An "Einstein's Begonia" Musical Debut

On the afternoon of September 7, the line of fans extended out the door as I smuggled the star of the show into the Princeton Public Library's community room for the debut of a musical called "Einstein's Begonia." I imagined outstretched hands clamoring for a piece of the coveted house plant that traced its lineage back to the begonia Einstein had left behind after he died in 1955. Fortunately, this most special of angelwing begonias made it to the stage unscathed, to pose ever so patiently while singer/songwriter Rebecca Pronsky led her 7 piece group through a progression of witty and moving songs about a leafy piece of Einstein's legacy. The Friends of Herrontown Woods had suggested the library host the show, and co-sponsored the event. 

How many musicals have a plant as the main character? And in this case, the plant isn't out to do damage, like in Little Shop of Horrors. Rather, this begonia is lonely, trying to understand where it came from and where it's going, now that the beloved man it thought of as a father is gone.

The musical began its life as a song cycle, ostensibly about a plant with provenance, yet the lyrics touch upon feelings deep within us. Behind a plant's facade of static green, Rebecca finds a dynamic world of growth and longing. In Am I You?, there's the deep desire to belong, to be a part of something greater than ourselves, to find one's true home. Sessile Vessel is a saucy number about just how dynamic a plant can be while stuck in the ground. Only a Plant first explores the downside of being stuck in a pot, then morphs into a rant about cooking and consumption from a plant's perspective. Particularly clever is another song's lyric, "everyone wants a piece of me," referring to the way cuttings of the stem are used to propagate this popular house plant.

As someone who works with plants, I've long felt that the plant world is the physical manifestation of our inner world. There's a point where we stop growing physically, and yet we continue to grow inside--spiritually, intellectually, emotionally. A tree does that for all to see, from the day it sprouts to the day it dies, each year extending its roots and branches, adding a new flush of leaves, building on what it was before.

Though the lyrics have a lot of word play and references to high intellect, the musical never loses its connection to gut feeling. The song Relativity embeds human emotion in the language of physics. Einstein's Constant becomes a song about the need we all have for stability and support as we seek to grow. In Hybrid, Einstein's Begonia finds through her origins a liberating way forward. 

The story of how Brooklyn-based Rebecca Pronsky and scriptwriter Alexis Roblan brought the show to Princeton is worth telling. Rebecca and I each separately learned of the existence of Einstein begonias in 2021. My first encounter with the plant and the lineage behind it came in an email from the Princeton Public Library's Kim Dorman. Since I blog about nature and Einstein-related history, she wondered if I might be able to track down an Einstein begonia for a friend of hers. Never having heard of an Einstein begonia, I began looking online to find out more. Turned out it was a thing. When Einstein died, he left behind an extraordinary legacy of course, but also an angelwing begonia that his secretary, Helen Dukas, proceeded to make cuttings of to give to friends, many of whom were mathematicians and physicists. Cuttings of the begonia then spread from home to home, office to office, in Princeton and beyond. Via the internet, I found a friend who had an Einstein begonia, Vicky Bergman, whose husband was a physicist. She gave me some cuttings to give to Kim’s friend. I posted about all of this on my blog, and started getting thousands of page views. One of the comments was from Rebecca, who said she was composing a musical about the plant.

Rebecca told me how she first encountered an Einstein begonia:

My story is actually that just after my father passed away, I went to visit his 90 year old cousins in Cranford, NJ and we were taking a walk in their garden when they pointed out a plant and said “and that’s Einstein’s Begonia.” They told me what they knew about it but I had so many more questions. Still I was immediately inspired to write from the point of view of the plant losing it’s “father,” since I was going through something similar and I had a lot of experience with plants. It was instantly clear to me that this would be my next project. I was looking for info on it to begin drafting the plot of the show and came upon your post, so that’s how I think we were initially connected!

To convert a song cycle into a full blown musical, Rebecca and Alexis wanted to learn as much as they could about the route the begonia took from Einstein's home out into the community. I was able to track down the origin story thanks to Norma Smith, whose husband also is a physicist, and Rebecca mapped out lineage. The Princeton Alumni Weekly took an interest and wrote an article about Norma, Rebecca, and the begonia. I guess you can say we recovered a story that might otherwise have been lost, and Rebecca has used it to create a new story. 

