Grovers Mill: The Mill, Barn, & Millwright's House

Left to right: The Mill, The Barn, and the Millwright's House.

Surrounding the intersection of Cranbury and Clarksville Roads are three buildings around which the historic 1700s-era West Windsor community of Grovers Mill developed. These structures - the Mill (164 Cranbury Road), the Barn (163 Cranbury Road), and the Millwright’s House (175 Cranbury Road) are some of West Windsor's most historically-significant icons.

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Historical Overview

The Mill, the Barn, and the Millwright’s House (all part of West Windsor's "100 Club") were once part of the same property, known as the "Joint Tract," which also contained several tenant houses (including 160, 152, and 148 Cranbury Roads).[1] The oldest of these structures is likely the Mill itself - West Windsor's only known remaining mill building. Although we do not know who built it, its earliest known owner was Daniel Wolsey, in 1759.[2] It is assumed that the adjacent pond was artificially formed in the mid-1700s through the damming of the natural Bear Brook. A "raceway" (a length of particularly fast-moving water) turned a wooden water-wheel attached to the Mill. This wheel, in turn, rotated stones that ground "grist" (grain) into flour. Thus, the Mill was known as a "gristmill," and, until the mid-1800s, also as a "sawmill" (for cutting lumber) as well.
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The next owner of the Joint Tract was Mahlon Wright, who acquired it by (if not before) 1764, when he advertised it for sale in the Pennsylvania Gazette: ​​

"NOTICE here hereby given, that there is to be sold or let a Saw-mill, and a new Grist-mill, with two Water Wheels, two Pair of Stones, boults by Water, situate in the Township of New Windsor, Middlesex County, on Bare-brook, five Miles from Princetown College, five from Cranberry Town, eleven from the Landing at Croswicks, and fifteen Miles to South River Landing. They are on a fine Stream of Water, and in a good Part of the County for Custom.”[3]

Photo from the early 1900s. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Princeton.

It took until the 1770s for Wright to sell the Mill, as shown by a 1771 advertisement of his that also mentioned a nearly-adjacent property "containing 174 acres, with a dwelling-house, kitchen and barn, and a young orchard of near two hundred trees."[4] This is the earliest known mention of a house in the Mill's vicinity. It's unclear, however, whether this refers to the Millwright's House (175 Cranbury Road) or to the house at 429 Clarksville Road, known as "Ladyfaire."
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The property was eventually bought by Jacob G. Bergen - one of West Windsor Township's most historically-influential founders. Thereafter, the area became known as "Bergen's Mill." In 1774, Jacob listed the Joint Tract for sale, which also alluded to a "good dwelling house," as well as a "merchant's shop, a kitchen, barn, etc."[5] Thus, we now come to the time (the last quarter of the 1700s) by which the Barn (163 Cranbury Road) and Millwright's House (175 Cranbury Road) were likely built.

The Joint Tract largely stayed in Bergen hands until 1816 until it was sold to Richard Thomas,[6],[7],[8] around which time the area was reputedly known as "Bear Mill."[9]

1805 map of Bergen's Mill area - with small house/mill icons in the top left!

The Thomas family operated the Mill until 1837, when they sold it to Gottlieb Schwenger,[10],[11],[12] a German immigrant.[13] Thereafter, the area was known as "Schwenger's Mill." Schwenger is said to have closed the sawmill portion during his ownership, leaving only the gristmill operating.[14] The property remained in Schwenger hands until 1868, when it was sold to Joseph Hunt Grover.[15]

Joseph was clearly active in West Windsor, as Township meeting minutes list him as a Surveyor of the Highways (1863-64), Overseer of the Highways (1876-79) Freeholder (1865-67), Township Committeeman (1868-93), and Inspector of Elections (1885-89).[16] He was also President of the long-gone West Windsor Mutual Fire Insurance Association.[17]

The mill in the late 1800s or early 1900s. From Stanley "Bob" Perrine.

After Joseph acquired the Joint Tract, the area presumably assumed its current name: "Grovers Mill." Old Princeton's Neighbors described Joseph's ownership as follows:

​"While Grover was owner the mill was operated by a number of different firms. One of these was Mahaney, Grover and Co. who in 1874 opened a flour and feed store on Witherspoon Street in Princeton. Other operators were Grover and Mahaney in 1878, Rogers and Mahaney in 1879, and Grover and Low in 1882. Grover operated the mill himself in 1883. About 1900 he opened a store on Hullfish Street, Princeton, which supplied feed to many of the prominent people of the town - ex-President Grover Cleveland, Moses Taylor Pyne, the Marquands, Armours and Stocktons, Albert Cook, Elijah Leigh, Peter V. D. Bergen, Henry Bayles and Senator C. B. Moore of Kingston."[18]

1907 Grover family reunion at the Grover home (175 Cranbury Road).

While it's unknown how much of the quote above is actually true, what is undeniable is that when Joseph died in 1904,[19] the Joint Tract passed to his son, Walter Schwenger Grover.[20] Like his father, Walter was a Township Committeeman, from 1903-1920.[21] He was also reputedly friends with both Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson, who are said to have frequented the area to hunt and study.[22]

Walter died in 1928,[23] after which the Joint Tract finally split up into its modern-day properties: 144, 148, 152, and 160 Cranbury Road, as well as the Mill (164 Cranbury Road), the Barn (163 Cranbury Roads), and the Millwright's House (175 Cranbury Road).  Charles Lawrence Dey and his wife, Hattie May Dey, obtained ownership of all properties except the Millwright's House, which passed to Walter's Wife, Margaret Kingston Post.[24] The house remained in her possession until her death in 1938.[25]

Walter Schwenger Grover and Margaret Kingston Post.

