Historic Happenings Blog

Saturday, October 19 – Mercer County Princeton Preservation Group Presents History and Preservation of the William Trent House 1719 William Trent House, 15 Market Street, Trenton, NJ 2:00 p.m. Speaker: Kevin Joy, Historic Preservationist     The 1719 home of Trenton’s namesake, William Trent, is the topic of this program. The William Trent House, now a museum, is significant historically and architecturally. In the course of its 300-year existence, it has seen many structural changes, in spite of which it remains remarkably intact. In this lecture, Kevin Joy will present a brief history of the house, an overview of its architecture, and examine in detail structural changes over the years. He will also discuss recent rehabilitations and the conservation and preservation challenges faced in maintaining an antique house museum. An optional tour of the house will be conducted after the program.    Kevin Joy is a retired NYC Music Business Executive an...

Sunday, April 7 – Mercer County The Mystery of the Shoe in the Roof: Panel Discussion Sunday, April 7, 2019 2 – 4 pm William Trent House Visitor Center Experts on concealed objects, Early American shoes, and the architecture of the Trent House to explore why, when, and how a shoe was hidden in the House roof    In early 2018, when contractors were preparing to repair the cornice on the north side of the 1719 William Trent House, they were surprised to find an old leather shoe tucked behind the soffit. Who put it there? When? Why?  The experts weigh in during a panel discussion to explore the mystery surrounding the early American shoe. The program on Sunday, April 7, 2019, from 2 – 4 pm at the William Trent House Museum Visitor Center is presented by the Trent House Association.     Chris Manning is presenting her Master’s thesis research on the custom, originating in Europe and found in the eastern and Midwestern United States, of hiding talismans, su...