Two decades before America began its fledgling democracy, a school
in its own infancy took up residence on a small parcel in Princeton,
N.J. The land became the home of Princeton University's Nassau Hall and
Maclean House, which remain today as symbols of the region's past and
its progress.
Celebrating this heritage and the enduring relationship with its
Princeton neighbors, the University will join with community groups to
host the 250th anniversary celebration of "Princeton in Princeton" Oct.
21 to Nov. 4.
Among the planned highlights of the two-week celebration are events
featuring Nassau Hall and Maclean House; a "Revolutionary Princeton
Day" of family festivities; a historical re-enactment of Patrick
Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech; and a lecture series exploring the
evolution of the University and the region.
"This is a time for us to embrace our collective history and reflect
upon its impact today," said Kristin Appelget, the University's
director of community and regional affairs. "This is a special
opportunity to learn more about the heritage and traditions of both the
campus and the community. We hope that many people participate and form
even stronger relationships because of it."
The schedule
of events will begin Saturday, Oct. 21, with the opening of a
Princetoniana exhibit at the Frist Campus Center reflecting on the
history of Nassau Hall. At a reception beginning at approximately 3:30
p.m. -- after the Princeton-Harvard football game -- President Shirley
M. Tilghman will deliver remarks with exhibit curator Richard Smith,
program secretary in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary
Biology, and William Selden, a 1934 alumnus who has published on Nassau
Hall. The exhibit will be on view through Nov. 30.
On Sunday, Oct. 22, the celebration of the University's two oldest
buildings will continue, with University Archivist Daniel Linke
discussing the early days at Princeton in a talk at 1 p.m. in the
Nassau Hall Faculty Room. The ceremonial opening of the Maclean House
gardens will begin at 2 p.m. outside the house.
The lecture series,
sponsored by the University's Alumni Association, runs Oct. 23-28 and
Nov. 1-2. It will focus on the early years of the relationship between
the town and the University, as well as the social, political and
cultural climate in which this relationship was evolving -- from the
year of the institution's move to Princeton in 1756 until the turn of
the century.
"Talks on subjects relating to what the region was like before Aaron
Burr made that historic decision to move his students here, and also
black Americans and their role in the growth of Princeton, will really
give people a sense of what was at stake in the choices people made and
the actions that shaped this area before and after the Revolutionary
War," said Margaret Miller, director of the Office of the Alumni
Association.
Chartered in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton was located
in Elizabeth for one year and then in Newark for nine years. In 1756,
the College's second president, Aaron Burr, gathered his pupils and
moved them to a 4 ½-acre site that would become Princeton University.
Twenty-one years later, the University witnessed a turning point in the
American Revolutionary War when British troops sought refuge in Nassau
Hall after suffering defeats on the Princeton Battlefield.
During "Revolutionary Princeton Day" on Saturday, Oct. 28, families
will be invited to tour major historic sites around campus to reflect
on this legacy. Families will learn to play colonial games; explore a
life-sized maze; watch an apprentice talk about silver smithing and
weaving; and attend historical interpretations by costumed militia men,
as well as an 18th-century doctor demonstrating medical treatments of
the period.
"Revolutionary Princeton Day" will take place rain or shine. In the event of
inclement weather, activities will be located inside Nassau
Presbyterian Church, Maclean House and Nassau Hall.
"The planning for this event has truly been a 'town-gown' process with
many local organizations and generous individuals stepping up to offer
their creative ideas and organizational resources," said Karen
Woodbridge, director of community relations.
Thanks to Margaret Nuttle, whose son Philip Nuttle graduated from
Princeton in 1963, visitors will be able to attend a free performance
at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Nassau Presbyterian Church of Patrick Henry's
speech delivered at the 1775 Second Virginia Convention. The speech was
made famous by the plea, "Give me liberty or give me death."
Nuttle is a descendent of Patrick Henry, who worked closely with
Princeton alumnus James Madison, along with John Marshall and George
Washington, in the early days of the nation. Henry was the first
governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Other contributors and partners in the 250th anniversary celebration
are the Borough and Township of Princeton, Arts Council of Princeton,
Borough Merchants for Princeton, Princeton Regional Chamber of
Commerce, Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, Historical
Society of Princeton, Morven Museum and Garden, Nassau Inn, Nassau
Presbyterian Church, Old Barracks Museum, Princeton Public Library and
Princeton Regional Schools.
"We are looking forward to this truly being a community-wide event,"
Woodbridge said. "We are opening our campus to all ages to recognize
the shared history of the University and the surrounding community."
To view a full schedule of anniversary events, visit the Office of Community and Regional Affairs' event Web site, or call the office at (609) 258-5144.
