FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 2, 2014

New Jersey Historic Trust And 1772 Foundation Announce Grants For Capital Historic Preservation Projects

$290,000 in Grants will Support the Repair and Restoration of Historic Sites


Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III today announced that the New Jersey Historic Trust and the 1772 Foundation are making Capital Preservation Grants available for a 2014 grant round. Applicants may request up to $15,000 for eligible repair and restoration projects. The grants require a one-to-one match. Guidelines and applications are now posted on the website of the New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the NJDCA, at www.njht.org. Applications are due electronically by April 1, 2014 and will be considered during the July board meeting of the 1772 Foundation.

“Historic preservation adds greatly to New Jersey’s tourism industry spurs the type of economic development the Christie Administration deems essential to revitalizing the state’s economy. I am pleased that in 2013, the 1772 Foundation approved $290,000 in grant awards to 27 worthy projects in 14 New Jersey counties,” said Commissioner Constable. “Preserving New Jersey’s historic landmarks is an important way to remember who we are as a people and where we’ve come from.”

Eligible applicants must be a nonprofit organization and have ownership/legal stewardship of the historic property.  Schools and religious congregations are not eligible to apply.

Eligible activities are exterior painting, finishes and surface restoration; fire detection, lightning protection and security systems; porch, roof and window repair/restoration; structural foundation and sill repair/replacement; and chimney and masonry repointing.

“The Historic Trust is pleased to partner for the fourth consecutive year with the 1772 Foundation to provide capital preservation grants to worthy preservation projects,” said Dorothy P. Guzzo, executive director of the New Jersey Historic Trust. “These matching grant awards have a high reward for small to medium historic sites that benefit from the completed preservation work.”

To demonstrate the sustainability of historic sites, applicants may be required to submit a cyclical maintenance plan, condition assessment, restoration plan or stewardship plan that has been prepared or updated within the last five years. If an appropriate plan does not exist, the foundation will consider providing support for development of a plan on a case-by-case basis.

Potential applicants may contact the Historic Trust staff for additional information and technical assistance in completing the application. The public can call the Historic Trust office at (609) 984-0473 or email njht@dca.state.nj.us.

Established in 1967, the New Jersey Historic Trust is the only nonprofit historic preservation organization in New Jersey created by state law.  The Trust, a DCA affiliate,  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. For more information, visit http://www.njht.org/.