Facts about The Waxwood:

• In 1858, the Witherspoon School opened its doors in a building on the corner of Maclean and Witherspoon Streets. In 1908, a new site on Quarry Street was purchased and assumed the Witherspoon School name. In 1947, it became New Jersey's first desegregated school.


• After 1947, the school served all local children in sixth through eighth grade until 1968 when it was closed and later converted into Princeton Nursing Home.


• In 2002 Bob Hillier bought the property and began renovation once the nursing home moved to its new facility in July 2003.


• The new residential property is named The Waxwood in honor of the school's principal in charge during desegregation, Howard B. Waxwood, Jr.


• During the renovation, Hillier kept the classroom-like floor plan and returned the ceilings to their original 12-foot height. The largest single cost on the project was the new windows, many exceeding eight and a half feet in height, customized to replicate the windows in the original school building.


• There are 34 units in total: three are designated affordable units in accordance with the Council on Affordable Housing guidelines; five units are administered by the Waxwood Foundation. As a result, almost 25% of the Waxwood's units receive a developer subsidy.


• The eight affordable and foundation units are available only to individuals who have lived in the John-Witherspoon community for ten years or are direct descendants of individuals who meet this residency requirement.


• The Waxwood Foundation provides renters with a 10 percent rent subsidy. When these units are sold, the foundation will provide buyers with 20 percent of the purchase price of the unit based on the prevailing market value - essentially eliminating the need for a down payment.


• The Waxwood renovation has received preliminary approval from the United States Department of the Interior for Historic Preservation designation. Full approval is expected once the renovation is complete.


• This project marks the seventh residential property in the Princeton area that Bob Hillier has renovated and adapted for residential use. Other sites include One Markham and South's Garage on Moore St, now known as 36 Moore.


• J. Robert Hillier, FAIA, is the founder and president of Hillier Architecture, which is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1966, Hillier provides services in architecture, interior architecture, strategic facilities planning, historic preservation, urban design and graphic design.