Trenton, New Jersey

         New Jersey is my home. I was born there, raised there, and the vast majority of my life experience occurred within its borders. Like many other people, my feelings about my home state are mixed. I know it better than any other, so its attributes and drawbacks are more apparent to me than those of other states. Unfortunately, most people have a habit of focusing on the negatives of living in New Jersey, but there are definitely some endearing things about the Garden State.

For one, the people are typically very direct and at least a little sarcastic. While some people may not love those qualities in people, I most definitely do, because life is too short to beat around the bush and not tell people how it is. You’ll never be unsure of how someone feels about something in New Jersey, because they will tell you without a modicum of trepidation, regardless of who you are. In a world that struggles with honesty, I see this as a big plus.

Also, people who have not lived in New Jersey just don’t know what a good bagel is. I know you think you do, but you really don’t. You also don’t know what good pizza is. New York City likes to claim ownership of the best pizza in the world, and they’re right, but if you don’t feel like spending a ridiculous amount of money just to get to NYC and get a slice, come to New Jersey instead, because the pizza is just as good. Also, other places don’t have diners like New Jersey does. Real diners are open 24/7, their menus are the size of phone books, and the breakfasts are the best anywhere. Almost anyone who grows up in New Jersey knows and cherishes the ‘diner breakfast,’ and it is one of those things about our state that brings people together.

Other aspects of New Jersey have both benefits and drawbacks. The population density and proximity to New York City creates a culture of intense competition. For every person that does not fill a space, there are dozens of people behind him ready to occupy it. That concept applies to many things in New Jersey, including traffic, jobs, and lines at the coffee shop.  A crazy competitiveness leads to people being very assertive (and sometimes rude), to claim what they want or need. This "rat race” culture can be exhausting at times, but it also makes people strive for a degree of excellence that may not otherwise be reached. Businesses in New Jersey have to be remarkable to succeed, but people also have to work harder and longer to make ends meet.

Considering the chaos created by so many people living in such a small space, intense weather can be even crazier in New Jersey than it is in other places. The best recent example was super storm Sandy, which left over 2 million homes without power in New Jersey and over 300,000 homes damaged or destroyed. Having experienced the aftermath first hand, I can only describe it as post-apocalyptic. The morning after the worst of the storm, my boyfriend Rob and I drove north across the state to check on his parents, a drive that normally takes about 45 minutes. Because of all of the trees that were down, and the subsequent detours, it took us over 2 hours to finally reach our destination. There was no power at the towers, so cell phones weren’t working, and all of the traffic lights on Route 1 were out. The police had put up cones to discourage people from making lefts through on-coming traffic, but that didn’t prevent some reckless people from trying it. The next day they put up metal barriers, typically used at concerts to control crowds, in all of the affected intersections; still, people drove through. The third day, I was driving down Route 202 when I came upon a traffic light that was not operational, and they had lined up dump trucks in the intersection to prevent people from crossing. That seemed to do the trick.

This past winter was also very rough on New Jersey. Typically, we get a few snowstorms per season, but it is very unusual to have more than a couple of storms with an accumulation greater than six inches. This last summer we had at least 8 storms that exceeded that. Plus, it was incredibly cold, with weeks on end reaching lows below zero. It was so cold that my mother’s outdoor furniture cover became brittle and fell apart in tatters around the table and chairs. The potholes that filled the roads were craters, really. It was in the throes of this winter that I visited the Capitol, which sits on the Delaware River in the Capital City of Trenton. Trenton is one of the poorest state capitals, with a per capita income of only $14,631. There are a few wealthy neighborhoods, but most of those homes are on the outskirts of the city, away from the crime and poverty.

Trenton once wielded considerable industrial might, as referenced by its iconic slogan, “Trenton makes, the world takes,” which is emblazoned upon one of the bridges over the Delaware River. Trenton was most famous during the 1800s and early 1900s for its iron, steel, and rubber industries, but it was also known for its pottery. Trenton Iron Co. made wrought iron beams for the dome of the US Capitol Building and the Treasury Building in Washington D.C. John A. Roebling’s Sons Co. produced iron rope that was used to build some of the most famous suspension bridges in America, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Trenton Rubber Co. produced tires, helping Trenton earn the title ‘the nation’s tire capital’ during the early 1900s. Trenton was once one of the nation’s premier pottery manufacturers, and it produced everything from china to porcelain bathroom fixtures - its products were used everywhere from local diners to the White House. Many people are unaware of Trenton’s robust manufacturing history, as the city’s economy has taken a significant turn for the worse in recent decades. 

One of the things that may have caused the city’s decline was the flood of 1955. The summer that year was long, hot, and dry with temperatures in the 90s during most of July and early August. A severe drought left the ground parched and unable to absorb water, so the deluge that followed was unable to soak into the soil. On August 7th, the first of three storms hit, dropping 2.9 inches throughout the state. In the next two weeks, two hurricanes walloped the region, overwhelming the Delaware’s banks and causing widespread flooding throughout the area. The flood damaged totaled $100 million dollars, which is about $880 million today. In all, 50 bridges over the Delaware were damaged or destroyed.

After the flood, it seemed that Trenton never quite regained its previous influence. The race riot in April 1968 following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the final straw that drove business, wealth, and opportunity away from the city of Trenton. More than 200 downtown businesses were ransacked and burned, and over 300 young black men were arrested on charges of assault, arson, and looting. The damage to businesses was estimated at $7 million, but insurance companies dropping coverage in the area destroyed any likelihood that they would rebuild. After the race riot, downtown Trenton never recovered. The fancy shopping district with boutiques and hair salons was destroyed, leaving empty damaged buildings behind that were eventually replaced by modern state government high rises. To this day, state government business is one of the few reasons for non-residents to go to Trenton, including myself.

My grandmother, Rob, and I all went down to Trenton on a sunny winter afternoon to take the state house tour. My grandmother used to be a docent at the Texas Capitol, and she is a fellow Capitol enthusiast, so we were very excited to check another state house off of our list. It was frigid outside and icy snow still caked the ground where it had thawed and refrozen countless times. The entire state had grown weary of this never-ending winter, and the feeling was exacerbated by the usual Trenton gloom. In the words of my brother the first time he came here, “Trenton is a sad city.” Every time I go there, I think the same thing.

We drove the twenty minutes from my hometown of Princeton, and were lucky to find a spot right in front of the Capitol. After snapping a few pictures of the outside, we hurried in to escape the bitter cold. As soon as we entered, we were directed through the security area and asked why we were here. At first we planned to skip the tour and just wander around by ourselves, but we swiftly learned that that wasn’t permitted. If you didn’t have an official appointment, you had to be with a tour guide. That’s a first - none of the other state Capitols we visited had such a rule. When I asked the security guard about the reasons behind such a strict policy, he simply replied, “9/11 changed a lot of things.” That it did.

We met the docent in the rotunda, and I told her about my project. She kindly offered to give our small group a private tour since a very large group was about to arrive to get a tour from her colleague. We thanked her, eager to learn about the building. Jonathon Doane built the original state house in 1792. It was a modest two-story building on a 3.75-acre plot. Since then, the building has been added on to and renovated many times to create the magnificent structure that stands there today. Our tour began in the rotunda, which is the room that connects the oldest part of the building to the first addition. The rotunda had several floors of galleries lined with historical portraits of governors and beautiful stained glass windows. 

We continued past the Governor’s office as the large group filed in, though our docent promised that we would see it at the end of our visit as long as the security officers said it was okay. I was still amazed by the level of security at this state house in particular; some of the other ones you can just walk in and nobody even seems to notice, but I guess it falls in line with the usual New Jersey neurosis (and please understand, I mean that lovingly).

Next was the hall of flags, which displayed historical battle flags from New Jersey regiments. This part of the building had a distinctly different feeling to it, with palely painted walls and bright overhead lights. The hall branched off in four directions, and in the center of the intersection was a glass case entitled, “The Glory of New Jersey.” It included the state tree, which is the red oak, along with the state bird, the eastern goldfinch, and the state flower, which is the violet. The work of art was commissioned by several private companies, and was the clear focal point of the hall. Next, we went to the Senate Chamber, where we viewed the room from the main floor.

