ZOOMING INTO HISTORY: This 19th century house at 2 Boudinot Street, likely the work of prolific builder/architect Charles Steadman, is among four on the Historical Society of Princeton’s 2021 House Tour.

By Anne Levin

The Historical Society of Princeton’s (HSP) spring house tour is a much-anticipated event that invites the curious to step inside some of the town’s most historic, architecturally distinctive homes.

With the pandemic still a presence, the decision was made to keep this season’s tour virtual. But there is a silver lining of sorts. The digital format allows for some closer looks, and special details that a traditional event would not. It also makes the houses available for a whole month, from May 15-June 15.

“Obviously, for everyone’s safety, this is a necessary shift,” said HSP Director Izzy Kasdin. “But I also think it’s a really exciting evolution of what is a beloved event. We don’t really see it as a substitute for what would have been in person. We see it as a totally different experience. We’re not just walking through a house on Zoom. This is an in-depth, detailed look at four very special houses.”

That means special content, including interviews with architects and designers, will be woven into the tours of 2 Boudinot Street and 20 Boudinot Street in the Western Section of town; 8 Evelyn Place, which was home to the late Mayor Barbara Sigmund; and 600 Pretty Brook Road, known as “The Bouwerie.”

Architect Max Hayden did restorations and renovations at three of the properties — the houses on Boudinot Street and the home on Evelyn Place.

Of 2 Boudinot Street, he said, “I view myself as a kind of plastic surgeon to turn the clock back and make things right. This one was stuck in 1976.” Prolific Princeton builder-architect Charles Steadman likely built the Federal/Italianate-style house in the 1850s. It was originally located at the corner of Nassau Street and University Place, and moved twice before landing at its current location, according to the HSP.

“Once home to Princeton University Professor Christian Gauss, beloved mentor to F. Scott Fitzgerald, the house has been completely renovated and restored by the current owners, creating a new sunlit kitchen and master suite, while also meticulously restoring period details, like intricate metal knobs and hinges, stunning pocket doors, marble fireplaces, and gas lighting petcocks,” a press release reads.

The house at 20 Boudinot Street was originally built in 1924 for the family of Princeton Borough Mayor Charles Erdman. The current owners are only the third family to own the home.

“This is a great stone house that is very charming,” said Hayden. “But its problem was that it had a big nose — a garage door smack dab in the middle. As beautifully detailed as it was, it was still a garage door. And it made the front into a driveway. So we got our scalpel and took it off, and made it into the dining room. We also turned what were nine bedrooms into five or six.”

The semi-detached home at 8 Evelyn Place, once home to Evelyn College for Women and later to the Sigmund family, underwent a major restoration and modernization. The interior was renovated to allow for an open kitchen. A spacious master suite was created, and a third floor recreation space was put in. Hayden made sure to preserve the home’s historic details, which included double doors, a Japanese tile fireplace, and clawfoot tubs.

Princeton’s early colonial history is represented by the house on Pretty Brook Road. Originally the homestead for a Dutch farming family, it still has the large hearth fireplace, beehive oven, hand-hewn beams, half-timberwork, and a “Jersey winder” staircase from the 1770s. The spacious, new kitchen continues the historic farmhouse aesthetic.

A new house will be released each week during the month when the tour is live, starting on May 15. Once released, houses will remain available through June 15. Tickets are currently available and range from $20 to $100. To purchase, visit princetonhistory.org or call (609) 921-6748 ext. 100.

“We are looking at this as a really exciting, 2.0 version of the usual house tour,” said Kasdin. “Princeton has a unique architectural heritage that is so special.”