THE BARRACKS REOPENS: Cutting the ribbon at the reopening of The Old Barracks Museum in Trenton on July 4 were, from left: Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, Old Barracks Executive Director Michelle Doherty, Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, vocalist Stacy Roth, and Old Barracks Museum Trustee John O’Sullivan.

By Anne Levin

New Jersey’s only surviving Colonial military barracks is back in business. The Old Barracks Museum in Trenton reopened its doors on July 4 after a year-long renovation project that mended its roof, balconies, fence, and HVAC systems.

“The 250th anniversary [of the American Revolution] was our chance to restore the building and renovate it so everyone could enjoy it,” said Executive Director Michelle Doherty. “The most important thing is new heating and cooling, which allows us to preserve the artifacts we have, and also get loans from other museums. The air conditioning, which was turned on last Thursday, was a big source of relief for people who came to the opening on July 4, which was so hot.”

Funding from the National Parks Service, the New Jersey Historic Trust, the New Jersey Cultural Trust, and the Society of Colonial Wars from the State of New Jersey helped to finance the extensive project. The building, which dates from the French and Indian War in 1758, was erected to house soldiers who had previously been put up in residents’ homes. At the time, it was the largest structure in Trenton and the second largest public building in New Jersey after Princeton’s Nassau Hall. Throughout the Revolutionary War, the Barracks was used by both British and Americans, according to the museum’s website.

“The Barracks, and Trenton, are most known for the events of December 1776,” it reads. “At the beginning of the month, British and Hessian troops occupied Trenton, and briefly stayed in the Barracks prior to the Battles of Trenton. Colonists, loyal to the English king, also arrived, seeking protection from the soldiers, and were believed to be staying at the Barracks when Washington and his troops marched into Trenton on the morning of December 26th.”

After the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, the Americans returned to Trenton in January 1777 and made use of the now empty Barracks, primarily as a hospital. A portion was demolished after the war, and the remaining two structures survived by serving such purposes as The Indigent Widows’ and Single Women’s Home Society of Trenton, the residence of the city’s first mayor, and a boarding school.

The Old Barracks Association was organized at the beginning of the 20th century by members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Colonial Dames, and the site was saved. The building has been a museum for over a century. From 1985 to 1998, it underwent a second restoration resulting in its current appearance, which is believed to be a fairly accurate representation of how it would have looked in 1758.

For the first time in decades, the museum is displaying George Washington’s Inaugural Flower Arch, and visitors got a preview on July 4.

“We have a reproduction of the arch Washington rides under as he comes through Trenton. It was originally built around 1789,” said Doherty. “The ladies of Trenton covered it in flowers and greeted him with songs written for the occasion. We have the original arch upstairs in one of our galleries. It will be back on view in December.”

The renovation project has yet to be completed. “We’re still working on heating and cooling the rest of the building,” said Doherty. “Our curatorial team did an amazing job of opening not one, but three new exhibits. People came in and were able to see them, and that was so exciting. We’re just so happy to welcome people back.”