Oswald Veblen's Extraordinary Legacy Honored at Princeton University

On October 22, 2025, Princeton University's President Eisgruber presided over a dedication of spaces at Prospect House for "for exemplary individuals who helped to shape the University and the world." Among those honored was Oswald Veblen, for whom the South Terrace is now named.

The article described Oswald Veblen thusly:

Oswald Veblen (Oswald Veblen Terrace). Veblen was an internationally recognized mathematician who taught at Princeton for 27 years starting in 1905. He played a central role in building Princeton mathematics into a world-renowned department and was instrumental in establishing the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), where he also served on the faculty. Veblen made important contributions to differential geometry and the early development of topology, which found applications in atomic physics and the theory of relativity. He was also known for his humanitarian work during the rise of Nazism in Germany, helping bring Albert Einstein and other top scholars fleeing Hitler’s regime to U.S. academic institutions, including IAS and Princeton.

On the plaque at Prospect House, we were delighted to see that the description of Veblen's many contributions includes mention of the pioneering open space preservation he and his wife Elizabeth achieved. "Veblen left an enduring legacy beyond the campus walls through his preservation efforts that contributed to the establishment of the Institute Woods and Herrontown Woods."

Of the twelve individuals honored, President Eisgruber said. “Their tenacity enabled them to excel. To persevere. To lead. To pursue their passions. To forge new paths. To fight injustices.”

The Terrace is a fitting space to name after Veblen, given his love both of buildings and of the outdoors.

Veblen Cottage Deemed Eligible for Listing on the National Register

It was an honor, and a validation of all our work and advocacy at Herrontown Woods, to have the Veblen Cottage deemed eligible for the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. 

The Veblen Cottage is a unique building in Princeton. In the late 1800s, there were many small farms on marginal lands along the Princeton ridge. As times changed and these farms went into decline, Oswald and Elizabeth Veblen purchased one in 1935, then donated it as part of Mercer County's first nature preserve in 1957. Dr. Veblen had used it as a study and getaway, occasionally spending afternoons there with Albert Einstein and other friends and colleagues. After Dr. Veblen's death in 1960, the cottage remained boarded up, despite several proposals to use it as a residence or nature center.

A good roof has preserved the two-story portion, and through the advocacy of the Friends of Herrontown Woods (FOHW), the cottage was saved from demolition in 2018 and safely transferred with Herrontown Woods from Mercer County to the municipality of Princeton. Since then, FOHW has taken additional steps to protect the one-story portions, and has restored the field stone basement walls. It is the only remaining farm cottage from that era that has survived in an original condition.

In 2020, the NJ Historic Preservation Office affirmed the cottage's historical importance in a letter to FOHW's architectural historian, Clifford Zink:

"Based on a review of available documentation, it is my opinion as Administrator and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, that the George Dauer House (a.k.a. Veblen Cottage) is eligible to be listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places under Criterion C as an unusually well-preserved, representative example of the small holder farms (average 30 acres) once common in the area."

Though Oswald Veblen envisioned and largely designed the glorious Old Fine Hall at Princeton University (now called Jones Hall)--first home of both the Princeton mathematics department and the Institute for Advanced Study--he also had a deep appreciation and love for the simplicity of the farm cottage in Herrontown Woods. After all of his travels through 80 years of an impactful life, it was along the red trail near the cottage where he requested his ashes to be spread. 

The Veblen Cottage was the Veblens' first acquisition in the 1930s along the Princeton ridge. As such, it can be viewed as the birthplace of the open space movement in Princeton. Being Mercer County's first nature preserve, comprising 82 acres, Herrontown Woods then served as the nucleus around which additional lands were acquired.

FOHW has developed detailed plans for further structural repairs of the cottage that would lead to its use as a nature center and Herrontown Woods museum. Below is the full letter from NJ Historic Trust, detailing various criteria that were considered for determining eligibility.

CERTIFICATION of ELIGIBILITY

 

Dear Mr. Zink:

 

The preliminary application submitted for the Veblen House and Cottage located at 474 Herrontown Road (Block 2901/Lot 1 and Block 3001/Lot 7), Municipality of Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey has been carefully reviewed. It was augmented by a site visit made by my staff on June 15, 2020. We thank you for the time and the effort to prepare the application.

Based on a review of available documentation, it is my opinion as Administrator and Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, that the George Dauer House (a.k.a. Veblen Cottage) is eligible to be listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places under Criterion C as an usually well-preserved, representative example of the small holder farms (average 30 acres) once common in the area. It was built circa 1874-1875 by George Dauer. The barn and corn crib contribute to the setting of this modest farmhouse. The boundaries correspond with those for Block 2901, Lot 1 for convenience, however, these boundaries would need to be further refined as part of any future nomination effort.

While Oswald Veblen is an individual with unquestionable significance in the area of Mathematics, it does not seem likely that the property could be found to be eligible for its association with him. Application of National Register Criterion B requires that the property be that most closely associated with the individual's useful life (his/her accomplishments/contributions). This requires a somewhat exhaustive context of all of the other places that might be associated with the individual. In the case of Veblen, there appear to be too many other places surviving in the Princeton area, any one of which could prove to have a better claim. These places include, but may not be limited to:

• 76 Alexander Road (Veblen's residence from 1905-1910)
• 58 Battle Road (Veblen's residence from 1910-1941)
• 20 Nassau Street (Veblen's office in 1933)
• Fine Hall, now Jones Hall at Princeton University (Veblen contributed to the design of the first home of the University's math department)
• the Institute for Advanced Studies (Veblen was an early adviser to the organizers of the Institute and became its first professor in 1932 after resigning from Princeton University)

For additional guidance on the application of Criterion B please refer to: National Register Bulletin 32 - Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Properties Associated with Significant Persons https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/NRB32-Complete.pdf

Historic Preservation Office staff were intrigued by the argument offered for the property under Criterion A in the area of conservation. However, insufficient context was offered in the preliminary application to substantiate the claim and earn an eligibility determination. It is possible that additional research would yield the necessary data and future efforts should explore the development of the local park systems (county and municipal) as well as the evolution of the local conservation ethic.

If you wish to pursue registration, please contact Andrea Tingey of my staff at either (609-984-0539) or  Andrea.Tingey@dep.nj.gov. 

The Historic Preservation Office advises you to notify the property owner if you intend to nominate this property to the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. To help expedite our review and response, if additional consultation with the HPO is needed regarding the nomination of this property, please reference the HPO project number (20-0977) in any future calls, emails, or written correspondence.

Thank you for your interest in New Jersey’s irreplaceable historic resources. If you have any further questions, please contact Andrea Tingey at 609-984-0539 or Andrea.Tingey@dep.nj.gov.

 

Sincerely,

 

Katherine J. Marcopul, Ph.D., CPM

Administrator and
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Historic Preservation Office
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
501 East State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625
kate.marcopul@dep.nj.gov
T (609) 984-0176 | F (609) 984-0578