Trenton City Trenton's Roebling Company was known internationally for its production of steel wire rope for some of the nation's most famous suspension bridges, including the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The sprawling red compound brick compound, founded by John Roebling in 1848, also produced telephone and telegraph wire, elevator wire, lightning rods and railway cables. The machine shop is the oldest and most intact structure in the 45-acre complex. It was built in 1890 with additional modifications in the early twentieth century. The grant funds the first phase of work needed to transform the vacant machine shop into the Invention Factory Science Center, which will interpret historic and current technological innovations in New Jersey.
Work includes exterior restoration, site improvements, and preliminary interior rehabilitation.
A portion of the interior is being converted into a Visitor Center and workshop space.