$85K Requested To Restore Historic Chatham Schoolhouse

CHATHAM, NJ — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners is adding their support to the preservation of Chatham's historic Mount Vernon School.

The board was asked last week to approve $3.6 million in grants from the county's Preservation Trust Fund to help restore, preserve, and protect 23 historic sites in 15 towns throughout Morris County.

Among these was Mount Vernon School, which is located at 24 Southern Blvd. in Chatham Township.

Approximately 88 percent of the funding recommended by the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board is directed toward construction grants for 17 of the projects.

These grants will pay for design and specification work for future construction on four sites, preservation planning for one, and research and development for another in order to submit a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historical Society of the Township of Chatham applied for $85,650 in funding for the historic schoolhouse.

The proposed grant will help with the repair and replacement of deteriorated brick, the rebuilding of the vestibule's northwest corner, the repair of stone window lintels and sills, interior storm windows, and the exterior stair.

The Mount Vernon School, also known as the Red Brick Schoolhouse, was built in 1860 as a two-story, two-room schoolhouse. It was an important part of Chatham Township's history and has served as a schoolhouse, community space and municipal office.

The building served as a rural school for the children of Chatham Township's Long Hill section until 1928, when the Southern Boulevard School replaced it.

The buildings were sold at public auction by the Board of Education and purchased by the Averett Family. The school was used as a community center during their ownership in the 1930s and 1940s.

In 1959, the Averett Family returned the building to Chatham Township for use as the Town Hall. It served as the Town Hall until 1988, when the Chatham Township Historical Society took over the property.

Under the direction of the Historical Society, the Mount Vernon School, now known as the Red Brick Schoolhouse Museum, opened in 1991.

"I want to commend the staff and all the volunteers. They do a phenomenal job evaluating these applications and making recommendations on how to invest our dollars. People often thank the Commissioners for the money, but it ultimately comes from the taxpayers, who always overwhelmingly support these programs, and it’s fortunate that they do," Commissioner Stephen Shaw said.

Since 2003, when grants were first issued for protecting historic sites through Morris County's Preservation Trust Fund, Morris County has awarded 512 grants totaling nearly $46 million to assist in the preservation, protection, and restoration of 122 historical properties.