DOVER — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners was asked to approve $3.6 million in grants from the county’s Preservation Trust Fund to help restore, preserve, and further protect 21 historic sites in 16 towns across Morris County.
Included in the sites are Arthur W. Condict House – Windows and Turret $40,000; Orchard Street Cemetery Gatehouse – Preservation Plan Dover Town $5,000; and
Orchard Street Cemetery Gatehouse – Register Nomination Dover Town $5,000.
More than half the funding recommended by the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board, about 77 percent, is directed toward construction grants for 12 of the projects. Roughly 23 percent is recommended for non-construction activity at nine other historic sites. Those grants would support design and specification work for future construction on four sites, preservation planning for two sites, a historic landscape plan for one site, assist with the acquisition of one site, and fund the research and development necessary to submit another site for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
“Taxpayers have supported our historic preservation program for more than 20 years. While the funding preserves our county’s unique heritage by restoring and protecting the fabric of our history, it also supports economic development, tourism, and educational opportunities that enhance the overall quality of life of our communities,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw liaison to the Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board.
“As Morris County prepares to host the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s independence in 2026, many of the 123 funded historic sites will be on display for visitors to appreciate,” he added.
Jefferson Township has been recommended to receive a grant for the first time for the Chamberlain House. Built in the 1870s in the Second Empire architectural style, the building was used as a library from the 1960s until 1982, when the township acquired it. It currently operates as a museum and headquarters for the Jefferson Historical Society. A $16,160 grant has been recommended to support completing a Preservation Plan.
To date, the Morris County Board of County Commissioners has awarded 533 grants of nearly $49 Million to assist in preserving, protecting, and restoring 123 historical properties since 2003, when grants were first issued for protecting historic sites through Morris County’s Preservation Trust Fund. The sites are in 34 towns.
“For the application review process, the county historic preservation consultant reviewed 22 applications for conformance to the Secretary of Interior Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties. The (Historic Preservation) board members conducted site visits after final presentations by the applicants, and the review board deliberated on funding recommendations,” said Larry Fast, Chair of the Review Board. “19 of the 21 projects received full funding this year.”
See the Full List of Projects Considered This Year by the Review Board
Among the projects recommended for approval by the Commissioners include:
Ford-Faesch House, Rockaway Township
The 18th-century Georgian-style Ford-Faesch House was leased by Faesch, a Swiss ironmaster who produced munitions critical to Washington’s Revolutionary War effort. The $400,000 grant will provide partial interior restoration and roof replacement, including fireplace surrounds, wood flooring, restoration of the main staircase, and new asphalt shingle roofs at the main and east wings.
Martin Berry House, Landscape Plan
The c. 1720 Dutch Colonial house includes a gambrel roof, shallow fireplaces, interior chimneys, thick stone walls, and massive roof framing. It was documented through the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1939 and listed on the National and New Jersey Registers in 1973. The $31,922 grant will provide for the completion of a Historic Landscape Report.
The Commissioners anticipate taking action on the recommendations provided at the next work session meeting, scheduled for July 10, 2024.
MORRIS COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION TRUST FUND 2024 GRANTS
Ayres Farm Garage – Exterior Restoration Denville Twp. $254,800 C
Arthur W. Condict House – Windows and Turret Dover Town $40,000 C
Cook House – Exterior Restoration East Hanover Twp. $334,000 C
L’Ecole Kinnelon Museum – Electrical Upgrades Kinnelon Boro. $138,704 C
Museum of Early Trades & Crafts – Clock Restoration Madison Boro. $15,280 C
Acorn Hall – Interior Restoration Morristown Town $176,360 C
Seward House – Interior Restoration Mount Olive Twp. $398,172 C
Mountain Lakes Train Station – Partial Exterior Restoration Mountain Lakes $433,520 C Craftsman Farms – Hall Restoration Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp. $26,772 C
Pompton Plains Railroad Station – Exterior Rehabilitation Pequannock Twp. $345,723 C Ford-Faesch House – Interior Restoration Rockaway Twp. $400,000 C
Lafayette School – Exterior Restoration Roxbury Twp. $241,608 C
Darress Theatre – Construction Documents Boonton Town $106,450 NC
Orchard Street Cemetery Gatehouse – Preservation Plan Dover Town $5,000 NC
Orchard Street Cemetery Gatehouse – Register Nomination Dover Town $5,000 NC Chamberlain House – Preservation Plan Jefferson Twp. $16,160 NC
Millington Schoolhouse – Construction Documents Long Hill Twp. $44,000 NC
Madison Masonic Lodge – Acquisition Madison Boro. $562,500 NC
Schuyler-Hamilton House – Construction Documents Morristown Town $26,360 NC
Growing Stage – Construction Documents Netcong Boro. $24,800 NC
Martin Berry House – Landscape Plan Pequannock Twp. $31,922 NC
21 Projects Totaling $3,627,131 21
C – Construction Grant NC – Non-Construction Grant
