TRENTON'S CITY HALL - AN HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL TREASURE

 The above Duke University R.C. Maxwell Trenton collection is a cut and past of a circa 1923 view of State and Broad as it looked back in the 1920's. This mansard roof edifice was built back in 1837 at the intersection that was then known as Greene and Second Street.

Few people realize that the building came into the possession of Anthony R. and John L. Kuser who ultimately sold it to Benjamin Lissner whose family owned another store in the area. I am looking for the transition from the time the Lissner brothers purchased the building and how it ultimately became the legendary "Yard's" Department Store. 

1911 and 1923: RIKER'S DOWNTOWN DRUG STORE AND SODA FOUNTAIN

 

What charming old fashioned nostalgia comes upon us when we gaze upon an old fashioned drug store soda fountains. You remember drug stores, don't you? They sold drugs.....not be confused with the definition of the word today. I can imagine a Saturday night date with that lovely girl or one of them that I dreamed of back in my now ancient teen years, taking in a movie at the RKO Capitol, Trent, Lincoln and stopping in for an old fashioned ice cream soda! (Remember them?) Riker's was replaced by the Liggett chain of drug stores. On another note, the Kuser family sold the City Hall building which I added to the article above to the Lissner family back in the 1920's. (Little known historical fact)

1910: OLD CITY HALL IS SOLD

It is not widely known that the Kuser family with all their wealth, once owned Trenton's beautiful and very historic City Hall which still stands and in nice condition at the corner of State and Broad Streets in Trenton.

1910: ANTHONY AND JOHN KUSER SELL TRENTON 'S CITY HALL

Fortunately, this Trenton landmark has been preserved. Except for the original clock tower, the familiar State and Broad building with the mansard roof has survived the ages and is still with us today in a somewhat modified form. When the Lissners purchased the building, they were originally going to replace the building with a "new and modern" building. However, the structure was well built and ultimately left on the site. The Kuser involvement in the old building has somehow been lost in the historic past of the city, but we bring it back into the 21st century with this post!

1934: TRENTONIANS WATCH THE WORLD SERIES WITHOUT TELEVISION

It was an annual custom back in the early part of the 20th century for the Daily State Gazette to construct a huge scoreboard along side of their building on South Stockton Street. Bleachers were set up and crowds gathered to watch play by play action being displayed on the huge scoreboard. In light of the recent blackout due to the fact that the Fox network blacked out much of the early games of the series because they couldn't come to agree with Cablevision due to both sides having problems with the money
paid and the money received.  
Here's just a tiny but very logical piece of advice for the Federal Communications Commission from a very disgruntled Fox-Cablevision victim: Advise major league baseball that any and all contracts with cable carriers MAY NOT be subject to blackouts at the expense of their paying customers. Any network that bids on carrying ANY national interest sport or activity should be subject to these rules. After all, it is we who are paying for viewing these channels and any inter company arguing over price should not be shifted to us.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM...I ALWAYS LOOKED FORWARD TO WATCHING THE WORLD SERIES AT CITY HALL. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE GAZETTE PUT IT ON. I THOUGHT THE CITY WAS THE SPONSOR, THEY ALWAYS DREW A BIG CROWD. REGARDS

Thursday, November 04, 2010

1912: Trenton City Hall Ca. 1912

I am experimenting with a number of templates to enhance the historic posts. The above is one, and there will be others in future posts. That beautiful building at State and Broad Streets in downtown Trenton was once the abode of the Mayor of Trenton, a Jail, and a municipal court. Even though that beautiful clock tower is long gone, the mansard roof and architecture of the building remains. It was beautifully restored back in the 1960's or 70's.

1891 Trenton City Hall

This exquisite photo of the old Trenton City Hall was taken back when the Mayor of Trenton held sway in the building. He sentenced many a n'er do well "over-embiber" to a cell which was also in the building. An interesting and very little known fact about the City Hall: It was owned by a member of the Kuser family back in the early 20th century. As I recall, it was sold by the Kusers to a man named Lissner. During my youth, the old building was occupied by Yard's Department Store. The old mansard roof and the beautiful old clock gave the old city hall a majestic appearance. The building still stands, and was brought back to a beautiful condition back in the 60's or 70's.