Mercer County Community College

MCCC's West Windsor campus, Nov. 2024. From Paul Ligeti.

Sprawling across 292 acres at 1200 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor is Mercer County Community College's main campus, complementing a separate campus in nearby Trenton. This is the history of this public institution, at which thousands of students seek to earn degrees (associates to Masters), certificates, and more.

Written in 2026 by Paul Ligeti, President of the Historical Society of West Windsor.

Historical Overview

19th Century Roots

Mercer County Community College's history actually has its roots in old Trenton. In 1890, the "Evening Drawing School" at 120 North Broad Street (under direction of Joseph Crampton), among other night schools in the area, attracted those interested in studying mechanical and freehand drawing to advance their careers.[1],[2],[3],[4],[5]

An early teacher at the Evening Drawing School, Charles E. Roberts, advocated for the need of a formal art school, so in 1898, it became the "Trenton School of Technical Science and Art" under its first principal, Charles F. Binns. Although it reputedly opened in April of that year at the 120 North Broad Street location, that September it moved to the long-gone "Trenton Academy" building (now the site of the Trenton Public Library at 120 Academy Street) and offered classes in the afternoon and the evening. During the 1901-1902 year, the school operated out of the old "Union Library" that once stood at 214 East State Street (see adjacent photo).[6],[7],[8],[9],[10]

In December 1901, the Trenton School of Technical Science and Art took on its third name: the "School of Industrial Arts."[11] By the following year, it had moved across the street to its fourth location: yet another long-gone building at 219 East State Street.[12],[13]

Union Library, 1891. From "Trenton Illustrated" by E.P. Robbins. Click for source.

Kelsey Building

During much of this time, the institution's progress and growth was noted by Henry C. Kelsey, New Jersey's Secretary of State from 1870-97. Resolute in the institution's value, he donated a parcel of land at 101 West State Street and around $140,000 to have a new building constructed. Built in memory of his late wife, Prudence Towsend Kelsey, the building was dedicated on June 7, 1911. At the ceremony, the property deed was given by Kelsey to John A. Campbell (member of the school's Board of Trustees), who also collected the keys to the structure from architect Cass Gilbert.

The building was designed after the Strozzi Palace in Florence, Italy. An article about the dedication ceremony asserted that "in outward appearance and in equipment it is the best in the United States devoted to industrial art work." Further, Kelsey himself spoke to the motives behind his donation: "When on a bitter winter night now more than seven years ago the light of my life went out, all the world seemed dark and cold to me. My heart was chilled, my reason staggered, and I felt that for me the end could not come too soon, but after a period of despair I realized my own work was not done. Hence the erection of this building as a tribute to the memory of my forever adored -- now glorified -- wife, and for the use of the students of arts and crafts of the city and the state."[14],[15],[16]

​In 1916, about 133 feet of vacant ground on Quarry Street (now Capitol Street) was purchased for shop building.[17] Yet, the school would continue to use the Kelsey Building at 101 West State Street as its main base for decades thereafter.

Kelsey Building, 101 W. State St., Nov. 2022.

Trenton Junior College

As the decades passed, the school continued to grow, especially after many veterans returned home following World War II and sought education and jobs. Thereby incentivized to establish a two-year college-level institutions, the school's trustees redesignated the School of Industrial Arts as the "Trenton Junior College and School of Industrial Arts" (TJC) offering courses in arts and engineering[18],[19],[20],[21] In 1953, TJC was authorized to confer Associates degrees in various arts, engineering, and science fields to their students - an achievement in its own right, and also frequently a stepping-stone to further earning a bachelor degree.[22],[23]

In the ensuing years, TJC became increasingly popular to attend, and thus questions arose as to further expanding its physical and institutional size, as the school had to rent additional space and turn away hundreds of students.[24],[25] In 1962, the school was accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, allowing certificates and credits earned at TJC to be recognized by even more colleges throughout the country - and thus growing TJC's desirability even more to prospective professionals.[26] Thus, conversations began to take shape about establishing a formal "community college," and a larger campus.

