By Donald Gilpin

Former Borough Mayor Yina Moore and president of Save the Dinky Anita Garoniak are seeking to promote public awareness of the history of the old Dinky Station through more prominent and accessible displays, but they have so far made little headway in their appeals to the Princeton Council and New Jersey Transit.

Claiming that New Jersey Transit has not complied with “the interpretative display condition” related to the moving of the Princeton Railroad Station, Moore and Garoniak’s November 12 letter to the mayor and Council contends that “Council should act to see that the story of a beloved station and the history of the Princeton Branch are told in displays that are meaningful and accessible to the public.”

The displays in question currently include four large photos and four explanatory panels on the wall of the Dinky Bar & Kitchen, which opened for business in the old station during the summer of 2016. An additional display consisting of six pavers, reminiscent of railroad ties, inscribed with information reflecting the history of the Princeton rail line, has been installed in the ground between the Dinky Bar and the recently-opened Cargot Brasserie.

Moore and Garoniak say these displays are not suitable, “accessible and meaningful.”

The Princeton Railroad Station was placed on the State and Federal Registers of Historic Places in 1982, and when the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection approved NJ Transit’s request to abandon public rights in the station, the agency imposed a set of conditions recommended by the New Jersey Historic Sites Council.

One condition stated: “NJ Transit shall promote public awareness of the history of the Princeton Railroad Station through the installation and permanent maintenance of interpretative displays at the Princeton Railroad Station and/or the new Dinky Station. These displays shall use text and historic photographs to present the history of the station and the Princeton Branch, in particular its relationship to both the town and the University.”

The current display “doesn’t do justice to the history,” Garoniak stated. “It’s not appropriate for the display to be in a barroom. The Council should weigh in. We’re happy to work with them to provide a more comprehensive history in a place that’s accessible.”

In their letter Garoniak and Moore called on Council, on behalf of the community, to “demand that NJ Transit install publicly accessible exhibits, either in the new Dinky Station complex, in the outdoor spaces of the former station complex, or in a combination of both locations.” They argued that the bar setting is inappropriate for children to view the exhibits.

They also criticized the lack of: identifying captions, an overview of the station complex as it last appeared in operation, a diagram or map of the station area, “photographs showing the iconic view of the canopy framing the Princeton Station sign,” and mention of the station’s listing on the State and Federal Registers of Historic Places.

Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert stated that she contacted NJ Transit after first receiving the complaint from Moore and Garoniak. A NJ Transit official reported to her that Princeton University consulted with the State Historic Preservation Office to design interpretive panels which include both text and photos, in accordance with the DEP conditions.

“Those panels have been permanently installed in the north Station Building, now known as the Dinky Bar & Kitchen,” she said. “The Transit Committee reviewed [the situation] and did not recommend Council action.”