Preservation grants awarded
The Monmouth County Historical Commission awarded preservation grants recently for 25 restoration projects in 18 municipalities. The awards totaled $100,000.

Local grant recipients include:

• Colts Neck Preservation Committee, school blackboard restoration, $1,500.

• Farmingdale, William Goodenough House roof, $4,800.

• Freehold, First Baptist Church, stained glass window restoration, $4,000.

• Freehold, Monmouth County HistoricalAssociation, museum exterior restoration, $5,000.

• Manalapan, Old Tennent Church exterior preservation project, $5,000.

"These grants directly support the great work being done by the community," said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the county Historical Commission. "Through these collective efforts, we can share our story while we create a greater understanding and appreciation of who we are as a people."

The Historical Commission is dedicated to preserving the past and creating a living history, according to a press release from the county. 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 begin a celebration of 325 years of history in Monmouth County," Burry said. "The ongoing 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 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, according to the press release.

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-fordollar 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 $100,000. There is a $500 minimum and $5,000 maximum 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 cancelled check to document payment to the contractor.

The Historical Commission's annual preservation awards ceremony was held Feb. 26 at the Monmouth County Agricultural Building, Freehold Township.