Mershon Self-Directed Tour Guide

Mershon Tour Guide
Historic family sites located near Lawrenceville, NJ
Prepared by Dr. James C. Mershon
with the assistance of
Marie Louise "Weedie" (Reeder) Stokes.
Consider downloading this guide to a flash drive and viewing it on your
laptop computer during your tour. In addition, it might be to your liking to have a copy of
Lucille Mershon's book, "My FolksFolks-Chapts. 1313-15"
15"*,
and read her exciting account of her discovery
of these sites and imagine you were with her. You may read her typewritten notes that
describe her suggestions for visiting some "Old Mershon Landmarks".
Part of the adventure of this tour is to see the original lands
settled by our ancestors, and in some instances, you can
Experience walking on the land.
CAUTION: Please do not attempt to gain access to a private property, unless you get prior permission.
*"My Folks" Chapts. 13-15 is available at http://www.mershonassoc.com
Revised August 2012
© 2012 The Association of the Descendants of Henry Mershon
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Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church
Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church
2688 Main Street Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
The First Meeting House and Cemeteries
by Janet Feron
The Lawrenceville area was first settled in the 1690’s. The first settlers were recruited from earlier
settlements at the end of Long Island. Among them were Scots, English, French and Dutch. They called
their community Maidenhead, after a town in England close to Windsor Castle. They no doubt met for
worship in each other’s homes.
The Maidenhead settlers wanted a Presbyterian form of worship, and possibly a more convenient
location than the town lot. In 1710, Ralph Hunt, who built the old brick house in the middle of the golf
course, and Benjamin Hardin, who also had land along the Great Road (now US Route 206) deeded most
of the land on which the church now stands to a group of 34 men and 2 women. Some names among
them continue in the area, including Hunt, Hart, Titus, Maple, Updike and Mershon.
Divided Cemeteries. The burying grounds that grew up around the first meetinghouse were later divided
by the extension of the buildings. The first church was torn down and a new, larger structure was built
on much the same site in 1764. That is now part of our present building - the part closest to Main Street.
As the community grew, the building was extended in 1833 and again in 1853 to its present size. Now we
have two cemeteries, one on the Princeton side, which is larger, with 138 graves marked and one on the
Trenton side in the courtyard formed by the meetinghouse, Youth Center and Chapel building, which
has 74 grave markers. There are 212 grave markers in the combined burying grounds. Most of the
additions were from Mershons who owned the adjacent farm, now the site of the Lawrenceville School
golf course.
The above history was prepared by Janet A. Fearon for presentation at the 2005 Mershon Association annual meeting in
Lawrenceville, PA in 2005. See the Merhson website http://www.mershonassoc.com/ for the presentation in its entirety.
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The Mershon's in Lawrenceville and Deeds to Church Land
(From "Old Lawrenceville", by Donald Tyler, new edition printed 1973 for Princeton Historical Society, pg. 38)
3
Lawrenceville Church to Lawrenceville (Upper) Cemetery
HenryII's grave is close to Highway 206 and on the south side.
2688 Main St
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
1.
Head northeast on US-206 N/Lawrenceville Rd. The Lawrenceville (Upper) Cemetery is on the 0.7 mi
left side of the road, across the road from a fruit stand on the right.
Lawrenceville (Upper) Cemetery
Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648
At 2750 Lawrenceville Rd, in the middle of the Lawrenceville School golf course stands "Old Brick". The oldest
part of this house was built in 1706 by Ralph Hunt. It was bought in 1755 by Henry III for his son, Benjamin4. It
stayed in Mershon ownership for 137 years, when it was sold to the Lawrenceville School in 1892 with 80 acres
of the original tract. Currently, it serves as faculty housing for the school.
The house at 2775 Lawrenceville Rd was the home of Caleb7 Mershon and his wife, Mary Berrien. The property
was inherited by Caleb’s mother, Mary Stockton Shreve, a Hunt descendent. Caleb Mershon, 7th child of Samuel
Davies Mershon, was born across the street in 1838 in "Old Brick" at 2750. Caleb 7 Mershon descended from the
Henry III line.
4
Lawrenceville Cemetery (Upper Cemetery)
by Janet Feron
Why is there another cemetery up the hill, ¾ mile from the Presbyterian Church?
