Trenton World War II Memorial

While I was in Trenton last weekend I stopped to check out the World War II memorial on West State Street.  It’s right across the street from the New Jersey State House.  I haven’t seen any other World War II memorials so I can’t compare it to any others, but I will say it is something cool to check out if you are in the area.  It wasn’t particularly large, it only filled one lot.

The whole memorial was done in granite.  The centerpiece of memorial was the Victory Dome which housed a statue of Lady Liberty, not to be confused with the Statue of Liberty which is just a different redition of Lady Liberty.  Lady Liberty held a garland in her right hand and a sword in her left; probably symbolizing prosperity and strength although don’t quote me on that as I’m not too sure.  But if anyone does know, feel free to help me out, I’d like to find out for sure.  The dome was surrounded by six individual pillars, each commerating a soldier from New Jersey who was bestowed, posthumously, with a Medal of Honor.  I thought it was a great touch to the memorial.

The dome was flanked on both sides by two curved, granite walls.  The one on the left was dedicated to the Pacific theater and the right one was the European and Northern Africa/Middle East theater.  Each wall displayed a timeline of the war in their respective theater and showed different photographs, mostly notable and quite famous ones; such as a picture of the flag raising Marines on Iwo Jima and the sailor kissing a girl in Times Square.

As a somber reminder for all of those who faught and died for us in World War II, a statue of a rifle in the dirt with a helmet on top stands behind the dome, reminding all those who see it of the tremendous sacrifices our freedom requires.

The New Jersey State House

    I got off the exit and approached the red light. Trenton greeted me with its fire department headquarters and the giant words TRENTON FIRE HEADQUARTERS sprawled across its front face.  As I drove down the road I began thinking I should have tested my car on some back woods paths before leaving home: the road was potholed worse than an erupted mine field; I felt the old Taurus cringing as I progressed.

  I arrived at the New Jersey State House just before three and I was rather impressed by the structure in front of me.  I’m not quite sure what it was I had expected, but the double stacked colonnade leading my gaze to the golden dome  atop the capitol building gladdened me that the State Museum being closed had sent me here. 

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    The building was constructed in 1792 by Jonathan Doane and has since undergone many additions and renovations.  Although some of the original building, which houses New Jersey’s executive and legislative branches (the judiciary moved down the road), still exists.

    I walked up the front stairs and found that of all the doors adorning the facade, only the one to the extreme left said enter.  I walked in and followed the rope barrier until a multitude of signs prohibited my further advance.  My smile soon returned though, as I found the door to my immediate left to be open.  I entered, and was then accosted by a security guard who thoroughly strip searched me (after all, these are dire times).  I’m just kidding; all I had to do was go through a metal detector before being given a visitor’s pass by a very nice guard who directed me to a lobby I found wholly empty.

    After a few minutes of waiting by myself, (I’m pretty sure I was the only person there besides the guards and the guide) the tour guide walked up and introduced himself.

    The lobby gave way into the 142ft, gold flaked cupola .  The cupola had balconies for the next two stories from which one can peer into the cavern adorned with portraits of New Jersey Governors.  In the middle of the floor stands an original model casting of the statue in the Lincoln Memorial.  We walked around this and entered an archway with a golden eagle hanging over our heads.  The archway we were standing in was the original front door of the building; additions did not only build upwards but rather extended the building in all directions.

    Next I passed Governor Christie’s dark and closed office.  I could still see the podium that he speaks from during his press conferences.  On some days the guide will be able to bring you inside, but not today.

   The guide is quite knowledgeable and begins pointing out, from the number of gold finches to the presence of a ladybug, all of the symbolism packed into a small statue of a tree, called the Glory of New Jersey Tree.

    After passing the Governor’s office and the Glory of New Jersey Tree we leave the executive wing and enter the wing that houses the New Jersey State Legislature.  This part of the building is split in halves; on the left is the General Assembly and to our right the State Senate.

