QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: tglover320@optimum.net
One of the more fascinating aspect of this history project involves circling in on subjects in a specific folder; in this case, the "HOTELS" AND "CIVIL WAR" folders. The Mercer County Hotel was located across South Broad Street from the Mercer County Court House for many years. 
What a great photo! September 29, 1920 and the Stacy Trent was on the way to serving Trenton for nearly 50 years. Thanks again to the Duke University Archives for this great photo.
SJBill said...I do remember the corner clock from Trenton Junior College and School of Industrial Arts, in (I'm thinking) 1953. As a second grader I was given a "scholarship" to study on Saturdays with kids my age, along with many that were much older. We had classes up on the fifth floor of this and over a block or so on Capitol Street where there were some very good ceramics and sculpture studios.
How did a second grader get here from South Clinton Ave? Either walk (by yorself) or or take the Trenton Transit.
Anonymous said...SJ, thanks to Sally Lane we still have the Kelsey to admire since the "Town Fathers" intended to demolish it a few years back. I too took ceramics on Capitol Street and art in the Kelsey upper floor that had a wonderful skylight. In the 1950's and 60's knowing most of the bus drivers by and I can even remember one summer day making a game of seeing how many places we could ride on bus transfer slips.
Ed Millerick
Ralph Lucarella said...HI TOM....THAT'S WHAT WAS GOING ON IN TRENTON A YEAR AFTER I WAS BORN. I NEVER REALIZED I WOULD BE DELIVERING MAIL IN THAT AREA FOR THREE YEARS. I WORKED THAT PART OF W. STATE ST. FROM WILLOW TO CALHOUND IN THE 1950'S WHEN THOSE PEOPLE GOT THREE DELIVERIES A DAY. THOSE DOCTORS ON W. STATE ALL GOT MANY SAMPLES THAT DROVE ME NUTS. I REALLY ENJOYED THE TOUGH WORK OF SERVING THOSE PATRONS INCLUDING ALL THE POLITICIANS. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.
I would imagine that those of us who remember the hotels Hildebrecht and Stacy Trenton are diminishing in number. Indeed, few who were born in the '60's, 70's and 80's would not recognize the Trenton during the era when this hotel was built. It was a very sumptuous hotel, and most dignitaries who visited the city were put up in either the Hildebrecht or the Stacy Trent.
Trenton had two major hotels and a few which were smaller and esser known. The Stacy Trent and Hildebrecht were the two large center city hotels. Here's an ad from the depths of the Great Depression in the year 1933.
ONE OF THE VERY SAD THINGS ABOUT HOSTING A WEB PAGE IS IN THE VERY UNFORTUNATE FACT THAT THE GENERATION WHO REMEMBER THE HOTEL STACY TRENT AND THE HOTEL HILDEBRECHT ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65 AND VERY FEW SENIOR CITIZENS ARE INTERESTED IN THE COMPUTER. THEY ARE MISSING SO MUCH! THEY WOULD REMEMBER THE HILDEBRECHT AND THE STACY TRENT, ALONG WITH MANY OF THE IMAGES FROM THE PAST ON THIS SITE AND MANY OTHERS.
As a kid, and having never stayed in one, a hotel was an exciting place or at least what from what I had seen in the old Hollywood movies it was. I remember asking Dad in the early 50's if we could stay in the Hotel Penn? He painted a picture of n'er-do wells, shady characters and hoodlums "on the lam" as being the clientele. I wanted to go in at least for a sandwich but got hustled up the street to that luncheonette across from The YMCA.
Ed Millerick
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Ed:
Your Dad was very charitable with his description of these two hotels.
If you remember the buses from Ft. Dix unloaded all those poor lonely soldiers from Ft. Dix right in front of these two hotels.
Of course there were always plenty of women the majority of which were not so young or pretty.
My first job with the City of Trenton in 1959 was as a Health Inspector. My assignment took me into hotels and rooming houses.
Having inspected these two, I can confirm what your Dad had told you.
Merry Christmas
Mike Kuzma
Saturday, December 24, 2011