Bricks, Memory, and the Oldest House in Trenton
William Trent House draws you in before you hit the main steps.
There’s a brick wall tracing the edge, with Market Street traffic just beyond, and a patch of grass that’s worn by years of gatherings and quiet mornings.
Built in 1719 for a Philadelphia merchant, the house stands where the Lenni Lenape once lived, then Quaker hands worked the ground, and later, the city of Trenton grew up around it.
The front doors, double and arched, lead into a hall where original woodwork still carries the marks of three centuries.
People know this address for its ice cream socials in June, talks about soldiers in February, and the kind of weathered cupola that marks the true age of New Jersey.
A Merchant’s Legacy
William Trent bought 800 acres in 1714. He got the land from the son of Mahlon Stacy, who had owned it since the 1680s.
Stacy was a Quaker who built a mill along the Assunpink Creek.
Trent was a shipping merchant from Philadelphia who wanted a place near the river.
By 1719, he had finished building a brick house.
It was large for the time, with a hip roof and five window bays. The front door had a six-light transom.
Behind the walls, there were four chambers per floor and a central staircase.
He planted a straight line of cherry trees from the front path to the river ferry.
In 1720, Trent laid out a small grid of streets nearby. He called the new settlement “Trent Town.” The name stuck.
By 1721, the family had moved in full-time, but William Trent passed away in 1724.
The lot once held mills, outbuildings, and a ferry dock. Only the house remains.
Today, the building sits at 15 Market Street, with brick fencing and a narrow strip of lawn.
Inside, the staircase and some floors are original. The structure has kept its early layout and roofline for over 300 years.
Rented, Reused, and Repainted
After Trent’s death, the house passed into the hands of private owners. No full list survives, but three state governors lived there.
Lewis Morris, Rodman Price, and Philemon Dickerson each used it during their political careers.
The structure was still standing during the American Revolution. At different points, it housed Colonel John Cox and a physician named William Bryant.
Each had ties to local efforts during the war, though no battles took place inside the William Trent House.
Most changes in the 1800s came through new owners. They made repairs but kept the brick frame and center hall plan.
The original woodwork stayed in place across several rooms.
Its layout remained the same even as its use shifted.
By the 20th century, the property had outlived most early buildings in the city.
It sat near a road that would become Route 29. The ferry and mills were long gone.
But the front steps, brickwork, and basic floor plan stayed. The city around it grew.
William Trent House did not move.
The Museum Clause and a 1930s Reset
In 1929, Edward A. Stokes gave the William Trent House to the city.
His donation came with terms. The building had to be restored to its early look.
It could only be used as a museum, art gallery, or library.
By 1934, work had begun. Crews pulled away later additions and patched the old brick.
The wood floors and the stair rail stayed. Interior rooms were cleared, but the floor plan stayed the same.
The goal was to restore it to its appearance around 1720.
Work finished in 1936. There was no overnight rush. The process took two years. It used parts of the original frame.
The building was dedicated in 1936. It opened as a museum in 1939.
In the decades that followed, the museum added exhibits and kept the grounds open to the public.
The 1930s renovation set the form that remains today: a fenced yard, brick shell, and narrow front steps.
The cherry trees are gone, but the windows still sit tight under a dentil-lined cornice.
The house stands where Trent laid it, one block off the river.
Registry Listings and Recognition in Print
On April 15, 1970, the William Trent House became a National Historic Landmark.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on the same day.
The federal listing focused on its age, architecture, and link to the city’s founding.
The National Park Service called out its Georgian style and early urban role.
A year later, on May 27, 1971, the house was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.
Both listings secured protection and opened the door to grants. They also raised public visibility for the site.
In the decades that followed, the museum leaned on these designations to build programs.
It hosted talks, walking tours, and temporary displays.
The story of colonial Trenton was kept at street level, inside the same brick walls Trent once walked.
Each new program followed the same intent laid out in the 1930s.
Use the building to anchor stories that began when the city had fewer roads and no tracks at all.
Closed for Repairs, Reopened with Care
In June 2024, the William Trent House closed for system work. The job was clear: fix the HVAC.
Heat and moisture had started to wear on old wood and plaster.
The museum required a climate control system that could protect the structure year-round.
On February 20, 2025, the house reopened.
The fix was funded by the New Jersey Historic Trust with matching city funds.
The house was returned to public use with improved air quality but no new marks.
Summer 2025: Cones, Chairs, and History Talks
The first public event after the February reopening landed on June 1, 2025.
That date marked 86 years since the William Trent House opened as a museum in 1939. From 1 to 4 pm, families stopped by for the annual ice cream social.
Crafts and games filled the lawn. A folding table held the cones. Tours ran in short loops inside the house.
A month later, on July 6, the visitor center hosted a history talk. Paul Soltis walked through Washington’s 1775 march through New Jersey.
The presentation marked 250 years since Washington took command of the Continental Army.
The room stayed full.
An exhibit called “Oh Freedom!” filled the back wall. It traced the stories of Black soldiers during and after the war.
The material came from Kean University and Crossroads of the American Revolution.
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