What began as a librarian's email to me about Einstein begonias led four years later to a performance of Einstein's Begonia at the Princeton Public Library. Janie Hermann, curator of events at the library and in the photo below, coordinated all the aspects, from the sound system to managing the waitlist for the sold-out show.

EINSTEIN’S BEGONIA was named a semifinalist in the 2025 O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference. The performance at the library was a reading of a work in progress. The next step for Rebecca and Alexis is applying for musical theatre development and reading opportunities. A return to Princeton for PiDay has been discussed, but nothing confirmed as yet. In the meantime, read more about the show and listen to the songs here.

Photos by Inge Regan and Janie Hermann

The Veblens' Original Vision for Herrontown Woods, Veblen House and Cottage

I was asked what we know about the original vision for Herrontown Woods, Veblen House, and Veblen Cottage. Here are quotes collected from articles, meeting minutes, and the Veblens' deed and will.

The year was 1957, and Oswald and Elizabeth Veblen had just donated 81 of their 95 acres to create Mercer County's first nature preserve, up along the ridge in northeastern Princeton. In the post-WWII boom, farm fields were getting gobbled up by housing subdivisions. Someone needed to step up, and it was the Veblens who did. In a NY Times article about the donation, Elizabeth Veblen said, 

"There is nowhere around here that you can get away from cars and just go walk and sit." "Princeton when we came here in 1905 was a lovely village." She explained that the donation was made "in hope that a little bit of this outdoor atmosphere can be preserved." 

In the same article, Mercer County director of parks and rec, Richard J. Coffee, said of the new arboretum: 

"Eventually, we envision a nature museum, a system of trails through wooded areas, with trees and other plants labelled." He said that the county hoped to provide lectures and opportunities for nature study.

The actual deed, dated July 22, 1957, stated that

The foregoing premises hereinbefore described, excluding and reserving the portion thereof which the Grantors retain, is conveyed to the County of Mercer, in the State of New Jersey, to be used perpetually by the said County of Mercer, for the following purposes, and to be known as "HERRONTOWN WOOD", to wit:

(a) The maintenance of a park, wildlife, and plant sanctuary;
(b) The conservation of natural resources, including the watershed, and the stimulation and development of public appreciation of the values of wildlife and plants;

(c) It is specifically reserved by the grantors that the nature trails shall not be used for horseback riding.” 

A couple interesting aspects here. "Wood" suggests a British influence, as in the english author A.A. Milne's "100 Acre Wood." The Veblens accumulated and donated very nearly 100 acres. The name soon shifted to "Woods." Item (c) may refer to the horseback riding that once was common in that area of Princeton--something the Veblens clearly thought harmful to the land. 

The system of trails was built, and the County constructed a one-room building for nature study near the parking lot. But the Veblen Cottage, which was part of the original land donation, remained unused. After Oswald Veblen died in 1960, Elizabeth continued to live in the Veblen House on 14 acres adjacent to Herrontown Woods. 

When Elizabeth died in 1974, she bequeathed Veblen House and its 14 acres to Mercer County. The language in the will is a bit minimal and oblique:

"and in addition thereto I give and bequeath all of my pictures, radio receivers and phonograph records to the said County, to be kept by it in the house herein devised as a part of the proposed library and museum of Herrontown Wood."

By "pictures," she may have meant the many photos taken by Oswald in the 1950s, documenting the house and grounds. We have been able to get digital copies, and helped get most of the slides moved from a county attic to safer storage at the IAS archives. They serve as a valuable documentation of the Veblens' era. The radio receivers and phonograph records, and reportedly Elizabeth's ashes as well, may have been lost when a water pipe broke in the basement of a county building in Trenton. The will's words "part of" suggest that the Veblens envisioned the House and Cottage, and perhaps other structures as well, such as a hay barrack that was torn down by the county around 2008, as complementary components of the Herrontown Woods experience. 

The timing of Elizabeth's death may have affected what happened, or didn't happen, to the Veblen House and Cottage. Also in 1974, the County received a donation of what would become Howell History Farm. The County put its resources into developing that property. In Princeton, though, the nation's upcoming bicentennial generated considerable local civic energy, some of which was directed towards Herrontown Woods. 

