by Conrad Schafer, who opened a gas station here around the 1920s. He sold Tydol brand gas.[1] Conrad immigrated from Germany in 1890.[2] He was a baggage master at the Princeton Junction train station for 20 years, retiring in 1940.[3] He and his wife, "Lizzie" (Elizabeth) had several kids: Anna Emma, Carl, and Henry.[4] The old gas station had a small shack, out front of which were several gas pumps. This shack was located where the house is today. It was replaced by the house in 1934, but the station still operated at that location for five more years. Conrad also sold newspapers and refreshments.[5] |
Conrad's gas station, 1934 or earlier. The gas pumps were demolished in 1934, but in the distance of this photo is the existing cottage.
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In 1939, the original Princeton-Hightstown Road bridge over the train tracks was replaced with the current bridge (click here to read more).[6] This would have made the gas station somewhat hidden from motorists, so Conrad's son, Henry, opened a new gas/service station on the opposite side of the tracks (click here to learn more).[7] That new station, in turn, operated for decades and at the time of this writing (2024) is still well-remembered by longtime residents. The old Schafer property at 31 Washington Road has passed through several generations of Schafers and remains in the family's hands to this day.
Bibliography
- "Schafers Have Pumped Gas in Princeton Junction for Generations." The Princeton Recollector. May 1979.
- United States Census, 1910 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1910.
- "Conrad H. Schafer." The Princeton Herald. October 23, 1942.
- United States Census, 1920 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1920.
- "Schafers Have Pumped Gas in Princeton Junction for Generations." The Princeton Recollector. May 1979.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
