Prospect Avenue Historic District | April 2022
The Princeton Town Council is in the process of reviewing a proposal to establish a Prospect Avenue Historic District.
The creation of a new local historic district to protect Prospect Avenue is one of the positive outcomes from the objections raised by eating clubs, alumni, and the community to Princeton's plans for the new Environmental Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Science project (ES+SEAS). The plans involve moving the former Court Club across the Street and building a new Theorist Pavilion on Prospect Avenue in its place.
A compromise was reached when Princeton revised their plans and agreed to support the creation of the Prospect Avenue Historic District. Prospect Avenue from Washington Road to FitzRandolph Road was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and in 2017 the boundary was expanded to include Terrace Club. The creation of the new local historic district provides stronger protection and will preserve the Princeton Eating Clubs and the Prospect Avenue neighborhood from further development.
Cap and Gown Board member Karl Pettit '67 who is a member of the Princeton Prospect Foundation Board, played a big part in achieving this compromise. Princeton Prospect Foundation (PPF) plays a major role in facilitating the financial viability of Princeton University’s iconic eating clubs, and also strives as part of its fundamental mission to preserve the historical and architectural significance of all current and prior clubhouses, including the Prospect Avenue streetscape.
THE CREATION OF THE PROSPECT AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT
By Karl D. Pettit ’67, Cap & Gown and PPF Board
Princeton University first presented its plan for the new Environmental Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Science project (ES+SEAS) to the Princeton Community during mid-summer 2020. The new campus would extend from Washington Avenue east to FitzRandolph Road behind the Eating Clubs. The plan called for the demolition of three historic Queen Anne houses on the north side of Prospect Avenue in order to create a site for moving the former Court Club from the south side of Prospect Avenue to make way for a new “Theorist Pavilion”.
The following site plan shows the University’s proposed idea to demolish the three historic Queen Anne houses on the north side of Prospect Avenue in order to create a clear site for the former Court Clubhouse.
The Princeton community and PPF immediately objected to the plan because it would move Court Club out of the National Historic District, and totally disregarded the National Park Service Guidelines for New Construction within the Boundaries of a Historic District. Furthermore, the three historic houses had played a major role in the University’s history of ‘The Street’, and they are part of its unique architectural character. Demolishing them would be an irresponsible act.
Following the news, the PPF (represented by PPF Chair, Sandy Harrison P’74 and Karl Pettit P’67, Cap & Gown), and noteworthy local Princeton historic architect Clifford Zink immediately began to present alternative plans to the University that would save the three historic Queen Anne houses. Numerous meetings were held between PPF, Clifford Zink, and the University from the fall of 2020 to the fall of 2021 that illustrated ways for the University to save the three Queen Annes.
Finally, in October 2021 the University responded with a plan that would save the three historic Queen Anne houses. The plan would move the 110 Prospect house to a new location behind the 114 & 116 Queen Anne houses to make room for Court Clubhouse to be moved to the vacated area. See below:
The University presented this revised Amendment of the ES+SEAS Master Plan to the Princeton Historic Commission and the Planning Board in their October 2021 Meeting, and the proposed Master Plan was approved. Additionally, in that meeting the University said that it would support a Municipal Designation of the Prospect Avenue Historic District (Local Historic District).
The Princeton Planning Board enthusiastically approved the Municipal Designation of the Prospect Avenue Historic District in its January 2022 Board Meeting. The Princeton Town Council is currently in the process of reviewing the proposal. The boundary of the new district would include the three Queen Anne houses, the relocated Court Clubhouse, and the 1911 Ferris Thompson Gate and Wall.
The most important result of establishing a local Municipal Historic District is that it will significantly help protect all of the buildings within the district from being demolished or substantially altered in the future.
After the Historic Commission and the Princeton Planning Board approved the University’s revised Amendment of the ES+SEAS Master Plan, PPF, Clifford Zink, and those Princeton community members who together worked so tirelessly to save the three Queen Anne houses held a celebration and appreciation reception at Cap & Gown Club on November 6, 2021.
Karl Pettit, Sandy Harrison, and Clifford Zink are continuing to monitor progress on the building plans, and we look forward to the Princeton Town Council's official designation of the Prospect Avenue Historic District soon.
