June 1, 2008 – January 11, 2009
In celebration of the 225th anniversary of the historic gathering of Congress in Princeton, Morven Museum & Garden presents a special exhibition to assist its visitors in Picturing Princeton 1783. Among the more than 100 paintings, documents, and artifacts on view will be portraits of George and Martha Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and other leading figures of the day.

Ten stunning galleries in the Morven mansion tell the story of Congress in Princeton, beginning with the military crisis in Philadelphia that prompted Congress to take flight for the rural village of Princeton; the president of Congress’s residence at Morven; the meetings of Congress at Nassau Hall; George Washington’s arrival in August; the Treaty of Paris negotiations to end the American Revolution; and concluding with Congress’s victory celebration in Princeton in October 1783.

Prominent 18th-century artists in the exhibition include Benjamin West, Charles Willson Peale, Joseph Wright, John Wollaston, and William Dunlap. Among the many rare documents on exhibit are letters written by George Washington from “Rocky Hill, near Princeton”; poems written by Annis Boudinot for Washington; objects and documents associated with the Lenape Indians in New Jersey; an original engraved map of the United States following the Treaty of Paris in 1783; and memorabilia from the College of New Jersey (Princeton University) Class of 1783.

More than 40 institutions and individuals have lent to the exhibition, including the Society of the Cincinnati in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Art, and Princeton University Art Museum. Tours of the exhibition are led by Morven docents, after which visitors may browse on their own. Admission includes an illustrated brochure on the exhibition.

Visitor Information
Morven is located in the center of Princeton Borough, where Route 206 intersects Nassau Street.
55 Stockton Street (Route 206)
Princeton, NJ 08540
telephone: 609-924-8144, ext.100
fax: 609-924-8331
e-mail: info@morven.org
website: www.morven.org

Morven Museum is open for tours Wednesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Docent-led tours begin at 15 minutes past the hour. Morven offers a museum shop and free on-site parking. Admission: $5 adults; $4 seniors/students.

Image: Prospect, the Seat of Mr. Morgan at Princeton
By Maria Templeton, 1797
Watercolor on paper
Private collection