Robeson pass

A bus pass found by workers in the Paul Robeson House in Feb., 2016. (Photo | Provided)

(Kevin Wilkes)

PRINCETON - A little piece of history fell from the walls of the 150-year-old Paul Robeson house this weekend - and with it, a reminder.

On Saturday workers were just starting a project to renovate the house, which sits off Witherspoon Street and is well known as the birthplace of famous singer and political activist Paul Robeson.

They hadn't gotten far in their work when a small packet fell from the ceiling, Kevin Wilkes of the Princeton Design Guild said.

Martha Sword, of the Nassau Presbyterian Church, picked up the packet and found a transit pass inside. It was issued for Robeson's older brother, William Robeson in 1898.

The Trenton-Princeton pass was written for the older Robeson brother, "For the sole purpose of attending the high school located at Trenton, New Jersey," the pass read.

Because the Robeson brothers were black, William Robeson had to go to a school in Trenton. He was not let into the white-only high schools in Princeton at the time.

For Wilkes, the transit pass was a symbolic gesture and a frank reminder.

"It's as if someone was reaching out and saying 'don't forget,'" Wilkes said. He added that the country is still dealing with issues of racism. The pass seems to be a reminder of that and of Princeton's own sordid racial history.

It's only fitting that the pass was found in the Robeson house.

"This building for me is the nexus of so many themes of Princeton's 19th and 20th century racial conflicts," Wilkes said.

He added that Drew Robeson, the pastor of Witherspoon Street Church and father to William and Paul, worked at the church for years until he was ousted by white members of the New Brunswick Presbytery in the early 1900's. He lived in the house until shortly after leaving the church, when he and his family were forced to move for financial reasons.

In the years since the family lived there, the house has had a number of uses. The basement became a barbershop for black residents who weren't allowed to use other barbershops during segregation, Wilkes said.

Later, the top floor of the house became a boarding house for African American day laborers. Wilkes said he plans to make it into temporary housing for people in need of emergency shelter.

"This house has a lot of stories to tell," he added.

When the Witherspoon Street Church was able to buy back the Robeson home eight years ago, they planned to give it new life and Wilkes jumped on board. He even offered his architectural services for free, though the group still needs to raise $750,000 for the construction itself.

"I'm very committed to seeing that this is a project that gets done, done well to the highest quality and standards," he said.

The transit pass was - what Wilkes calls - just a "stroke of serendipity," at the beginning of a long project.

Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.