Princeton

Princeton, (1) capital of Gibson county, Indiana, 161 miles by rail E. of St Louis. It has woollen manufactures. Pop. (1880) 2566; (1890) 3076.—(2) A pleasant borough of New Jersey, 50 miles by rail SW. of New York and 47 NE. of Philadelphia. Pop. 3409. On January 3, 1777, it was the scene of a battle between the British under Colonel Mawhood and the Americans under Washington, in which the former were defeated; here the Continental Congress sat in 1783; and from Princeton Washington dated his farewell address to the army. Princeton, however, is chiefly celebrated as the seat of the College of New Jersey, popularly known as Princeton College, which, founded by charter in 1746, under the auspices of the Presbyterian Synod of New York, held its first commencement under its second charter at Newark in 1748. Liberal subscriptions were obtained both in America and in Britain, the Bishop of Durham being among the contributors, and the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ordering a national collection. In 1756 the college was transferred to Princeton, on the erection of a hall named Nassan Hall in honour of William III. Within it hangs a portrait of Washington. The College of New Jersey has had several distinguished Presbyterian divines for its presidents, as Jonathan Edwards and Dr James M'Cosh. Since the civil war benefactions have poured in upon the college; during the twenty years of Dr M'Cosh's presidency these exceeded $3,000,000. Post-graduate courses have been introduced, and the staff of instructors raised to about eighty; the number of students is now about 1100. Among its graduates have been James Madison, fourth president of the United States, and many very eminent men. The theological seminary, founded in 1812, the oldest and largest of the Presbyterian Church in America, has nearly 200 students. With the Princeton theological school is associated the fame of the Biblical Repertory and Princeton Review, founded in 1825, and edited till 1872 by Dr Hodge (q.v.). The Review has since, however, been united with the Presbyterian Quarterly, which is published in New York. In 1874 a school of science was opened; and the college possesses five museums, four laboratories, two observatories, and libraries with 137,000 volumes. See Harper's Magazine, November 1890.