New Jersey State House
Encyclopedia
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
and is the house of government for the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. After the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, it is the second oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The building is currently home to the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
, New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
, as well as offices for the Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is a position that has existed since January 2010, following conjoint election with the Governor of New Jersey. The position was created as the result of a Constitutional amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution passed by the voters on November 8, 2005...
and several state government departments.
History
After the New Jersey LegislatureNew Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
was relocated to Trenton from Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
in 1790, a new state house was constructed in 1792 by Philadelphia-based architect Jonathan Doane. Subsequent additions were made to the building during the 19th century. Architects who contributed to the New Jersey State House during the 19th century include John Notman
John Notman
John Notman was a Scottish-born American architect, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is remembered for his churches, and for popularizing the Italianate style and the use of brownstone.-Career:...
(1845 created office wing on North side) who was a Philadelphia architect and Samuel Sloan (1871 designed new wings) who was also a Philadelphia architect. On March 21, 1885, a large fire caused the destruction of the State Street wing. Lewis Broome
Lewis Broome
Lewis Broome is an Australian rules footballer, who was drafted by the West Coast Eagles with their first selection in 2010 AFL Rookie Draft....
, from Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
helped to redesign the building.
Merchantville architect Arnold Moses reconstructed the Senate wing in the American Renaissance
American Renaissance
In the history of American architecture and the arts, the American Renaissance was the period in 1835-1880 characterized by renewed national self-confidence and a feeling that the United States was the heir to Greek democracy, Roman law, and Renaissance humanism...
style.
The New Jersey State House attained its present size in 1911 and has not been changed significantly other than by modernization of the main corridor in 1950. A 1960 plan, calling for the replacement of the oldest sections of the State House with modern legislative chambers, was never implemented.
Renovation
A renovation project was begun in 1987. The project helped to restore the legislative section of the building. It also worked on several deficiencies of the building.Design
The New Jersey State House is unusual among state capitol buildings in the United States, the majority of which are reminiscent of the United States Capitol Building. The building is shaped like a sideways H, with a golden dome over the cross-bar of the H and with a long wing extending westward towards the Delaware River. To the rear of the building, a number of architecturally dissimilar, unusually-shaped additions have been added, which were later subject to attempts at renovation in order to match the style of the original wing. The State House is set not on a park-like campus, as are many state houses, rather it is integrated into an urban setting along historic State Street and is surrounded by other legislative buildings. The most scenic view of the building is from the west, near the Delaware River, which is the side dominated by the various additions. Viewed from the front on State Street, the dome is scarcely visible and there is little sense of the scale or design of the building. The current Office of the Governor section in the complex occupies the remaining portion of the original 1792 State House.