The People of Turtle Island
Humans first reached the east coast of North America around 12,000 years ago. Their descendants who lived in what became New Jersey were the Lenni-Lenape. Lenni-Lenape translates to "we, the people," The land on which the Trent House was built is part of the traditional territory of the Lenni-Lenape, called “Lenapehoking.”
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Indigenous people in New Jersey began to garden about 900 CE (Common Era). They grew corn, beans, squash, and harvested wild berries and fruits. The Lenape had knowledge of healing plants and used them to treat ailments. They hunted and fished, as well.
The Lenape society was matrilineal. Lineage was traced through the mother's side and clan affiliation was determined by the mother. When they got married, Lenape were expected to marry outside of their clan, and husbands lived with their wives' families. Lenape lived in small villages organized by clan and lived communally in wooden longhouses.
Researched and narrated by Dr. Karelle Hall, a member of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe of Delaware, this Trent House video, "Lenape Relationship with the Natural World," explores relationships within the Lenape tribal nations, as well as with the natural world, and the Lenape's steadfast role as stewards of the Earth. |
Made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH), a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this video do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or NJCH.
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Based on European accounts, the Lenape were tall and healthy. They often adorned themselves with body paint and tattoos. They wore clothes made out of skin and fur.
The spiritual beliefs of ancient Lenape cannot be completely verified. According to oral tradition passed down through many generations, they believed that the world was made by a creator and that everything in creation had a spirit--good or bad. Like some other indigenous American groups, their creation story was that the land they lived on was created on the back of a turtle in the midst of the sea, given the name “Turtle Island.”
RESOURCES:
The Lenape: Archaeology, History, and Ethnography (1986) by Herbert C. Kraft
Lenape Country: Delaware Valley Society Before William Penn ( 2016) by Jean R. Soderlund
The spiritual beliefs of ancient Lenape cannot be completely verified. According to oral tradition passed down through many generations, they believed that the world was made by a creator and that everything in creation had a spirit--good or bad. Like some other indigenous American groups, their creation story was that the land they lived on was created on the back of a turtle in the midst of the sea, given the name “Turtle Island.”
RESOURCES:
The Lenape: Archaeology, History, and Ethnography (1986) by Herbert C. Kraft
Lenape Country: Delaware Valley Society Before William Penn ( 2016) by Jean R. Soderlund
Contact With Early Colonists
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European fur traders encountered Native Americans in New Jersey around the year 1600. Archaeological evidence and written history show that the two groups of people exchanged goods. Native Americans traded pelts and other goods for European objects such as glass beads, metal tools, and alcohol. Copper ornaments and a glass bead were found during archaeological excavations conducted by Hunter Research on the Trent House property. They suggest that Europeans and Lenape may have engaged in trade here. |
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Made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH), a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this video do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or NJCH.
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Later Europeans came with the goal of creating permanent settlements. The first colonists were the Dutch, followed by Swedes and Finns, then the Germans and English. Sometimes, the colonists purchased land from Native Americans, though they paid small amounts of European money or objects. These "purchases" disregarded the fact that the Lenape believed all land belonged to all people and living things. The Lenape believed these purchases were agreements to share the land with the Europeans. Researched and narrated by Brianna Dagastino, a member of the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation, Trent House's production of "Native American Government & Sovereignty" describes traditional Lenape governance, the influence of those practices on the basic principles of the Constitution, and the ongoing struggle for justice and recognition of the Lenape in New Jersey today. |
RESOURCE:
Separate Paths: Lenapes and Colonists in West New Jersey (2022) by Jean R. Soderlund
Separate Paths: Lenapes and Colonists in West New Jersey (2022) by Jean R. Soderlund
Dispossession and Diaspora
By the early 1700s, some Lenape were being pressured to leave the colony of New Jersey to find new homes in the west while others assimilated into European culture. Those that stayed in New Jersey resented the colonization of their homeland and raided European settlements during the French and Indian War (1754-1763).
