City of Trenton breaks ground on historic Carver Center restoration project
Today, the City of Trenton hosted a Groundbreaking Ceremony marking the beginning of construction for Phase One of the historic Carver Center Restoration Project. The groundbreaking is a significant milestone in the City’s commitments to historic preservation & neighborhood revitalization.
The City acquired the Carver Center in 2021 after exercising its right of first refusal to preserve the historic building and protect its future as a community asset. With the total restoration estimated at approximately $8 million, the City has pursued federal funding to undertake the rehabilitation in phases, beginning with the most urgent structural and exterior needs.
“This site is so important to Trenton’s history,” said Mayor Reed Gusciora. “We knew it deserved to be honored & restored so that it can continue that legacy.”
“We’re happy to see this phase of the project finally come together, said Council President Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg. “The Carver Youth and Family Center deserves to have its past honored, and its future empowered as it is the embodiment of Black history and excellence.”
“I am glad this restoration is finally moving forward, helping new generations learn the Carver Youth & Family Center’s history & continue to live out its mission,” added Councilwoman Teska Frisby.
Through an investment of more than $2.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, this first phase of the project will focus on the building’s roof, protecting the historic structure & preventing further deterioration.
“The Carver Center’s restoration is precisely the type of restorative revitalization we hope to see from the CDBG funding program,” noted Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.
The Carver Center has been a cornerstone of Trenton’s community for more than a century. Constructed in 1922 by the Sunlight Elks Lodge, a Black fraternal organization, the Center became a social, cultural, & recreational gathering & meeting space. For decades, the Carver Center was one of only a few spaces in Trenton outside of churches where Black residents could gather for recreational, cultural & civic events. The Trenton YMCA acquired the property in 1944, renaming the building after Black scientist & inventor George Washington Carver.
During this time, the center grew in popularity & drew the attention of nationally recognized performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, all of whom performed on its stage. Local and state NAACP organizations held meetings and conferences there, using the building as a place to organize and strategize for civil-rights advancement in New Jersey. In 1975, the YMCA closed the facility, after which it was acquired by the New Jersey State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. The organization reopened the facility in 1981 as the Carver Youth and Family Center but did not properly maintain the structure.
“Prior to the City’s acquisition, years of neglect had left the property in a potentially dangerous position,” said Mayor Reed Gusciora. “Thanks to funding from our federal & state partners, we’re finally able to begin work to restore & breathe new life into this historic site. I would especially like to thank Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman & Senator Shirley Turner for their continued support in restoring the Carver Youth and Family Center & empowering our City to do so.”
“I’m grateful to be a part of rehabilitating the Carver Youth & Family Center- a space so close to the hearts of myself and so many Trenton residents,” said Senator Turner, who previously worked at the Carver Youth and Family Center as an educator. “The Center has a bright past behind it, and an even brighter future ahead.”
