Editing Plainsboro Township, New Jersey (section)

==History==
The original residents of Plainsboro were the [[Unami people]], a subtribe of the [[Lenape]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. In the 17th century, the [[Dutch Republic|Dutch]] settled the area for its agricultural properties.<ref>[https://www.plainsboronj.com/317/History History], Township of Plainsboro. Accessed December 23, 2019. "The Unami, a subtribe of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans, were the first inhabitants of the Plainsboro area. The Lenape were a part of the larger Delaware tribe. The Plainsboro area offered fertile soil and ample water to suit this tribe’s agricultural interests."</ref>

The oldest developed section of Plainsboro is at the intersection of Dey and Plainsboro Roads. It is thought that the road was named after a Dutch-built tavern that sat at the intersection, called "The Planes Tavern," in the early 18th century or earlier. The building still stands and was featured on [[HGTV]]'s ''If These Walls Could Talk'' along with the historic Plainsboro Inn building (circa 1790) that was built adjacent to "Planes Tavern" at Plainsboro Road and Dey Road.

In 1897, the Walker-Gordon Dairy Farm opened up, which, among many other things, contributed [[Elsie the Cow]] and The Walker Gordon Diner, which has since been closed.<ref name=":0">Garbarine, Rachelle. [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/27/realestate/in-the-region-new-jersey-in-plainsboro-clustering-for-conservation.html "In the Region/New Jersey; In Plainsboro, Clustering for Conservation"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 27, 1999. Accessed December 31, 2011. "A 255-acre former dairy farm in the west central portion of Plainsboro that was once the home of Elsie, the Borden cow, is being transformed into a single-family home community designed so half the site will be developed and the other half devoted to recreation and open space. Called Walker-Gordon Farm, after the dairy that dominated the site off Plainsboro Road through 1971, the project will have 355 detached houses, each with 2,100 to 3,400 square feet of space on lots averaging 6,000 to 12,000 square feet. A total of 183 homes have been sold."</ref> The site of the farm has been turned into a single-family home community named Walker-Gordon Farm, which consists of over 350 homes.<ref name=WalkerGordon>[http://walkergordononline.com/history.asp History], Walker Gordon Farm. Accessed October 22, 2013.</ref>

Other family farms arrived during the first three quarters of the 20th century, notably the Parker, Simonson, Stults, and Groendyke farms. The Parker Farm was eventually integrated into the Groendyke farm, and both became part of Walker-Gordon's Dairy Farm, which is now a housing development. The Simonson and Stults Farms still stand and operate in Plainsboro.

[[File:St. Joseph's Seminary (Princeton, New Jersey) chapel.jpg|thumb|left|The chapel of [[Saint Joseph's Seminary (Princeton, New Jersey)|St. Joseph's Seminary]], built 1914 in Plainsboro, though it bears a [[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]] address]]

Plainsboro was officially founded on May 6, 1919, and was formed from sections of Cranbury and South Brunswick townships.<ref name=Story/> Plainsboro Township was created in response to Cranbury and South Brunswick refusing to build a new fireproof and larger school in Plainsboro Village.<ref>Malwitz, Rick. [https://archive.today/20130201005941/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/mycentraljersey/access/1799539721.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+06,+2004&author=RICK+MALWITZ&pub=Home+News+Tribune&desc=PLAINSBORO+Playing+the+name+game:+Sounds+like+Princeton+but+it's+not&pqatl=google "Playing the name game: Sounds like Princeton but it's not"], ''[[Home News Tribune]]'', June 6, 2004. Accessed December 31, 2011. "Until 1919, Plainsboro was located in the townships of South Brunswick and Cranbury. Plainsboro wanted a grammar school, but the government of Cranbury was reluctant to spend money for a school. The citizens of the Plainsboro petitioned the state legislature for recognition, and succeeded, led by powerful Trenton attorney John V.B. Wicoff..."</ref> Every year, the date is celebrated with a parade, festival, and a concert.

In 1971, [[Princeton University]] (which owned most of the township) and Lincoln Properties, Inc., together started to develop the area into what it is now, a large suburban township still holding on to its rural past. By the 1980s, Princeton University had acquired nearly {{convert|5000|acres}} of Plainsboro Township, a holding far larger than the {{convert|4.5|acre}} size of the original university campus.<ref>[http://www.princetonlanding.org/page/20151_325410/A-Brief-History-of-Princeton-Landing-and-Surrounding-Areas.html Princeton University - A Land Developer], Princeton Landing. Accessed December 23, 2019. "Following the Second World War, Princeton University purchased large land parcels in Plainsboro and the surrounding communities with the objective of developing the properties. This acquisition activity peaked in the 1980's when, the University owned almost 5,000 acres in the Princeton area (up from its original 4.5 acre campus)."</ref> In response to the development, [[West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South]] was opened in nearby [[Princeton Junction, New Jersey|Princeton Junction]], then just called WWP High. To accommodate the additional growth, [[West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North]] was opened in Plainsboro in September 2000, beginning a north–south rivalry between the Pirates and the Knights.

