Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund
Grant Award: 232,657 (1995); $26,250 (2005); $45,000 (2016) Grant Recipient: St. Michael's Episcopal Church County: MercerMunicipality: Trenton
Organized in 1704, St. Michael’s is one of the oldest churches in the state’s capitol. The building dates to 1748, with the castellated Gothic-style façade added in 1851 and the parish house and chapel constructed in 1892. The cemetery is the final resting place for David Brearly, signer of the Constitution, and the daughter of Joseph Bonaparte whose estate was located in nearby Bordentown, among others. During the Revolutionary War, services at St. Michael’s were suspended because of the congregation’s mixed Loyalist and Revolutionary sentiments. During Hessian occupation, the building was used as a barracks. The church played a crucial role in the First Battle of Trenton in 1776 when fighting between the colonists and Hessians was as close as the church yard. Later used as a hospital for the Continental Army, religious services resumed in 1783.
The Trust grant would help fund restoration of the main elevation including repairs to stucco, masonry, copper detailing, wood trim, leaking eaves, and flashing.
For more information, visit: www.stmichaelstrenton.org/about/history/