Hailed as "an ornament to the city" and "one of the show places of Trenton," TCHS was one of the largest and most expensive high schools built in the country.

Most firms involved in the construction were based in Trenton, including John A. Roebling's Sons who provided "Jersey" wire lath to fireproof the ceilings and walls.

[12] A crowd of 4,000 spectators at Rutgers University saw the team win the 1933 Group IV title with a 31-17 defeat of South Side in the playoff finals.

[13] The 1935 team won the program's fourth consecutive Group IV state title by defeating Morristown High School in the semifinals and knocking off New Brunswick by a score of 20-14 in the championship game.

[14] A crowd of more than 3,000 watched at Rutgers University as the 1961 team, led by Tal Brody, won the Group IV state championship and finished with a 24–0 record for the season after a 66-55 win against two-time defending champion Camden in the tournament finals.

[16][17][18] The team won the Central Jersey Group IV sectional championship in 2003 with a 54–40 win over Old Bridge High School.

[25] The team won the 2007 Central Jersey Group IV state sectional title with a 51–24 win against Howell High School.

[27] The Tornadoes 381 FIRST robotics team, from the Applied Engineering & Science Academy, is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb, Sarnoff Corporation and Princeton University.

The school includes a military program called United States Army JROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps).