Princeton Residents React to Witherspoon-Jackson Historic Preservation Proposal: Report

Princeton, NJ -- A recommendation to preserve the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood as an historic district has been met with a mixed reaction from Princeton residents, Planet Princeton reports.

Those in favor say that not only will the history of the oldest black neighborhood in Princeton be preserved, but the designation will help slow down gentrification, stabilize prices and slow down the development of bigger, more expensive homes in place of more affordable homes in the neighborhood, according to the report.

Some have said the recent revaluation of the neighborhood that saw an increase in taxes has made it so that the only place black people can afford to live in Princeton is in Affordable Housing units, according to the report.

Those in opposition were concerned about their ability to make changes to their homes under the new designation, that the borders are arbitrary, and that the designation wouldn’t effectively preserve the buildings intended to be saved by this designation, according to the report.

Some argued that the designation has been known to drive up home values and taxes, but officials said that wasn’t likely to happen in this case, according to the report.

Comments came following Wise Preservation’s recommendation to the Princeton Historic Preservation Commission last week.

The neighborhood was home to Princeton’s African-American community at a time when businesses, houses of worship and educational institutions were all segregated.

As an example, Princeton University employed a lot of black laborers, but had very few black students in the 1940s and 1950s.

There are also four buildings in that section that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Paul Robeson House, the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, the Witherspoon School and Dorothea’s House.

Read more at planetprinceton.com.