The Nassau Inn in Princeton, a site rich with American history, has officially been recognized as a Historic Hotel of America, 268 years after its establishment. This honor comes from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which requires hotels to be at least 50 years old, recognized as a National Historic Landmark, or listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with significant historical importance.
Originally built in 1756 at 52 Nassau Street, the Nassau Inn has hosted many notable figures throughout its history. Paul Revere, Robert Morris, and Thomas Paine were among the Revolutionary War patriots who stayed there. It was also the home of Judge Thomas Leonard, a future signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1775, the Committee of Safety met at the inn, and delegates en route to the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia rested there. The inn also provided shelter for those who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
During the Revolutionary War, the inn became a hub for military officers from both the Continental Army and British forces. Celebrations for the Battle of Yorktown and the signing of the Peace Treaty were held at the inn, with punchbowls of College Inn punch marking the occasion. In 1783, when the Continental Congress met in Princeton, they were guests of the Nassau Inn.
The inn closed in 1937 but was later reopened, continuing to preserve its rich history at its current location on Palmer Square. Items from the original inn, such as a stone platform seat used for wine and spirit casks and a Hessian sword and gun from the Battle of Princeton, are still displayed throughout the hotel. The Yankee Doodle Tap Room, a favorite spot for Princeton University students and locals, features a fireplace mantle from the original inn and a 13-foot mural titled “Yankee Doodle,” painted by Norman Rockwell in 1937. Rockwell also created the restaurant’s iconic sign.
The inn’s history is further immortalized by the signatures of famous figures like Albert Einstein, who carved his name into a tabletop in the Tap Room. The walls of the gastropub are lined with portraits of notable Princeton University graduates, and the inn is said to be the birthplace of the tradition of Princeton class jackets, or “beer coats,” which students wore to mask the smell of alcohol after nights spent at the Tap Room.
Lori Rabon, vice president of the Nassau Inn and Palmer Square, expressed her pride in preserving the inn’s legacy, stating, “The Nassau Inn is rich in history and architectural integrity.”
The Nassau Inn joins just two other New Jersey hotels recognized as Historic Hotels of America: the Woolverton Inn in Stockton and the Caribbean Motel in Wildwood Crest.
For more information or to visit, the Nassau Inn is located at 10 Palmer Square E, Princeton. You can reach them at 609-921-7500 or visit their website at [nassauinn.com](http://nassauinn.com).
Source: mycentraljersey.com