The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
" FInsr sITr
The CoiouiaI Danes Memorial Fable, r., pn,..
beth said to he In the Mrnnr rinnA

ELizABETII, y. j., Oct. 3O.-Thc placing ~ n
tablet purporting to mark the uririunl sito ~
Princeton University upon the walls 40 ,hc
chapel of the First Presbyterian Church Il, ,l.
New Jersey Society Of Colonial DANES hns
created no cnd Of comment among tine many
descendants of ltcvuluiinnnry patriot, ,yhn rr.
side in Elizabeth. Tho Inscription ON tho ,nb.
let Is positive: This tablet marks the first site
OF Princeton University" This l., severely
criticised ms not stating II historical truth, he
cause 1t is asserted that the original site or the
college was nowhere near the spot marked. hut
in n house about u mile away.
Princeton University was founded ps The col.
lcgc of New Jersey, being Incorporated ON Or,.
%. 17l6, and was located in This city, then
known rs Elizabeth Town. The Rev. jonathan
Dickinson was appointed the first President.
and in May, l1i7, The Classc5 were opened under
his tuturship. The place where the students
met and were instructed is the spot intended To
be marked by the tablet erected by the Colonial
Danes, and is the question now in dispute.
AZ Inc time The memorial was placed ii was
stated by members ~ the Colonial DANES that
the site marked by The tablet was believed TO ho
historically correct, and some records were re-.
fcrrcd to which state that The first classes of Tho
New Jcrsc! COLLEGE had met in the huildinS
known, rs the academy. This. structure was
erected on the spot nov occupied by the First
Presbyterian Church chapel and was burned hy
the British in the Revolutionary wnr. It. was
Nlbl lll'-' flbIl lllll llt ttlilllllltt 81 inc
society, Of Colonial DANES decided to erect
their tablet upon the wall of the present chapel.
IT is SAD ny several rcroSmiIcd anth3ri,ies
that the first classes of the College Of New Jcf.
scy were, taught at the hume OF. the ltey, iona
tlan Dickinson, who, besides being President Of
the, college, was also pustor of the First Prcsby-
terrain Church. According To these gentlemen
there is no record of any bnildiur whatever hay
ing stood upon the site of the present chapel in
the time Of the Rev. jonathan Dickinson. and
that, therefore, i, was impossible for the classes
To have received instruction there. Tho aCad-
envy, they assert. wa. not erected until many
year! after the death of jonathan Dickinson,
which occurred in October, lTIT.
These gentlemen are very positive in their
statements. but they will not permit the use Of
their names for publication. One of them, Il
direct descendant OF Jonathan Dickinson, say
that he does not depend entirely upon written
history. for his authority, but that the tradi-
princeton College class wa, Taught at the resi-
dcncc OF the college President.
Another. Whose information is derived from
official maps aud who il an unqncstioned an-
thority on local historical matters, vcriflcs the
statement, made by the gentlemen previously
Elizabeth for the facts in the casc..-1hc state
mcnts IN tins history, he says. are correct be-
vond a doubt. On page $50 of this. history it is
stated AT the time specified tthe fourth week
N May, l'l.I). the first term Of the College of
New Jersey, was opened at Mr.. pickinson's
house. on the south side of the old Railway
road, directly west of Race street" The au-
thority, for this statement is given AS the me
NOR of the Rev. smith, who was the first tutor
The same history gives AN account Of the
erection of the academy. The funds for that
building. $40, were contributed by divers weii-
disposed persons, and II was erected under the
direction of the trustees of the First presby.
terrain Church in the fall of 1867. The rcsoll.
tion providing for its location ''on the upper.
most end Of the Burial Yard lot" Of the church
was adopted by the Board of Trustees on Aug.
-, 1867, almost twenty years after the removal
of the college to Newark.
The building which WAS the home Of iona.
than Dickinson still stands on Pearl street, orig.
inally a part Of the old Railway road. in what
was at that time the aristoCratic portion of the
town. II is II Two story and attic frame build.
ing, quite well preserved, and at present is occu,
pied as a saloon.