MCCC's West Windsor welcome center, July 2026, from Paul Ligeti.

Mercer County Community College.

In 1965, Mercer County voters overwhelmingly approved establishing the "Mercer County Community College" (MCCC).[27] The institution formally organized under the same name and established its bylaws in 1966,[28] and elected Richard Greenfield as its first president the same year.[29] The next year, the TJC was formally absorbed by MCCC.[30],[31],[32]

Around the same time, a 292-acre site in "Assunpink Park" (Mercer County Park) off Old Trenton Road in West Windsor was agreed upon, despite opposition from many in Trenton, who wanted to keep the institution in their city.[33] But, in 1970, MCCC sold the old Kelsey Building at 101 West State Street to the state,[34],[35] and rented it for use as overflow class space until 1975.[36] In 1979,  it became the new home of the Thomas Edison College - now Thomas Edison State University, which uses it to this day.[37],[38]

In 1972, the 292-acre West Windsor campus of MCCC opened, meant to handle thousands of students and with room to grow further.[39],[40],[41],[42] Additions have been made to the Engineering Science building (1990-1991)[43] and Communications Center (1999),[44] and construction of a new Fitness Center (1999),[45] Conference Center (2001),[46] and University Center (2018, letting students earn bachelor's and master's degrees without leaving the campus).[47] 

James Kerney Campus, Sep. 2017.

In 1974, in Trenton, ground was broken on a new "James Kerney Center" after the James Kerney Foundation donated an acre of land on North Broad Street, between East Hanover and Academy Streets - i.e., the very same block where the "Evening Drawing School" had operated in the 1890s.[48] This campus was further enlarged in 1998 when it became the "James Kerney Campus,"[49]. Fourteen years later, "Trenton Hall" annex building at 137 North Broad Street further enlarged the Trenton presence.[50]

At the time of this writing (2026), Mercer County Community College enrolls approximately 9,000 students in one or more credit courses each year. Around three-quarters of the student population comes from within the County, but there are also more than 40 countries represented within the student body. More than half of graduates transfer to senior colleges and universities. And for the general public, MCCC offers the Kelsey Theater (named after Henry Kelsey, who had the 101 West State Street building constructed all those years ago), a classical network radio station, summer programs for children, English as a Second Language courses, and much more.[51]

MCCC's West Windsor campus, July 2026, from Paul Ligeti.

