Cranbury History Center

In 1736, the land now occupied by the Gristmiller's House and the Cranbury Firehouse was purchased for the site of a gristmill, to grind grain for the farms throughout the Township. The mill burned down in 1860, but was reconstructed. It was probably then that the present Gristmiller's House was built .

Cranbury Township acquired the Gristmiller's House from an early Cranbury family, and from 1968 to 1985 the house served as Cranbury's Police Station.

When the Police Department moved to other quarters, the house began to deteriorate and was threatened by demolition. The Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society leased the house from the Township in order to save it. With the help of a matching grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the generous support of Cranbury residents, friends ,and businesses, the restoration of the Gristmiller's House was completed in the spring of 1993, and dedicated on September 18, 1993.

The house now serves as the Cranbury History Center. The Society's collection of all visual, oral, and written records of Cranbury's history is kept there. It also provides storage for artifacts and memorabilia not on current exhibit, and the Society's textile collections. The Cranbury History Center is open to the public for research and use of the Society's records. There is a charge for research services.