National Register of Historic Places

Tusculum

Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey
Listed
January 5, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78003171

About this property

Tusculum is a country estate on Cherry Hill Road in Princeton, New Jersey, built in 1773 for John Witherspoon, president of Princeton University and signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is named after the Roman town of Tusculum, which was home to the country villa of Marcus Tullius Cicero. In 1793, the property was made available for purchase as a result of John Witherspoon's declining age, and was sought after by many refugees. The property was often visited by George Washington and his wife, Martha, during Witherspoon's tenure as president of Princeton University. In 2013 the home was sold for $5.5 million.

Location

Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey
40.36662, -74.67113

Categories

AGRICULTUREEDUCATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Princeton Ice Company
Industrial
0.3 mi
Mountain Avenue Historic District
Listed
0.7 mi
Witherspoon Street School for Colored Children
Industrial
0.9 mi
Cleveland, Grover, Home
Industrial
1.1 mi
Herring, Donald Grant, Estate
Industrial
1.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Princeton Jan 3 1777
1777Revolutionary War
0.7 mi
Battle of Princeton
1777Revolutionary War
0.7 mi
Battle of Trenton (First)
1776Revolutionary War
11 mi

Questions about this property

When was Tusculum listed on the National Register?

Tusculum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 5, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Tusculum?

Tusculum is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Tusculum?

The period of significance for Tusculum is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Tusculum?

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