Sixpence American History tv is a willing printouts, nearly 300 years old, and is the citys namesake. The 1719 William Trent house is located in downtown trenton, it is the oldest Historic House in new jersey. William trent was a scottish born merchant aced out of philadelphia. Based out of philadelphia. His business made him very wealthy and he purchased his second summer home right here where we are standing. His margin business dealt with merchant business dealt with importing and next boarding things like rum, molasses and wine. He was also involved in the slave trade. The products he exported and imported were made by slaves in the west indies and west africa. Once they were brought to the shipping area where they could no longer pass along the delaware river, they went through this area he brought goods to philadelphia and anywhere else that needed them. When mr. Trent came here, he became the major landowner and employer. He employed a lot of local people. Thus, making him the major employer. At one point, he incorporated the town. The locals started calling it trent town. From there, we get trenton. He actually the founder of the city. He started construction on this house in this house is built in the early american georgian architectural style. There are a lot of things that represent that heritage. He started construction in 1715 and completed in 1719. He was here from seven to 19 17191721 as his summer home and then eventually as his main residence. You be greeted by the butler who would have been a symbol of mr. Trents wealth. This area shows is exhibited as a waiting area. Mr. Trent was a justice of the supreme court. We have some chairs set up that would have been similar to what you would have seen during this time frame. I will bring you into one of the first rooms we have to show visitors. This is the front parlor. This room would have been used for several purposes as well. Based on lighting and heating conditions. The way it is set up currently come in has nothing but antiques. This is william and mary furniture. These chairs have crowns on them. These are unfortunately not mr. Trents personal items, but they are antiques of the time period. These crowns would have been hacked off. They are a fantastic find good if you look up and down the chairs come easy intricate scrollwork. You see intricate scrollwork. Mr. Trent was a wealthy merchant and he entertained a lot of important clients for his business and general entertainment and dining. Any and everybody who would have been of his same status and class would have really spent some time here and they would have engaged in dining like this. Downstairs would have been a public place open to any type of public. The doorways would have been larger and there would have been press handles on the doors down here. Brass handles. He is an item here called the kingsport. Kings board. Everything is of the same size except for this board right here. And the board underneath it. This is a highly taxed item and is used for the king exclusively. The fact that mr. Trent blatantly has it on his front parlor floor is basically saying that he doesnt care it is taxed. Mr. Trent was showing off and this is the way he would have done it. He he was a wealthy merchant. He brought in a lot of luxury goods for himself and his family members. He did own 11 slaves at the time of his death. Which accounted for a third of his wealth. We come downstairs into the inhouse kitchen. An inhouse kitchen would not have been the most common thing during this time frame. This was quite a fire hazard. But, mr. Hunt was a wealthy man and he got what he wanted. Mr. Trent was a wealthy man and he got what he wanted. There are two things in here that are very interesting. We have something called a clockwork spitjack. This would have powered a rotisserie. This would have been something that would have been done by either slave labor or canine labor. They would have to constantly turn this spit. There are two ways that will pull weights that will pull down and crank everything great. We have something called a beehive oven. This would have been used for baking purposes. And would have had a steel or iron door that would have kept it shut. This was a very multipurpose area. This is your stovetop and oven and everything all in one. This is mr. Trents bedroom, the upstairs portion of the house. You see a campaign desk. This would have been used by the military and what have been used as a portable way to find rest and or shelter. This version is quite overly large and is \quite overly large and is decorated with printed floral cotton sheets. These would have been a luxury item at the time. Anything printed in cottonwood have been imported at a highly taxable rate. This room is also separate from the bedroom of adjacent to a highway hallway closet. He didnt spend a lot of time here, unfortunately. Hes one of the residents who spent the least amount of time here. From 17191724 was his tenure here. He actually passed away on Christmas Day in 1724 in the house. His death was unexpected. He died of a stroke or heart attack. Was likely during this time he did not have a well. A will. We dont find any personal items because family members would have come in taken things they deemed important. The 20 residents of the house. Weve had highly prominent weve been a Governors Mansion and mayors residence. We were on both sides of the revolutionary war. We had both a loyalist and a patriot living here at separate times. Weve also had several private residence. Residents. It was gifted to the city in 1829. 1929. We opened as a Public Museum in the 1930s. I like to impart to visitors how important this house is to the development and continuous history that comes along with the area of trenton. This house has seen a lot of history. Weve started from colonial times, revolutionary war times, to the present time. This history is very important. Things we cannot forget, such as slavery and the expansion of colonialism bringing about change is to this area. I am standing on the pennsylvania side of the delaware river, where behind me is new jersey State Capitol of trenton. We are here to learn about its history, including the state