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William Trent, the youngest son of the founder of Trenton, organized a militia to defend British interests in the northwest territory known as the Ohio country. Accounts of his interactions with the native people of the area are included in two books by Jason Cherry, “Pittsburgh’s Lost Outpost: Captain Trent’s Fort” (2016) and “William Trent: Factor of Ambition” (2024),
from his role in giving them blankets from smallpox victims during the French and Indian War to his reputation for effective communication in his “frame of speech to the Indians, in their style.” |
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In 1756, a colonial commission on Indian affairs was created with the goal of resolving conflicts. In 1758, a peace conference was held and some Lenape were paid for their land while even more Lenape groups made the difficult choice to leave their homes to go westward.
The colonial New Jersey government also created the first Indian reservation in 1758. Some of the Lenape were relocated to the Brotherton reservation, located in what is now Indian Mills in Burlington County, New Jersey. The reservation failed as the land was not productive and the Lenape continued to be harassed by colonists.
The colonial New Jersey government also created the first Indian reservation in 1758. Some of the Lenape were relocated to the Brotherton reservation, located in what is now Indian Mills in Burlington County, New Jersey. The reservation failed as the land was not productive and the Lenape continued to be harassed by colonists.
Tribal Nations Today
Some Lenape people remain in their ancestral lands today. Those who left New Jersey had to move again as white settlers expanded westward. Regardless of where they originated or finally settled, Native Americans across the country continued to be oppressed by colonial and then federal expansion and only gained citizenship in 1924.
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In 1982, the New Jersey government acknowledged the Powhatan Renape, Ramapough Lenape, and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape tribes. Subsequently, state recognition was dropped during the Christie administration. In 2017, the Nanticoke sued the state to regain their recognition. In 2018 and 2019, the NJ state Attorney General officially recognized the existence of the Ramapough Lenape, Powhatan Renape, and Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape nations. This state recognition qualifies the tribes for all state benefits and rights. This video, researched and narrated by Brianna Dagostino and produced by the Trent House Association, includes interviews with some of New Jersey's Lenape residents who fought for state recognition. |
Made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH), a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this video do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or NJCH.
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RESOURCE:
An Indigenous People's History of the United States (2015) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
An Indigenous People's History of the United States (2015) by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Mahlon Stacy
The first European colonist in the area was Mahlon Stacy, a Quaker immigrant from England. He purchased about 3,500 acres in West Jersey. This purchase is described in detail in an indenture or contract prepared in 1677 while Stacy was still in England, giving his brother Robert rights to a portion of this property.
The Trent House Association and the Trenton Historical Society jointly purchased this indenture, which is currently on display in the Trent House Visitor Center.
A transcription of the text of the indenture is available to view or download by clicking on the image to the right. |
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After sailing to Burlington in 1679, Stacy and his family settled at the Falls of Delaware near present-day Trenton circa 1680. He built a grist mill on Assunpink Creek. At his death in 1704, Stacy’s will left his plantation Ballifield, along with the mill and other buildings, lands and meadows, to his only son Mahlon. Although a Quaker, Stacy had enslaved people and his probate inventory listed “four Negroes.”
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After sailing to Burlington in 1679, Stacy and his family settled at the Falls of Delaware near present-day Trenton circa 1680. He built a grist mill on Assunpink Creek. At his death in 1704, Stacy’s will left his plantation Ballifield, along with the mill and other buildings, lands and meadows, to his only son Mahlon. Although a Quaker, Stacy had enslaved people and his probate inventory listed “four Negroes.” More information on Quakers in New Jersey and Mahlon Stacy is available in a presentation prepared by Shawn Carney, Museum Administrator, in 2019. Click on the image to the left to view or download. |
William Trent of Philadelphia
Trent's Scottish Heritage
William Trent (–1677) was a merchant and entrepreneur based in the port of Inverness in the 1600s, coming to prominence during its occupation by Cromwell’s army. In 1622, he married Issobell Stewart, daughter of a prominent Inverness merchant. They had seven children, one of whom was William, the founder of the City of Trenton, although his date of birth is uncertain. Some sources indicate that he was born about 1653-1655 in the Scottish Highlands; others attribute the date of his birth to 1666 when he was baptized at South Leith in southeast Scotland.
