Grovers Mill Pond Saved - But Not By Tom Cruise

Grovers Mill Pond Saved - But Not By Tom Cruise

New Jersey Conservation Foundation Already Saved the 37-Acre Pond Near Princeton Junction

WEST WINDSOR, N.J., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom Cruise may try to save the world and Grovers Mill Pond in Steven Spielberg's $200 million version of "War of the Worlds" hitting theaters next week, but he will be about 20 years too late. The New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJCF) saved the 37-acre pond near Princeton Junction, the fabled site of the H.G. Wells' classic, in December 1985 as the first piece of the Millstone River Greenbelt.

"I'm afraid we beat Tom to the punch," said Michele Byers, NJCF Executive Director. "But all kidding aside, this is what our Foundation is all about -- preserving New Jersey's land and natural resources for the benefit of all -- not fighting off Martians."

In 1987, NJCF helped the community celebrate the 49th anniversary of the Martian invasion by transferring Grovers Mill Pond to West Windsor Township for use as part of a greenway. The township used a state Green Acres Program grant to help facilitate the purchase. The grant paid for half of the pond's estimated value -- $92,500 at the time. NJCF donated by credit the township's half of the purchase price, or $46,250, so that West Windsor did not have to put up any money of its own to acquire the property.

"NJCF also provided a $35,000 grant from our land fund to the township to help it restore the pond," Byers said. NJCF acquired the land adjacent to the township's Van Nest Park in 1985 from Lawrence Dey of Princeton Junction and his daughter, Linda Dey McDonald of Atlanta. Today, the land is part of the Millstone River Greenway.

The Grovers Mill Pond tract was part of a 77-acre parcel purchased by Dey's father in 1929. The remaining acreage has been gradually sold off. The deed defining the pond's borders dates back to 1833. The mill powered by water from the pond ceased operation some 40 years ago.

Formed by the damming of Big Bear Brook, which feeds into the Millstone, Grovers Mill Pond is located in the center of the village made famous by the 1938 radio broadcast of the Mercury Theatre of the Air, which convinced many listeners that the New Jersey countryside was actually being overrun by monsters from outer space.

The chilling words of the late master-dramatist Orson Welles rang out on October 30, 1938: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been handed a message that came in from Grovers Mill by telephone. At least 40 people, including six state troopers, lie dead in a field east of the village ... "

The radio program was preceded by an announcement that it was a dramatization, but many missed the disclaimer and millions became terrified as the little Mercer County hamlet was introduced to the nation's airwaves.

The transfer of the Grovers Mill Pond to West Windsor was marked by a Halloween Eve 1987 celebration at the pond, which included an appearance by Howard Koch, the scriptwriter who turned out the adaptation of the Wells classic in six days. Koch's other screenwriting credits include Casablanca. He was joined in the reminiscing by local residents who experienced its effects first hand as well as a few costumed Martians.

The mission of New Jersey Conservation Foundation is to preserve New Jersey's land and natural resources for the benefit of all. As a leading innovator and catalyst for saving land, NJCF protects strategic lands through acquisition and stewardship; promotes strong land use policies; and forges partnerships to achieve conservation goals. Since 1960, NJCF has protected tens of thousands of acres of open space -- from the Highlands to the Pine Barrens to Delaware Bayshore, from farms to forests to urban and suburban parks. For more information, call 1-888-LAND-SAVE, or visit the Foundation's website at http://www.njconservation.org/ .

Source: New Jersey Conservation Foundation

CONTACT: Fred Feiner of New Jersey Conservation Foundation, +1-908-234-1225 Ext. 104, fred@njconservation.org

Web site: http://www.njconservation.org/

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