The New Jersey Historic Trust plays a key role in preserving New Jersey history for future generations. The Trust has helped restore and preserve hundreds of historic locations in every county in the state. Unfortunately, many historic sites are still threatened.

Proceeds from sales of the Discover NJ History license plates are used to provide grants to communities and non-profit organizations to preserve the state’s historic sites.

“Every New Jerseyan can support the Trust’s important work by purchasing a Discover NJ History license plate,” said Dorothy Guzzo, executive director of the New Jersey Historic Trust. “Buying and displaying the license plate helps save New Jersey’s history, now.”

Just a few sites aided by the New Jersey Historic Trust include:

• The Hunterdon County Courthouse is best-known as the site of the 1934 “Trial of the Century,” where Bruno Richard Hauptmann was convicted for the abduction and murder of the son of aviation hero Charles Lindberg. Grants from the New Jersey Historic Trust helped restore the courthouse and attached jail to its appearance during the Lindberg trial era.
  
  
• A major Jersey shore attraction for over a century and a National Historic Landmark, Lucy the Margate Elephant stands six stories high and is visited by more than 25,000 people a year. Lucy required a great deal of work to ensure her continued survival. New Jersey Historic Trust grants helped fund exterior repairs and painting, including the “Howdah” mounted on her back that is used as the observation deck.
  
  
• The Dey Mansion, located in Wayne, served twice as George Washington’s headquarters. Washington advisors Alexander Hamilton and James McHenry stayed at the mansion with him. Here Washington gave command of West Point to infamous traitor Benedict Arnold. It has served as a museum since 1934. The New Jersey Historic Trust helped fund interior and exterior restoration.
  
  
• The Peter Mott House is the oldest known house in the community of Lawnside, which was founded as a free African-American settlement. It was almost demolished, but local efforts helped save it. It is now a museum that highlights the connections between the house, Lawnside, and the Underground Railroad. New Jersey Historic Trust grants helped fund exterior restoration and interior rehabilitation of the house.

Another goal of this campaign is to support heritage tourism, a major reason visitors come to New Jersey.

About 11 million people visit New Jersey’s historic sites each year, almost half from out-of-state, resulting in $2.8 billion in spending, supporting almost 40,000 jobs and generating $715 million in federal, state and local taxes.*

You can learn more about The New Jersey Historic Trust, how to help save New Jersey’s history and how to purchase the Discover NJ History license plate by visiting njht.org/preservenjhistory.

*Source: The Economic & Fiscal Impacts of Heritage Tourism in New Jersey

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More Than $1 Million Awarded for Preservation Planning Projects

TRENTON, NJ - The New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), today approved $1,037,621 in grant recommendations from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund for 33 preservation planning projects to save and promote historic sites throughout the state. The grant recommendations, approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust Board, will be presented to the Garden State Preservation Trust at its next meeting and require a legislative appropriations bill and the Governor’s approval before funds are available.

“Historic preservation is an integral part of community and economic revitalization and I am excited to see a diverse list of grant recipients this year,” said Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. “From historic homes, farms, libraries, train stations, and villages, the work that will be accomplished with the preservation grants will help to secure the future of our most treasured historic places in the Garden State.”

Twenty-nine of the grants will help fund preservation planning projects such as condition assessments, historic structure reports, archaeological investigations, and construction documents.  The remaining four grants will help fund projects to improve visitors’ experience at historic sites by assessing heritage tourism potential and creating interpretive plans and signage.  All the grants, awarded to nonprofit organizations or entities of municipal, county and state government, require a match from the recipient. 

“We are pleased to recommend funding for preservation planning to so many worthy projects in this grant round, and particularly to support sites that wish to develop heritage tourism and improve the visitor experience,” said Historic Trust Executive Director Dorothy P. Guzzo. “By saving our historic buildings, we can benefit from their impact on the tourism economy as well as encourage local pride.”

