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News & Notes: Estate of former University President Witherspoon sells for $5.5 million

A local historic property with many University connections was sold at auction for a reported $5.5 million last Thursday night, the Times of Trenton reported.

The 23-acre estate, called Tusculum, wasbuilt in 1773 for Princeton’s sixth president, John Witherspoon. It was sold by owners Thomas Moore ’73 and Avril Moore ’73 after six years on the market.

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Named after the Roman city of Tusculum — “wisp of incense” — the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Witherspoon often hosted President George Washington and his wife while he lived there.

The Moores bought the property at 166 Cherry Hill Road for $3 million in 1996. In 2006, they sold 35 acres of the estate to the former Princeton Township for the below-market price of $2.9 million to prevent potential development of the land. The owners originally listed the property for $12 million in July 2007.

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