Also in 1938, on October 30, Grovers Mill was thrust into the national spotlight during Orson Welles' infamous radio interpretation of a 40-year-old science fiction novel called "The War of the Worlds." That evening, at 8PM, radio listeners tuned in to hear music, only for the broadcast to be interrupted by panicked "news bulletins" reporting explosions on Mars and, soon, an alien invasion of Earth.[26]

The touchdown site? The West Windsor community of Grovers Mill! According to (largely-debunked) urban legend, the broadcast caused nationwide hysteria, with millions panicking, fleeing their homes, and saying what they thought were their last goodbyes to their loved ones. Here in Grovers Mill, the stories said, there was even more terror, as people backed out through their closed garage doors, formed alien-hunting militias, and more.[27]

Water tower behind the millwright's house in the 1970s/80s.

​Although these stories of nationwide panic were largely fabricated or severely exaggerated, one tale in particular bears particular relevance here. According to this legend, a drunken farmer mistook the old metal windmill/water tower in the backyard of the Millwright's House for an alien tripod and peppered it with bullets.[28] Some visitors to the Millwright's House claim that there are still holes in the water tower, but others believe the tale to be just an urban legend. Regardless of the legend's validity, the water tower still looms over the backyard of the Millwright’s House at the time of this writing (2023) as a well-recognized and beloved local historical icon.

​In 1939, Old Princeton's Neighbors noted that that…

“(Charles L.) Dey formed the Grovers Mill Company, Inc. William T. Dennison of Cranbury, his brother-in-law, is president and general manager. The mill works for the district within a radius of about ten miles and grinds nearly all the grain used for feeding the thousands of cows at the Walker-Grondon Farms. Its yearly business is close to $250,000. The mill is ... known as a full roller mill and is operated by eight employees ... it is run alternately by water and electric power."[29]

The mill in the late 1800s or early 1900s. From the Historical Society of Princeton.

At some point, Dey sold his shares of the company to Denison,[30] who operated the feed mill with his son, William Jr., from 1939-63. In 1955, William Jr. opened a shop in the barn across the street. He repaired and sold lawnmowers. In 1961, he hired Edward Kemp from Plainsboro, who took over the mower shop and ran it with his son, Robert Kemp. The Kemps bought the business in 1973, and also sold hardware, paint, and garden supplies.[31]

​In 1974, Jay and Robert Schwartz bought the mill from William Dennison and renovated it as living quarters and offices for their graphics arts company. They eventually added an art gallery and wholesale plant business. In 1994, Mark and Elizabeth Schulman bought the mill and used it as a chiropractor's office.[32]

The barn in the mid-late 1900s - then owned by Grovers Mill Co.

The Millwright's House has passed through several owners since Margaret Post's death in 1938: Alfred Perrine (1938-40),[33] Calvin D. & Edith D. Perry (1940-60),[34] Grovers Mill Co. (1960-66),[35] A. Spencer & Elise M. Bruno (1966-1987),[36] and, since then, new owners.[37]

​In 2010, local engineer Carl Van Dyke purchased the barn and, two years later, with the help of architect Kyle Van Dyke, converted the interior into studio apartments and office space, while keeping the exterior mostly stylistically intact. In 2015, Carl further purchased the mill itself from Elizabeth Schulman, and again with Kyle's help, converted the mill building into apartments.[38] It was during this time that the rotted wooden water wheel was removed.
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Today, the mill, the barn, and the millwright's house still stand in the center of Grovers Mill. These three buildings, and several others that surround them, remain some of West Windsor's most historically-significant icons.

Sign installed by the Historical Society in 2023.

