About This Place
Nassau Presbyterian Church, located on Nassau Street adjacent to the Princeton University campus, is the descendant of the congregation that John Witherspoon led during the revolutionary era. The current building dates to 1836, replacing earlier structures, but the congregation's history extends back to the founding of the college and the town.
The church's cemetery, Princeton Cemetery, contains the graves of many revolutionary-era figures.
Revolutionary Significance
The Presbyterian congregation in Princeton was intimately connected to the College of New Jersey from its founding. College presidents served as pastors, and the church functioned as both a religious and intellectual center. During the British occupation of Princeton in 1776, the earlier church building suffered damage. John Witherspoon preached from this pulpit while simultaneously serving in the Continental Congress, embodying the fusion of religious conviction and political activism that characterized Princeton's revolutionary generation.
Location
61 Nassau St, Princeton, NJ 08542
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Events at This Location
1776
Witherspoon Signs the Declaration of IndependenceJohn Witherspoon, Richard Stockton, James Madison
1776
College of New Jersey Closes for the WarJohn Witherspoon, James Madison
1776
Capture of Richard StocktonRichard Stockton, Annis Boudinot Stockton
1776
Annis Stockton Buries Family Papers at MorvenAnnis Boudinot Stockton, Richard Stockton
1776
British Occupation of PrincetonCharles Mawhood, John Witherspoon, Thomas Olden
1776
British Damage Nassau Hall During OccupationJohn Witherspoon
1776
1777
1777
Night March from Trenton to PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer
1777
Battle of PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer, Charles Mawhood
1777
Mercer and Mawhood Clash at Clarke FarmHugh Mercer, Charles Mawhood
1777
Washington Rallies Troops at PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer
1777
Cannonade of Nassau HallGeorge Washington
1777
1777
Death of General Hugh MercerHugh Mercer, Benjamin Rush
1783
Witherspoon Rebuilds the College After the WarJohn Witherspoon
1783
Congress Flees Philadelphia MutinyElias Boudinot
1783
Continental Congress Meets at Nassau HallElias Boudinot, George Washington
1783
Congress Thanks Washington at PrincetonGeorge Washington, Elias Boudinot
1783
Treaty of Paris Announced at PrincetonElias Boudinot