Fight over the battlefield [Princeton]

Institute for Advanced Study and preservationists dispute land parcel

Photo by Dent Yang
The Princeton Battlefield State Park is the site of a critical turning point
in the Revolutionary War. The future of 25-acre corner of the site owned by the
Institute for Advanced Study is now in question, as the Institute lobbies
to build faculty housing there. The Princeton Battlefield has been a place of quiet contemplation
for more than two centuries, where scholars and aspiring history buffs can walk
on the hallowed ground of one of the nation's most pivotal battles. Yet a new struggle has
emerged on this land in recent years, not between the redcoats and
the rebels, but between an academic institution and a local preservation society.

At stake is a parcel of land, roughly 25 acres in size, owned by the Institute of Advanced Study, on which the Institute wants to build faculty housing. Members of the Princeton Battlefield Society — a volunteer group dedicated to preserving the Revolutionary War site — claim that the parcel is part of the original battlefield and must be saved.

"There are some sites that are hallowed ground, that are just too sacred to be played with," said Jerry Hurwitz, president of the Princeton Battlefield Society.

Hurwitz said that by developing the land, the Institute will permanently destroy an important part of history.

Critics of the planned development say the Institute, situated on over 500 acres of wooded and open property, has plenty of land to build on without compromising the small tract adjacent to the eastern edge of the battlefield, which is now a state park.

Hurwitz, a self-proclaimed history buff, has led the charge against the Institute's plans and urged other community members to follow suit. "What happened on that battlefield touches us today," said Hurwitz, noting the countless individuals who enjoy visiting the site each year and learning about its history.

According to Hurwitz, the Institute went before the Princeton Regional Planning Board in 2003 with plans to develop 15 to 19 units of faculty housing on the battlefield site.

At the time, the committee determined there was a flaw in the plans and sent the Institute back to the drawing board. Hurwitz and his supporters have continued to lobby against the development.

Institute Director Peter Goddard declined to comment over the holiday weekend, and repeated calls to the Institute's public affairs office went unanswered.

As one ascends the main bluff overlooking the open fields that played host to gruesome scenes of bloodshed, the bell tower of Nassau Hall is the lone landmark that can be spotted, edging over the tree line. The University, then known as the College of New Jersey, was intimately linked to the events that transpired on the battlefield less than a mile away.

Nassau Hall was used as a barracks, hospital and prison while the British occupied the town from Dec. 7, 1776, until the Battle of Princeton on Jan. 3, 1777.

John Mills, the park's chief historian, noted that at least two Princetonians witnessed the battle firsthand. Benjamin Rush, a graduate of the Class of 1760 and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, is said to have tended to the mortally wounded General Hugh Mercer, who was stabbed seven times during the battle.

Mills said Ashbel Green, a graduate of the University and its president from 1812 to 1822, originated the legend of the cannonball decapitation of King George II's portrait in Nassau Hall. As a student, Green observed Alexander Hamilton's unit firing a cannonball through the portrait, Mills added.

Historians are largely unanimous in their assertion that the Battle of Princeton was a critical point in the war — part of the period commonly referred to as the "10 crucial days" — that turned the tide in favor of George Washington's forces during a time of great desperation.

Emeritus history professor John Murrin said in the context of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Princeton "is one of the really big significant actions."

"I think the Trenton-Princeton campaign really did turn the war around," he added.

The Princeton Battlefield State Park, as the grounds are officially termed, was dedicated in October 1946 and named a historical landmark in 1961. The 85 acres of woodland and open plains boasts hiking trails and is open to cross-country skiing in the winter.

The William Clarke Museum, established in the former Clarke family residence that hosted many of the wounded after the battle, hosts Revolutionary War displays. Parts of the house are furnished as they might have been during the era.

Mills credits Princeton's ability to "attract a lot of people from around the world," as a contributing factor for the diverse crowd at the park. "We have local people; we have school groups; we have organized bus tours," said Mills, adding that "a great many people just use the park itself as a great place to fly kites and picnic."

