Movie-goers catch the latest Elisabeth Bergner film at the RKO Capitol Theatre. Business awnings line the street in the hopes of attracting shoppers. Stately buildings with decorative windows provide plenty of square footage for offices and apartments.

The RKO Capitol, originally the Taylor Opera House, was built in 1867 and served the Trenton community for decades. The Taylor Opera House was the city’s first theater, and hosted many prominent speakers and performers, including Mark Twain, Ethel Barrymore, and George M. Cohan, as well as the inaugurations of New Jersey Governors George B. McClellan and Woodrow Wilson. In 1921, the opera house was converted into a movie theater, which would later become the RKO Capitol Theatre. It was shut down in October of 1972 and ultimately demolished, though a historical marker was placed on-site after its demolition.  To this day, people still fondly recall the times spent at this historic theater.

Today, this section of South Broad Street is home to mostly parking facilities, large government buildings, and Mill Hill Park. The city’s master plan hopes to consolidate a capital district around these government buildings, in order to promote revitalization.