FREEHOLD, NJ – The deadline to submit an application to the Monmouth County Historical Commission’s annual preservation grants program is Saturday, Nov. 1.

“These grants support the great work being done in our communities to preserve the past,” said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the county Historical Commission. “When our forefathers built these structures, there were erecting buildings to use, not landmarks. These grants help preserve them as landmarks.”

Projects eligible for funding are preservation, restoration or rehabilitation of historic structures, usually 50 years or older, which are accessible to the public and owned by municipalities and non-profits. The program covers essentially structural work for projects commonly known as “bricks and mortar” undertakings.

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.

The grants are a competitive matching-funds program and are administered by the County Historical Commission and funded by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Applications for this round of grants have been sent to Monmouth County municipalities and not-for-profit preservation organizations. The deadline for applying is Saturday, Nov.1 postmark or delivery.

Grants range from $500 to $7,500 per applicant a year. The program is competitive and the commission requires proof of the availability of matching funds.

Grant award recipients will be announced at a Historical Commission meeting in early 2015.

Further information on the grant program can be found at www.visitmonmouth.com, by clicking on the link to the Historical Commission or by calling 732-431-7460 ext. 7413.

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.

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