Marlpit Hall, Middletown Historic structures that are part of the cultural heritage of area towns will be restored and refurbished with preservation grant funding.
The Monmouth County Historical Commission has awarded $60,160 in funding for 13 restoration projects throughout the county. The preservation grants are awarded for structural work projects aimed at preserving, restoring and rehabilitating county structures that are at least 50 year old.
“Most people are not simply satisfied to read about Monmouth County’s history; they want to experience history and visit our many sites,” Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said.
“The county strives to preserve historic structures that help remind us that we must treasure and remember our roots and the people who built our communities,” she said.
In Middletown, the Monmouth County Historical Association received a $4,500 grant for exterior restoration to Marlpit Hall at 137 Kings Highway.
Burrowes Mansion, Matawan “This has been a $24,000 project undertaking,” Evelyn Murphy, director of the association, said.
In addition to the county’s preservation grant, Murphy said the association has received numerous private donations and $12,000 in grant funding from the 1772 Foundation to help fund exterior painting of windows and doors, and repairs to the hardware and roof of the circa-1756 house museum.
“There is a lot that we’ll be doing with this new grant,” she said.
Murphy said the grant funding will go toward extensive repairs to the hall’s windows as well as fixing a roof leak.
“As with many older buildings, over time things start to deteriorate, and this restoration effort by the association is about building the hall back up.”
Parker Homestead, Little SIlver Marlpit Hall was the home of landowner and merchant Edward Taylor, an active member in Colonial government.
The site today is part of the New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail.
The Borough of Little Silver received a $4,356 grant to continue interior renovations at the Parker Homestead.
Earlier this year, Mayor Robert C. Neff Jr. said the continued restoration of the circa 1665 building at 235 Rumson Road will allow the borough to better preserve the farmhouse and three barn structures for generations to come.
“With the renovations, we are paying great attention to detail and preserving the history of the site so children, residents and even nonresidents can come learn about and enjoy the site for many more years to come,” he said.
In Atlantic Highlands, the National Landmark Trust at All Saints’ Memorial Church on Navesink Avenue has received a $4,800 grant for work at the church and rectory.
“The Landmark Trust is truly dedicated to the preservation, maintenance and history of All Saints’ Memorial Church and have done great work in securing and distributing funds for various projects,” the Rev. Debbie Cook, rector at the church, said.
According to Cook, funding from the grant will go toward fixing the gutters and leaders on the rectory and church, which is known locally as Old Stone Church.
“A lot of them are either leaking or need to be totally replaced,” she said, “If you don’t maintain them, it can cause even more damage.”
Also, the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society received a $6,000 grant for a third-floor peak restoration at Strauss Mansion.
The society has operated out of Strauss Mansion, 27 Prospect Circle, since 1986, and the mansion was placed on the New Jersey and National registers of historic places in 2012.
The Borough of Matawan is the recipient of a $4,500 grant for restoration work on the cedar shake roof of the 18th-century, Georgian-style Burrowes Mansion. The mansion is located at 94 Main St. and was the site of a Tory raid in 1776. It has been a part of the “Weekend in Old Monmouth” tours for numerous years.
The Township of Ocean Historical Museum has secured a $1,250 grant from the historical commission for restoration of the water tower at Stucile Farms.
“The tower is such a landmark in the township,” Gary Edelson, communications director at the museum, said.
“Everyone’s seen it, and it is a reminder of such a fascinating time in the history of the township.”
While restoration projects at Stucile Farm on Deal Road have been completed, the tower has been in need of renovation for some time, Edelson said. He said the renovations will include placing a new roof on the tower, repainting and also repairing the windows at the tower.
“Time has worn out some things at the tower, but it is a great old tower and we want to get the building stabilized and in a better condition,” he said.