Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Lawrenceville is a census-designated place
and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township
in Mercer County
, New Jersey
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 3,887. Lawrenceville is located roughly halfway between Princeton
and Trenton
.
Lawrenceville is also known as the "village of Lawrenceville." Its core is the Main Street Historic District, which was listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 1972, one of the first registered historic districts in New Jersey http://www.lawrencetwp.com/history-ms-1.html.
The CDP has a total area of 2.7 km² (1.0 mi²), all land, according to the United States Census Bureau
.
U.S. Route 206
changes its name from "Lawrenceville-Princeton Road" to "Main Street", and then to "Lawrenceville-Trenton Road" in the center of Lawrenceville. The local historic district fronts along Main Street and U.S. Route 206
stretch for more than two miles between Franklin Corner Road and an area slightly north of Fackler Road. Homes situated more than 250 feet from the road are excluded, however. One exception is the section of The Lawrenceville School known as the Circle and several other buildings in its vicinity, the oldest buildings on the campus. This area itself has been designated a National Historic Landmark http://www.lawrencetwp.com/history-ms-1.html.
Lawrenceville generally comprises the area contained within Lawrenceville-Pennington Road to the south, Fackler Road to the north, Keefe Road to the west, and U.S. Route 206
, part of which turns into Main Street in Lawrenceville, to the east. The Lawrenceville School, across Route 206, is usually considered part of the village as well. Before tract development, beginning in the early 1970s, Lawrenceville was broadly defined as stretching two to three blocks back from Route 206. The boundary became less clear as residential developments replaced farmland behind the historic village.
Lawrence Township is occasionally and mistakenly referred to as Lawrenceville. The confusion is partly caused because the local post office is located in the Lawrenceville CDP
and the Postal Service once instructed Lawrence Township
residents to use Lawrenceville, Princeton or Trenton as their mailing address.
The U.S. Postal Service agreed to designate the ZIP code of 08648 as Lawrence Township in fall of 2007. A township resident appeared before Township Council in July, 2007, to request to designate the 08648 ZIP code for Lawrence Township. Council approved a resolution in support of the request that was then forwarded to the U.S. Postal Service
. Township officials had fought, off and on, for the change since 1969, when then-U.S. Rep. Frank Thompson tried unsuccessfully to convince U.S. Postal Service authorities to grant a Lawrence name tag for the entire township, according to a letter on file at the Municipal Clerk’s Office. In 1973, voters approved a nonbinding referendum to petition the U.S. Postal Service to adopt a single municipal post office address known as Lawrenceville for the entire township. The effort failed [].
Lawrenceville is equidistant between Trenton and Princeton, almost being equidistant from New York and Philadelphia, with it being roughly fifteen miles closer to Philadelphia. Major transportation corridors have passed through Lawrenceville since the town's inception, including The King's Highway, which in the 18th century approximated today's U.S. Route 206
http://www.lawrencetwp.com/history.html.
of 2000, there were 4,081 people, 1,747 households, and 1,070 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,515.1/km² (3,926.5/mi²). There were 1,776 housing units at an average density of 659.3/km² (1,708.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.12% White, 3.58% African American, 0.07% Native American, 6.30% Asian, 0.54% from other races
, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.46% of the population.
Of the 1,747 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 48.7% were married couples
living together; 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present; and 38.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18; 5.8% from 18 to 24; 32.2% from 25 to 44; 27.7% from 45 to 64; and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $74,107. The median income for a family was $98,972. Males had a median income of $65,189 versus $37,972 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $37,919. About 0.6% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
in the colony of West Jersey
. In 1714, the village became a part of Hunterdon County
. In 1798, the New Jersey Legislature
legally incorporated the Township of Maidenhead.
The name "Maidenhead" was adopted from an English town on the Thames River, about 20 miles from London. The Colonial Supreme Court at Burlington officially confirmed the name on February 20, 1697. "Maidenhead" derives from the Anglo Saxon word "Maidenhythe," meaning port, though it acquired a secondary meaning as a term for virginity. []
The Rev. Issac V. Brown, the first full-time pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville and the founder of the Academy of Maidenhead (now the Lawrenceville School
), led a movement to petition the Legislature to change the town's name. The petition said "... it must be the wish of every good citizen... to be relieved of the necessity of using a term which may offend the delicacy of modesty, or disturb the feelings of seriousness, or excite the sneers of the willing" [] .
