Perkins Center Within Sight of Fundraising Goal

After a little less than a year of fundraising, is just $4,000 away from its goal of having enough money to repaint the historic building.

Thanks to a recent $1,000 donation from the Moorestown Business Association (MBA), as well as a $5,000 gift from the Moorestown Lunch Rotary and other business and individual donations, the arts center has raised $35,950 of its $40,000 goal.

Lee Bennett, Perkins’ project and special events manager, said they aim to have all the funds raised by April 1 so they can begin painting sometime in mid-April or early May.

Bennett said the total scope of the project will include stripping the paint from both the carriage house and main building—which are both listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Buildings and were last painted more than 17 years ago—and applying a new coat, as well as some minor repairs.

In an email to Moorestown Patch, Gail Greenberg, secretary of the board at Perkins, explained why the refurbishment of the roughly 100-year-old Tudor Revival-style house is so important.

“Because Perkins sits at the crossroads entrance to historic Moorestown, it is important that it make a positive impression on anyone entering the town for the first time,” she said. “The site … receives very little assistance from the municipal budget and state and corporate and foundation donations do not provide needed capital assistance for building renovations.”

Greenberg said the non-profit hopes to bridge the $4,000 gap through individual donations in the next two weeks. Should they not be able to raise the money, Bennett said the remaining funds would have to come out of the center’s budget, spreading them even thinner than they already are.

Anyone interested in contributing can visit the Perkins Center website to make a donation.

MBA President Mark Morgan said the association tries to make a donation every year to a different group or organization in Moorestown. In recent years, they’ve contributed to the and bought hydraulic stretchers for the emergency squad.

“The (MBA) board felt they (Perkins) were a great candidate,” said Morgan.

Bennett said the arts center has also received , $10,000 from Holman Automotive, $1,000 from Capehart & Scatchard law firm, and $3,950 has come from individual donations.

Perkins also used a grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust to replace its signage recently.