Historic Site | Historic House

Bainbridge House

A hidden gem in the borough of Princeton, the Bainbridge House was constructed in the mid-1760s and stands as a hallmark of colonial architecture. Today, it acts as a museum and interpretive center.

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Princeton, NJ

The Bainbridge House, located on Nassau Street in Princeton, New Jersey, is one of the town’s oldest surviving structures, built in 1766 by Job Stockton, a prosperous tanner and cousin of Declaration of Independence signer Richard Stockton. This Georgian-style brick townhouse originally served as both a residence and place of business and later became known as the birthplace of Commodore William Bainbridge, a U.S. Navy officer famed for his command of the USS Constitution during the War of 1812.

During the American Revolution, Princeton was the site of significant activity, including the 1777 Battle of Princeton, and the Bainbridge House stood witness to the upheaval and military movement surrounding the conflict. In the 20th century, it housed the Princeton Public Library and later the Historical Society of Princeton, which preserved the site and interpreted its layered history. Today, the Bainbridge House remains a vital architectural and historical landmark, representing colonial domestic life, Revolutionary War-era Princeton, and early American naval heritage.

What's Nearby

Explore more of The Liberty Trail by visiting these nearby attractions.

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Nassau Hall, Princeton University

Princeton, NJ 08542

Defensive British position at the Battle of Princeton

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A painting illustrating British grenadiers bayoneting Gen. Hugh Mercer.

Princeton, NJ 08540

Final, decisive battle of the Ten Crucial Days

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The Thomas Clarke House, located at the Princeton Battlefield

Princeton, NJ 08540

Death site of Hugh Mercer and field hospital

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Washington's Headquarters at Rockingham

Franklin Township, NJ 08528

Where Washington penned his Farewell Orders

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Assunpink Creek from Mill Hill Park

Trenton, NJ 08608

Washington & his generals thwart Cornwallis yet again

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Washington Crossing the Delaware

Trenton, NJ 08608

Washington leads his assault on Hessian forces

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Washington Crossing State Park in the Fall

Titusville, NJ 08560

Washington lands and moves on the Hessian garrison

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Johnson Ferry House

Titusville, NJ 08560

Ferry used by Washington on Christmas, 1776

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Visitor Center Washington Crossing State Park PA

Washington Crossing, PA 18977

Washington prepares to attack Trenton

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The Van Veghten House, Greene's Headquarters at Middlebrook

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Greene's Headquarters at Middlebrook

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24.474258417657
Exterior of the Wallace House

Somerville, NJ 08876

Washington's HQ at the Middlebrook encampment

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24.555737760231
Abraham Staats House, located in South Bound Brook, NJ

South Bound Brook, NJ 08880

Von Steuben's Middlebrook HQ that hosted Washington

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The Village Inn in Englishtown, New Jersey

Englishtown, NJ 07726

Washington orders Lee to begin the Battle of Monmouth

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29.065230758253
Washington at Monmouth

Manalapan, NJ 07726

Continental generals attack the British rear guard

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Craig House, Located on the Monmouth Battlefield

Freehold, NJ 07728

31.688725702818

Stories from Bainbridge House

Trail Site

After crossing the Delaware, George Washington's ten-day campaign culminated in a decisive victory at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, proving his army could defeat the British. The battle saw Washington's forces overcome initial setbacks to rout the British and shift the momentum of the war

The Blog
Reposted from battlefields.org As night fell on January 2, 1777 both armies took a breath after the daylong fighting on the King’s Highway and at Assunpink Creek. Washington had a critical decision to...
Video/Audio
Reposted from battlefields.org Share to Google Classroom Added by 11 Educators After winning the Battle of Trenton, George Washington was determined to keep the initiative. He marched his troops...