Princeton in Mercer County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Orchards at Morven
A pastoral written by Annis Stockton (1736-1801) in 1781 references Morvens apple groves with burnish'd fruit hang bending down. Apple trees were grown in great numbers in the 18th century for food, drink, and animal feed. Annis poems also mention peaches, plums, pears, and cherries, which she harvested and dried by hand at Morven.
Annis son, Richard wrote to his uncle, asking him to send cuttings from superior apple and pear trees that could be grafted onto Morven stock. They must have been successful, as Richard was proud of his cider, as fine as wine and enjoyed sending barrels of it to his friends. The orchards likely stretched from present-day Boudinot Street to Westcott Road.
[Caption:]
Stockton children playing military troop in the Morven orchard, c. 1880. Courtesy of Special Collections, Princeton Theological Seminary Library.
Erected 2020 by New Jersey Historic Trust.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1781.
Location. 40° 20.923′ N, 74° 40.027′ W. Marker is in Princeton, New Jersey,
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Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s Central Jersey. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Pool House (within shouting distance of this marker); Annis' Grotto (within shouting distance of this marker); The Carriage House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Gardens (within shouting distance of this marker); Demonstration Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); The Colonial Revival Garden (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Ice House (about 300 feet away); Horse Chestnut Walk (about
Other markers no longer nearby. Twentieth-Century Changes (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The West Wing (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2022. This page has been viewed 181 times since then and 27 times this year. Last updated on April 4, 2026. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 17, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
