About Trenton

Capital of the state, Trenton was settled at the highest navigable point on the Delaware River in 1679. The site's potential for industry, trade and shipping was recognized by Philadelphia merchant William Trent, who in 1714 purchased 1,600 acres and a mill built by the original settlers. The village came to be known as Trent's Town, later Trenton.

In 1776 Hessian troops occupied the city for the British as Gen. George Washington and his army crossed New Jersey into Pennsylvania. On Dec. 26, 1776, after crossing the Delaware 8 miles upstream, Washington surprised the Hessian garrison, taking about 1,000 prisoners. The victory was his first in the war at the Battle of Trenton.

The city was named the state capital in 1790, and the State House was constructed in 1792. The 1883 opening of the Brooklyn Bridge brought fame to Trenton-based John A. Roebling’s Sons Co., also designers of the George Washington and Golden Gate bridges. Trenton was the center of the American pottery industry for 60 years after the Civil War, and porcelain from Boehm and Cybis are among Trenton's major manufacturing products.

Trenton's seven historic districts preserve many key sites. The Mill Hill Historic District between Mercer and Jackson streets has brick sidewalks, gaslights and restored Victorian houses. The State House Historic District, W. State Street between Willow and Calhoun streets, is an architecturally rich area where 19th-century Trenton's prominent families have been replaced by 21st-century Trenton's prominent lobbyists.

Visitor Information

Capital Region Tourism Visitor Center: Lafayette at Barracks St., P.O. Box 206, Trenton, NJ 08625; phone (609) 777-1770.

Trenton hotels