Preserve New Jersey Historic Trust
Historic Site Management Grant
Capital Level II Grant
Grant Award: $40,000 (2006); $44,482 (2020), $75,000 (2022); $750,000 (2022) Grant Recipient: First Presbyterian Church of Trenton County: MercerMunicipality: Trenton
The First Presbyterian Church and Cemetery dates to 1839 and is the third building built on this site. It was built by Hotchkiss & Thompson of New Haven, Connecticut. This Greek Revival church with its pedimented façade and steeple, faces East State Street in the center of the City of Trenton’s business district. At the date of its construction, it was the largest building in the city. The cemetery is reported to hold the graves of Hessian soldiers, prominent Trentonians, and veterans of the Revolutionary War. The fellowship hall was added in 1951 to fit the needs of the Church. The First Presbyterian Church served as an active place of worship until 2022, when the Church established a non-profit organization to reuse and steward the property.
The 2022 HSM Trust grant will help fund the preparation of concept design, schematic design, and design development documents for the interior renovation and site improvements to the church and cemetery. The 2022 Capital Level II Trust grant will help fund the stabilization of the exterior envelop of the building.
The 2020 Trust grant helped fund a conditions assessment and site preservation plan for the First Presbyterian Cemetery.
The 2006 Trust grant helped fund the preparation of a preservation plan that identified priority repair and restoration needs.
For more information, visit: http://old1712.org