Church of the Immaculate Conception
Trenton, Mercer County
Chestnut Avenue & Mott Street
founded 1875, built 1888-1890
The original name of the church was Our Lady of Lourdes when it was organized in 1874. The site consists of five acres and includes several buildings—a grammar school rectory, and a Roman Catholic college, whose purpose was to train men who wanted to join the Franciscan Order.
The is a fine Gothic church—really of cathedral status. Massive twin towers were apparently a favored plan for Catholic churches in this period, as there are at least two dozen in the state. The architect was Henry E. Finch, who had an office on East State Street. Finch also designed the Second Presbyterian church in Princeton. Unfortunately, two of the large windows in the towers are now boarded up. The parish is part of a larger one that includes three other churches.