Silvers-Culver-Gohring House​

124 Washington Road, November 2018. From Paul Ligeti.

Historical Overview

A 2-story, t-shaped house with stucco siding and separate guest cottage stands at 124 Washington Road. This - the Hedden-Gohring house - is one of the oldest residences in the historic West Windsor community of Penns Neck and a member of West Windsor's "100 Club."

The house was possibly constructed between 1850 and 1854 by Elias Silvers and his wife, Eliza Ann.[1],[2] In 1854, they sold the property of about 5.5 acres to Benjamin Plumley and his wife, Sarah of South Brunswick.[3] Whether they lived here is unclear; an 1860 map shows Stephen H. Hedden occupying a structure near or on this property.[4] In 1865, the property passed to Catharine Culver.[5] She lived here with her husband, Nathaniel,[6] and at some point also acquired another 6.5 acres.[7] After Catherine died, the property passed though several more owners:

• Emma smith (starting in 1902)[8]
• Marjorie C. MacDonald (starting in 1907) - a nurse in Long Island during the Spanish-American War.[9]
• James and Bertha Rowland (starting in 1929)[10]

In 1949, Daniel Gohring Jr. and his wife, Marion Gohring, purchased the property.[11] Marion was a cook for the Princeton High School[12] and Daniel was a carpenter at Princeton Univeristy, a member of the nearby American Legion Post 76, and as a charter member of the Princeton Junction Volunteer Fire Company.[13] After Marion died in 1996[14] and Daniel died in 1998,[15] the property passed to their daughter, Deborah and her husband, John Repitsky.[16] The property has long since passed to other owners.[17]

Guest cottage at 124 Washington Road, Nov. 2018.

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Bibliography

1. Schenck, William Smith, Silvers, Elias, Silvers, Eliza. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1850. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office - Mercer County Deed Book S Page 370. Mentions that the property has a "tract of land and premises."
2. Plumley, Benjamin F., Plumley, Sarah, Silvers, Elias, Silvers, Eliza. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1850. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office - Mercer County Deed Book 52 Page 217. As opposed to the previous deed, this one mentions that the property has a "tract of land and house and premises."
3. Ibid.
4. Lake, D J, and S N Beers. Map of the Vicinity of Philadelphia and Trenton from Actual Surveys By D.J. Lake and S. N. Beers. Assisted by F. Beers, L. B. Lake and D. G. Beers. Philadelphia, PA: C.K. Stone and A. Pomeroy, 1860. https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/handle/10929/34112?show=full
5. Culver, Catharine, Plumley, Benjamin F., Plumley, Sarah. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1865. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office - Mercer County Deed Book 61 Page 310. 
6. ​United States Census, 1880 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1880.
7. Culver, Nathaniel Green, Warren, Robert D., Warren, Susan Caroline. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1902. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office - Mercer County Deed Book 259 Page 332.
8. Ibid.
9. "Mrs. Arthur H. MacDonald." Princeton Herald. March 3, 1933.
10. Gohring, Daniel E. Jr., Gohring, Marion, Rowland, Bertha, Rowland, James. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1949. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office - Mercer County Deed Book 1059 Page 559.
11. Ibid.
12. ​"Obituaries - Marion C. Gohring." Town Topics. August 28, 1996.
13. "Obituaries - Daniel E. Gohring." Town Topics. March 18, 1998.
14. ​"Obituaries - Marion C. Gohring." Town Topics. August 28, 1996.
15. "Obituaries - Daniel E. Gohring." Town Topics. March 18, 1998.
16. Gohring, Debora E. Repitsky, John S. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1999. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office - Mercer County Deed Book 3541 Page 175.
17. Coastas Propertis LLC, Gohring, Debora E. Repitsky, John S. “Deed.” West Windsor, 2001. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office - Mercer County Deed Book 4011 Page 279.