William Trent (–1677) was a merchant and entrepreneur based in the port of Inverness in the 1600s, coming to prominence during its occupation by Cromwell’s army. In 1622, he married Issobell Stewart, daughter of a prominent Inverness merchant. They had seven children, one of whom was William, the founder of the City of Trenton, although his date of birth is uncertain. Some sources indicate that he was born about 1653-1655 in the Scottish Highlands; others attribute the date of his birth to 1666 when he was baptized at South Leith in southeast Scotland.
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In 2023 Dr. Jim Mackay, chairperson of Kirkmichael in Scotland, shared his research on the life and times of Inverness merchant William Trent, the father of Trenton's founder. Additional details can be found in Dr. Mackay's extensive paper, "The Life and Times of William Trent, Merchant of Inverness, and his Family including son William Trent, founder of the City of Trenton, Capital of New Jersey, and brother Maurice Trent, Merchant of Leith." More information is available here. |
Trent as a Man of Business and Politics
Exactly when Trent emigrated to the American colonies is also unknown. Based on Philadelphia tax rolls in 1693, we know that he had followed his brother James to the American Colonies.
Exactly when Trent emigrated to the American colonies is also unknown. Based on Philadelphia tax rolls in 1693, we know that he had followed his brother James to the American Colonies.
William Trent became a very successful and wealthy merchant in Philadelphia, trading with Great Britain and the English colonies on the mainland and in the West Indies. At one time he owned an interest in over forty ships, exporting such products as tobacco, flour, and furs, while importing wine, rum, molasses, and dry goods. He also bought and sold enslaved people, as described in more detail in the next section.
While a resident of the New Jersey colony, Trent was elected to the Assembly, commissioned a colonel in one of the militia regiments, and in 1723 became New Jersey’s first resident Chief Justice.
Trent's Family
In the 1690s Trent married his first wife, Mary Burge, with whom he had three children, James, John, and Maurice. Apparently it was through her family connections that William Trent eventually acquired the land at the Falls of the Delaware River where he would build his country seat. She died, perhaps in childbirth, in 1708, and a contemporary noted in a letter to William Penn that Trent was greatly affected by her death.
In the 1690s Trent married his first wife, Mary Burge, with whom he had three children, James, John, and Maurice. Apparently it was through her family connections that William Trent eventually acquired the land at the Falls of the Delaware River where he would build his country seat. She died, perhaps in childbirth, in 1708, and a contemporary noted in a letter to William Penn that Trent was greatly affected by her death.
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In 1710 Trent married his second wife, Mary Coddington, who was in her late teens at the time of her marriage. Born into a wealthy family and well connected Quaker family, she was the stepdaughter of Anthony Morris, a prosperous Philadelphia brewer and merchant who was a business associate and contemporary of her new husband.
This video imagines Mary Coddington Trent, widowed after Trent’s sudden death, reflecting on her life and uncertain future. Worried about her future, this video, first aired on December 20, 2020, shows her explaining her personal history and describing her concerns. |
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In 1711, Mary Coddington Trent gave birth to a son, Thomas, who died that same year. A surviving son, William, was born in the 1720s, perhaps in the Trent House. The couple and Trent’s children from his previous marriage continued to live in Philadelphia as their primary residence until 1721, when Trent made his plantation on the Falls of the Delaware his permanent home for himself, his second wife, and his youngest son.
