By Natalia Knochowski, Staff Writer
MONROE The Monroe Township Historic Preservation Commission was awarded a $1 million grant from Middlesex County to make improvements to the Dey Farm Historical Site on Old Church Road.
The money, awarded Monday, will be used to restore the Charles Dey barn, which is behind the Charles Dey Home on the more-than-40-acre historical site.
The site also is home to the England House, a family home from 1810 that has not been restored, and two buildings that were dismantled, relocated to the site and put in storage. These include a barn from the 1790s and the Prospect Plains Schoolhouse from the 1850s.
”What a great day,” said Township Historian John Katerba, who is chairman of the preservation commission. “We knew this day would come and it’s finally here.”
In 2001, when the commission acquired the Charles Dey farm, it was only an acre and a half. Since then, the township has helped the commission get an additional 25 acres when Southfields Estates development was being constructed and then another 20 acres from Stonebridge development.
Mr. Katerba said the historical commission applied for the grant about a year ago from the Middlesex County open space fund.
While the bulk of the money will fund the barn’s restoration, some of it will be used to make improvements to various other parts of the site.
Mr. Katerba said the commission plans to restore the barn. The next step is to get all the paperwork for construction done.
”Hopefully, they will be banging nails in the spring and summer,” Mr. Katerba said.

