The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-30
The STATE HOUSES
Structures From Which
Have Issued the Laws
We All Obey.
HOW THEY LOOK NOW
First Building Erected in 1874
But Enlarged in lS45-e-
Facts Of Interest.
Special to the JERSEY Citu Neacs.

N@NC G&NA y - I44A-
lam Livingston. in his first message of
september, 1776, but no definite action
was taken on the subject until Novem-
Der IL. 1871. when a bill was introduced
IN the House OF Assembly entitled IAN
act to provide suitable buildings for the
accommodation Of the Legislature. and
public officers of this State,,' This was
done in accordance with an act passed
on the 18th of November, 1890. Several
efforts were made to have the Capitol
located at other points. notably at Wood
bury and New Brunswick, for as late
as the beginning of the present century,
the provincial feeling between East and
West Jersey ran very high.
The Commissioners selected by the
State to build the suitable buildings,
We're Joseph Cooper, Thomas Lowrey,
James Ewing. Maskell Ewing, George
Anderson, Moore Furman, first Mayor of
Trenton, and James Mott.
The first State House was built by
State appropriations, by subscriptions
from the inhabitants of Trenton and vi
entity. and by the sale of articles belongs
ing to New Jersey.
The State House lot is 2471k feet on
State street, the whole depth from State
street to low water mark is $50 feet and
contains three and ~three-quarter acres.
Delaware avenue was not laid out until
years later, when the street was donated
to the city by ex-United States Senator
Carrot D. Wall. By 1895 the Secretary
OF State and the Clerk of the Supreme
Court had been provided with separate
offices. Benjamin Smith was the States
Commissioner in the erection of these
buildings.
In 1895 the original State House was
finished. and before the close of the cen
fury a fence had enclosed the State
House lot and a brick pavement had been
laid around the edifice. A bell had been
hung which was used in sumfaoning the
members to sessions of the House n
council. The State House at this time
was almost, if not entirely, devoted to
the purposes of the legislative bodies.
The Governor, being Chancellor, with the
courts clerk, was the custodian Of the
records; the Secretary of States re-
cords, being kept in a small room, and
were frequently carted round the build
ing, as convenience might dictate.
On the Fourth Of July, 1905, the inhabi-
tants of the city of Trenton gave a ball
In the State House, which excited the
legislative ire and led to the appointment
of an investigating committee; as a fur
Their result, on the 10th of November, 1903,
a custodian of the State House was APP
pointed. He was either the Clerk of the
Assembly or Moore Furman, as chance
might happen, and he was directed not
to permit the building to be used for any
other than its constituted purpose. Unit
1906 it is probable hat the Supreme Court
room had no carpet, for commissioners
were appointed to furnish & suitable
carpet for the same: To show the print
tive conditions of the same, in 1912, com
missioners were appointed to cause the
inside plastering of the Assembly room
and Council chamber to be whitewashed,
the inside wooden work and furniture
that has once been painted to be painted
anew of the original color, and carpeting
to be mended where necessary" Among
the items OF state expenditure at the time
were hickory wood, taking down and put
ting up stoves in the Assembly room,
mendlng the key of the front door, and
Joseph McCully, ~Trenton's first potter,
q cents; for mending and irons and
shovels for the State House, SO cents.
AS late as 1870 the State House was still
in the incidental bill is a charge of $2.43
for decanters and tumblers. In 1924 COM
missioners were appointed with plenary
eminent House. The Government House
was what is now the State Street House,
and during the early part of the present
Governor. Practically, there have beeen
but few changes in this, old structure ex-
cept those necesSitated by the turning of
the same into a hotel.
The Government House was conveyed to
the State of New Jersey on March II,
1893. and in 1915, commissioners We're APP
pointed to sell the same. The commits
SiOners were Samuel r. Gummere, Sam
uel R. Hamilton and Stacy A. Paxson;
The changes of 1915 were very notable and
mai the second story of progress. The
commission were instructed to cause a
good roof to be put upon the State House
and the stucco work to be removed and
replaced with new work in the style of the
Mercer County Court House. which. with
its futed Grecian pillars and broad por-
considered a noble and notable piece of
architecture. But this was fifty years
age, n tastes have changed. They were
further directed to place neat porticos
on the north and south doors of the said
State House. The grounds around the
State HOUSE to be fenced. graded and
plated with suitable ornamental trees. AT
this time. there were erected two build
ings on State street, of 40x45 each, each
of the said buildings to be divided into
sMo 9ilIses Of FOR s faf acG fbe snnren,e OF a ens
Chancery Cour Clerks and the State
Treasurer, and the preservation Of the re-
cords and documents of those offices in
ire-prouf vaults.
AS late as this year the State House
was still lighted by candles, stoves were
taken up and down. The Courtsof Errors
sat in the City Hall in Trenton, and some
of the. reformers thought that the Cover
nor shouldn't have a sofa. When the
State House was rebuilt John Gallagher
was night Waterman and kept the fires
going to keep the plaster from freezing.
Tho original structure still remains, be-
ing included in what is now the Cover
nor's reception room. the Custodian's
offices, etc.
In 1854 the Executive chamber was re-
paired n refurnished, as well as the
Senate chamber, and hydrant water was
introduced into the State House.
In 1853 a wing was added on the south
erly side of the Capitol for the purposes
of a library and committee room. An
Executive chamber was constructed on the
southerly side of the State House by
virtue of an act of 1864. The new library
room was furnished in 1865, and the old
library was altered for the accommodate
ton of the United States courts, which
courts had met in the State lou as
early as 1886.
The next notable change in the con-
struction of the State House was in 1871,
when Charles S.. Olden, Thomas J. Stryk-
er and Lewis Perrine were appointed
commissioners without compensation to
erect suitable additions to the State
House and to provide larger and more
commodious rooms for the meeting of the
Legislature.
In 1872 provision was made to repair the
fence and tagging on Delaware street
and for furnishing and fitting the Execu-
tive chamber, the Supreme and Chancery
courts and ante-roomS and the several
officesson the first floor of the east wing.
In 1873 the roof of the State House was
repaired and the library refitted, Fur