Wealth Created from Slavery
Slavery was central to Trent's wealth. Trent was active in the slave trade, buying and selling enslaved people of African descent. We know of thirteen such transactions with other prominent Philadelphia men in just the few years (1703-1708) covered by trade ledgers in the archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Slavery was central to Trent's wealth. Trent was active in the slave trade, buying and selling enslaved people of African descent. We know of thirteen such transactions with other prominent Philadelphia men in just the few years (1703-1708) covered by trade ledgers in the archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Trent owned several enterprises on his New Jersey plantation, including a grist mill, saw mill, fulling mill, and bakehouse. These enterprises produced goods for shipment to market in Philadelphia. We know that enslaved workers contributed to Trent's income through their labor in those enterprises. And after his death, Trent's probate inventory listed eleven enslaved people, assessed at almost one-third of the market value of Trent's movable property.
After Trent's Death
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William Trent died unexpectedly on Christmas Day 1724 without leaving a will. His burial place is unknown.
Trent’s oldest son, James, became executor of his father's estate, which was complicated by his heirs from his two marriages, the number of businesses and properties Trent owned, and the debts he owed and monies he was owed. A first step in settling the estate was to have a probate inventory conducted, which was substantially completed in April 1726, with an addendum one year later. |
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The probate inventory of Trent's estate listed the furnishings of the House as well as other items on the plantation. Included on the inventory was an “Account of Negroes” that included eleven enslaved people – six men (Yaff, Julius, Bossin, Harry, Cupid, and Pedro), one woman (Joan), two boys (Bob and Dick), one girl (Nanny), and one male child (Tom). For more information see the section below. To view or download a transcription of Trent's probate inventory, click on the image to the right. |
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Mary Coddington Trent renounced her role as executor in March of 1725 so she could sue her stepson James for her dower rights. She hired well known Philadelphia attorney John Kinsey to sue for one-third part of the income from four messuages (dwelling houses with considerable land), three grist mills, one saw mill, one fulling mill, one bakehouse, one dye house, one ferry house, half an ironwork, one barn, three gardens, two orchards, thirty acres of meadowland, three hundred acres of pastureland, and two hundred acres of woodland.
Mary won her court case in 1728. Her stepson James and subsequently William Morris, her half-brother, had to pay the mortgage on the estate to her from 1729-1735. This included profits and ownership of the mills and other industries on the property. She sold all rights to most of these properties to George Thomas in 1735. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mary Coddington Trent never remarried, thus retaining control over her property until she died on December 15, 1772, in her 80s. Her death is recorded in the register of Saint Michael’s Church and she is most likely buried in the Hopewell Church Burying Ground on the site of the modern day Trenton Psychiatric Hospital.
Mary won her court case in 1728. Her stepson James and subsequently William Morris, her half-brother, had to pay the mortgage on the estate to her from 1729-1735. This included profits and ownership of the mills and other industries on the property. She sold all rights to most of these properties to George Thomas in 1735. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mary Coddington Trent never remarried, thus retaining control over her property until she died on December 15, 1772, in her 80s. Her death is recorded in the register of Saint Michael’s Church and she is most likely buried in the Hopewell Church Burying Ground on the site of the modern day Trenton Psychiatric Hospital.
In March of 1737, two enslaved African men were arrested in Trenton for "practising poison," citing among their victims William Trent. They were found guilty and hanged.
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It is not known if Trent was actually murdered, or if his sudden death was later used by these men as “proof” of the efficacy of their poison. For more information on this case, the question of whether Trent was poisoned, and the laws under which the men were charged and executed, see
The People Trent Enslaved
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Included on Trent's inventory was an “Account of Negroes” that included eleven enslaved people – six men (Yaff, Julius, Bossin, Harry, Cupid, and Pedro), one woman (Joan), two boys (Bob and Dick), one girl (Nanny), and one male child (Tom).
