By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The homes in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood are not as grand or as quaint as those in the Mercer Hill or Bank Street local historic districts, but a consultant who has studied the neighborhood believes it deserves local historic district status.
Monday night, consultant Wise Preservation Planning LLC made a case for local historic district designation for the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood — Princeton’s historically African-American neighborhood — in front of a standing-room-only crowd in the main meeting room at Witherspoon Hall.
The proposed Witherspoon-Jackson local historic district is bounded by Witherspoon Street, John Street, Paul Robeson Place and Birch Avenue. A small sliver of Witherspoon Street, south of Paul Robeson Place, also is included in the proposed historic district.
While many attendees supported consultant Robert Wise’s recommendation, there were others who questioned the need for it — as well as the implications for property owners — if the mayor and Princeton council designate it as a local historic district.
The Wise consulting firm was chosen by the Historic Preservation Commission to study the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood earlier this year. The study was undertaken after several neighbors approached the Historic Preservation Commission and the Princeton council to preserve the streetscape in the neighborhood.
If the neighborhood is designated a local historic district by the council, it is possible that any change to a property that affects the historic fabric of the district’s “streetscape” would have to be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission. The need for a review would depend on the type of the change.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wise told the attendees Monday night that his firm conducted an architectural study of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, using earlier studies that included a 1984 study of African-American historic sites in New Jersey and documentation from the State Historic Preservation Office opinion regarding its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mr. Wise said that of the 395 properties surveyed, four are considered “key contributing” and 285 are considered “contributing” to the proposed district. The rest are deemed to be “noncontributing” to the proposed local historic district.
“Key contributing” buildings are community landmarks or that are excellent examples of their architectural style. “Contributing” buildings are those that are more than 50 years old and that have generally retained their architectural style. “Noncontributing” buildings have been extensively altered.
Based on research, the firm found that the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood had historically been occupied by African-Americans, Mr. Wise said. Immigrant groups, such as the Irish and Italians and now the Hispanics, also lived in the neighborhood. Many of them moved out after a generation or two.
But the African-Americans, for many reasons, did not move out and the result was a “cohesive, distinct district,” Mr. Wise said. “Jim Crow” — segregation — was alive and well in the 20th century, he said, adding that the African-American community in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood had its own school, social groups, businesses and churches.
When the meeting was opened up for comment, many African-Americans who grew up in the neighborhood said the memories of segregation still sting. Despite those memories, many called for the neighborhood to be designated as a local historic site.
“We need to keep this as a historic site. There is a lot of rich history in Princeton,” said the Rev. Ed McEwen III, whose ancestors came to Princeton as slaves in the 1840s. Many African-Americans, however, have moved away because they cannot afford to live here because of property taxes, he said.
Jay Craig, another native Princetonian, recalled going to Nassau Street to play on the Princeton University campus with friends as a child. The 85-year-old man said he was told that he could not play there and that he was “not wanted.”
“(The Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood) is where I was wanted. Witherspoon Street deserves historic status — not tomorrow, but yesterday,” Mr. Craig said, pointing to the changes in the neighborhood.
Linda Oppenheim commended the Historic Preservation Commission for considering making it a local historic district. Pointing to the obstacles that the African-Americans faced, she said that to “honor their lives, (we) must see this as an historic district.”
Tom Parker, who also grew up in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, threw his support behind the proposed district. Its history should not be erased, he said, adding that “it would be a shame” if that happened.
But others opposed historic designation, citing the potential restrictions and other issues that would come with it.
Al Carnevale, who lives in the neighborhood, questioned why an historic district designation is needed. He asked whether it would prevent the demolition of existing houses to make way for new ones. He also expressed concern about an historic district’s designation impact on property values and property taxes.
Historic Preservation Commission member Robert von Zumbusch acknowledged that some historic districts lead to gentrification, but “this is a different situation.” He said it would likely prevent tear-downs of houses in the neighborhood, because the owner would have to gain the commission’s approval to do so.
Tax Assessor Neal Snyder said that while it is possible that historic designation may limit the pool of potential buyers for a property, he said he does not have a crystal ball and could not make any predictions. But the neighborhood is in demand, he said. The issue of property taxes needs to be addressed at the state government level, he added.
Bill Urian, who lives in the neighborhood, suggested putting a plaque on historic houses instead of creating an historic district that would limit what a property owner can do to his or her home. He said he favors “newer, bigger houses” because they will generate more property tax revenue and reduce his tax bill.
Richard Owen said he does not live in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood — his son just purchased a house in the neighborhood — but he was “moved” by the stories that the African-American residents related. He said he is an architect, and he does not like demolitions, either.
Mr. Owen said proponents should read an historic preservation district ordinance and find out what happens if a homeowner wants to make improvements. The new construction material may be more expensive if it has to meet certain standards, he said.
He said that he supports the concept, but “everybody needs to understand” the ramifications of such an ordinance. “Be careful what you wish for (because) it could cost you more money (for the correct materials),” Mr. Owen said.
The Historic Preservation Commission is holding a special meeting Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. at Witherspoon Hall to discuss and vote on whether to approve, modify or reject the consultant’s recommendation.
