By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Princeton Council members said Monday night that they would make the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood a local historic district, in a nod to recognizing the importance of the once segregated part of town that today is concerned about builders tearing down old homes and constructing bigger ones in their place.
The move would add protections to the nearly 400 properties in the proposed area by requiring more oversight by the town before any structure could be demolished or if there are exterior alterations visible from the public right of way.
Councilwoman Heather H. Howard said the historic significance of Witherspoon-Jackson “is beyond question” and felt it was time to “recognize the success and vibrancy of the neighborhood.”
Council is scheduled to introduce an ordinance on March 10 to create the 20th historic district in town, although officials still must determine what the boundaries of the area will be. At the moment, 395 properties spanning parts of Bayard Lane, east to Witherspoon Street and down to Paul Robeson Place are due to be included.
Once council introduces the ordinance, the municipal Planning Board will review it to make sure it is consistent with the town’s Master Plan, which calls for designating that area a historic district. From there, it would go back to the council for approval.
During a more than four-hour council work session, officials first heard from municipal staff about some of the technical details that are involved, later listening to the public that urged the council to act.
Elizabeth H. Kim, the town’s historic preservation officer, told council that there are three types of projects in any historic district in Princeton: ordinary maintenance; administrative approval involving minimal alterations; and review by the full Historic Preservation Commission for projects of typically of “greater significance,” like a demolition or partial demolition.
In terms of the impact on property values, municipal planning director Lee O. Solow told council that municipal tax assessor Neal A. Snyder said it was “not fair” to compare data for existing historic districts in Princeton to other properties.“There are just too many variables to compare from one district to another,” Mr. Solow said. “So (Mr. Snyder) was not comfortable with being able to tell you that, over a five-year period, historic districts increased or decreased in percentage more or less than the rest of the community.”
Witherspoon-Jackson is synonymous with the African American community that has called Princeton home for centuries — a neighborhood birthed out of segregation that lasted into the 1900s. Here, Princeton’s blacks attended segregated schools, worshipped at all-black churches and ran businesses that served customers not welcome on Nassau Street. Yet it was home to Irish and Italians as well, to form a melting pot.
“This neighborhood was a result of years of social, economic and educational disparity that was brought about by discrimination and segregation in Princeton,” said Julie Capozzoli, chairwoman of the municipal Historic Preservation Commission, at the meeting.
For close to two hours and 30 minutes, the council listened to the public urge action, with few dissenting voices. Speakers — for the most part African American residents — recalled Princeton’s segregated past.
Local historian Shirley Satterfield, a resident of that part of town and member of a family that has been in Princeton for six generations, said the community had been a “Jim Crow town.”
“It was a time when we were poor in means but rich in faith, skills, hard work and hope,” she said.
At the same time, speakers talked of the impact residents would go on to have in different fields, including medicine, business and culture.
“Not only did the neighborhood and its people survive through difficult and oppressive times, it thrived,” resident Leighton Newlin told the council.
Former Princeton Mayor Jim Floyd recalled how the neighborhood was much larger, once going all the way to Nassau Street, but experienced “diminutions.” He said that “for many years,” blacks in Princeton were relegated to what was called the Witherspoon neighborhood.
“These were our proud but segregated ancestors, who also contributed to the Princeton we all love and cherish,” he said.
Local architect J. Robert Hillier, who has eyed developing properties he owns on Witherspoon Street, said he could support a historic district.
“I have one big concern, about the rules” he said. “Without rules, decisions can be considered capricious resulting in lawsuits.”
Council President Lance Liverman attended the meeting but sat in the audience, not in his usual seat on the dais. He has recused himself from the issue because he owns property on Quarry Street.