Although we do not know the names these eleven people were given at birth, their exact ages, or how they may have been related to each other, information from the inventory gives us clues about their skills, jobs, and responsibilities. For example, we believe that the first group of six individuals - the only mixed age and gender group - lived and worked in the house, while the other five adult men worked elsewhere on the plantation, in Trent's mills and other businesses or on the farms. |
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As the only adult man in the first group, we believe that Yaff or Yaft served as Trent's butler and manservant or valet. This was a position of considerable responsibility; Trent must have trusted Yaff with the day-to-day running of the household and supervision of the other servants as well as the intimate tasks of dressing and shaving him.
Joan and Nanny are the only two females and were given high values in the inventory by the assessors. We interpret Joan as the cook for the Trent Household, capable of preparing elaborate meals using the many kitchen tools and equipment listed on the inventory. Nanny may have been Mary Trent's maid and caregiver for young William, Trent's youngest son.
Joan and Nanny are the only two females and were given high values in the inventory by the assessors. We interpret Joan as the cook for the Trent Household, capable of preparing elaborate meals using the many kitchen tools and equipment listed on the inventory. Nanny may have been Mary Trent's maid and caregiver for young William, Trent's youngest son.
Mr. Porterfield appears to have been the miller and while we do not have concrete evidence, it is likely that one of the other adult men listed on the probate inventory might have worked in the grist mill, as illustrated in this video.
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From a letter written by Trent to his eldest son James, we believe that Harry may have been a skilled baker as well as perhaps a good manager, as Trent expected him to be able to ensure that bread was baked for shipment to Philadelphia.
This video,"George Washington's Grist Mill," was edited with the express permission of the History Channel, incorporating information about Trent's grist mill. |
Advertisements for the capture and return of people who sought freedom by running away from their enslavers are a valuable source for learning more about people who were considered property, as they often contained detailed information about individuals. After Trent's estate was finally settled in 1728, Yaff was either sold or given in lieu of repayment of debts to James Alexander of New York, who was also an executor of the estate. In June 1729 Alexander had an ad placed in the New York Gazette, seeking the return of Yaff who had escaped. From this ad we learn some things about Yaff - his age, his history in enslavement, his literacy skills unusual for anyone except the elite of the times, and of course his desire for freedom and courage to seek it.
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Major William Trent
Major William Trent, Trent’s youngest son by his marriage to Mary Coddington, led a fascinating life. He was a fur trader, military leader, and land speculator on the colonial frontier.
William was still a child when his father died suddenly on Christmas Day 1724. After an apprenticeship in Philadelphia, Trent followed in his father’s footsteps as a man of business, trading with Native Americans for furs. But unlike his father he was also a military man, being commissioned by the royal governor of Virginia to assemble a force to defend British trading interests against French competition in Ohio territory. He, along with young Colonel George Washington, was sent by the Royal Governor of Virginia to establish a fort at the Forks of the Ohio River near what is now Pittsburgh to defend English control of the frontier from the French.
William was still a child when his father died suddenly on Christmas Day 1724. After an apprenticeship in Philadelphia, Trent followed in his father’s footsteps as a man of business, trading with Native Americans for furs. But unlike his father he was also a military man, being commissioned by the royal governor of Virginia to assemble a force to defend British trading interests against French competition in Ohio territory. He, along with young Colonel George Washington, was sent by the Royal Governor of Virginia to establish a fort at the Forks of the Ohio River near what is now Pittsburgh to defend English control of the frontier from the French.
The Trent House is honored to own his silk waistcoat, worn at the Court of St. James in 1769, as he sought repayment for losses he and other traders experienced during the French and Indian War. While the waistcoat itself is in storage, visitors to the Museum can see close-up photographs of it on display.
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Jason Cherry, a long-time colleague of the Trent House, has written two books about the life of Trent's youngest son, based on extensive research. On Saturday, July 20, 2024, Jason gave a talk on his second book on William Trent, the son of the man who founded Trenton.
