The Stout-Rentner House

Rossell-Stout house viewed from eastern ramp of Clarksville Road bridge over Northeast Corridor train tracks, Aug 2011.

Historical Overview

Blink, and you'll miss it - a dilapidated, 2-story house with 1-story rear extension just next to the Clarksville Road railroad bridge over the Northeast Corridor train tracks. Dwarfed by the bridge, this house has long been abandoned, and is nearly-impossible to see at this time of this writing (September 2024) due to the trees and brush that have grown over it. However, despite its sad condition, the structure - the Rossell-Stout house - nevertheless has a documented history and is a member of West Windsor's "100 Club." 

Township tax records say the house was built around 1850.[1] In 1852, Aaron and Mary Hutchinson sold 70 acres of land to Isaac Rossell for nearly $2,000.[2] Isaac was on West Windsor's old Township Committee for much of the 1840s-50s. He also owned at least one other large tract (if not more), where High School South was built over a century later.[3]

Isaac died in 1866,[4] and a year later Jeddiah and Acsa Stout purchased 61 acres from his heirs.[5] The 1870 census shows the couple living here with their son, Joseph, and a farm laborer named James Vanlue.[6] Acsah died four years later at the young age of 45,[7] but Jeddiah lived until 1899 (aged 67).[8] 

After his father's death, Joseph James Stout and his wife, Ada, sold the property to Francis Evans and William Yard in 1901.[8] William was a West Windsor "Pound Keeper" (i.e., animal control) from 1894-1918.[9] 

Extent of Isaac Rossell's 1852 purchase, overlaid on 2019 aerial photograph.

Ownership for the next few decades becomes unclear until 1951, when Ezekiel and Mary Landauer sold the property to William and Joan Rentner, husband and wife.[10] The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 1968,[11] but, sadly, Joan died in a car crash the next year at the young age of 47 after returning from a shore excursion. A station wagon in which she was riding collided with a truck on Route 130 in Robbinsville, and hit a pole supporting a liquor store sign. Two other women and two children were sent to the hospital, at least one in critical condition.[12]

​Three years later, William remarried to Mildred Rentner.[13] The rentners owned the property until 1986, when thee property passed to William's daughter, Loretta.[14] Over the ensuing years, the house became abandoned and dilpaidated.[15] In 2020, Loretta sold the property to West Windsor Township.[16]

At the time of this writing (September 2024), there are plans to reconfigure the railroad bridge directly next to the house, which will necessitate the house's demolition.[16] However, for now, the old home remains.

Aerial of Stout-Rentner house in 2002.

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Bibliography

1. “West Windsor Tax Assessor Address List, 2019.” West Windsor, 2019. List of all residences in West Windsor with dates of construction, according to tax assessor. Sent to the Historical Society by Lorraine Jones and Dawn Moretti.
2. Hutchinson, Aaron C., Hutchinson, Mary, Isaac, Rossell. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1852. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book W Page 300.
3. Otley, J W, and James Keily. “Map of Mercer County, New Jersey.” Map. Camden, New Jersey: L. Van der Veer, 1849.​
4. 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.
5. Bergen, William G., Rossell, George C., Stout, Acsa, Stout, Jeddiah, Thomas, William Henry. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1867. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 65 Page 549.
6. United States Census, 1870 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1870.
7. Hamilton Square Baptist Church. (n.d.). Hamilton Square Baptist Church graveyard. West Windsor. Hamilton Square Baptist Church graveyard gravestones, which often list birth dates, death dates, and ages of those buried there - including those of many of central New Jersey's oldest families.
8. Ibid.
9. “West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
10. Applegate, Loretta R., Rentner, William L. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1980. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2368 Page 721.
11. "Rentners Mark Silver Jubilee." The Evening Times. January 16, 1968.
12. "Rt. 130 Crash Claims Life." The Evening Times. August 27, 1969.
13. Applegate, Loretta R., West Windsor Township. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1986. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 6408 Page 1868.
14. Ibid.
15. Observations of the author of this article - Paul Ligeti
16. Ibid.