Funding for the current grant round is dedicated from a voter-approved constitutional amendment that created the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund, which is supported by income from the corporate business tax and will receive an annual allocation in support of historic preservation. The Preserve New Jersey Fund continues the work of the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund and voter-supported referendums that have committed $145 million to more than 800 historic preservation projects since 1990.  All funded resources are listed or eligible to be listed in the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places, either individually or within designated historic districts.

Established in 1967, the New Jersey Historic Trust is the only nonprofit historic preservation organization in New Jersey created by state law. The Trust became a DCA affiliate in 2002 in an effort to better realign the state's smart growth initiatives with historic revitalization. Its mission is to advance historic preservation in New Jersey for the benefit of future generations through education, stewardship and financial investment programs that save our heritage and strengthen our communities.

2018 Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund Grant Recipients

Note: the project names are as listed on the National Register of Historic Places and may not reflect the current names of the property. Projects are listed in each category alphabetically by county.

Historic Site Management Grants for Planning Documents (up to $50,000)

Historic Site Management Grants for Heritage Tourism Projects (up to $50,000)

May 29, 2018, NEWPORT, RI - The 1772 Foundation, partnering for the eighth year with the New Jersey Historic Trust, awarded historic preservation grants totaling $293,786 to 25 private nonprofit organizations in New Jersey. The grants ranged in amount from $3,175 to the grant maximum of $15,000. 12 of the 25 organizations received the maximum grant amount. Each grant recipient was required to have matching funds for its project. Grants also were awarded in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Grants were provided for exterior work: painting, surface restoration, fire/security systems, repairs to/restoration of porches, roofs and windows, repairs to foundations and sills, and chimney and masonry repointing.

President of The 1772 Foundation, B. Danforth Ely, commented on the importance of these grants to the preservation community. "They fund maintenance and restoration work that might otherwise be deferred. Funding for such work is often harder to come by than funding for programming. The requirement of a match means our dollars go further and also demonstrates to us community support and the recipients' commitment to preserving their buildings."

New Jersey Historic Trust Executive Director, Dorothy Guzzo, added, “The Historic Trust is pleased to present these recommendations for funding assistance to The 1772 Foundation. We continue to see applications from historic sites that need our help and are new to the philanthropic community. These matching grants go a long way to preserving important places in New Jersey’s past."

Grant recipients were:
Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society, Inc. (Cranbury Township)
Delaware River Mill Society (Stockton Borough)
The Friends of Millstone Township Historic Registered Property (Millstone Township)
Friends of the Loew's (Jersey City)
Gloucester County Historical Society (Woolwich Township)
The Heritage and Agriculture Association, Inc. (Wantage Township)
Historic Cold Spring Village (Cape May)
Historic Restoration Trust of the Township of Nutley (Nutley Township)
Historical Educational Lodge-Hall Preservatory (Swedesboro)
Hunterdon Art Museum (Clinton Town)
Long Beach Island Historical Association (Beach Haven Borough)
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (Lower Township)
Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum (Lower Township)
New Jersey Community Development Corporation (Paterson City)
Princeton AlumniCorps (Princeton)
Reeves-Reed Arboretum (Summit City)
Save Ellis Island (Ellis Island)
Sourland Conservancy (Montgomery Township)
Sparta Historical Society (Sparta Township)
Squan Beach Life Saving Station Preservation Committee (Manasquan Borough)
Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association (Pennington Borough)
Township of Ocean Historical Museum (Ocean Township)
The Union Township Historical Society (Union Township)
Westampton Township Historical Society (Westampton Township)
The GFWC Woman's Club of Rutherford (Rutherford Borough)

The 1772 Foundation was named in honor of its first restoration project, Liberty Hall in Union, NJ, which was built in 1772 and is the ancestral home of the Livingston and Kean families. The late Stewart B. Kean was the original benefactor of The 1772 Foundation. The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations. More information about The 1772 Foundation may be found at www.1772foundation.org.

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A PDF of this announcement is available HERE.

A complete list of 1772 Foundation projects funded through the New Jersey Historic Trust is available HERE.

