June 9, 2023
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Mayor Reed Gusciora and North Ward Trenton City Councilwoman Jennifer Williams highlighted the 32nd Annual Historic Mill Hill Garden Tour, which will take place tomorrow, Saturday, June 10, 2023 by visiting some of the gardens that will be on display. The garden tour begins at Artworks, located at 19 Everett Alley Trenton, NJ 08611, and self-guided walking tours will be available between 12 pm-5pm.
Mayor W. Reed Gusciora stated, “I want to encourage both those who live in Trenton and those who live outside of the Capital City to attend the Mill Hill Garden Tour tomorrow. Today, I got a preview of the beautiful gardens that will be on display Saturday, and I can guarantee a great day for all who are interested in attending.”
Residents of Trenton’s Historic Mill Hill Neighborhood will open their unique gardens, big and small, to any and all visitors, garden lovers, and architecture buffs. Over 15 gardens and public spaces will be open, which include new gardens that have not been a part of tours in the past. Tickets are available online for the top of every hour or you can purchase tickets the day-of at Artworks. Children under 12 can attend for free. The Old Mill Society advises potential registrants to please respect any masking preferences indicated by signage at each garden entrance at the owner’s discretion. Free parking is available in the Artworks lot at the beginning of the tour.
Councilwoman Jennifer Williams remarked, “The Mill Hill Garden Tour is such a wonderful and beautiful annual event and I’m glad that so many Trentonians have opened up their gardens this year to welcome everyone. The Mill Hill neighborhood is a diverse on which shows its pride each year by showing so many ways to garden in an urban setting. I’m sure that a lot of folks will get great ideas for their gardens from coming to the Mill Hill Garden Tour.”
The tour is run and organized by the Old Mill Hill Society and the residents of Mill Hill. It has played an important role in the historic restoration of the neighborhood. Money raised by the garden tour funds preservation grants that assist homeowners in maintaining the Trenton Landmarks Commission for Historic Preservation Standards that have helped make the neighborhood what it is today.
Mill Hill is one of the most historic neighborhoods in Trenton, as it is located on the “high ground” alongside the Assunpink Creek. During the American Revolution, General George Washington utilized Mill Hill as a defensive location for the Second Battle of Trenton, which was fought on January 2, 1777. The night before this battle, General Washington met with his leaders at the Douglass House, which has been relocated to Mill Hill Park to serve as an anchor attraction. In the nineteenth Century, Mill Hill transitioned into an upper middle-class neighborhood characterized by handsome Victorian brick townhomes and Gothic Revival wood-frame houses.
