8-10 East State Street (Commercial Building), 8-10 East State Street, Trenton, Mercer County, NJ

Significance: Joseph McPherson, a highly respected 19th century businessman is reputed to have had 8 East State Street constructed about 1833. McPherson operated his own harness and saddle business there, and lived upstairs for 18 years. Later in the 19th century, the building was rented to tenants, both commercial and residential. The building known as 10 East State Street is identical to 8 East Street, Historically the two unit were considered separate buildings until they were joined in ownership in 1906. They are recorded here as one building because of their identical physical characteristics, common construction and single 20th century ownership.
Representative of the commercial vernacular architecture of the firs half of the 19th century, 8-10 East State Street has the simple lines and planar surfaces of the Federal style. The few original interior details to survive also indicate the building was built as a vernacular expression of the Federal style. There have been changes to the structure over the years, the most notable being the storefront of 8 East State Street. It is a fine example of a storefront utilizing opaque glass panels and streamlined styling characteristic of American design in 1930s.
Survey number: HABS NJ-962
Building/structure dates: 1833
Building/structure dates: 18t2 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1987 Demolished