The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-26
TN old TRENTON
Interesting Facts About the
Site Of the Mechanics
Bank.

s"Trentonian," writing to the "True
American" contributes the following in
teresting facts of local history
AS the Mechanics Bank people are
soon to take possession of their new
handsome and well appointed building
| on the corner of State and Warren
streets, some historical facts concerning
| the site ON which it stands may not be
uninteresting
The first building erected on the cor
ner was by John Dagworthy, about the
year 1860. 1t was two stories in height,
but a large structure. covering consid-
cradle ground. and history says that it
was built of mud or sun dried bricks
and tstuccoed. Considering the amount OF
timber there was in the locality 1t is
more than probable that the super
structure was of logs, as in T10, when
| the first church edifice of the Ewing
Church was put up, which was of logs,
it is stated that the surrounding coun-
try was a wilderness of forest, through
which there was only a bride path from
the Ewing Church to Trenton grist
mill on the Assanpink creek, about where
Tabram's store, on Broad street, is now
located.
PRIVILEGED PREACHERS.
That was the second grist mill in
the State, the other one being at Eliza
BEETHOVEN. The front door of Dagwor-
thy's building was on the corner, as in
the new building, and was reached by
eight steps, which extended either way
north or south. Dagworthy built it
for his own residence. but whether he
an - 80 l,,r,,ac, +Lo,o +Lo ,,r;+a
is not aware. .
In 1859 The United Congregations of
the Hopewell and Lawrenceville Presby-
terrain Churches presented a call to the
Rev. Elihu Spencer, who was preaching
at Shrewsbury and Middletown Point, in
Monmouth county, to become their pas
tor. which he accepted, and lived the
year of his residence here. in the Dag
worthy house, On that corner, which was
then known as King street (now War
REM, and Second street (now State).
Whether it was then a hotel or private
residence the writer cannot say, but it
was not then considered the vice it is now
for a preacher either to visit a public
house or to take a drink Of spirits or
STREET NAMES CHANGED.
During the Revolution the name OF
King street now Warren), was changed
to Front street, and Queen street now
Broad| to Back street, as the patriots
had no more love for kings and queens
than the Common Council had for Revo-
luttonary heroes when they changed the
name of Greene street to the senseless
name of Broad.
When Congress met in this city in No
yember of 1881, in the Hunterdon county
now occupied by the Trenton Bank build
ing, many of the members stopped at
the City Tavern on that corner.
In April of 1889, when General Wash
ipgton passed through this city on his
way from Mount Vernon to New York to
be -inaugurated the first President of the
United States, after his reception by the
ladies at the triumphal arch over the AS
sanpink, he stopped at the City Tavern
for several hours, where he partook of
refreshments and received the visits and
citizens. The landlord Of the tavern was
Joseph Broadhurst. The population Of
Trenton at that time was 200, not in
WHERE STATE PAPERS WE'RE
WRITTEN.
In the summer OF 1898 Congress met in
Philadelphia, but the yellow fever having
broken out there with readful results, as
well as in New York and other seaboard
towns, Congress adjourned to Trenton.
John Adams was then President, having
President of the United States, and
Thomas Jefferson was Vice President.
There is no doubt but that many of the
State papers of Adams and Jefferson
were written in the rooms of the old tav-
| ern, as were those of Timothy Pickering,
Secretary of State, and Oliver Wiocott,
| Secretary of the Treasury, which are
dated from Trenton during hi time.
Many of the soldier Patriots who fought
| foo the independence of the republic, and
the flluStrious statesmen and able men of
practical ideas who shaped it's course to-
wards its present condition of area and
prosperity have passed over the door steps
of the old tavern and enjoyed it's good
cheer.
The old tavern was torn down in 1887,
and the former building used by the bank
erected thereon, which was demolished to
make way for the present structure.