The Legislature officially changed the name from Maidenhead to Lawrence on January 24, 1816, at a meeting in John Moore's Tavern. The township took its name from Captain James Lawrence
, a naval hero of the War of 1812
. The village was renamed Lawrenceville at the same time. In 1838, Mercer County
was formed from parts of three counties, and Lawrence Township was included in the new County. The Township's boundaries and geographic relationships have remained the same since that time.
During the American Revolutionary War
, George Washington
's troops marched through Maidenhead after the Battle of Trenton
(25–26 December 1776) and the Second Battle of Trenton
(2 January 1777), chasing British troops. They met at the Battle of Princeton
on 3 January 1777, just over the township line, where the Princeton Battlefield State Park now stands.
Cornwallis stayed overnight in Maidenhead on Dec. 8, 1776, en-route to Trenton. Cornwallis recorded the moment in his diary, a portion of which was found years later in John Moore's Tavern, which is now a residential house at 2695 Main Street. His opinion of the village was that "one night in Maidenhead was more than enough" [].
When the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville was built in 1698, it was called the Meetinghouse of Maidenhead. It is still serving the community at 2688 Main Street.
' four elementary schools, is located in Lawrenceville. (The other schools are Eldridge Park Elementary, Ben Franklin Elementary, and Slackwood Elementary.) The LES school mascot is named LESter the Dragon and their school colors are green and white.
Lawrenceville is home to the Lawrenceville School
, a private boarding and day high school founded in 1810. It is one of the oldest prep schools in the United States.
Other schools in the township are Notre Dame High School, St. Ann School, Princeton Junior School, Chapin School
, Lawrence Intermediate School (LIS), Lawrence Middle School (LMS), and Lawrence High School (LHS).
In May 2002, the residents including Asian/Chinese as well as non-Asian/Chinese population established a Chinese language school where students of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds could learn the Chinese language on Sunday afternoons. From September 2002 to June 2005, Lawrence Middle School was the host to YingHua Language School, which teaches Simplified Chinese to over 200 students. Since September 2005, YingHua has been residing in Rider University.
Strayer University
has a campus in Lawrenceville.
Rider University
is located in Lawrence Township, just south of Lawrenceville.
was the dominant economic force in the village. Since World War II, Lawrenceville has become a commuter town, serving educational and corporate employment centers in Lawrence Township, in Princeton and Trenton, in the surrounding cluster of corporate and research campuses, and to a lesser extent in New York City. There are no large businesses in Lawrenceville itself, but Lawrence Township is home to several large corporate facilities outside of the village, including the world headquarters of Educational Testing Service
, offices for the Lenox division of Department 56
, the main research facility for Bristol Myers Squibb, and the offices of the Peterson's
division of Nelnet
.
The village businesses share an organization, Lawrenceville Main Street, which organizes events, such as the Music in the Park series, the annual Jubilee, and Taste of Lawrenceville, and promotes the business district to visitors. Lawrenceville includes some boutiques and restaurants, including Acacia, Vidalia, and Chambers Walk Cafe and Catering, where Dick Gratton performs solo jazz guitar every Friday night. Other businesses include TJ's Pizzeria and Pasta, the Village Barber, and the Village Bakery.
The Lawrenceville Farmers Market is held every Sunday, from about June to November, at 16 Gordon Avenue. The market has included such vendors as Gravity Hill Farm, Terhune Orchards, Cherry Grove Farm, Cherry Grove Organic Farm, Valley Shepard Creamery, Griggstown Quail Farm, and Davidson Exotic Mushrooms. New stands include Katherine's Vegan Sweets, and Jersey Fresh, which sells organic, Jersy-Grown tomato ketchup.
The Lawrenceville Fire Co., Lawrenceville Water Co. (now part of Aqua America
), Lawrenceville Fuel, and a U.S. Post Office are also located in Lawrenceville.
Lawrenceville was formerly home to a family grocery, hardware store, pharmacy, and, most famously, the Jigger Shop, which served generations of Lawrenceville School students as a school store and soda fountain. A jigger is a unit of measure used in old-fashioned fountain sodas http://www.lawrenceville.org/on_campus/jiggershop.asp. A fire destroyed the shop on August 10, 1990. Caused by faulty electrical cords that ran to a store refrigerator, the fire burned through the store's ceiling into the second-floor apartment, which was unoccupied http://www.lawrenceroadfire.org/html_history/1988_1990.html. A new Jigger Shop then opened at The Lawrenceville School and is located on the first floor of the Noyes History Building. The Jigger Shop now provides students on the campus with simple items such as frozen dinners, snacks, and shampoo. Four Star Video opened in the space formerly occupied by the Jigger Shop. Having since closed, Four Star Video was replaced by law offices.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township
Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Area residents often refer to all of Lawrence Township as Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township...
in Mercer County
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 3,887. Lawrenceville is located roughly halfway between Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
and Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
.