On Nov. 15, 1974, Herrontown Woods Citizens Advisory Committee, consisting of many of Princeton's most active environmental advocates, met with Deane Montgomery, Oswald Veblen's close friend and colleague who was administering the Veblen estate. Attending: the Blairs, the Macholds, the Henkels, Deane. Not present: the Reeds, the Clark G Travers, the Formans. 

In the meeting minutes, Deane Montgomery described the Veblens desires this way: “the main building as a nature museum, and the cottage as a library-retreat”

The Committee itself had this view: 

“The committee feels the large Veblen house could be developed as a natural bird, wildlife sanctuary. It could be the center of conservation activities in Mercer County being made available to garden clubs, environmental and conservation groups as a meeting area.
The cottage should be restored as a library study center of the natural environment. It was recommended that both structures be made available to county employees to live in and to be responsible for routine up-keep.”

Two garden clubs split their Bicentennial spirit and civic energy between Herrontown Woods and the Princeton Battlefield. In 1975, Rosanna Jaffin of the Garden Club of Princeton envisioned a project to restore the Herrontown Woods Cottage Garden, describing the Cottage as:

"left by Professor and Mrs. Veblen to serve as an environmental study center and small library for the Herrontown Woods."

The Dogwood Garden Club focused on the Veblen House garden. Included in 1975 correspondence to the Club's Mrs. Harold B. Law was the Advisory Committee's expectations for the Veblen House:

“Mercer County Park Commission is planning to develop the house as a nature library-meeting area, and since the Dogwood Garden Club had expressed interest in working on Mrs. Veblen’s garden some time ago, we felt it was now time to reopen the project.”

Mercer County repaired the Veblen Cottage in 1976, but it remained unused. The Veblen House was rented to arborist Bob Wells, who raised his family there. The first floor of the Veblen House was to serve as periodic meeting space for the Dogwood Garden Club. In 1998, rather than make needed repairs, Mercer County decided to get out of the landlord business. It closed up Veblen House and other historic houses in the County, ushering in an era of vandalism and neglect. Though suffering broken windows and periodic break-ins, the Veblen House and the original portion of the Veblen Cottage were spared by good roofs. In 2017, Mercer County began preparations to demolish the Veblen House and Cottage. The Friends of Herrontown Woods advocated for their preservation, and convinced Princeton municipality to accept transfer of Herrontown Woods from the County. In 2020 the town leased the buildings to FOHW.

In the intervening years, FOHW and Princeton have reversed 25 years of neglect, and put the buildings on a positive trajectory. Largely through FOHW and this website, the unique features of the House and Cottage, and the extraordinary local, national, and international legacy of the Veblens, have been researched and documented. Through initial charitable donations, FOHW was able to stabilize the House and replace rotted boards, underpinned the foundation, dried out the basement, and repointed the field stone basement in the Cottage. Princeton financed removal of asbestos from the House, in the process exposing the fascinating, unique structural logic of this 1920s prefab. After review, the NJ Historic Preservation Office affirmed the George Dauer House (a.k.a. Veblen Cottage) is eligible to be listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, and said the Veblen House might be as well, after more research is done. Windows and doors have been inventoried. Electricity, wifi and surveillance are in place. Drawings for the House and stabilization plans for the cottage are being finalized. 

The vision today is very much in line with the visions expressed in the 1950s and '70s. The Friends of Herrontown Woods keeps the trails open, manages the preserve for native plant diversity, hosts yoga classes during warmer months, along with events that promote learning and community. We see the House as a place for meetings, talks, and other gatherings. The Cottage, where Oswald Veblen would read, or hang out with Einstein and other friends, is envisioned as a place for nature study, books, games, and displays about the preserve's history.

The Veblens were not self-aggrandizing. Though they certainly could have, they didn't name the preserve after themselves. They deserve many times over to be known and remembered, and so it is fitting that the museum component not only be about nature, but also about the Veblens and those who came before them: the Whiton-Stuarts who moved the House to Princeton from Morristown, and the small-holder farmers who built the Cottage. These varied histories run the gamut from wealth to subsistence farming, from great intellect to physical labor. These are the stories that have drawn us to these very patient buildings, and moved us to make something of them for Princeton and beyond.

Some related posts:
Beautiful Features of Veblen House

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 hideaway, 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