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Return to Grovers Mill Homepage

Bibliography

1. Thomas, Richard and Gottlieb Schwenger. “Indenture.” West Windsor, January 18, 1837. Deed from Peter and Anne Bergen to Richard Thomas for what is now called the Grovers Mill property. Located in the New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 12 Page 20.
2. “Public Road Surveys, 1720-1775 (Microfilm).” Trenton, n.d. Accessed February 28, 2022. From the New Jersey State Archive’s Microfilm room. Reel: Deeds and Land Conveyances, 1714-1722; Public Road Surveys, 1720-1775. For this specific citation: Public Road Surveys section, Page 35-36.
3. Wright, Mahlon. “Notice.” Pennsylvania Gazette. October 25, 1764. Mahlon Wright listing the Joint Tract at Grovers Mill for sale - October 25, 1764
4. MacCrellish & Quigley Co. (1931). 1771. Wright, Mahlon. In Archives of the State of New Jersey: Documents Relating to the Colonial and Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey (Vol. XXVII - 1770-1771, Extracts from American Newspapers, Relating to New Jersey, pp. 410).
5. Bergen, Jacob G. “To be SOLD.” New York Gazette and Weekly Mercury. August 22, 1774. Jacob G. Bergen listing the Joint Tract at Grovers Mill for sale - August 22, 1774
6. Bergen, George G., Walker, Joseph. Ms. Deed. New Jersey State Archives, 1805. Found in New Jersey State Archives Manuscript Room - Middlesex County Deeds - Middlesex County Deed Book 6 Page 173.
7. Bergen, Peter I., Walker, Joseph. Ms. Deed. New Jersey State Archives, 1811. Found in New Jersey State Archives Manuscript Room - Middlesex County Deeds - Middlesex County Deed Book 8 Page 789.​
8. Bergen, Peter I., Thomas, Richard. Ms. Deed. New Jersey State Archives, 1816. Found in New Jersey State Archives Manuscript Room - Middlesex County Deeds - Middlesex County Deed Book 32 Page 161.
9. “Grover’s Mills.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
10. Thomas, Benjamin, Thomas, Richard. Ms. Deed. New Jersey State Archives, 1816. Found in New Jersey State Archives Manuscript Room - Middlesex County Deeds - Middlesex County Deed Book 12 Page 18.
11. Thomas, Benjamin, Thomas, Richard. Ms. Deed. New Jersey State Archives, 1819. Found in New Jersey State Archives Manuscript Room - Middlesex County Deeds - Middlesex County Deed Book 13 Page 737.
12. Schwenger, Gottlieb, Thomas, Richard. Ms. Deed. New Jersey State Archives, 1837. Found in New Jersey State Archives Manuscript Room - Middlesex County Deeds - Middlesex County Deed Book 32 Page 161.
13. Bible of Gottlieb Schwenger, 1833. Bible is inscribed with Gottlieb Schwenger's signature and a note from him that he had immigrated from Germany. Located in the Historical Society of West Windsor's archives at the West Windsor History Museum.
14. “Grover’s Mills.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
15. Grover, Joseph H., Labaw, John T., Schwenger, Sarah. Ms. Deed. New Jersey State Archives, 1868. Found in New Jersey State Archives Manuscript Room – Mercer County Deeds - Mercer County Deed Book 73 Page 461.
16. ​“West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
17. “Grover’s Mills.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
18. Ibid.
19. 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.
20. “Grover’s Mills.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
21. “West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
22. “Grover’s Mills.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
23. 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.
24. Dey, Charles L., Grover Margaret P. Ms. Deed. Mercer County Clerk’s Office, 1929. Found in Mercer County Clerk’s Office Records Room – Mercer County Deed Book 654 Page 49.
25. Perry, Calvin D., Perry, Edith D., Perrine, Alfred R. Ms. Deed. Mercer County Clerk’s Office, 1940. Found in Mercer County Clerk’s Office Records Room – Mercer County Deed Book 809 Page 37.
26. Schwartz, A. Brad. Broadcast Hysteria Orson Welles’s “War of the Worlds” and the Art of Fake News. Minneapolis, MN: HighBridge Audio, 2015.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid.
29. “Grover’s Mills.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.
30. Ibid.
31. Schulman, Elizabeth, Elise Bruno, William Denison, Mrs. C. Lawrence Dey, Cynthia Koch, Robert Schwartz, Jay Schwartz, Mark Schulman, and Robert W Craig. “Broadside,” 1994.
32. Ibid.
33. Perry, Calvin D., Perry, Edith D., Perrine, Alfred R. Ms. Deed. Mercer County Clerk’s Office, 1940. Found in Mercer County Clerk’s Office Records Room – Mercer County Deed Book 809 Page 37.
34. Ibid.
35. Grovers Mill Co., Alfred R. Ms. Deed. Mercer County Clerk’s Office, 1960. Found in Mercer County Clerk’s Office Records Room – Mercer County Deed Book 1554 Page 523.
36. Bruno, A. Spencer, Bruno, Elise, Grovers Mill Co. Mercer County Clerk’s Office, 1966. Found in Mercer County Clerk’s Office Records Room – Mercer County Deed Book 1753 Page 47.
37. Bruno, A. Spencer, Bruno, Elise, Shope-Mok, Catherine R., Shope-Mok, Lewis S. Mercer County Clerk’s Office, 1987. Found in Mercer County Clerk’s Office Records Room – Mercer County Deed Book 2401 Page 33.
38. ​Xu, Vincent. “Historic Grovers Mill Building to Be Converted Into Residential Apartments.” West Windsor and Plainsboro Community News, March 14, 2017.​