Princeton’s Historic Commission Denies Hornor House Application

PRINCETON, NJ – In a unanimous vote, the Municipality’s Historic Preservation Commission denied the developer permission to demolish part of Hornor House to build 15 apartments.

The Commission went ahead and endorsed Historic Preservation Officer Elizabeth Kim’s recommendation that the application be denied.

Kim’s findings will also be on record when the Planning Board meets on May 23.

Located in the northeast corner of the 18th Century Jugtown village at the Nassau and Harrison Streets crossroads, Hornor House was listed among 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in the state by Preservation New Jersey.

The house was built in the 1760s by Joseph Hornor, the grandson of one of Princeton's Quaker founders.

The applicant had proposed to partially demolish the rear portion of the existing structure, built in 1985, to construct a four-story addition to the building for 15 apartments.

During the meeting, residents spoke about preserving historic buildings, maintaining visible historic facades and emphasized the importance of historical records and community vibrancy.

Various concerns were raised regarding proposed building additions and demolitions.

Architect Mark Allen Hewitt, said the four-story addition due to its massive scale was incompatible with the historic Jugtown district.

“No matter what the architect does to try to mitigate a 45-foot-high building, there are no buildings in the Jugtown district that are anywhere near 45 feet tall,” Hewitt said. He introduced the idea of “viewshed” - referring to the visual impressions buildings and landscapes create as people pass by. He said the viewshed of Jugtown was important to distinguish itself from other parts of town and the Route 1 corridor.

Residents and experts alike urged the Commission to preserve street-fronting buildings and maintain historical precedent, while some expressed their opposition to the projects based on the potential impact on the community's historic character.

You can watch the meetings here and here.

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