In the 1740’s there was a split in this church, and in the whole Presbyterian Church in this country,
between the “Old Side” and the “New Side”. Think of the Old Side as being generally conservative in
church matters and concerned that pastors be men of good education. The New Side wanted revivalist
preachers, who were fiery, enthusiastic, spiritual, uplifting; they were less concerned about lengthy
theological education at a time when there were so many new congregations forming and so few ordained
clergy to serve them.
The above history was prepared by Janet A. Fearon for presentation at the 2005 Mershon Association annual
meeting in Lawrenceville, PA in 2005. See the Merhson website http://www.mershonassoc.com/ for the
presentation in its entirety.
What is a footstone? You will see some near Henry's burial site.
Henry Mershon II Headstone
Inscription reads “HERE LYETH THE BODY OF HENRY MERSHON
WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE THE 20th SEPT 1738
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Lawrenceville Cemetery (Upper) to the Houghton Mershon House
3801 Lawrenceville Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
Lawrenceville Cemetery
Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648
1. Head northeast on US-206 N/Lawrenceville Rd toward Princeton. At Carter Rd, note sign for
"Inn at Glencairn" at 3301 Lawrenceville Rd on your left. This is site of the Johannes Opdyke
house. *
Destination will be on the left
1.9 mi
3801 Lawrenceville Rd
Princeton, NJ 08540
*The Inn at Glencairn, 3301 Lawrenceville Rd, is the site of the Opdyke house. The stone portion of this house was built in
the early 1700s by Johannes Opdyke. His daughter, Annnetje, was married to Cornelius Andreson (Anderson) and their
daughter, Fransinah Anderson, married Andrew3 Mershon.
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Houghton3 Mershon House
3801 Lawrenceville Rd
Princeton, NJ 08540
Presently owned by Marie Louise9 “Weedie” (Reeder) Stokes
The Mershon-Stokes house today. The smaller two-story wing on the left was Houghton's house. The center 3story section was added in the mid-19th century. The 1-story section on the far right was built in 1933.
The house is on land originally owned by Henry Mershon II and believed to be the “homestead plantation” of
Henry II. Henry’s will, in 1738, left the 105 acres in West Jersey to his youngest son, Houghton. Houghton
also inherited an additional 6 acres from his father, who had purchased this parcel from the Stockton’s in East
Jersey (now Princeton Township). Houghton sold the 105 acres to James Furman around 1756 and spent the rest
of his life on the remaining 6 acres inherited from his father. Current owner Marie Louise “Weedie” Stokes is a
Mershon descendant through Andrew3 and Fransinah (Anderson) Mershon’s daughter, Hannah4 (Mershon)
Reeder (superscripts refer to Mershon generation numbers).
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Houghton-Mershon House to Peter Mershon House Site
at 130 Gedney Rd, Lawrenceville, NJ
3801 Lawrenceville Rd
Princeton, NJ 08540
1. Head south on US-206 S/Lawrenceville Rd past the Bristol Myers Squibb offices. At Carter Rd,
note sign for "Inn at Glencairn" on your right at 3301 Lawrenceville Rd. This is site of the
Johannes Opdyke house (see text on page 7). Pass under Interstate 95 and proceed on US-206
S/ Lawrenceville Rd
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2. Turn left at Gedney Rd and you will be on land once owned by Henry . The site of Peter's house
will be on the left
130 Gedney Rd
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
8
5.3 mi
0.1 mi
Peter3 Mershon House
130 Gedney Road
Peter3 Mershon’s House, circa 1890
Likely, the central portion of this structure was the original house. Peter3, third son of Henry II, received the
house and 160 acres from his father in 1837. Although he and his wife, Elizabeth, probably been living there
since at least 1731. At this time, the great majority of New Jersey houses were of this basic one-over-one
construction and often with a ladder to get to the upper room.
This house was razed in the late 1800s. The house on this site at 130 Gedney Road was white with red shutters
when viewed in 2010.
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Peter Mershon House Site to the Andrew Mershon Tavern
Scotch Rd
1. Head west on Interstate 95
2. Head north on Scotch Rd toward Capital Way
About 3 mins
3. Turn left onto County Rd 546/Washington Crossing Pennington Rd
About 4 mins
4. Turn right onto Bear Tavern Rd/Trenton Harbourton Rd
Destination will be on the right
About 2 mins
1258 Bear Tavern Rd, Titusville, NJ 08560
10
go 1.3 mi
total 1.3 mi
go 1.9 mi
total 3.2 mi
go 0.9 mi
total 4.1 mi
Andrew3 Mershon’s Home and Colonial Tavern
The Andrew Mershon Site today at 1258 Bear Tavern Road, Titusville, NJ 08560 is now a private residence.
