Nearly $12 Million Awarded for Preservation Planning, Heritage Tourism & Capital Projects in NJ

The New Jersey Historic Trust (Trust), an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), today approved $11,902,723 in grant recommendations from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund (Fund) for 67 preservation planning, heritage tourism and capital projects to save and promote historic sites throughout the state. Implementing legislation signed by Governor Murphy in June increased the Trust’s portion of the corporate business tax dedication from 5% to 7%. The grant recommendations, approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust Board, will be presented to the Garden State Preservation Trust at its next meeting on October 8, 2019. The grants will then require a legislative appropriations bill and the governor’s approval before funds become available.

“Historic structures and places are a foundational part of our towns that serve as community gathering spaces, heritage and tourism attractions, and places of recreation and respite – they are the places we love and they are so vital to improving New Jersey’s economy and quality of life,” said Acting Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “Preserving our treasured historic places through these Trust grant awards will also help to ensure that future generations will benefit from knowing and experiencing their rich and storied past.”

Twenty-six of the grants will help fund preservation planning projects such as condition assessments, historic structure reports, archaeological investigations, and construction documents. Three grants will help fund heritage tourism initiatives to improve visitors’ experiences at historic sites. Thirty-eight grants will fund capital preservation projects on sites listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. All of the grants awarded to nonprofit organizations or entities of municipal, county, and state government require a recipient match.

New this year, the Trust accepted applications for large-scale, multi-phased projects. Five of the thirty-eight capital grants were approved for their first phase. Future phases will be allocated in subsequent appropriations.

“We are very excited to recommend so many worthwhile projects for funding. The increase in the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund has enabled the Trust to help many more historic sites” said Historic Trust Executive Director Dorothy P. Guzzo. “Increasing access to our state’s historic places is a top priority for the Trust. Sites from every corner of the state are reflected in this list.”

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 over $156  million to more than 900 historic preservation projects since 1990. All funded resources are 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 align 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.

2019 Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund Grant Recipients

Note: the project names are as listed in 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)

Level I Capital Preservation Grants ($5,000 – $150,00)

Level II Capital Preservation Grants ($150,001 – $750,000)

Multi-Phase Capital Level II Preservation Grants ($500,000 – $750,000)

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

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including energy assistance, housing vouchers, affordable housing production, fire and building safety, community planning and development, local government management and finance, and disaster recovery.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media.