Lawrenceville is also known as the "village of Lawrenceville." Its core is the Main Street Historic District, which was listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 1972, one of the first registered historic districts in New Jersey http://www.lawrencetwp.com/history-ms-1.html.
Geography
Lawrenceville is located at 40.302993°N 74.736976°W.The CDP has a total area of 2.7 km² (1.0 mi²), all land, according to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
.
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
changes its name from "Lawrenceville-Princeton Road" to "Main Street", and then to "Lawrenceville-Trenton Road" in the center of Lawrenceville. The local historic district fronts along Main Street and U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
stretch for more than two miles between Franklin Corner Road and an area slightly north of Fackler Road. Homes situated more than 250 feet from the road are excluded, however. One exception is the section of The Lawrenceville School known as the Circle and several other buildings in its vicinity, the oldest buildings on the campus. This area itself has been designated a National Historic Landmark http://www.lawrencetwp.com/history-ms-1.html.
Lawrenceville generally comprises the area contained within Lawrenceville-Pennington Road to the south, Fackler Road to the north, Keefe Road to the west, and U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
, part of which turns into Main Street in Lawrenceville, to the east. The Lawrenceville School, across Route 206, is usually considered part of the village as well. Before tract development, beginning in the early 1970s, Lawrenceville was broadly defined as stretching two to three blocks back from Route 206. The boundary became less clear as residential developments replaced farmland behind the historic village.
Lawrence Township is occasionally and mistakenly referred to as Lawrenceville. The confusion is partly caused because the local post office is located in the Lawrenceville CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and the Postal Service once instructed Lawrence Township
Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Area residents often refer to all of Lawrence Township as Lawrenceville. Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township...
residents to use Lawrenceville, Princeton or Trenton as their mailing address.
The U.S. Postal Service agreed to designate the ZIP code of 08648 as Lawrence Township in fall of 2007. A township resident appeared before Township Council in July, 2007, to request to designate the 08648 ZIP code for Lawrence Township. Council approved a resolution in support of the request that was then forwarded to the U.S. Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
. Township officials had fought, off and on, for the change since 1969, when then-U.S. Rep. Frank Thompson tried unsuccessfully to convince U.S. Postal Service authorities to grant a Lawrence name tag for the entire township, according to a letter on file at the Municipal Clerk’s Office. In 1973, voters approved a nonbinding referendum to petition the U.S. Postal Service to adopt a single municipal post office address known as Lawrenceville for the entire township. The effort failed [].
Lawrenceville is equidistant between Trenton and Princeton, almost being equidistant from New York and Philadelphia, with it being roughly fifteen miles closer to Philadelphia. Major transportation corridors have passed through Lawrenceville since the town's inception, including The King's Highway, which in the 18th century approximated today's U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
http://www.lawrencetwp.com/history.html.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,081 people, 1,747 households, and 1,070 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,515.1/km² (3,926.5/mi²). There were 1,776 housing units at an average density of 659.3/km² (1,708.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.12% White, 3.58% African American, 0.07% Native American, 6.30% Asian, 0.54% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.46% of the population.
Of the 1,747 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 48.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together; 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present; and 38.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18; 5.8% from 18 to 24; 32.2% from 25 to 44; 27.7% from 45 to 64; and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $74,107. The median income for a family was $98,972. Males had a median income of $65,189 versus $37,972 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $37,919. About 0.6% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
History
Lawrenceville was founded as Maidenhead in 1697, as part of the county of BurlingtonBurlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
in the colony of West Jersey
West Jersey
West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702...
. In 1714, the village became a part of Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington....
. In 1798, the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
legally incorporated the Township of Maidenhead.
The name "Maidenhead" was adopted from an English town on the Thames River, about 20 miles from London. The Colonial Supreme Court at Burlington officially confirmed the name on February 20, 1697. "Maidenhead" derives from the Anglo Saxon word "Maidenhythe," meaning port, though it acquired a secondary meaning as a term for virginity. []
The Rev. Issac V. Brown, the first full-time pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville and the founder of the Academy of Maidenhead (now the Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S., five miles southwest of Princeton....
