National Register of Historic Places

Dickinson, Gen. Philemon, House

Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey
Listed
May 16, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74001172

About this property

Gen. Philemon Dickinson House is located in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The original frame house was built by the Rutherford family about 1760. General Philemon Dickinson (1739-1809) bought it in July 1776, as a rural retreat along the Delaware River, and named it "The Hermitage." He lived here with his wife Mary Cadwalader and children, Mary and Samuel. The frame house was torn down about 1905, but a much larger stone-and-stucco addition built in 1784 still stands. The addition was extensively remodeled in the Italianate style in the mid-19th century. During his partial term as U.S. Senator from New Jersey (1790–93), Dickinson hosted First Lady Martha Washington as a houseguest (May 17–19, 1791). President John Adams was frequently entertained during the summer of 1798, when yellow fever in Philadelphia caused the federal government to evacuate to Trenton, although he lodged at a nearby hotel. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton were reportedly guests, along with Frenchmen General Rochambeau, Joseph Bonaparte, and Louis Philippe (later King of France). In the early-20th century, the street grid was expanded around the house (note that the building sits at an angle to Colonial Avenue). The house has been converted into apartments. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 1974, for its significance in military history. Trenton Historical Society lists it as one of the top ten endangered buildings in the city.

Location

46 Colonial Ave.
Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey
40.22675, -74.78322

Categories

MILITARY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Adams and Sickles Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
House at 379 West State Street
Industrial
0.3 mi
Berkeley Square Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Kuser, Rudolph V., Estate
Industrial
0.4 mi
Bellevue Avenue Colored School
Industrial
0.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Trenton Dec 26 1776
1776Revolutionary War
1.2 mi
First Battle of Trenton
1776Revolutionary War
1.4 mi
Battle of Assunpink Creek (Second Trenton)
1777Revolutionary War
1.4 mi
Second Battle of Trenton
1777Revolutionary War
1.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Dickinson, Gen. Philemon, House listed on the National Register?

Dickinson, Gen. Philemon, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 16, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Dickinson, Gen. Philemon, House?

Dickinson, Gen. Philemon, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Dickinson, Gen. Philemon, House?

The period of significance for Dickinson, Gen. Philemon, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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