Up in the Air
1954 USGS Topo Map showing the Princeton Nassau Airpark as "Airfield (Private)." Note the two landing strips.
And Into the Sky!
The joys of transportation in West Windsor have not always been limited to the ground and water. Following World War II, an aviation boom occurred throughout the nation, in the form of both public and private planes. From 1945 to 1959, a small, private airport operated on the northeastern edge of West Windsor - centered between today's MarketFair and the Princeton Country Club, both abutting the Delaware & Raritan Canal. Thomas Whitfield Savidge and his wife Dorothy (AKA "Dottie") ran Nassai Air Park, as instructor/examiner and office manager, respectively.
The airport consisted of 2 air strips, the larger of which, located almost exactly where Emmons Drive now exists, ran mostly perpendicular to Route 1. The community gathered to watch frequent air shows and more adventurous residents even took flight classes!
The airport shut down in 1959, mainly due to the construction of better-equipped airports in Princeton, Robbinsville, and Trenton. It has since been demolished, the land later being developed into the Princeton Golf Club and a few shopping centers.
For more detailed memories and information, please visit the references below:
The joys of transportation in West Windsor have not always been limited to the ground and water. Following World War II, an aviation boom occurred throughout the nation, in the form of both public and private planes. From 1945 to 1959, a small, private airport operated on the northeastern edge of West Windsor - centered between today's MarketFair and the Princeton Country Club, both abutting the Delaware & Raritan Canal. Thomas Whitfield Savidge and his wife Dorothy (AKA "Dottie") ran Nassai Air Park, as instructor/examiner and office manager, respectively.
The airport consisted of 2 air strips, the larger of which, located almost exactly where Emmons Drive now exists, ran mostly perpendicular to Route 1. The community gathered to watch frequent air shows and more adventurous residents even took flight classes!
The airport shut down in 1959, mainly due to the construction of better-equipped airports in Princeton, Robbinsville, and Trenton. It has since been demolished, the land later being developed into the Princeton Golf Club and a few shopping centers.
For more detailed memories and information, please visit the references below:
- "Looking Back: An Airport in West Windsor." (Community News, July 12, 2013) - Article by longtime resident Dick Snedeker, author of numerous "Looking Back" articles recounting facets of mid-century life in the township.
- "Princeton Nassau Airpark, Princeton, NJ." (Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Texas: Eastern Abilene Area) - Blog by aviation enthusiast Paul Freeman, including further memories of more township locals.
