2 Historic Mendham Sites In Line To Receive Part Of $3.6M Grant

MENDHAM, NJ — Twenty-three Morris County projects, including two in Mendham, will receive $3.6 million in grants as part of a yearly initiative to revitalize and protect historic sites in the area.

Last month, it was announced that Mendham Borough had applied for county funding for the Phoenix House and Scott Farm Barn. The county Board of Commissioners approved the funding request on Tuesday, July 18.

The funds were approved by the county Board of Commissioners based on recommendations from the Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board.

The majority of the funds will be used to build and renovate 17 projects, with the remainder funding activities such as design work for future construction and preservation planning.

According to county officials, Phoenix House, which was built in 1820 as a Federal-style inn along Washington Turnpike, is set to receive $214,029. That funding will be used to provide for exterior restoration including masonry repairs, new roofing at the porch and extension.

The portico, which consists of a roof supported by columns spaced at regular intervals, was added in 1840. The building was documented by HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) in 1936 and is part of a designated Historic District.

The space is currently used as a municipal building for the Borough of Mendham.

Scott Farm Barn, an 1825 banked English barn, will receive a $129,572 construction grant, which will fund the barn's rehabilitation with an estimated construction value of $845,490, which will include structural upgrades and a front foundation wall.

According to county officials, the barn is a fine example of a 19th-century banked barn with a forebay. It is part of the individually listed Stephen Cary House property and was continuously farmed until the 1990s.

For the 23 projects, the review board received nearly $5.9 million in grant requests. Following site visits and final presentations from applicants last month, the board approved full funding for 12 of the proposals and partial funding for the others.

“The staff and volunteers 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.

The trust fund was established 20 years ago when Morris County voters approved a referendum authorizing what was then the county freeholder board to allow funding for historic preservation as permitted by state law.

The fund considers grant proposals from county officials, municipal officials, and qualified nonprofits for the acquisition, restoration or preservation of historic resources. Since 2003, when grants were first issued, Morris County has awarded 535 grants totaling nearly $50 million.