Grover's Mill in West Windsor Township in Mercer County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Grovers Mill Historic Community
Photographed by Richard Peterson, April 4, 2026
1. Grover's Mill Historic Community Marker
This hamlet grew around mid-1700s saw/gristmills powered by the Bear Brook. The earliest known millwright was Daniel Wolsey in 1759. Early families included the Van Nests, Atchleys, and Bergens. The area was also successively called “Bergen’s Mill,” “Bear Mill,” and “Schwenger’s Mill” before Joseph Grover bought the mills in 1868. Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson reputedly frequented the area to hunt/study. The sawmill stopped operating in the mid-1800s but the gristmill ran until the mid-1900s.
The early-1900s statewide “Fast Line” trolley route had a station nearby. The community was thrust into the national spotlight as the site of a Martian invasion in Orson Welles’ 1938 “The War of the Worlds” radio play. Local suburban growth began in the mid-1900s. The old mill, mill pond, and several buildings memorialize the community’s early history.
Celebrating West Windsor History 2023
Erected 2023 by The Historical Society of West Windsor.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1759.
Location. 40° 18.917′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Jersey and in Greater Princeton. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Martian Landing Site (approx. ¼ mile away); John & Alicia Nash (approx. 0.7 miles away); Trolley Line Trail Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); Berrien City Historic Neighborhood (approx. 0.9 miles away); You'll Do Lobelia (approx. 1.2 miles away); Burial site of "Elsie" (approx. 1.2 miles away);
Photographed by Richard Peterson, April 4, 2026
2. Grover's Mill Historic Community Marker
The former Grovers Mill Store is in the background.
Also see . . .
1. Historical Society of West Windsor. (Submitted on April 12, 2026, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Historic Community: Grovers Mill. History of Grovers Mill, published by the Historical Society of West Windsor
"Surrounding the crossroads of Cranbury and Clarksville Roads is one of West Windsor's most famous historic communities. This industrial hamlet developed around its 1700s-era mill, which ran until the 1960s. Grovers Mill was thrust into the national spotlight during Orson Welles' infamous 1938 "The War of the Worlds" alien invasion broadcast. Today, although surrounded by more modern suburbs, the community is still identifiable, and most of its original buildings still intact."(Submitted on April 22, 2026, by Historical Society of West Windsor of West Widsor, New Jersey.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 8, 2026, by Richard Peterson of East Windsor, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 36 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 8, 2026, by Richard Peterson of East Windsor, New Jersey. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
