FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Historical Commission awarded preservation grants recently for 25 restoration projects in 18 municipalities. The awards totaled $42,500.

“These grants support the great work being done by the community,” said Freeholder 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.”

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.

“It is particularly fitting that the county’s Historical Commission presents these awards as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival to our shores and described Monmouth County as ‘A fair land to fall into and a pleasant land to see,’ ” Freeholder Burry said. “The on-going preservation and restoration of one-room schoolhouses, Revolutionary War houses, monuments, museums, cow barns and farm houses helps make history real and present in our daily lives.” 

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 a good 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.

In 2008, the total amount available for matching grants is $42,500. 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.

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 Historical Commission’s Annual Preservation Awards ceremony was held Feb. 23 at the Hall of Records in Freehold. 

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/history

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 2008 Preservation Grant recipients are:

Allentown Library Association, window preservation, $1,550
Atlantic Highlands Historical Society – tower restoration, $2,500
Belmar Historical Council, Malta Mast base restoration, $450
Colts Neck Preservation Committee, school siding, $625
Battleground Historical (Village Inn), Englishtown, windows and shutters, $2,500
Bethel AME Church, Freehold, structural work, $1,855
Freehold Twp. Historic Preservation Comm., W. Freehold school foundation, $750
Holmdel Township, Van Mater barn restoration, $600
Elberon Memorial Church, Long Branch, stained glass windows, $1,500
Long Branch Historical Museum Assoc., Church of Presidents, front masonry, $2,420
Old Tennent Church, Manalapan, exterior preservation project, $1,500
Manasquan Borough, lifesaving window replacement, $1,500
Middletown Township, Little Red Schoolhouse preservation, $2,000
Middletown Township, MacLeod-Rice Porch Roof, $2,000
All Saints Memorial Church, Middletown, Parish House restoration, $2,000
Monmouth County Historical Assoc., Middletown, Marlpit Hall, millwork, paint, $2,000
Ocean Grove Historic Preservation Society Inc., exterior brick work, $2,000
Ocean Township Historical Museum Assoc., Eden Woolley shutters, $1,250
Women’s Club of Red Bank, rear porch of Century House, $2,000
Junior League of Monmouth County, Rumson, second-story windows, $1,250
St. Georges by the River, Rumson, roof repairs to chapel, $1,250
Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting, roof, $2,500
Christ Church, Shrewsbury, stained glass, $2,000
St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Spring Lake, repair to brick steps, $2,000
Old Wall Historical Society, Blansingburg school roof, $2,500   

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Photo Caption: Historic Commission Chair Mary Lou Strong and Freeholder Lillian G. Burry (3rd and 4th from left) presented a 2009 Monmouth County Historical Commission matching grant of $1,500 to Squan Beach Life Saving Station Preservation Com. Inc. representatives (l to r) Gordon Twaddell, Patricia Connoll, and Lia Trench.