    We first enter the General Assembly chamber, standing in the top section where the public seats are.  Anyone from the public is allowed to sit in on the meetings here.  Seating is quite limited however, so it is a first come first serve audience.  The seats and desks below, arranged in a semi-cirlce facing the podium, are all a golden oak; the carpet a deep blue, with swirls of leaves that the guide again informs me are symbolic.  Hanging in the center of the chamber is a huge, golden chandelier still lit with models of Thomas Edison’s first incandescent lightbulbs.  TV cameras are positioned, standing in the public section, aimed down at the Speaker’s Chair, which is in the front center of the room, flanked on either side by portraits of Lincoln and Washington.

    Next we move into the smaller Senate Chamber, this one differently styled: velvet carpeting and mahogany desks and chairs, the Speaker’s podium made of granite.  Above us, surrounding the chamber high above our heads where the walls meet the ceiling, are a number of murals all symbolic to New Jersey.  All but one of these murals features Lady Liberty or her sister Prosperity; each of them angelic in their framing.

    My guide then concludes the tour by taking me to the room where the Senate meets to discuss present issues before entering the chamber to vote.  The room contains a long mahogany table, and chairs enough to sit the entire Senate. 

    The State House was originally built overlooking the Delaware, so after the tour I decided I would walk around back to check it out.  You can see the Delaware… on the other side of Route 29.

    All in all it was a very informative, hour long tour; I wish it had gone longer but one person can only lengthen it with questions for so long.  The guide had lots of interesting facts and background information which he used to bring life into the State House as we walked its empty hallways.  I recommend, to all those interested in politics, both state and/or federal, to visit one the oldest buildings in continuous use in America, the New Jersey State House.

    The New Jersey State House sees about 30,000 visitors a year, most of them school children on fieldtrips and people refered to as “capitol collectors”: those who travel the country visiting all the different state capitol buildings–apparently this one is a favorite.

    The State House is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 3:00 and the third Saturday of each month from 12:00 to 3:00.  Tours begin at the top of each hour so plan your arrival in accordance.  And be sure to bring a photo I.D. as they won’t let you in without one.  For more information visit http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/visitingstatehouse.asp.

Trip To TrenTon

    I got the call from my mechanic the other day and as soon as the snow cleared out I hitched a ride home with my roommate.  I picked up my car and left this morning with the intention of checking out the New Jersey State Museum but, when I got there, I found the parking garage was closed. 

    This wasn’t all too bad though; there is plenty to do in Trenton’s Capitol Complex.  If you walk down West State Street you will come across the Thomas Edison State College, the State House, the WWII Memorial, the State Library and the State Museum which now has a planetarium apparently.  Right around the corner from all of this is the Old Barracks Museum, a Masonic Temple and another War Memorial.  I suggest parking in the Hotel and Public Parking garage on South Warren as it is considerably cheaper than the other parking lots and garages I passed: I paid $4 for two hours.

•     The Old Barracks Museum, on the aptly named Barracks Street, is open daily from 10am-5pm.  For the walk-in tours adults will pay $8, seniors and students $6, and kids who are under five get to waltz in free of charge.  If you are traveling in a group of fifteen or more you need to set up a reservation ahead of time by calling 609-396-1776 (the number is a coincidence, I assure you).  The museum offers a number of different group tours that you can look into by visiting their website  http://www.barracks.org/activities/group-tours.html.

 

• The New Jersey State Library is open for the perusal of its collection, which boasts 185,000 non-fiction titles, Monday through Friday from 8:30-5.  It used to be open on Saturdays until budget cuts crept up; it has always been closed on Sundays.  The primary goal for the New Jersey State Library is to provide library resources to the New Jersey State government–which is why it is literally right next to the state house, but they do welcome all of you avid civilian readers.  You can visit their site here at http://www.njstatelib.org/.

 

•  The New Jersey State Museum, which I will definitely get to sometime soon, has a shit ton of things to do and see.  If you check out their website, http://www.state.nj.us/state/museum/index.htm, it is readily apparent you could easily spend an entire day there.

 

• If you are a Freemason, or just intrigued about how much they actually did do establish our country, they offer free tours of their lodge daily.  Visit their sight to find out the times as they are different each day: http://www.mercer50.com/2009_patriots_week.htm (for patriotic fervor, crank the volume on your computer, its hard to hear the music).