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NOVEMBER 17, 2017 - Advancing its ongoing commitment to preserving and protecting New Jersey’s rich and diverse historic resources, the New Jersey Cultural Trust (NJCT) has announced $304,655 in FY 2018 Capital Historic Preservation grant awards to 13 qualified organizations and projects statewide. With the FY 2018 grant awards, the Cultural Trust has now approved over $7 million in financial stabilization and historic preservation projects across New Jersey to date.

Pursuant to the Cultural Trust Act of 2000, annual NJCT grants are awarded following a third-party, independent peer review process and are based on recommendations from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, New Jersey Historical Commission, and the New Jersey Historic Trust. For FY 2018, recommendations were made by the New Jersey Historic Trust.

“The work of the New Jersey Cultural Trust is unique and unlike any other agency across state government, and these FY 2018 awards illustrate how important its work remains to the state’s arts and history communities,” said Sara Cureton, executive director of the New Jersey Cultural Trust. “This year’s grants will facilitate important repairs and improvements to several historic properties and, in doing so, will help ensure their enduring historical legacy and appeal to visitors for years to come.”

For the FY 2018 round, awards of up to $25,000 were available for eligible activities including stabilization, repair, restoration, adaptive reuse and improvements to cultural or historic properties, including adapting for increased accessibility. In addition, all project proposals must be in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. All history, arts, and humanities organizations with stewardship responsibility for historic resources that are listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, and qualified by the New Jersey Cultural Trust, were eligible to apply for FY 2018 capital historic preservation funding.

The FY 2018 NJHC Capital Historic Preservation grant awards are as follows (by County):

The Shipman Mansion Foundation - Red Dragon Canoe Club, Burlington, $25,000
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts - Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May, $25,000
Naval Air Station Wildwood Foundation - Hangar #1, Cape May, $25,000
Red Mill Museum Village - M.C. Mulligan & Sons' Quarry (The Red Mill), Hunterdon, $25,000
The 1759 Vought House, Inc. - Vought Farmstead, Hunterdon, $25,000
Hunterdon Land Trust - Case-Dvoor Farmstead, Hunterdon, $25,000
Howell Living History Farm - Pleasant Valley Historic District: Chicken Sheds, Mercer, $25,000
Old Barracks Museum - Old Barracks, Mercer, $20,355
Morris County Historical Society - Acorn Hall, Morris, $9,300
Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of NJ - Palace Theater, Morris, $25,000
Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum Association - Merchants and Drovers Tavern, Union, $25,000
duCret School of the Arts - George Strong Residence, Union, $25,000
Monmouth County Historical Association - Holmes-Hendrickson House, Monmouth, $25,000

TOTAL:$304,655

The New Jersey Cultural Trust (NJCT) was created in July 2000 as a public/private partnership to help ensure a stable and healthy nonprofit cultural industry in New Jersey that is sustainable even in the toughest of economic times. This is achieved through the establishment of a permanent, interest-generating fund to be an additional source of revenue to nonprofit arts, history, and humanities organizations. The NJCT provides grants to support capital projects, endowments, and institutional and financial stabilization of arts, history, and humanities organizations in New Jersey. Funding for the grants comes from interest earned on the Cultural Trust Fund, which is a permanent investment fund.

Original press release from NJCT

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View the official announcement (PDF).

Learn more about the Revolving Loan Fund. 

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Nearly $3 Million Awarded to 25 Projects

JANUARY 17, 2017, TRENTON, NJ - The New Jersey Historic Trust today announced $2,988,859 in grant awards through the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund for 25 “bricks and mortar” capital preservation projects located at historic sites. The grants, recently approved by the Garden State Preservation Trust, will require a Legislative appropriations bill and the Governor’s approval before funds are available.

“These grants will help restore these sites and preserve their historic, architectural, and aesthetic character for generations to come,” said Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Charles A. Richman.

