Mountain Lakes Preserve, a private estate of some 70 acres, was acquired in 1987 with the aid of Friends of Princeton Open Space, which manages the house and maintains the trails, and donated to Princeton Township. The man-made lakes, which are the centerpiece of the Preserve, were used for producing ice for cooling in the days before mechanical refrigeration, and the foundations of several ice storage buildings still remain on the property. Mountain Lakes North was donated to the Township in 2001 by the Winant family, as part of an overall agreement involving the preservation of Coventry Farm and the creation of Farm View Fields. The adjacent estate to the east is Tusculum, the historic home built by John Witherspoon. A piece of this estate, the John Witherspoon Woods, was donated to Princeton Township by the Pardee family, previous owners of Tusculum. Another piece, along the edges of Mountain Lakes and John Witherspoon Woods, was acquired by Mercer County when the Moore family took possession. The fields to the south and west of the house were acquired by Princeton Township in 2007, also with the aid of Friends of Princeton Open Space. Community Park North, which has been owned by Princeton Township since the latter part of the 20th Century, was also part of the estate at one time.
For more information about parks in Princeton Township please check the website: Princeton Township.
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