This 1736 Georgian manor appears on pre-revolutionary maps as one of the few significant houses that were located on the main route connecting New York and Philadelphia known as the “King’s Highway.”

Because this house was large and close to the highway it had served a variety of uses throughout its history­­—a single-family house, a hospital for Hessian soldiers, and after a 1950’s subdivision, three apartments.  The building’s historic importance was recognized in the 1930’s when it was documented by the Historic American Building Survey (HABS), a federal preservation program.

Fearing that the house would fall into disrepair with its history of neglect, the Lawrence Township Historic Review Board encouraged the current owners to restore the building and convert it into a bed and breakfast.  This would help preserve the main interior spaces and architectural details of the building.  The project scope included considerable structural repairs, the creation of an Innkeeper’s suite in the existing attic, the addition of new heating and cooling systems and the creation of new bathrooms to serve each of the five bedroom suites.  The work was undertaken while maintaining the integrity of the original structure, historic architectural details and overall charm.

Ford 3 Architects completed the work in the summer of 2005.  Now the Inn at Glencairn B & B fills a great need in the Princeton area for the kind of intimate hospitality that is not available in the many Route 1 motels and hotels.