PARSIPPANY — Twenty-three projects in Morris County are set to benefit from $3.6 million in grants. These funds, part of an annual initiative, aim to rejuvenate and safeguard historic sites within the locality.
Including this grant disbursement, Morris County has awarded nearly $50 Million on preservation efforts at 122 historic locations since 2003, when awards were first issued for protecting historic sites through Morris County’s Preservation Trust Fund. The properties have benefited through 535 grants, with some properties receiving multiple grants over the years to conduct planning, acquisition, and construction projects.
“The staff and volunteers do a phenomenal job evaluating these applications and recommending how to invest our dollars. People often thank the Commissioners for the money. Still, it ultimately comes from the taxpayers, who always overwhelmingly support these programs, and, fortunately, they do,” stated Commissioner Stephen Shaw, liaison to the Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board.
Craftsman Farms received a $37,620 grant for Log End Restoration.
The Craftsman Farms Log House was built in 1911 to support the 650-acre property owned by Gustav Stickley, a United States Arts and Crafts movement leader.
The review board received 23 applications for consideration in 2023, nearly $5.9 million in grant requests. They were initially reviewed for their conformance to the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s “Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties,” which promote historic preservation best practices.
“These are very important federal guidelines set during the historic acts that have been passed since the 1960s, with antecedents going back even further than that. We want to be at the highest level with tax dollars,” said Larry Fast, Chair of the Review Board.
The review board conducted site visits to assess the properties for consideration. After a final presentation was made by the grant applicants, the review board deliberated on the funding recommendations. Twelve of the 23 projects received full funding requested for preservation purposes.
