September 19, 2018 - New Jersey Historic Trust Announces Preserve New Jersey Preservation Grant Award Recommendations

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, September 19, 2018

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)

For more information on the New Jersey Historic Trust and its funding programs, visit www.njht.org.