You hate to hear news like this.

The city of Cranbury, New Jersey, plans to seize a 175-year-old family farm in order to build affordable housing.

Chris and Andy Henry have revealed that their 21-acre farm in Middlesex County is in danger of being seized through eminent domain.

Listen to Chris here:

BREAKING: Cranberry, NJ to seize a 175 year old family farm to build affordable housing pic.twitter.com/5JPkeomTmP

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 13, 2025

Per New Jersey:

Chris Henry stood before the Cranbury Township Committee earlier this week, begging the town not to seize a historic farm his family has owned for generations.

Henry and his brother, Andy, grew up on the South River Road farm, completed their Eagle Scout projects in Cranbury and have returned year after year to help maintain the Middlesex County land their great-grandfather purchased in 1850.

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“We love the town and have spent decades of our lives here, as have our parents and our ancestors,” Chris Henry said in the meeting Monday.

Their parents, both World War II veterans, left a lasting legacy in Cranbury, marked by their mother’s name etched on the town’s war memorial.

Since taking full ownership of the farm over a decade ago, the brothers said they have invested more than $200,000 to maintain it. Though the Henry brothers now live in New Mexico, they visit regularly to check on the property, which is run by a local tenant who raises sheep and cattle.

Cranbury officials are moving forward with plans to seize the 21-acre farm through eminent domain to make space for the construction of affordable housing. Town officials say they plan to pay the family a fair price for the land, even though the Henry brothers don’t want to sell.

The brothers are making a final push to save the land.

“We’re asking that the township committee look at other alternatives that don’t require this blunt force method of eminent domain against a family that does not want to sell their property,” Chris Henry said.

The family’s plea comes as Cranbury races to meet a June 30 deadline to submit its affordable housing plan to the state. The township is required to build 265 affordable housing units over the next decade — part of a statewide mandate that has stirred controversy in some towns.

Listen to the owner of the 175 year old farm talk his family’s legacy in that home

Cranbury Township Committee is out of their mind trying to seize this land, they are basically saying any property is theirs & you can’t say anything about it

Make some noise, save our farms https://t.co/0OUsDQvAt4 pic.twitter.com/vddXxVsV2d

— Wake Up NJ New Jersey (@wakeupnj) May 28, 2025

Patriot Newswire  had more on the story:

In all the chaos of today’s America we are slowly loosing our history and historical landmarks. There is an urgency in dissecting and preserving the valuable legacies we leave for our children and theirs. We must overcome this trend to erase our history. This farm, in Cranbury, New Jersey, is a 175-year-old family farm standing as a symbol of resilience. Andy Henry and his brother Christopher have spent decades protecting their 21-acre property on South River Road, rejecting $20-30 million offers from developers. Now, the township wants to seize the land through eminent domain to build affordable housing, sparking a heated battle over heritage versus housing needs. Here’s why this clash to save Andy Henry’s Farm matters.

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Since 1850, the Henry family has farmed this land, starting with Andy’s great-grandfather, Joseph McGill. Despite a farmhouse fire in 1879 and economic struggles after a family death in 1936, the family held on. Today, the brothers lease the land to a local farmer raising cattle and sheep, keeping the farm alive.

“Our family sacrificed for 175 years,”

Andy says.

“We won’t give up now.”

The farm is a rare green oasis in an industrial zone. The New Jersey Turnpike, built in 1952, and a nearby exit in 1972 turned Cranbury’s northeast corner into a hub of warehouses. The Henry’s adapted while neighboring farms vanished, preserving a piece of history.

Cranbury Township plans to take the farm to meet New Jersey’s affordable housing mandates, requiring 265 units in their area by 2035. On May 12, 2025, the township administrators passed an ordinance targeting the Henry farm, citing its access to sewer, water, and proximity to transit. If the brothers defy and don’t sell, eminent domain could force them out. The Henrys, backed by attorney Timothy Duggan, are ready to fight in court. They argue the farm’s location—surrounded by warehouses and near the noisy Turnpike—is unfit for housing. Residents like former Mayor Jay Taylor agree, noting the site’s isolation, two miles from downtown.

What’s your view on this?

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.

View the original article here.