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Lewis Morris, Royal Governor of New Jersey
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Lewis Morris is a common name in New Jersey colonial politicians. The Lewis Morris who leased the Trent House – then known as XXXX – from its owner George Thomas, Governor of the colony of Pennsylvania, was born in 1671. He was active in the political affairs of the colonies of New York and New Jersey from his early 20s, serving in the East Jersey Provincial Council in 1692. After Queen Anne established New Jersey as a unified royal colony in 1702, Morris was appointed to the New Jersey Provincial Council. In 1738, New Jersey petitioned the crown for a distinct administration from New York, and Lewis Morris served as Governor of New Jersey until his death in 1746. Morris lived in XXXX from 1742 and probably died in the house. Before moving into XXX Governor Morris required that a separate kitchen building be constructed adjacent to the house, replacing the first kitchen in the cellar that suffered from dampness and occasionally flooding. LINK TO SHORT VIDEO OF KITCHEN APPEARING NEXT TO HOUSE 
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This 1759 advertisement for lease of Kingsbury describes the kitchen building as "a Large Brick Kitchen, 30 Feet by 20, with a Handsome pav'd Gangway between the House and Kitchen, 14 Feet by 20 Long, the Kitchen two Story High, with a Well in it, and Four handsome Appartments for Servants, with a Fire-place in one room, if any of the Servants should be ill."
In 2014 Hunter Research was commissioned by the Trent House Association, with funding from NJM Insurance Group, to conduct a preliminary excavation of the area where the kitchen building had stood. This and later projects successfully uncovered evidence of the building's foundation and other artifacts.
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House on Both Sides
There is an argument to be made that during the American Revolution the Trent House was owned first by a Loyalist and then by a Patriot. However, while it is clear that the second owner - John Cox - was a declared and ardent advocate for independence from Britain and an active participant in the Revolution, the sympathies and actions of the first owner - William Bryant - are not as easily proved.
William Bryant
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Doctor William Bryant was a Yale educated physician who traveled to France to study surgery. He visited Surinam, where he recorded
his observations of the electrical eel. His paper on the subject was read at the American Philosophical Society and he was made a member. In 1759, he began service with the British army as a "staff surgeon." He worked in an army hospital in Guadeloupe in the West Indies.
After he retired, Bryant purchased Kingsbury in in 1769 for 2,800 pounds and lived there with his wife and enslaved servants. He continued practicing medicine. It is difficult to say whether Bryant was a Loyalist or not. In fact, he was in a difficult situation as calls for independence from England increased. If Bryant were to declare himself a Loyalist, he would have his property confiscated by the local Patriot Committee of Safety. If he declared himself a Patriot, he would lose his British army pension. |
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Dr. William Bryant, who owned and lived in today’s Trent House from 1769 to 1778, is usually identified as a Loyalist. But was he? His story, and the stories of people he knew in Trenton, tell us much about how people in Trenton grappled with difficult decisions about which side to support in the American Revolution and how public and vigorous their support would be.
This recording of a talk by William (Larry) Kidder explored Dr. Bryant’s life and examined the evidence often cited about his political stance. Researching Dr. Bryant’s story illustrates how a “fact” sometimes requires reconsideration and how historians act as “detectives,” sorting through partial and often conflicting evidence to shed new light on a mystery. |
John Cox
There is no doubt that John Cox was a Patriot.
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Born in 1732, Cox was a prominent, wealthy Philadelphia merchant and a declared advocate for independence from England. During the years before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War Cox served as a Justice of the Peace for Burlington and Gloucester Counties and was a member of the Committee of Observation for Burlington County, which enforced the boycott of British goods enacted in 1774 by the First Continental Congress. In 1775 he was appointed to the position of Major in the Pennsylvania Associated Militia and became a Lieutenant Colonel in 1776. In late December 1776 and early January 1777 he fought with Washington in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. In 1778 Cox purchased Kingsbury from Dr. Bryant and renamed it Bloomsbury. In the same year he was appointed Deputy Quartermaster of the Continental Army under General Nathaniel Greene. Cox drew on his skills in business in provisioning the army. Bloomsbury became a supply depot for the Continental Army and in 1781 Rochambeau’s artillery were parked on the property in preparation for being ferried across the Delaware River during the march to Yorktown. |
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Cox was friends with the Washingtons, Generals Knox and Greene, Count Rochambeau, the Marquis de Lafayette and other revolutionary leaders and entertained them at Bloomsbury. His wife and daughters helped organize the welcome Washington received as he traveled through Trenton on his way to his inauguration in New York in 1789.