), led a movement to petition the Legislature to change the town's name. The petition said "... it must be the wish of every good citizen... to be relieved of the necessity of using a term which may offend the delicacy of modesty, or disturb the feelings of seriousness, or excite the sneers of the willing" [] .
The Legislature officially changed the name from Maidenhead to Lawrence on January 24, 1816, at a meeting in John Moore's Tavern. The township took its name from Captain James Lawrence
James Lawrence
James Lawrence was an American naval officer. During the War of 1812, he commanded the USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon...
, a naval hero of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The village was renamed Lawrenceville at the same time. In 1838, Mercer County
Mercer County, New Jersey
As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...
was formed from parts of three counties, and Lawrence Township was included in the new County. The Township's boundaries and geographic relationships have remained the same since that time.
During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's troops marched through Maidenhead after the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
(25–26 December 1776) and the Second Battle of Trenton
Second Battle of Trenton
The Battle of the Assunpink Creek, also known as the Second Battle of Trenton, was a battle between American and British troops that took place in and around Trenton, New Jersey, on January 2, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, and resulted in an American victory.Following a surprise...
(2 January 1777), chasing British troops. They met at the Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
on 3 January 1777, just over the township line, where the Princeton Battlefield State Park now stands.
Cornwallis stayed overnight in Maidenhead on Dec. 8, 1776, en-route to Trenton. Cornwallis recorded the moment in his diary, a portion of which was found years later in John Moore's Tavern, which is now a residential house at 2695 Main Street. His opinion of the village was that "one night in Maidenhead was more than enough" [].
When the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville was built in 1698, it was called the Meetinghouse of Maidenhead. It is still serving the community at 2688 Main Street.
Government
Lawrenceville is part of Lawrence Township, and has no separate political or administrative definition.Education
The Lawrenceville Elementary School, one of Lawrence Township Public SchoolsLawrence Township Public Schools
The Lawrence Township Public Schools are comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States....
' four elementary schools, is located in Lawrenceville. (The other schools are Eldridge Park Elementary, Ben Franklin Elementary, and Slackwood Elementary.) The LES school mascot is named LESter the Dragon and their school colors are green and white.
Lawrenceville is home to the Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S., five miles southwest of Princeton....
, a private boarding and day high school founded in 1810. It is one of the oldest prep schools in the United States.
Other schools in the township are Notre Dame High School, St. Ann School, Princeton Junior School, Chapin School
Chapin School (New Jersey)
The Chapin School is a private coeducational day school located in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, United States, serving students in prekindergarten through eighth grade situated on a campus, two miles outside of Princeton...
, Lawrence Intermediate School (LIS), Lawrence Middle School (LMS), and Lawrence High School (LHS).
In May 2002, the residents including Asian/Chinese as well as non-Asian/Chinese population established a Chinese language school where students of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds could learn the Chinese language on Sunday afternoons. From September 2002 to June 2005, Lawrence Middle School was the host to YingHua Language School, which teaches Simplified Chinese to over 200 students. Since September 2005, YingHua has been residing in Rider University.
Strayer University
Strayer University
Strayer University, formerly Strayer College of Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, for-profit educational institution. The Strayer University campuses are owned by Strayer Education, Inc. , headquartered in Herndon, Virginia....
has a campus in Lawrenceville.
Rider University
Rider University
Rider University is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian university located chiefly in Lawrenceville, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...
is located in Lawrence Township, just south of Lawrenceville.
Commerce
Historically, the Lawrenceville SchoolLawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S., five miles southwest of Princeton....
was the dominant economic force in the village. Since World War II, Lawrenceville has become a commuter town, serving educational and corporate employment centers in Lawrence Township, in Princeton and Trenton, in the surrounding cluster of corporate and research campuses, and to a lesser extent in New York City. There are no large businesses in Lawrenceville itself, but Lawrence Township is home to several large corporate facilities outside of the village, including the world headquarters of Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service , founded in 1947, is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization...
, offices for the Lenox division of Department 56
Department 56
Department 56 is a manufacturer of holiday collectibles, ornaments and giftware, known for their lit Christmas village collections and their Snowbabies collection. It is owned by Enesco.-History:...
