Tales of Blawenburg tells the oft forgotten stories of the tiny, historic village of Blawenburg.
Print Post 2026 Montgomery/Rocky Hill Rotary’s Flags for Heroes display at Montgomery High School If you passed by Montgomery High School between Memorial Day and Independence Day, you would have seen the 60+ American flags on display on Route 601. Called Flags for Heroes, this exhibit was organized by the Montgomery/Rocky Hill Rotary, and it has been presented yearly since 2018. Citizens…
Print Post The story of the unofficial mayor of Blawenburg was chronicled in a Van Harlingen Historical Society Oral History based on a 1997 interview with Lawrence Koplik. As I read the interview, I was reminded of how different it was to live in the first half of the 20th century. As you read about the mayor in this blog, I think it will be obvious how life has changed since that time. For many…
Print Post “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 It is interesting to see how a parcel of land can be used in various ways over time. Pine Brae Farm is a good example of varied use. Before it became a club, the property had been a privately owned farm for many years. Next, a realtor/entrepreneur bought the farm to make it a country…
Print Post In Blog 23 (A Church Comes to Blawenburg - September, 2019), there was brief mention of the 1860 donation to purchase a bell for the Reformed Dutch Church of Blawenburg by wealthy financier Paul Tulane. In this blog, we look at the life of Paul Tulane and his relationship to Blawenburg, the Princeton area, and beyond. Who was Paul Tulane? May 10, 1801—March 27, 1887 Paul Tulane began…
Post Blog I accumulate many bits of information from readers, newspaper searches, and the internet. Some of them evolve into blogs, but many just stand as isolated, unpublished facts. In this blog, I publish some of these facts and stories about random topics. Don’t look for a consistent theme. After all, this is Blawenburg Potpourri, a mixture of things. Former Gas Station In blog 118, we told…
Print Post Blog 118 ~ From Car Repairs to Pizzeria The store that currently operates as New World Pizza on Route 601 (Blawenburg-Belle Mead Road) just north of Georgetown Franklin Turnpike (Route 518) has had a diverse past. In this blog, we show the various owners of the businesses that have been there for over 80 years. From Garage to Firehouse Most stores start out intending to be venues where…
By David Cochran Print Post Blog 116 was about the various organs of Blawenburg Church. Since that publication, we have uncovered more information that relates to the 1873 organ and life in Blawenburg around that time. We share that information in this blog. You may wish to re-read Blog 116 before reading this blog. Before the purchase of the 1873 organ, the church had a small pump organ. We…
Print Post 116 Blawenburg Church Organs, The Rest of the Story By David Cochran Church organs often are taken for granted. They are an important part of worship services, but there is much more to the story of the Blawenburg Church organs. The church has had four different organs over the years, going from an organist-pedaled pump organ to a powerful modern pipe organ. In this blog, we show the…
By David Cochran Print Post In 2021, I published four blogs (#62-65) about the State Village for Epileptics and the other State institutions that followed it: 1898-1952: New Jersey State Village for Epileptics, aka the Village. 1953 – 1983: New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute, aka the Institute/NJNPI 1983 – 1998: North Princeton Developmental Center, aka NPDC This blog is a prequel to the…
Print Post Over the past eight years, I have shared information about the houses, people, and historical features in and around the...
Print Post Tales of Blawenburg is usually about historical tales related to the village. Sometimes, I enjoy writing a lighthearted tale...
Print Post In previous blogs, we have discussed the main road through Blawenburg, Georgetown – Franklin Turnpike. It was a very old...
Print Post It is interesting to find out when, where, how and why the old houses and businesses of Blawenburg emerged. In this blog, we...
Print Post Some of the buildings of Washington Well Farm have stood along Route 518 for 275 years, longer than the United States has been...
Print Post The store on the northeast corner of Blawenburg crossroads has undergone many transitions over the years. In this blog, we...
Print Post “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Robert Burns, To a Mouse, 1785 Maplewood had a long and diverse history...
Print Post Ladies and gentlemen: The story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Jack...
Print Post Sometimes new information comes from the strangest places. I was cleaning my very old basement in East Blawenburg recently...
This blog is based on an interview I had with J. Percy Van Zandt over 40 years ago. I talked with him about his days as an auto polo...
Print Post Whoever said truth is stranger than fiction was on to something. In this blog, I tell the true story of a local family man...