MILLSTONE – Officials in Millstone Township plan to purchase land that is next to an historic structure.
On June 20, the Township Committee adopted an ordinance authorizing the purchase of property at 510 Stagecoach Road. The property borders the Clarksburg Cultural Center (formerly the Clarksburg Methodist Episcopal Church), 512 Stagecoach Road, and is 0.495 acres, according to municipal officials.
The cost of the property is $255,000. Officials said $123,750 from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres program and a $113,000 grant from Monmouth County will help cover the cost. The amount not covered by state and county funds is $18,250, according to the ordinance.
The purchase of the parcel at 510 Stagecoach Road is part of a project at the Clarksburg Cultural Center. The former church was renamed because it no longer functions as a house of worship.
According to municipal officials, the neighboring property will become part of the Clarksburg Cultural Center. Once the land is developed it will provide amenities to guests, such as ADA compliant bathrooms (Americans with Disabilities Act), plus parking and/or a bicycle rest stop.
The project is intended to have the former church deemed a cultural resource, according to municipal officials.
The Clarksburg Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1844 and is the second oldest Methodist church building in Monmouth County. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is in the Clarksburg section of the municipality.
The building was purchased by Millstone Township in the late 1990s and has been used as a location for municipal events and programs. Parking for the community events is very limited on the church property and along Stagecoach Road.
Restoration work on the historic building was completed in 2017 after structural issues surfaced and temporarily suspended activities at the site. Millstone Township received $250,000 from Monmouth County which was used to restore the building during the first phase of the project.