| St. Michael's Episcopal Church | |
| Location: | Trenton, New Jersey |
| Coordinates: | 40.2222°N -74.7653°W |
| Built: | 1748 |
| Architect: | Augustine M. VanKirk |
| Architecture: | Gothic Revival |
| Added: | April 29, 1982 |
| Refnum: | 82003280 |
| Designated Other1 Name: | New Jersey Register of Historic Places |
| Designated Other1 Abbr: | NJRHP |
| Designated Other1 Link: | New Jersey Register of Historic Places |
| Designated Other1 Date: | July 17, 1981 |
| Designated Other1 Number: | 1792[1] |
| Designated Other1 Num Position: | bottom |
| Designated Other1 Color: |
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Established in 1703, St. Michael's Church in downtown Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, is a founding parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey. Its present building located at 140 North Warren Street was built in 1747–1748, and was renovated in 1810 and 1847–1848. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1982 as St. Michael's Episcopal Church.
Its congregation, now a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey, has involved itself in the history and culture of the city of Trenton from its founding in 1703 to the present.
St. Michael's was organized as a parish in 1703 in Hopewell Township. A Church of England building was erected on "Breese Farm" in 1704. In 1708 the parish was gifted with articles from Anne, Queen of Great Britain. These articles now reside in the New Jersey State Museum.
The main sanctuary of St. Michael's Church was built 1747–1748 at its present location on North Warren Street in Trenton. The building was extensively renovated in 1810. The distinctive turrets facing Warren Street remain from the 1810 renovation, but the bell tower is no longer standing.
In 1776, due to an even split of the congregation between Revolutionary and Loyalist sympathies, the building was closed and the congregation disbanded during the American Revolutionary War. During this time, the building was used as a hospital and the churchyard was a burial ground for Hessian soldiers fighting to retain British control of the American Colonies.
Reverend William Frazer, who had been a Tory during the American Revolution, was permitted to resume his duties as rector at St. Michael's after the war.[2] Frazer also ran a school, where his students in the early 1790s included the two oldest sons of Alexander Hamilton, Philip and Alexander Jr.[2]
In 1801, St. Michael's was host to the seventh General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the site where the delegates ratified a revised version of the Anglican Church's 39 Articles of Religion. This adaptation was thus accepted by the Protestant Episcopal Church USA, part of the Anglican Communion, yet not subject to oaths of loyalty to the British crown.
Early in the 20th century, a delegation of parishioners from St. Michael's Church were involved in the founding of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, the current seat of the Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey.
Notable in more recent history is the voluntary racial integration of St. Michael's in 1955 through merger with the African congregation of St. Monica's Parish, occasioned by the Episcopal Church Women of their respective congregations. Through the end of the millennium at least St. Michael's parish has remained integrated with respect to race, national origin and language; today, St. Michael's Parish remains a diverse community.
In 1973 St. Michael's became a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey. In 2006 St. Michael's Church was awarded a $50,000 grant for an architectural feasibility study due to the history of the building and grounds. In 2015 St. Michael's Church called a Lutheran pastor, the Rev'd Mark David Johnson, to serve as vicar.
During 2005 and 2006 Patriot's Week re-enactments of the Battle of Trenton, Continental Army reenactors passed by the Warren Street entrance to the sanctuary, sparing the delicate plaster walls the reenactment of a legendary cannon blast.