Old Barracks Museum - Trenton, NJ - Satellite Imagery Oddities on Waymarking.com

The Old Barracks Museum was once used by soldiers during the French & Indian War and in the Revolutionary War. The museum is located adjacent to the byway, one street over. This byway, Route 29, was so designated in 1996 by the State of New Jersey. It is a beautiful stretch of road, running parallel to the east side of the Delaware river and runs through some of the most important sites our state has to offer. Route 29 was designated a byway because of its scenic and historical values it offers.

The Old Barracks is the only remaining colonial barracks in New Jersey. Originally, there were five of these sleeping quarters used in New Jersey (which was a colony at the time) to house soldiers during the French and Indian War. Troops also slept here during the Revolutionary War, later which it was no longer used. An historical marker on the site adds additional information:

Built in 1758 for British troops of the French and Indian War. Hessians were quartered here before the Battle of Trenton.

During my visit I saw museum workers dressed in period garb giving tours, reenacting certain daily chores and jobs soldiers would have been doing in the 18th century. The barracks is a big hit with school children. Parking is roadside. The barracks is open daily , from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and is definitely worth a quick stopover is you are traveling on this beautiful and historic New Jersey Byway. The Barracks presents an excellent hands-on opportunity to learn about Colonial history.

and what historic site would be complete without an AGS excerpt.....

”The Old Barracks (open 10-5 weekdays, May to Aug.; 10-4, Sept. to April; adm. 10¢) S. Willow St. opposite W. Front St., is the only remaining unit of the five barracks erected in 1758-59 by the Colonial Assembly to house Colonial troops, previously billeted in private homes, during the French and Indian War. It is a pleasing example of the adaptation of the early Georgian Colonial style to a military building. Of U-shaped design, the courtyard walls carry a two-story roofed porch, supported on thin wood columns that give a southern air. The masonry is of random fieldstone with white wood trim. British troops, Hessian jaegers and American soldiers were quartered here during the Revolution; afterward the structure was used for private dwellings. In 1813, Front Street was cut through buildings, but the entire structure was restored about a century later. The original three long rooms have been divided into many small ones, some furnished with Colonial pieces, others used for exhibitions. One of the finest collections of Continental currency in the country is here. Some rooms are headquarters for various Colonial and Revolutionary societies. On the lawn is an elm grown from the root of the Cambridge tree under which George Washington assumed charge of the Continental Army. The property, restored by the State, is managed by the Old Barracks Association. ” --- New Jersey, a Guide to Its Present and Past, 1939, p. 405