About Lawrence Township
About Lawrence Township
The Township of Lawrence was formed in 1697. It was originally called Maidenhead. The eastern boundary of Maidenhead, the Province Line, was the dividing line between the two original colonies of East and West Jersey. The name was changed to Lawrence on January 24, 1816 in honor of Captain James Lawrence, a naval hero of the War of 1812.
The Academy of Maidenhead, later known as The Lawrenceville School, was founded in 1810 and is still in operation today. The section of campus known as the Olmstead Circle, which includes nine late nineteenth century buildings, as well as several nearby buildings have been designated a National Historic Landmark.
The Lawrenceville Female Seminary was founded in 1834 and occupied what is now known as the Old Davis House. It closed in 1883.
Many of the homes of early settlers of Maidenhead can still be found in the village of Lawrenceville as well as the surrounding Lawrence Township.
The old Maidenhead Church still stands on Main Street, and is known today as the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville. It was originally built in 1764 and was enlarged in 1833 and 1853.
The old cemetery of the Presbyterian Church still exists as well as the Upper Cemetery and the Princessville Cemetery. Veterans from several wars are buried in the Upper and Princessville cemeteries.
The Main Street Historic District of the village of Lawrenceville was listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 1972. This was one of the first registered historic districts in the state of New Jersey.
A Guide to Lawrenceville's Historic Landmarks (3rd Printing -- $7.00) is available in the Township Clerk's office.
Visit the township website.
Additional Resources
The State of New Jersey celebrated 350 years in 2014. As part of the celebration, The Lawrence Historical Society published a set of seven articles about Lawrence history. In addition to appearing in this space, printed copies were made available at society events and public buildings in the township. The 2014 articles are the first seven in the list below. The articles toward the bottom of the list are reprints of a set done by the township's Historical and Aesthetic Committee in 1964 as part of the New Jersey 300 celebration. These articles were made possible through a grant from the Mercer County Culture and Heritage Commission.
Lewisville Road and African American History (2014)
Pole Farm: When Lawrence Was A Transatlantic Communications Hub (2014)
300 Years of History Along Route 206 (2014)
How Lawrence Township Became a Suburb (2014)
Lawrence Township Street Names (2014)
Federal City Road (2014)
Prohibition Enforcement In Lawrence Township (2014)
The Lawrenceville School: Highlights of a Century and a Half (1964)
Maidenhead: The Early Days (1964)
Lawrence Township Minute Records: Yesterday and Today (1964)
Lawrence Township Revolutionary Highlights (1964)
The Smith Homesteads (1964)