, the main research facility for Bristol Myers Squibb, and the offices of the Peterson's
Peterson's
Peterson’s, founded in 1966, is an American company offering a wide range of live, print, and online products and services including test preparation, school searches, financial aid searches, career exploration tools, and professional writing services...
division of Nelnet
Nelnet
Nelnet is a Lincoln, Nebraska-based lending conglomerate that deals in the administration and repayment of student loans.-History:Nelnet was founded as the UNIPAC Loan Service Corporation in 1978 and renamed Nelnet in 1996. Its current Chairman & Chief Executive Officer is Michael S. Dunlap...
.
The village businesses share an organization, Lawrenceville Main Street, which organizes events, such as the Music in the Park series, the annual Jubilee, and Taste of Lawrenceville, and promotes the business district to visitors. Lawrenceville includes some boutiques and restaurants, including Acacia, Vidalia, and Chambers Walk Cafe and Catering, where Dick Gratton performs solo jazz guitar every Friday night. Other businesses include TJ's Pizzeria and Pasta, the Village Barber, and the Village Bakery.
The Lawrenceville Farmers Market is held every Sunday, from about June to November, at 16 Gordon Avenue. The market has included such vendors as Gravity Hill Farm, Terhune Orchards, Cherry Grove Farm, Cherry Grove Organic Farm, Valley Shepard Creamery, Griggstown Quail Farm, and Davidson Exotic Mushrooms. New stands include Katherine's Vegan Sweets, and Jersey Fresh, which sells organic, Jersy-Grown tomato ketchup.
The Lawrenceville Fire Co., Lawrenceville Water Co. (now part of Aqua America
Aqua America
Aqua Americas utility services reach 2.8 million residential customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Maine, Missouri, New York and South Carolina.-Acquisitions:...
), Lawrenceville Fuel, and a U.S. Post Office are also located in Lawrenceville.
Lawrenceville was formerly home to a family grocery, hardware store, pharmacy, and, most famously, the Jigger Shop, which served generations of Lawrenceville School students as a school store and soda fountain. A jigger is a unit of measure used in old-fashioned fountain sodas http://www.lawrenceville.org/on_campus/jiggershop.asp. A fire destroyed the shop on August 10, 1990. Caused by faulty electrical cords that ran to a store refrigerator, the fire burned through the store's ceiling into the second-floor apartment, which was unoccupied http://www.lawrenceroadfire.org/html_history/1988_1990.html. A new Jigger Shop then opened at The Lawrenceville School and is located on the first floor of the Noyes History Building. The Jigger Shop now provides students on the campus with simple items such as frozen dinners, snacks, and shampoo. Four Star Video opened in the space formerly occupied by the Jigger Shop. Having since closed, Four Star Video was replaced by law offices.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Lawrenceville include:- Dierks BentleyDierks BentleyDierks Bentley is an American country music artist who has been signed to Capitol Records Nashville since 2003. That year, he released his self-titled debut album. Both it and its follow-up, 2005's Modern Day Drifter, are certified platinum in the United States. A third album, 2006's Long Trip...
(1975-), country music musician. - David BrearleyDavid BrearleyDavid Brearley was a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention and signed the U.S...
(1745–1790), signer of the United States ConstitutionUnited States ConstitutionThe Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme CourtNew Jersey Supreme CourtThe New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
from 1779-1789. - George H. Brown (1810–1865), represented in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1853 to 1855. - Scott Brunner (1957-), former NFL quarterback.
- Richard J. CoffeeRichard J. CoffeeRichard J. Coffee is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who served in the New Jersey Senate and as chairman of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.-Biography:...
(1924-), founder of Mercer County Park and a former state senator - John NalboneJohn NalboneJohnathan Gregory "John" Nalbone is an American football tight end who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Norman Schwarzkopf (1934-), US Army general (ret.), commander of coalition forces during the Gulf WarGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
- Jon SolomonJon SolomonJon Solomon is a DJ at WPRB in Princeton, New Jersey. He has been on the air since 1988 and is perhaps best known for his annual 24-hour Christmas radio show, which is in its 23rd year....
, DJ on WPRBWPRBWPRB is a commercial broadcasting, non-profit 14,000 watt college radio station, once part of Princeton University, broadcasting from Princeton, New Jersey. The majority of on-air and management staff consists of Princeton University students, in addition to a board of trustees comprising... - Jon StewartJon StewartJon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
(1962-), comedian and host of The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
on Comedy CentralComedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. - Tiquan UnderwoodTiquan UnderwoodTiquan Underwood is an American football wide receiver who A member of the New England Patriots. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and he has also played for the New England Patriots...
, NFL wide receiverWide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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