FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 8, 2011 

County historic preservation grants presented

16 projects in 15 towns share in $76,611 grant money

FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Historical Commission awarded preservation grants recently for 16 restoration projects in 15 municipalities. The awards totaled $76,611.

“These grants support the great work being done by the community,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the county Historical Commission. “These structures tie us to previous generations and help remind us that we must treasure and remember our roots and the people who built our communities.”

The Historical Commission is dedicated to preserving the past and creating a living history.  The types of projects eligible for funding are preservation, restoration or rehabilitation of historic structures, usually 50 years or older, and which are accessible to the public. The program covers essentially structural work for projects commonly known as “bricks and mortar” undertakings.

“The on-going preservation and restoration of a lifesaving station, firehouse, post office, monuments, museums, houses and barns helps make history real and present in our daily lives,” Burry said. “It is important to maintain and restore these landmarks to their glory and interpret their importance for generations to come.”

The Monmouth County Historical Commission was created by the Board of Chosen Freeholders for the preservation and conservation of Monmouth County history. Established in August 1988, its principal program is the preservation grants, an undertaking that recognizes the acute need for funds to preserve Monmouth County’s rich and diverse historic legacy. The commission grants matching funds on a competitive basis to municipalities and nonprofit organizations needing financial help in the preservation or restoration of historic structures.

“We have an interesting mix of grantees, including a number with repeated grants as well as first-time applicants,” said Randall Gabrielan, executive director of the Historical Commission. “The Historical Commission provides both sustained support and an open door for new projects.”   

Each grant application must include a description of the mission, its meaning to history and the significance and the audience it serves. It must also include a detailed budget, a source of funding available for the applicant’s dollar-for-dollar contribution, detailed quotations for the work, the materials to be used and a time frame for completion.

This year, the total amount available for matching grants was $80,750. There is a $500 minimum per applicant in any year. The program is competitive and the commission requires proof of the availability of matching funds.

The Historical Commission’s Annual Preservation Awards ceremony was held Feb. 23 at the Hall of Records in Freehold where recipients received checks for the first half of their award.

Each grantee is required to submit interim and final reports. The documents are to be accompanied by three photographs that detail project progress. The interim report is due when 50 percent of the work is completed. The final report, due at completion, must show evidence of completion and a canceled check to document payment to the contractor.

The deadline for applying for the preservation grants is Nov. 1 of every year. Information about the Historical Commission grant program can be found at www.visitmonmouth.com

For information about the county’s Historical Commission, contact the Hall of Records, Room 201, Freehold, NJ  07728, call (732) 431-7413, or visit the county’s Web site at www.visitmonmouth.com.

The 2010 Preservation Grant recipients are:

Trinity Church, Asbury Park – east entrance restoration, $ 4,216
Atlantic Highlands Historical Society – Strauss Porch Restoration phase V, $ 4,275
Avon-by-the-Sea Pavilion – phase IV restoration, $ 3,800
Belmar Historical Council - Union Firehouse – phase I, $ 4,750
Little Silver Borough and Historical Society, post office museum preservation, $ 1,570
Long Branch Historical Museum Assoc., Church of Presidents – south wall siding, $ 5,225
Long Branch Neptune Hose Co. No. 1 – interior preservation – phase IV, $ 5,225
Old Tennent Church, Manalapan – exterior preservation project, $ 4,750
Manasquan, Lifesaving Saving Station – phase II, $ 5,275
All Saints Memorial Church, Middletown – carriage sheds siding and paint, $ 5,900
Millstone Township – preservation of former church, $ 5,275
Ocean Grove Historical Preservation Society, Inc. – stairway reconstruction, $ 4,850
Ocean Township Historical Museum Assoc., water tower restoration, $ 4,750
Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting, west door and second-floor restoration, $ 5,900
Trinity Episcopal Church, Spring Lake – roof restoration, $ 5,600
Info Age Learning Center, Wall – roof and gutter repair, bldg. 9034, $ 5,250

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