Wyndemere

Wyndemere, November 2018. From Paul Ligeti.

Historical Overview

A 2-story, 3-bay neoclassical house stands at 65 Lower Harrison Street in West Windsor. This building - commonly called "Wyndemere" - is a contributing element to the historic West Windsor/Plainsboro community of Scudder's Mills and a member of West Windsor's 100 Club.​

According to some sources, this house was originally located behind the backyard of the Jemison house at 51 Lower Harrison Street and moved in the early 1900s to save it when Carnegie Lake's construction in 1905/6 flooded the Millstone River.[1] Until that time, the Millstone River was a much-narrower creek running through the area and a road, connecting Lower Harrison Street and Mapleton Road, effectively ran through the "front yard" of Wyndemere at its potential original location (see adjacent image).[2]

Previous architectural surveys have suggested the home is from the 1820s-30s (the wings were built at an unknown date).[3],[4] However, if it is true that Wyndemere was originally behind the Jemison House, then at least as far back as 1799, there was a house on that same property. That year, John Hight (of the same family that founded Hightstown) and his wife, Hannah, sold 41 acres to their daughter, Susanna Hight. The associated deed mentioned that Susan lived on the property. Whether her house was Wyndmere or instead an older structure is unknown.[5]

In 1832, the property was sold to Isiah and Elizabeth Jemison, after whom the Jemison house is named.[6] In 1855, they sold the property behind 51 Lower Harrison Street to Margaret and David Vail,[7] who two years later passed it to Edward Patterson.[8] The 1860 census shows Edward working as a farmer, living with his wife, Mary, and daughter, Emma.[9]

Current and (possible) location of Wyndemere overlaid over 1840 map.

The property passed through the Patterson family until 1875, when it was purchased by Henry Engelke.[10] Fourteen years later, he sold it to Theodore F. Williamson.[11] In 1904, Theodore also purchased the current property of 65 Lower Harrison Street.[12] Thus, if Wyndemere was indeed moved in the early 1900s, it was thus likely done so by Theodore.

Various Williamson family members owned Wyndemere until the 1940s, when Annie Williamson sold the property to David and Anna Hamilton.[13],[14] After them were Caroline Wright (starting in 1947),[15] Laurence and Mary Goodyear (starting in 1976),[16],[17] and Peter and Evelyn Bryan-Brown (starting in 1978).[18],[19] It was by the period of their ownership that the name Wyndemere appeared.[20] They sold the property to Joseph and Marianne Young in 1988.[21] After them were Robert and Kelly DiTosto[22] and then Jan Heyrman and Annie Heremans.[23] It has long passed to other owners.

Go to Scudder's Mills

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Bibliography

1. “Mercer County Historic Sites Survey: West Windsor Township, Mercer County, NJ.” Princeton, 1988. Conducted by Kinsey & Hand Associates.
2. Hassler, F. R., & Gerdes, F. H. (1840). US Coast Survey - Princeton and Vicinity. map, Princeton and Vicinity, New Jersey. Scale 1:20,000
3. “Mercer County Historic Sites Survey: West Windsor Township, Mercer County, NJ.” Princeton, 1988. Conducted by Kinsey & Hand Associates.
4. ​“Section IX – Conservation Plan Element – West Windsor Master Plan.” West Windsor Township, 2002.
5. Haight, Hannah, Haight, John N., Mershon, Susah. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1799. Located in the New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 24 Page 42.
6. Jemison, Elizabeth, Jemison, Isiah, Mershon, Susah. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1832. Located in the New Jersey State Archives, Middlesex County Deed Book 24 Page 142.
7. Jemison, Elizabeth, Jemison, Isiah, Vail, David L., Vail, Margaret K. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1855. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 33 Page 410.
8. Patterson, Edward S., Vail, David L., Vail, Margaret K. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1857. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 41 Page 354.
9. ​United States Census, 1860 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1860.
10. Engelke, Henry, Paterson, Julia C. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1875. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 110 Page 73.
11. Engelke, Henry, Williamson, Theodore F. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1889. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 165 Page 205.
12. Bartlett, Warren S., Williamson, Theodore F. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1904. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 269 Page 220.
13. Hamilton, Anna Gray, Hamilton, David C., Williamson, Annie. “Deed." West Windsor, 1942. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 846 Page 449.
14. Hamilton, Anna Gray, Hamilton, David C., Williamson, Annie. “Deed." West Windsor, 1944. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 870 Page 554.
15. Hamilton, Anna Gray, Hamilton, David C., Wright, Caroline C. “Deed." West Windsor, 1947. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 973 Page 53.
16. Goodyear, Laurence R., Goodyear, Mary A., Wright, Caroline C. “Deed." West Windsor, 1976. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2016 Page 855.
17. Goodyear, Laurence R., Goodyear, Mary A., Wright, Caroline C. “Deed." West Windsor, 1976. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2016 Page 851.
18. "Designer Showhouse '87 Will Open September 26." Town Topics. September 16, 1987.
19. Bryan-Brown, Evelyn, Bryan-Brown, Peter, Goodyear, Laurence R., Goodyear, Mary A. “Deed." West Windsor, 1978. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2087 Page 863.
20. Bryan-Brown, Evelyn, Bryan-Brown, Peter, Goodyear, Laurence R., Goodyear, Mary A. “Deed." West Windsor, 1978. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2087 Page 867.
21. Bryan-Brown, Evelyn, Bryan-Brown, Peter, Young, Joseph R., Young, Marianne R. “Deed." West Windsor, 1988. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2458 Page 366.
22. DiTosto, Kelly M., DiTosto, Robert D, Young, Joseph R., Young, Marianne R.. “Deed." West Windsor, 1994. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2794 Page 261.
23. DiTosto, Kelly M., DiTosto, Robert D, Heyrman, Annie, Heremans, Jan. “Deed." West Windsor, 2002. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 4303 Page 250.