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WilliamTrentHouse
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Bring Your Students

 The educational objective of the Trent House School Tour Program is to provide students with a basic understanding of the everyday life of the household of an elite family in the early 18th century and to compare the customs and practices of the time with lifestyles children are familiar with in their own world.
 
During their visit, students will be introduced to William Trent, a wealthy merchant, judge, and founder of the city of Trenton, and to members of his household.
 
William Trent came to Philadelphia as a young man in the late 1600s and established a successful shipping business. His ships traded with the other American colonies, the West Indies, and England. Based on his trade ledgers from 1703 to 1708, we know that he bought goods such as rum, molasses, and sugar from the West Indies and lumber and other raw materials from the American colonies to England. While we do not know whether his ships brought captured Africans to the Americas, the ledgers do record the sale and purchase by Trent of enslaved people in transactions with other wealthy elite men of Philadelphia.
 
Mary Coddington Trent, who Trent married after the death of his first wife, was an orphaned young woman of means under the care of Anthony Morris, a wealthy business associate of Trent. While their dates of birth are not known with certainty, it is likely that Trent was in his mid-40s and Mary was in her late teens. When Trent died suddenly on Christmas Day 1724 and left no will, Mary brought a law suit against the eldest son from Trent’s first marriage to secure her dower rights to one-third of the estate.
 
The inventory of Trent’s property at the time of his death lists eleven enslaved people of African descent – 6 adult men (Yaff, Harry, Bossin, Julius, Pedro and Cupid), 1 adult woman Joan, 2 boys Bob and Dick and 1 girl Nanny (all probably between 9-10 and 14-15 years old), and a male child Tom. Some of these enslaved people are represented by mannequins in the house and the life of enslaved people is discussed during tours.
 
During tour of the house and depending on the time available for the tour, students will be guided through the parlors on the first floor, bedrooms on the second floor, and the open-hearth kitchen and storeroom in the basement. The house is furnished with reproduction and antique furniture of the period and items of daily use that illustrate how the rooms were used. Mannequins in the house are dressed appropriate to their age, gender, and status. Each room has some items that students can touch. 
 
Throughout the tour, students are encouraged to answer questions specific to each room, based on what they observe, see on a poster, or hear from the tour guide. Students will be provided with clipboards, pencils, and questions organized by room.
 
The William Trent House educational experience is designed for groups studying local and state history in grades 3 through 8, and is particularly appropriate as part of the social studies curriculum. Home school groups, camp programs and public, private and charter schools are most welcome.
 
Weather permitting, students may eat their lunch on the grounds of the Trent House. Benches and tables are available in the gardens; reservations are required.
 
To schedule a Field Trip at the Trent House please call 609-989-3027 or complete the information on the Contact page. 
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​Group size:
  • While it is possible to accommodate larger groups with special provisions, the ideal group size is no more than 50, which would be divided into smaller groups rotating through the field trip activities.
Fees: 
  • $4.00 per student
  • $5.00 per adult

Upon request: ​​
  • Touching and smelling the herbs and vegetables of colonial times can be part of the school experience at the Trent House. Tours of the kitchen garden are seasonal and contingent upon a gardener’s presence on site.
Judge William Trent Signature
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1719 William Trent House Museum
William Trent House Museum
Located at: 15 Market Street,
Trenton, NJ 08611
​
Mailing address: P.O. Box 77234,
​Trenton, NJ 08628
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Hours of Operation
Wednesdays – Sundays
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Closed Municipal Holidays

Admissions
Adults: $5.00
Children and Seniors: $4.00
Members: FREE

Museum (609) 989-3027
THA (609) 989-0087 

Additional Information
​Accessibility
Parking
Groups or Special Tours
Directions
Volunteer
Visit Contact page

The William Trent House Museum is a National Historic Landmark in the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail. The Museum is dedicated to sharing the authentic history of the house, property, and people with our communities, connecting the past with today and tomorrow. Owned by the City of Trenton, it is operated by the Trent House Association, which is supported by the generosity of its members and donors; by grants from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, the New Jersey Cultural Trust, the New Jersey Historic Trust, the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission with funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission, and the New Jersey Arts & Culture Renewal Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation; and by contributions from NJM Group and Orion General Contractors.
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Your donations are tax deductible. 
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  • Home
  • About
    • The Museum: Mission and Vision
    • The Association
    • News
  • Events
  • Discover!
    • House
    • Residents
    • Inventory
    • Grounds and Gardens
    • Archaeological Investigations
    • Interpreting Slavery
  • Students
  • Support
    • Donation
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Preserve Our Painting
    • Volunteer/Internship Opportunities
    • Partnerships/Corporate Sponsorship
  • Videos & Recordings
  • Contact