Funding for the current grant round is dedicated from a voter-approved constitutional amendment that created the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund, which is supported by income from the corporate business tax. The Fund will receive an annual allocation in support of historic preservation projects for planning and construction. All grantees are nonprofit organizations or entities of municipal, county and state government. All funded projects are listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places, either individually or within designated historic districts. The Preserve New Jersey Fund continues the work of the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund and voter supported referendums that have committed $140 million to more than 750 historic preservation projects since 1990.

“Each grant round is highly competitive,” explained Historic Trust Executive Director Dorothy P. Guzzo. “While we were able to fund almost half of the requested number of applications in this grant round, there is still tremendous need for financial support of historic preservation at the state, county and local levels. We are very pleased to have this ongoing source of funding to help meet those needs.”

Established in 1967, the New Jersey Historic Trust is the only nonprofit historic preservation organization in New Jersey created by state law. The Trust became a DCA affiliate in 2002 in an effort to better realign the state's smart growth initiatives with historic revitalization. Its mission is to advance historic preservation in New Jersey for the benefit of future generations through education, stewardship and financial investment programs that save our heritage and strengthen our communities.

For more information on the New Jersey Historic Trust and its funding programs, visit njht.org. Note: the project names are as listed on the National Register of Historic Places and may not reflect the current names of the property.

Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund Grant Recipients:

(alphabetical by County)

Red Dragon Canoe Club, Edgewater Park, Burlington County, $125,875.00
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Burlington City, Burlington County, $150,000.00
White Hill Mansion, Fieldsboro, Burlington County, $45,000.00
Goshen School, Middle Township, Cape May County, $150,000.00
Joseph Falkenburge House, Dennis Township, Cape May County, $150,000.00
Bloomfield Cemetery: Receiving Vault, Bloomfield, Essex County $66,000.00
Hoboken City Hall, Hoboken, Hudson County, $150,000.00
The Dr. Barrow Mansion, Jersey City, Hudson County, $150,000.00
Case-Dvoor Farmstead, Raritan Township, Hunterdon County, $150,000.00
St. Michael's Episcopal Church,Trenton, Mercer County, $45,000.00
All Saints' Memorial Church Complex, Navesink, Middletown, Monmouth County $150,000.00
Carlton Theatre (Count Basie Theatre), Red Bank, Monmouth County, $147,900.00
Major John Burrowes Mansion, Matawan, Monmouth County, $149,358.00
The Towers (Strauss Mansion), Atlantic Highlands, Monmouth County, $133,448.00
Craftsman Farms: White Cottage, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County, $150,000.00
First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon, New Vernon, Morris County, $150,000.00
Hartley Dodge Memorial, Madison, Morris County, $150,000.00
Landing Railroad Station, Roxbury Township, Morris County, $150,000.00
Nathan Cooper Grist Mill, Chester Township, Morris County, $13,200.00
Cedar Bridge Tavern, Barnegat Township, Ocean County, $150,000.00
Daniel Robert House (Somerville Borough Hall), Somerville, Somerset County, $46,360.00
Christ Episcopal Church, Newton, Sussex County $131,400.00
Evergreen Cemetery, Hillside, Union County, $150,000.00
George A. Strong Residence, Plainfield, Union County, $114,318.00
The Clearing (Reeves-Reed Arboretum), Summit, Union County, $21,000.00

New Jersey Historic Trust advances historic preservation in New Jersey for the benefit of future generations through education, stewardship and financial investment programs that save our heritage and strengthen our communities. The Historic Trust seeks to achieve its mission by serving as a leading voice for preservation at the state level; catalyst for preservation and community revitalization activities; a full partner in state policy development and a technical and financial resource for the stewardship of historic properties.

This announcement is also available on the NJ Department of Community Affairs website HERE. 

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New Jersey Office of Emergency Management:
http://ready.nj.gov/

New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office Hurricane Sandy Cultural Resources Recovery:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/hurricane_sandy.htm

Post-Sandy Revovery Tips (pdf - includes a variety of resources from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and other preservation organizations)

More resources and information

 

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