Skip to main content

Exhibits:

Necessary and Proper for the Public Good

A New Century, A New Barracks

1913 and 2017. The view looking down Barrack Street (Formerly North Willow St.) towards the Delaware River. The edge of the Barracks is just visible on the right edge of the photographs. From the Collection of the Old Barracks Association, 1981.006.0008.

In 1902, the Old Barracks Association, formerly the Purchase Fund Committee, acquired the south wing of the Old Barracks after a three year fundraising effort. The women of the Purchase Fund Committee hailed from the wealthiest families of Trenton and belonged to patriotic organizations including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Society of the Colonial Dames. The group planned to use the Barracks to collect and display artifacts related to the Revolutionary War. To that end, the Old Barracks has functioned as a museum for over one hundred years!

Several years after the Association purchased the southern portion of the Barracks, the State of New Jersey purchased the northern section, which included the Officers’ House. Efforts to restore the building to more closely resemble its earliest days in 1758 began in 1914. Renovations included removing part of Front Street and reconnecting the bisected Barracks, which had been separated in 1793, demolishing several buildings in the immediate vicinity, and restoring the interiors throughout. During this time, the State of New Jersey entered into a unique joint-venture with the Association. The State would own and maintain the Barracks property and structures and provide operating funds, while the Old Barracks Association would preserve the collections and manage the site’s administration. This public-private partnership has existed for over one hundred years and continues today.

1913 and 2017. Taken from West Front Street, these photos illustrate the reconstruction of the middle section of the Barracks during the renovation. The building with the white shutters (as seen in the left-hand photo) was joined with the right side of the Barracks during the renovations, creating the u-shaped structure seen on the right. To accommodate the renovation, the section of Front Street leading towards the State House was removed. From the Collection of the Old Barracks Association, 1993.001.0020.

1915. Taken from the newly-dug foundation of the Masonic Temple, this photo shows the Old Barracks midway through its restoration in the early 20th century. Note the section of building with white shutters, just to the left of the flagpole, which was on the other side of Front Street before the road was removed and the section of the Old Barracks reconstructed. From the Collection of the Old Barracks Association, 2014.006.0001.

In addition to operating as a museum and in order to generate income, the Old Barracks Association rented rooms of the Barracks to various patriotic organizations, including the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Society of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of New Jersey. During the renovation, these organizations packed up and stored the antique furniture and decorative accents which adorned their meeting rooms. Upon completion of the renovations at the end of 1916, each group eagerly moved back in to their appointed room, excited to conduct business in such a lovingly restored space. However, it was not long before the building would become involved in the biggest conflict the world had ever seen.

Additional Exhibit Information:

You’re Viewing: A New Century, A New Barracks

A Chapter of Exhibit: Necessary and Proper for the Public Good
Exhibit Chapters (8):

A New Century, A New Barracks

Current Chapter

President Wilson’s call for Red Cross aid

Red Cross Operations Expand

Revolutionary Relic used as Red Cross Headquarters

A Close-Knit Community

The War Effort Winds Down

Dispute Over Departure