ANDREW MERSHON and THE ANDREW MERSHON TAVERN*
Andrew3 Mershon was born at his father's home just west of Princeton along the present Lawrenceville Road or
"King's Highway". He was baptized on August 6, 1706 as "Andries, son of Hendrick Marschan and wife", (sic)
and recorded in the church book dating back to 1699 of the Dutch Reformed Church of Raritan (now
Somerville) New Jersey.
Andrew moved to Hopewell Township around 1731. Elected as "Overseer of Roads" in March 1747 and as
"Overseer of Poor," in 1757. Having originally leased the plantation and tavern home of Cornelius Anderson,
his father-in-law, he acquired ownership sometime in the 1760's. Located 9 miles from Trenton on River Road,
now known as Bear Tavern Rd/Trenton-Harbourton Rd Road. First application as innkeeper made in 1764; last
application for license made May 5, 1793. William Burrowes succeeded Andrew as innkeeper and owner.
Property passed to Atchley Family, then to Hixson Family. John Wargo bought property in 1929.
Andrew Mershon is the first proprietor of record at the tavern. Apparently, he was the keeper during the
Revolution until death sometime in 1792, when his will, on file with other old Hunterdon documents, is dated.
The oldest part of the house is the center stone section with the pent roof. The 2-story addition on the left was
completed in 1776.
* Contributed by William and Barbara Trott and edited by James C. Mershon. Much of the data came from “Anderson Genealogy” printed in the
New Jersey Genealogical Magazine (April 1946) and the booklets written by Grace L. Olmstead Mershon called “Our Pioneers East and West of the
Mississippi”, copyright 1955 by The Association of the Descendants of Henry Mershon, Inc. and available for purchase at the in MERSHON STORE
on www.mershon.com.
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SECOND LARGE TRACT OF LAND PURCHASED
BY HENRY MERSHON II
Walk on more land owned by Henry II
Peter Mershon's house to Colonial Lake Park and visit to land owned by Henry II and Henry III.
130 Gedney Rd, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
1. Head east on Gedney Rd toward Fieldboro Dr
go 0.3 mi
total 0.3 mi
2. Turn left onto County Rd 583/Princeton Pike
go 52 ft
total 0.3 mi
3. Take the 1st right onto Texas Ave
go 0.4 mi
total 0.7 mi
4. Take the 2nd right onto US-1 BUS S/Brunswick Ave
go 0.4 mi
total 1.2 mi
5. Turn left onto Lake Dr
go 0.1 mi
total 1.3 mi
6. Take the 2nd left to stay on Lake Dr
go 0.3 mi
total 1.5 mi
Lake Dr
All maps courtesy of Google Maps (maps.google.com)
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According to Lucile Olmstead Mershon*, Henry Mershon II's homestead farm was between Maidenhead and
Princeton (the site of Weedie Stokes's house today). Henry had the foresight in 1708 to buy a desirable 323-acre
tract of land for his two older sons, Henry III and Peter3. In 1735 and 1737, Henry III received the easterly half
and Peter received the westerly half.
After leaving the site of Peter's house, you crossed Princeton Pike and Brunswick Ave; you were still on
Henry's farmland. Colonial Lake on your left did not exist prior to 1922. When James Stevens died in 1921,
the Stevens farm was sold, the Colonial Lakes neighborhood was created, and Shabakunk Creek was
damned. After you park, follow a path to Shabakunk Creek. When you exit the rustic footbridge that crosses the
creek and turn left, you are on Henry's second tract of land, (see ca. 1776 land ownership map below). Beyond,
are the Trenton Freeway and the Rahway-Delaware Canal.
Family legend states that during the Hessians retreat after their defeat at the Battle of Trenton, they rested on
this land and helped themselves to milk, and possibly other vittles, from farmhouses in the area. At any rate,
you will enjoy the setting of the Colonial lake, the rustic bridge crossing Assunpink Creek, and walking on land
once belonging to Henry II and Henry III.
This map of Lawrenceville Township circa 1776
by Winona Nash is for reference.
*Read Lucile Mershon's account, written ca. 1939, of her discovery of the in Chapts. 13-15 in "MY FOLKS". In
the near future, her typed notes of her discoveries will be on our website.
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