Action Delayed On Princeton Prospect Ave. Historic District Plan

PRINCETON, NJ — The Historic Preservation Commission on Monday postponed taking formal action on the proposed designation of Prospect Avenue as a historic district in the township.

The decision was made due to issues pertaining to noticing in the ordinance, officials said.

“The reason we are postponing the resolution for the proposed designation of Prospect Avenue as a historic district is because there are issues pertaining to noticing in the ordinance that were not dealt with by the time of this meeting,” said Julie Capozzoli, chair.

All neighbors living within 200 feet of the site need to be informed of the proposed designation, Capozzoli said. The HPC is responsible for sending out the noticing to residents.

At a special meeting on Aug. 30, the commission voted unanimously to recommend creating the local historic district to Princeton Council and the Princeton Planning Board. The proposed local historic district would include a portion of Prospect Avenue within Washington Road and Murray Place and 15 undergraduate clubhouses on both sides of the Avenue and an adjacent one on Washington Road.

Princeton University is seeking to raze three Victorian homes in this district — 110, 114, and 116 Prospect Ave. — as part of its new expansion plan. They also seek to relocate the former Court Club on 91 Prospect.

However, creating the proposed Prospect Avenue Historic District would not affect the University’s application before the Planning Board.

Prospect Avenue is also significant to Black Princetonians as many African Americans worked at the eating clubs located on the Avenue, according to a report presented to the Commission by Princeton Prospect Foundation. You can read the full report here.

“The broad story of Black Princetonians’ experiences and contributions to the history of Prospect Avenue over many decades, including musicians who played at the clubs, remains to be told. With the local recognition of the history and significance of the Witherspoon Jackson and the Prospect Avenue Historic Districts, future researchers will have additional incentives to further document and relate the story,” the report says.

The Historic Preservation Commission is expected to take formal action at the Oct. 18 meeting.

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