The Archives of the State

The Archives of the State. . New Jersey maintains offices all across the State in support of the business of government. The very first of these facilities, the offices of the Secretary of State and the Clerk of the Supreme Court, was situated on this spot within a one-story building that stood in the northeast corner of the State House lot. Constructed in 1795-96, just three after the opening of the State House, the building housed vital legal documents pertaining to New Jersey’s colonial past and emergent statehood. The offices were pulled down in 1846 when the State House underwent a major expansion planned by architect John Notman. Among the modern descendants of this modest structure are the New Jersey State Archives located down the block at 225 West State Street., Recent discovery of the office building stemmed from the interplay of archival research and archaeological investigation. Enabling legislation, bookkeeping accounts and other records held by the New Jersey State Archives describe the form and layout of the building and the construction materials used. A map of Trenton from around 1804 shows the State House lot and the office building’s approximate location. Archaeological excavations carried out in conjunction with security improvements along West State Street in 2006 uncovered the building’s foundations and cellars. As you read this sign, you are standing in the rear office in the northwest corner of the building. The outline of the northern end of the building is delineated by the stones set into the sidewalk.