To the Editor:

The December 2, 2015 meeting of the Princeton Historic Preservation Commission provided all in attendance with a comprehensive history of the formation of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. We learned about the complex factors that contributed to the settlement of this neighborhood. We saw with pictures and heard by first person testimony the experiences of those that have lived in this neighborhood. We also learned about families, individuals and organizations that were able to overcome adversities imposed by the “law of the land”.

I listened with a sense of pride about the role of the Princeton Nursery School (PNS) in shaping the lives of many in the audience who were representative of the more than 5,000 students that have attended PNS since 1929. The Wise Preservation Planning LLC described the work done by a large sector of the people living in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood in the 19th and 20th centuries as “menial.” It was for the children of these hard working parents that the PNS’s Board of Trustees provided “care for and help to develop the whole child, to enrich his or her physical well-being, mental development, and cultural opportunities in a child’s formative years.” Scores of PNS graduates have gone on to serve the community as teachers, attorneys, doctors, clergymen, scholars, community activist, and in countless other professions.

Another noteworthy historical fact is that from its inception, Princeton Nursery School was integrated. While the elementary schools in Princeton were not integrated until 1948, Princeton Nursery School opened its doors in 1929 serving the African American and Italian American families that lived in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. The late John Mathews spoke of the difficulty his cousin Margaret experienced in obtaining funding for the school because of its integrated student body. Margaret’s parents, Rev. and Mrs. Paul Matthews, and many of their friends provided financial support to the school.

Another historical milestone that intersected at PNS was in the hiring of Mrs. Simeon Moss, the teacher–nurse of the infant group in 1930. Mrs. Moss was a Princeton resident and had the distinction of being the first black woman to graduate from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore. And her son Simeon was the first black student to graduate from Princeton University.

The Princeton Nursery School’s mission remains constant; to provide high quality preschool and childcare for the children of working parents that is affordable for all. We celebrate the rich racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of the families from Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood and the greater Princeton community. Our student body and staff reflect this diversity. We thank past donors and volunteers for your support of our work. Your continued support will make Princeton Nursery School’s place in Princeton’s history and in serving children and families secure.

Wendy Cotton 

Executive Director, Princeton Nursery School