Samuel Nixon

Samuel Nixon was a free person of color from a prominent family in Cranbury. He was a farmer and owned several properties in the area. In 1855, Samuel Nixon purchased a plot of land for $105, worth roughly $3400 today, and donated the land to the town’s first African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church. The congregation was located in what was known as the “Africa” neighborhood of Cranbury, which was home to a majority of the town's families of color. Some suggest that the church was a stop on the underground railroad, but that claim remains unproven as of yet. After 20 years, the church moved to Hightstown, where it still exists today. You can read more about the church in this article.

Samuel Nixon also has a family plot in Brainerd Cemetery in which several generations of decedents are buried.