The painting on the cover, “Carroll’s Christmas Tree Farm on Christmas Eve,” is the latest from Princeton-area artist Robert Hummel. For the past 24 years, Hummel has made a name for himself as an artist painting scenes from Princeton and the surrounding area, including several of the infamous “War of the Worlds” martian landing at Grovers Mill in West Windsor.
His newest holiday painting features Carroll’s Christmas Tree Farm, a family-owned business located in Lawrence that is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Of the tree farm, Hummel writes:
“Shawn Carroll, known as Mr. Christmas by his customers, could not be a nicer person, as all find out who meet him or work for him. His dad even had a Christmas Tree Farm in Lambertville for a short time and, after selling it, his son wanted one of his own. His mom runs an antique shop in the Hopewell Tomato Factory and is often seen making homemade wreaths and pine baskets with other talented staff in the rustic barn at Carroll’s.
“This year they have visits and photo-ops in their newly decorated historic stone Spring House with Kristophor Kringle (Santa) who shows up at the Palmer Square Tree Lighting each year and used to be a regular at Kales before they closed this past year.”
Also available for purchase at the farm is a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring Hummel’s artwork, the second such puzzle to be offered for sale.
Carroll’s Christmas Tree Farm is located at 3980 Princeton Pike, Lawrence. The farm is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Christmas Eve. For more information, view the farm’s page on Facebook or Instagram.
While Carroll’s Christmas Tree Farm has become part of many families’ holiday traditions in its three decades in operation, the very notion of a Christmas tree farm is a tradition rooted in Mercer County history.
As Dan Aubrey reported ahead of last year’s holiday season (U.S. 1, November 29, 2023):
“If heading out to a Christmas Tree farm conjures days of yore in far off places, it’s time to adjust the memory. Rather than a far-off farm in some rural countryside, the first holiday tree farm was in Hamilton Township.
“As the New York Times reports, ‘In 1901, a farmer named William McGalliard planted about 25,000 Norway spruce seedlings on a plot of land outside Trenton.
“‘By 1907, when Mr. McGalliard’s trees had grown only to about 8 or 10 feet, there was a sudden Victorian vogue for trees in homes at Christmas time. Until then, the rich had often brought in a Douglas or Balsam fir from a nearby patch and decorated it. But the growing middle class wanted in on the rage and Mr. McGalliard, like any good businessman, seized the opportunity and began advertising his crop for $1 each — come and cut on your own.’
“The Times article concludes with New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers Association president John Perry saying, ‘As far as we know, that is the first Christmas tree farm anywhere. The Norway spruce may be unique to New Jersey as a Christmas tree because of that.’’’
