Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton is the capital of New Jersey and considered the second-oldest state capital in the United States. The city is steeped in colonial history and was the site of the first American victory in the Revolutionary War. Trenton also developed into a major center of manufacturing, particularly pottery. With the decline of manufacturing in the 1970s, Trenton has struggled to regain its identity and improve its economy. Trenton has begun to redevelop the downtown area in the hopes of attracting more businesses and residents. Trenton is also the county seat of Mercer Country.

Landscape

Trenton is located in the center of New Jersey. It is one of the smallest state capitals in the nation, with the city proper covering only 7.65 square miles. Trenton lies close to sea level, with the highest point only forty-two feet above it. The Delaware River, which runs along the west side of the city, is an important historical and geographical landmark. Several bridges stretch across the river, connecting Trenton to Pennsylvania.

Trenton has a humid climate that is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean. Due to its four distinct seasons and equal amounts of precipitation in each season, the city has also been classified as having a temperate climate. In the summers, the average high temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the average low is 67 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, highs reach around 38 degrees Fahrenheit with low temperatures averaging only about ten degrees cooler.

Climate change is a serious concern in Trenton and throughout New Jersey. Higher temperatures produce more intense heat waves. However, the greatest problem Trenton faces is heavy rains. If water levels continue to rise, about 26 percent of the properties in Trenton face frequent flooding. Flooding may also cut off access to utilities and emergency services.

People

According to 2022 US Census Bureau estimates, Trenton has a population of 89,661. As of 2022, the population is largely Black or African American, at 45.5 percent, with 25.7 percent of the population being White. Those who identify as Hispanic or Latino represent 38.7 percent.

Trenton is largely defined by its surrounding neighborhoods, divided by the cardinal directions. The North Ward is a neighborhood predominantly populated by Polish Americans, some of whom are directly descended from the large number of Polish immigrants to first settle in the area. South of Trenton is Chambersburg, which is home to a large number of Latino residents. Chambersburg also houses an Italian community. Communities of African Americans comprise the areas east and west of Trenton.

The city's diversity is celebrated every year with the annual Heritage Days Festival. The festival is always held during the first Saturday in June. The city's patriotism is celebrated during Patriot's week. Organized by the Trenton Downtown Association (TDA), the week was first held as a way to encourage and promote cultural tourism in the city. Patriot's week celebrates Trenton's colorful role in US history, specifically the America Revolution. Patriot's week is held during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Economy

Trenton thrived as a major industrial center in the late 1880s and throughout the first few decades of the twentieth century. In 1917, the city adopted the slogan "Trenton Makes, The World Takes" to reflect its status as the primary manufacturer in the country and one of the largest in the world of such popular items and materials as rubber, ceramics, wire rope, and cigars. Although Trenton became the state capital in 1790, the city's focus had always been on industry, not government, and there were very few government offices within the city's limits.

This changed in the 1970s, when manufacturing jobs began to decline. In the early 1980s, the city enacted a revitalization project. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2023, Trenton's largest employment sectors were government, education and health services, professional and business services, and trade, transportation, and utilities. The state of New Jersey was one of the biggest employers in Trenton.

The city and its surrounding neighborhoods, however, continued to decline in population, and many businesses have moved to more popular areas of the state. In another effort to draw residents and businesses to the city, the state government declared in 1983 that portions of Trenton would be labeled an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ). Companies within this zone got special tax rates and other incentives designed to encourage business, while shoppers could enjoy a lowered sales tax rate. However, in 2017, the UEZ was eliminated, and Trenton continued to suffer economically.

As of 2022, the median household income in Trenton was $44,444, and 26.2 percent of its residents were living in poverty, as compared to 11.2 percent nationwide.

Landmarks

Trenton is rich in colonial history, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the city's landmarks. The Old Barracks is one of the most-visited places in New Jersey and is considered both a state and national landmark. The barracks date back to the French and Indian War (1754–63), for which they were built. They served a pivotal role during the American Revolution in the 1776 and 1777 Battles of Trenton (the second is referred to as the Battle of the Assunpink Creek). In 1914, The Old Barracks site was given to the state of New Jersey, which repaired and restored it. Today, it is a center for colonial and American history and the last building of its kind, attracting more than twenty thousand visitors annually.

The New Jersey State Museum (NJSM) is also located in Trenton. Founded in 1895, the museum displays items that tell the story of the state's natural and industry history and features a planetarium. Other museums include the Trenton City Museum, which details the city's cultural and historical past. The museum is located in Cadwalader Park.

Cadwalader Park, located in the center of the city, was designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City. The park covers almost one hundred acres and includes public picnic areas and playgrounds, a small lake, stream, hundreds of trees and a deer paddock. In the center of the park lies Ellarslie Mansion, in which the Trenton City Museum is housed.

Washington Crossing State Park is located just eight miles north of Trenton, on the Delaware River. It marks the spot of the historic crossing of the Delaware undertaken by General George Washington and his troops on Christmas night in 1776. The park is the location of the state's annual Spirit of the Jersey's History Fair, which features exhibits, historical demonstrations and reenactments, children's activities, and arts and crafts.

History

The first European settlers in the Trenton area were Quakers who had migrated to North America from England in order to escape religious persecution. They settled in the area in 1679 under the leadership of a man named Mahlon Stacy. Later, the Stacy family would sell a large portion of their land to William Trent; so much land, in fact, that the area was soon called "Trent-towne." Eventually, this was shortened to Trenton.

Trenton is most famous for being the site of the Battle of Trenton, which occurred during the Revolutionary War in 1776, a crucial American victory in the early stages of the war. George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River during a stormy, icy Christmas night. Afterward, they marched to Trenton, eight miles away, defeating the Hessian troops who were stationed in the city. This was the first of Washington's many military victories.

In 1784, Trenton was named the capital of the United States, a move that lasted only two months. In 1790, the city was named the capital of the state of New Jersey. That same year, New Jersey became the first state to sign the Bill of Rights.

European settlers continued to move into the area, but the primary attraction shifted from the search for religious freedom to economic prosperity. During the nineteenth century, Trenton became a major center for manufacturing, the most famous product of which was ceramics. By 1883, there were twenty-three pottery centers in operation in the small city. Forty years later, that number had doubled.

With the advent of cheaper manufacturing techniques and even cheaper labor came national conglomerate groups. A strike in 1923 crippled the pottery industry, and shortly thereafter, conglomerates started buying out locally owned manufacturing plants, paring them down or closing them entirely. By the early 1960s, Trenton's manufacturing industry was almost completely shutdown, and the city floundered.

In the 1980s, parts of the city were declared to be an UEZ. Companies were given incentives and bonuses in order to encourage them to establish businesses in the zone. This was the first step in an effort to revitalize the downtown area. While the move did not create an urban boom, it was not considered a failure either. In 2005, more than $400 million dollars, consisting of public and private funding, was dedicated to renew and restore parts of the city, especially the downtown area. However, by early 2017, then governor Chris Christie had declined to extend the UEZ designations despite attempts by lawmakers to extend them by at least two years, and Trenton became one of the cities impacted when the area's sales tax subsequently increased to the statewide amount. In 2018, Trenton and the state government formed a partnership aimed at revitalizing the city, which serves as the seat of government for both, and improving public safety.

Bibliography

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