Will Princeton's Prospect Ave Historic District Plan Go Forward?

PRINCETON, NJ – After quite a few delays, the township’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is set to consider adopting a resolution that recommends making Prospect Avenue a historic district. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m.

The HPC postponed taking formal action in September due to issues pertaining to noticing in the ordinance.

At a special meeting held on Aug. 30, HPC voted to recommend creating the local historic district to Princeton Council and the Princeton Planning Board.

The historic district will 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.

The designation of Prospect Avenue Historic District as a local historic district was proposed in 1992 in a report to the Princeton Borough Historic Preservation Review Committee (HPRC).

HPRC considered the designation in a public meeting in July 1995, but the proposal was tabled due to concerns from some property owners according to a report by Princeton Prospect Historic District Commission.

Prospect Avenue also holds significance to Black Princetonians as many African Americans worked at the eating clubs located on the Avenue, according to a report presented by Princeton Prospect Foundation (PPF).

“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 noted.

PPF and the Graduate Inter-Club Council (GICC), which includes alumni board chairs and other leaders of the 11 current eating clubs, have supported the establishment of the historic district.

Princeton University earlier planned to demolish three Victorian homes in this district — 110, 114, and 116 Prospect Ave. — as part of its new expansion plan. They seek to relocate the former Court Club on 91 Prospect. After reworking their plan, the University said 116 Prospect Avenue can be saved and rehabilitated.

Creating the Prospect Avenue Historic District would not affect the University's application before the Planning Board.

For details on how to attend the meeting on Monday, click here.

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