The room was traditionally styled with plenty of columns and stained glass. In the back of the room there were two beautiful stained glass windows that faced the hallway, along with two stately fireplaces that were formerly used to heat the room. A rear corridor surrounded the Senator’s desks underneath the gallery, which was supported by columns. Once we stepped out onto the main part of the room, we could see the colorful stained glass dome many feet above. The docent pointed out that the dome features the names of famous New Jerseyans, including Governor William Livingston, inventor Seth Boyden, and Civil War General George B. McClellan. Artist William Brantley Van Ingen created 16 beautiful murals at the top of the wall all around the room. They depict New Jersey Revolutionary victories as well as industries that were important to New Jersey’s economy.

After seeing the Senate Chamber, we went upstairs to see if the Senate Committee room was unoccupied, but unfortunately there was a meeting going on, so we weren’t able to see that room. We walked across the second floor to see the House Chamber, looking at portraits of historical legislators along the way. The House Chamber was far more awe inspiring than its Senate counterpart. 

The Thomas Edison Electric Co. 66-bulb brass chandelier was first installed in 1891. It is the most beautiful feature in the entire Capitol not only for it’s intricate design, but also for its historical significance. It hangs from a metal support in the center of the stained glass skylight in the center of the ceiling, the focal point of the room. When I had finally taken in the chandelier in all of its glory, I noticed that the other features of the room were traditional and tasteful. Gold leaf details accentuate all of the moldings on the walls and ceiling. Portraits of Lincoln and Washington rest on either side of the Speaker’s desk, and the state seal hanging directly above the Speaker's chair. The carpet was deeply blue, and the seats in the gallery were original. After seeing so many state Capitols and their chambers, I was proud of New Jersey’s version.

On the way out of the building, we stopped in the Governor’s Reception Room where Governor Chris Christie signs bills and makes public announcements. The most recent governor’s portraits hang on all walls of the room, and the décor was relatively plain. At the end of the tour I thanked our docent for giving us such a wonderful tour. It was a pleasure to see New Jersey’s Capitol in all its glory, especially because it is the second oldest Capitol in continuous use in the nation. The tour even managed to give a little bit of brightness to that gloomy winter afternoon.

A few days later, we returned to Trenton to visit the Old Barracks, which has been converted to a museum to teach people about the lives of Revolutionary War soldiers. I went to the Barracks once before on a school field trip in second grade. I still had a few clear memories about the tour, and I was eager to take it again as an adult to see what I remembered.

It was another frigid February day in New Jersey, and we were the only visitors at that time. The docents were dressed in period clothing to add to the feelings of authenticity, though I was infinitely grateful that the owners had thought to put in modern heating technology. We bought our tickets in the gift shop, and began the tour with one of the wonderful docents. It started outside the building where she showed us the alterations that were made to the original structure over the years. Then we went to the soldier’s living quarters, which were cramped to say the least. The soldiers lived 4 to a tiny room, with 2 bunk beds and just enough space for a small table and chairs. They had examples of games that they would play to pass the time, and also some of the kinds of food that they would have eaten.

Then we were taken to the officer’s quarters, which were much more luxurious than the common soldier’s. The officers had fine china, delicious meals, and elegant furniture along with more comfortable beds. They also had plenty of alcohol and more forms of entertainment. It seems that life wasn’t so bad if you were an officer, at least not as bad as the common soldiers.

The final stop was the infirmary, where we learned about period methods of fighting infections and whether or not they were effective. I have to admit, sometimes I just wondered how someone thought about trying some of those methods, but it worked for them. It turned out that the infirmary was what I remembered the most from my grade-school visit, and I still think that it was the most interesting part of the tour.

My examination of New Jersey’s history was especially interesting for me because of its relevance to my own life, but New Jersey’s history is entwined with every American. New Jersey played a critical role in the Revolutionary War; the turning point occurred when Washington crossed the Delaware River in a severe storm on Christmas night to attack the Hessians in Trenton. New Jersey industry has played a crucial part in America’s economy before and since we became an independent nation. Also, my hometown of Princeton was the United States Capital from July to October 1783, and Nassau Hall of Princeton University housed the entire United States Government. So much of America’s history happened in New Jersey that every American was affected by it, and it has an irreplaceable presence in our great American puzzle.