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Cox and his family were very likely to have also participated in welcoming the Marquis de Layatette when he visited Trenton in December 1784. This was during the short period that Trenton was the new nation's capital and Lafayette met with Congress there.
A hero of the American Revolution, Lafayette would have been feted by music of all kinds in private home and public houses. Two hundred and forty years later the Trent House produced an original video recording of historic music of the period, with performance by the Practitioners of Musick (John Burkhalter and Donovan Klotzbeacher) and introductory remarks by Mr. Burkhalter. |
Trenton Eyewitnesses to the Revolution
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During the Revolution the town of Trenton had about 500 residents. Among them were Patriots and Loyalists, men and women, adults and children, enslaved and free people of color. Based on extensive research and with funding from the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission, William (Larry) Kidder prepared first-person narratives of the lives and experiences of twenty-two of these individuals. The narratives are printed on one side of cards approximately 7 inches by 5 inches. The other side of the cards is the image to the right, which is from the memoirs of Georg Flohr, a German who had served with General Rochambeau during the Yorktown campaign. His memoirs are interspersed with depictions of what he saw during that campaign. The full set of narratives can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the image. A printed set can be requested by emailing [email protected]. |
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Trent House in an Era of Rapid Change
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During the 19th century, the house that had been called first "Kingsbury" and then "Bloomsbury" was renamed "Woodlawn" by Joseph Wood when he purchased the property in 1852. By that time, substantial changes had been made to the house's architecture, as shown in this photograph.
The roof had been lowered, the cupola removed, and porches added. It was during these renovations that we believe a single shoe, probably one made to be worn by a woman servant, was left in the roof infrastructure. This shoe was found again during roof repairs in 2018. How did this shoe, which experts estimated was made in the 1830-1850 period, get into a roof constructed in the 1700s? And if it was deliberately placed there, why? Read this brochure to learn our answers to these questions. |
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The Trent House's architecture changed again and by the late 19th century it had been transformed into a "Gilded Age" mansion, though still in an area surrounded by factories and rowhouses. Two large structure, additional porches, and a greenhouse had been added by the time this photograph was taken in 1899.
By then Woodlawn was owned by Edward H. Stokes, son-in-law of Joseph Wood having married his daughter Permelia in 1860 and thereby becoming one of the wealthiest men in Trenton. For the next nearly seven decades the house was occupied by two generations of the Stokes family, until it was given to the City of Trenton in 1929 by Edward A. Stokes. During the 1930s the house was restored to its colonial appearance intended for use as a public cultural institution as required by Stokes' deed of gift. |
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During the Stokes era Trenton underwent tremendous social change as its industrial economy grew. From 1870 through 1920 the U.S. Census recorded no less than 20 percent of Trenton's population as foreign born reaching 25 percent in 1920. In 1900 English, German, and Irish immigrants together represented 70 percent of Trenton's foreign-born residents, while in 1920 these groups were only 23 percent of foreign-born Trentonians. Immigrants from Czech-Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Russia were about half of all foreign-born residents with Italian immigrants adding almost another quarter.
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As was the case across the nation, Trenton's foreign-born residents, particularly those from Eastern Europe and Italy, found it difficult to be accepted as American, even after years of living in the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen, and being fluent in English. An analysis of employment records from the Roebling wire works factories in the late 1910s and early 1920s illustrates this and places this in the context of nativism of the time.
This analysis is described in this recording, addressing the question “Why are some workers who emigrated to the United States considered 'American' while others were not?" and "how was the process of becoming American influenced by public attitudes and the political circumstances of the day?" |
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