Funds to Benefit 61 Historic Sites Across New Jersey
TRENTON, N.J. – Underscoring the state’s commitment to historic preservation, the New Jersey Historic Trust today announced the award of $11 million in historic preservation grants across the state. The funding will support the restoration and conservation of 61 historic sites.
“I commend the members of the Historic Trust for their work to preserve our state’s historic treasures,” said DCA Acting Commissioner Joseph V. Doria, Jr. “By restoring these historic sites to their original glory, we can unlock their past for generations to come.”
The New Jersey Historic Trust, a DCA affiliate, administers the grants from the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund. The Trust Fund was created to promote historic preservation and encourage joint preservation efforts by the public and private sectors. It funds both capital projects and planning projects for historic preservation across the state.
“The Historic Trust’s support for preservation projects around the state is an investment in both our past and our future,” said Carolann Clynes, Chair of the Historic Trust. “These grants recognize historic sites that are architecturally unique, culturally diverse and represent the best of the Garden State’s rich history. The Trust supports the continued use of these structures to serve and enrich their communities.”
This grant round, for 2006, was for Historic Sites Management Grants and Capital Preservation Grants. Historic Site Management Grants support non-construction activities such as conditions assessments, preservation plans and educational campaigns to increase public awareness. Capital Preservation Grants support ‘bricks and mortar’ repair, restoration and rehabilitation of historic resources for continued active use.
Since 1990, the Trust has awarded more than $107 million in matching grants to 506 preservation projects through the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund and the Historic Preservation Bond Program. This is the sixth round of funding under the current matching grant program, which was established by a voter-approved ballot initiative to preserve open space, farmland and historic sites.
Established in 1967, the New Jersey Historic Trust is the only nonprofit historic preservation organization in New Jersey created by state law. The Trust officially became a DCA affiliate in November 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, call 609-984-0473, or log on to http://www.njht.org/.
