To the Editor:
The Historical Society of Princeton and the Princeton Historic Preservation Commission would like to thank Triumph Restaurant and Brewery for hosting a fascinating tour last week highlighting its adaptive reuse from post office to dining establishment. Special thanks to corporate sales manager Eric Nutt, manager Ray Villano, and, especially, architect Kevin Wilkes, who led the tour.
More than 20 attendees got first-hand insights into the seven-year process of conversion. Among many revelations: who would have imagined the red tape involved because the federal government retains ownership of the mural in the former grand lobby that now serves as the main dining room?
Our organizations are happy to highlight one of Princeton’s several adaptive reuse successes. We recognize that historic preservation is often not about suspending buildings in a bubble, but about how we manage change in the present — for the future. Reimagining a 1930s federal building as an updated and stylish brewery/restaurant provides continuity between Princeton’s vital past and present — a continuity about which we can be justly proud.