As U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson prepared to consider The Princeton Battlefield Society’s (PBS) motion for an injunction to halt construction activity on the site of proposed Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) housing, two British military heritage organizations entered the longstanding controversy.

The U.K. Battlefields Trust and the Royal Tigers’ Association (the veterans organization of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment) joined forces with the Save Princeton Coalition, an alliance of conservation and historic preservation organizations which includes PBS, in urging the Institute to reconsider its housing project plans and to explore other possible locations.

The federal court hearing, which will include arguments from both the Battlefield Society and the Institute for Advanced Study as to whether construction should be temporarily halted, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22 in Trenton.

Howard Simmons, chair of the Battlefields Trust, cited in his letter to the Institute the historical importance of the Princeton Battlefield site and warned that “developing this area will destroy the archeological potential of the site, damage the setting of the battlefield and make it much harder for future generations to interpret the momentous events that took place there.”

The IAS is moving forward with construction of 15 housing units on their seven acres. Though not available for comment at press time, the Institute recently reiterated its commitment to proceeding with the project, stating that it has acquired “all the necessary regulatory approvals and has been thorough in addressing and accommodating concerns of the public and preservation issues.”