In an effort to capture West Windsor history, Community Middle School photography students and students who participate in the Exceptional Initiative, the gifted program from Millstone River School, researched and photographed the disappearing barns and farms of West Windsor. The project was conceived and coordinated by West Windsor resident Donna Clovis, who wanted to involve students in local historical research.
“The photography project has helped students appreciate historical preservation, journalistic research, art, and photography,” says Clovis.
Students have photographed barns and farms in color and black and white and made 8” x 10” prints to be matted with historical research. They plan to donate the final photographs and research to the West Windsor Historical Society.
They used library archives and interviews with area residents — some whose families have owned the farm properties for 200 years. Teacher Victoria Anderson also assisted with the project.
Millstone River School students participating in the project include Sahana Jayaraman, Molly Fisch-Friedman, An Le, Shreya Luthra, Josh Bocarsly, Kathryn Rose, William Whipple, Aniruddh Shivram, Michael Wu, and Avik Banerjee.
Community Middle School Photography Club students include Candace Bilardo, Kevin Campbell, Natalie Declet, Jordan Hemingway, Tim Howarth, Shannon London, Nele Ludwig, Rachel Mynes, Vrinda Varia, Alanna Wagenblast, Katie Wang, and Nikita Anand.