Murrin, who has led tours to the site, said that "when you walk over that field, it's hard to imagine it was a battlefield; it's such nice pastoral scene."

Given the seemingly stoic and tranquil nature of the battlefield, it can be easy to forget that a legal tug-of-war is underway.

Hurwitz said the best solution for resolving the issue is for the Institute to obtain a conservation easement from the state to build on land farther away from the battlefield currently off-limits to development.

In return for permitting development elsewhere on the property, the Institute would agree to sell the tract of land adjacent to the park back to the state.

"We're simply talking about swapping," Hurwitz said, "I would dare say that most Americans, if they knew about [this swap proposal], would say the same thing."

Mills, who interacts with battlefield visitors on a daily basis, said that many are concerned about the prospect of housing on land that may have been part of the battlefield.

"There is so much that one can learn about our country," said Hurwitz, reflecting on why the Preservation Society continues to advocate on behalf of the state park. "There are lessons there that still hold true today."

One of the questions I'd have about the disposition of this land is When did the university acquire that particular parcel? If they've owned it for 200 years, which seems likely, then I would have to agree that state or federal government or a private preservation group should step in and buy the land from them, compensating them fairly (which would be horrendously expensive, but worth it). If they acquired the land more recently, then I have less sympathy for their case, because anybody who buys historically important land must be aware that all sorts of roadblocks will be thrown up to prevent development. But still, as precious as this land is, somebody should buy it from the university instead of compelling them to sacrifice it. The fifth amendment does, I believe, compel just compensation in the event of a government taking.

You are CLEARLY a transvestite idiot (and Freepers--please visit his home page so you'll know why I refer to him as a transvestite; reading this thread will let you know that he's an idiot).

NOWHERE did I say that we should "seize their land." Princeton University may not have even KNOWN of the significance of this part of their land.

If you knew any history or had visited Princeton you would know this. Nassau Hall is one of the most significant buildings from colonial times that still stands, but you'd never know it when visiting Princeton. They downplay the history at this University to such an extant that they appear to almost be ashamed of it.

Hugo Chavez indeed. Idiot.

Yes--that is a reasonable point, but another is that they have a large amount of land and they could move their buildings over a few hundred feet and not be violating anything. At the time, this was all farmland and I would not imagine Princeton acquired this land way back then. I would guess it was within the last 100 years.

Did either of you actually read the article?

"We're simply talking about swapping," Hurwitz said, "I would dare say that most Americans, if they knew about [this swap proposal], would say the same thing."

I'm a very strong supporter of historic preservation--in fact, I do a good bit of volunteer work to preserve historic lands and structures within a hundred miles or so of where I live--and I'm definitely on your side in this dispute. But I would not be so quick to conclude that the university acquired this land recently. It's been there a long time; it's one of the oldest schools in America.

Even so, I think that certain institutions have a public responsibility to help preserve the heritage of history in this country. It would be no economic hardship to the university to move its proposed buildings elsewhere on its site and this would at the least generate great good will for the school.

In many places, anybody who refrains from building on some sensitive land, whether a wetland, an area where an endangered species lives, a historic site, or an important viewshed, often gets a credit so they can get permission to do something else they wanted to do. This credit exchange arrangement reduces the amount private organizations or government groups have to fork out to buy the jeopardized land. Yall could try something like that for this land.

Your obsession with cross-dressing and lack of respect for private property rights is fascinating.

Even though your post clearly violates the posting standards of FR, I won't complain because I think it demonstrates what kind of a person you are.

I also hope the Princeton situation can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction without the use of Bolivarian Revolution techniques.

Thank you for your work on historic preservation.

The reason I think that the land was acquired recently is that the university (as you may know) has traditionally moved eastward from Nassau Hall. The Institute for Advanced Studies was founded 76 years ago and likely bought that land at the time (it is west of Nassau Hall and had been part of a farm). All the local preservationists are asking them to do is have the new construction elsewhere on their 500 acres and not RIGHT NEXT to the battlefield.

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