[[File:First_Presbyterian_Church_in_Plainsboro.jpg|thumb|left|First Presbyterian Church (the current home of the {{URL|https://www.csfnj.com/|Cornerstone Fellowship}} congregation) in the historic village of [[Plainsboro Center, New Jersey|Plainsboro Center]]]]
The latest addition to Plainsboro is the Village Center, which is adjacent to the historic village area. Located at the intersection of Schalks Crossing and Scudder Mills Roads, Plainsboro Village Center currently features eight buildings totaling almost {{convert|75000|sqft|m2}} of retail, commercial and office space, as well as 11 single-family homes and 12 townhomes.<ref>Kershner, Randy. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110204224518/http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100816/LIFE03/100816024/Plainsboro-Village-Center-breaks-ground-two-new-buildings "Plainsboro Village Center breaks ground on two new buildings"], MyCentralJersey.com, August 16, 2010, updated February 4, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2019. "Located at the intersection of Schalks Crossing and Scudder Mills Roads, Plainsboro Village Center currently features eight buildings totaling almost 75,000 square feet of retail, commercial and office space, as well as 11 single-family homes and 12 townhomes."</ref> The Village Center contains wide landscaped sidewalks and outdoor, cafe'-style seating. The Village center's downtown atmosphere is the location of many shopping and dining destinations. The Village Center features a large village green with a tranquil fountain and walking paths in a park-like setting. The Village Center also houses a new $12.4 million Plainsboro Library, which opened on April 10, 2010.<ref>Shaffer, Anita. [http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2010/02/state_of_plainsboro_partly_dep.html "State of Plainsboro partly depends on state"], ''[[The Times (Trenton)|The Times]]'', February 23, 2010. Accessed December 31, 2011.</ref> The township broke ground on July 27, for two new buildings that will host medical offices, additional retail space and eight residential condominium units.

A new hospital facility was under development in Plainsboro, that would be renamed University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. The new hospital and {{convert|171|acres|adj=on}} medical campus was designed to include a modern medical office building attached to the hospital, a world-class education center, a health and fitness center, a skilled nursing facility, a pediatric services facility and a {{convert|32|acres|adj=on}} public park.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.princetonhcs.org/default.aspx?p=7860 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908082626/http://www.princetonhcs.org/default.aspx?p=7860 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 8, 2012 |title=The New University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro }}</ref> Officials at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced they will be opening a facility in Plainsboro on {{convert|13|acres}} of the new hospital campus.<ref>Latham, Cara. [http://www.wwpinfo.com/index.php?option=com_us1more&key=01-07-2011_chop "Children's Hospital Looks At Plainsboro Location"], ''West Windsor & Plainboro News'', January 7, 2011. Accessed May 24, 2016. "Officials at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have confirmed they are interested in opening a facility in Plainsboro on 13 acres on the new hospital campus off Route 1."</ref> Constructed at a cost of $523 million, the new hospital opened in May 2012, with patients relocated from the former facility in Princeton that had been in use for 93 years.<ref>Brill, Emily. [https://www.nj.com/mercer/2012/05/university_medical_center_of_p_2.html "University Medical Center of Princeton officially opens its $523M facility"], ''[[The Times (Trenton)|The Times]]'', May 23, 2012, updated March 30, 2019. Accessed December 23, 2019. "Nicole Williams had two surprises this week: on Monday her son Atticus Howarth was born four days early, and yesterday the two of them were the first patients wheeled through the doors of the new University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. Atticus’ key role in the inauguration of the $523 million new hospital was also a surprise to the delighted hospital staff.... The new hospital represents a massive upgrade for Princeton HealthCare System as it leaves behind its 93-year-old former hospital."</ref> The hospital was acquired in January 2018 by [[University of Pennsylvania Health System]] and renamed as [[Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center]].<ref>Saska, Jim. [https://whyy.org/articles/amid-regulatory-uncertainty-penn-medicine-acquires-princeton-healthcare/ "Amid regulatory uncertainty, Penn Medicine acquires Princeton HealthCare"], [[WHYY-FM]], January 12, 2018. Accessed December 23, 2019. "Penn Medicine has finalized the acquisition of Princeton HealthCare System following a yearlong regulatory approval process. The University Medical Center of Princeton — which, despite the name, is located in Plainsboro, New Jersey, and is not affiliated with the Ivy League university — will become the sixth hospital in the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which has also added hospital networks in Lancaster and Chester counties in recent years."</ref>