Education in West Windsor

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Bibliography

1. Walker, Edwin Robert, Clayton D Traver, Richard D LaGuardia, Elma Logan GST Reference Johnston, John J Cleary, Howard L Hughes, Samuel S Armstrong, et al. A History of Trenton 1679-1929. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1929. Published in two volumes by the Trenton Historical Society.
2. "Nearing the End." Trenton Sunday Advertiser, February 9, 1890.
3. "The Evening Schools." Trenton Times, October 30, 1890.
4. "City and Home Matters." The Evening Journal (Jersey City), November 7, 1890.
5. "Booming a Technical School." Trenton Times, November 14, 1890.
6. "Technical Schools." Trenton Evening Times, October 16, 1897.
7. "Technical Schools." Trenton Evening Times, October 19, 1897. 
8. "The Technical School." Daily State Gazette (Trenton), September 5, 1898.
9. "Trenton Art School." Trenton Evening Times, December 8, 1898.
10. Walker, Edwin Robert, Clayton D Traver, Richard D LaGuardia, Elma Logan GST Reference Johnston, John J Cleary, Howard L Hughes, Samuel S Armstrong, et al. A History of Trenton 1679-1929. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1929. Published in two volumes by the Trenton Historical Society.
11. "School of Industrial Arts."
12. "It is astonishing how many book lovers there are who do not know the 'points' of a finely bound book. Those who have never seen a hand-bound book in process of making should call at The School of Industrial Arts, 219 East State street, Trenton, N.J., on Wednesday afternoons or evenings." Trenton Times, December 16, 1902.
13. Walker, Edwin Robert, Clayton D Traver, Richard D LaGuardia, Elma Logan GST Reference Johnston, John J Cleary, Howard L Hughes, Samuel S Armstrong, et al. A History of Trenton 1679-1929. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1929. Published in two volumes by the Trenton Historical Society.
14. “The Kelsey Building, 1911.” Trenton Historical Society. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://trentonhistory.org/Kelsey.htm. 
15. Walker, Edwin Robert, Clayton D Traver, Richard D LaGuardia, Elma Logan GST Reference Johnston, John J Cleary, Howard L Hughes, Samuel S Armstrong, et al. A History of Trenton 1679-1929. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1929. Published in two volumes by the Trenton Historical Society.
16. "Kelsey Art School, Costing $140,000, is Turned Over to City." Trenton Evening Times, June 8, 1911.
17. "Many Properties Change Ownership." Sunday Times Advertiser (Trenton), May 28, 1916.
18. Trenton Junior College and School of Industrial Arts. “Trenton Junior College and School of Industrial Arts.” Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser, May 11, 1947. 
19. "Trenton Junior College." Trenton Evening Times, May 20, 1947.
20. "Junior College Interest High." Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, July 13, 1947.
21. "Trenton Junior College Opens Here Wednesday." Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, September 7, 1947.
22. "Trenton Junior College Gets Right to Confer Degrees." Trenton Evening Times, December 16, 1953.
23. "Trenton Junior College Offers Many Helps to Students Here." Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, July 4, 1954.
24. "Trenton Junior College Reports Sharp Upsurge in Enrollments for Next Year." Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, April 3, 1955.
25. "Trenton Junior College Geared to Serving Area." Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, February 9, 1958.
26. "Junior College is Accredited by Middle States Association." Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser, July 8, 1962.
27. "Many Favor Mercer College." Princeton Herald, November 5, 1965.
28. “Bylaws of the Board of Trustees.” Trenton, October 25, 1966. Digital copy available at https://www.mccc.edu/omb/BY-LAWS.pdf
29. ​"President Named for County College." Princeton Herald, June 22, 1966.
30. "College Responsibility Date Set." Trentonian, October 14, 1966.
31. "Two Schools Now One." The Evening Times (Trenton), July 3, 1967.
32. Mercer County Community College. “Public Announcement To All Mercer County Residents.” Sunday Times Advertiser. Trenton, July 9, 1967. 
33. "Assunpink Park is College Site." Princeton Herald, December 21, 1966.
34. "MCC Seeks Four-Year Lease On W. State St. Headquarters." The Evening Times (Trenton), January 13, 1972.
35. Board of Trustees of Mercer County Community College, State of New Jersey Department of Treasury. “Deed.” Trenton, 1970. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1856 Page 18.
36. "Kelsey Building Rental Granted." The Evening Times (Trenton), February 10, 1972.
37. "Kelsey Building changes provide light, air inside." Sunday Times Advertiser (Trenton), September 9, 1979.
38. Personal knowledge of the author of this article, Paul Ligeti, who drove by the building a few days before writing this article and saw it was still occupied by Thomas Edison State University.
39. "Our College Cheer: School's In." The Trentonian, March 30, 1972.
40. ​"MCCC: New Pride and Purpose." The Trentonian, August 23, 1972.
41. "Stars Feature dedication Week at Mercer College." Sunday Times Advertiser (Trenton), September 17, 1972.
42. "Pickets Greet 3,000 Students." The Trentonian, September 19, 1972.​
43. Mercer County Community College
44. Ibid.
45. Ibid.
46. Ibid.
47. Ibid.
48. "Center Ground Broken." Sunday Times Advertiser (Trenton), August 25, 1974.
49. "New high tech labs at MCCC." The Trentonian, March 21, 1998.
50. "Building on a Proud History." The Trentonian, September 28, 2012.
51. “About MCCC.” Mercer County Community College. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://www.mccc.edu/about_mccc.shtml.