Student History Conference Session

Date/Time
Date(s) - March 28, 2023
4:45 pm - 5:45 pm

The Student History Conference, organized by high school students, meets once per month at the Historical Society of Princeton. Its goal is to inspire high schoolers to connect to local developments and apply broad themes of historical trends to Princeton’s past and present. Sign up here: bit.ly/3Y5D7fy

At the March 28 session, students will delve into the construction of Palmer Square and its implications. The vision of Edgar Palmer, the development was set to involve buildings for retail, office, residential use, a hotel, a post office, and a playhouse. With the Great Depression, ground was not broken until 1936, and plans for the square remained incomplete until the 1980s. While 75% of Princeton’s wealthy residents favored the development, minorities who previously lived in the area lamented the loss of their homes and businesses.

Construction of Palmer Square on March 1, 1939.