Welcome to the Institute Lands

Welcome to the Institute Lands. . , The Institute Lands are a cherished 589-acre tract of woods and farmlands known for their natural beauty and historical significance. These graceful woods and fields form a key link in a network of preserved open space between the Stony Brook and the Delaware and Raritan Canal., The northern half of the Institute Lands is a mixed forest known as the Institute Woods, a sanctuary for migrating, nesting , and wintering birds. This forest also displays a remarkable diversity of tree species and soil types., The members of the Friends community first settled the Institute Lands in 1696. General George Washington marched his troops across these Lands in the pre-dawn hours of January 3 to engage the British forces in the march into the Revolutionary War’s pivotal Battle of Princeton in 1777., On March 31, 1997, the Institute for Advanced Study along with public and private entities and over 1,000 individual donors created a permanent conservation easement on the Institute Lands. The preservation of these historic and environmentally sensitive Institute Lands was accomplished through this extraordinary community partnership.