Somerset County reinvests in local history. Here's how

Mike Deak, MyCentralJersey.com
·2 min read

Somerset County has awarded grants to eight organizations to promote the celebration of the county's history.

The grant money, totaling $63,750, was approved by the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission and the Board of County Commissioners with funds from the New Jersey Historical Commission.

“The County History Partnership Program Grant provides local nonprofits and communities with an opportunity to highlight Somerset County’s unique history,” County Commissioner Melonie Marano, liaison to the Cultural & Heritage Commission, said in a statement. “Our county has a prominent place in the history of New Jersey and our nation, and this grant program will help our community share those stories.”

The Abraham Staats House at 17 Von Steuben Lane in South Bound Brook.
The Abraham Staats House at 17 Von Steuben Lane in South Bound Brook.

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The grants

  • Bernards Township Library, $2,000, to digitize a collection of historical records about northern Somerset County’s local history and genealogy.

  • Bound Brook, $2,000, to enhance the Battle and Brews historic site walking tour of downtown Bound Brook in conjunction with the annual Battle of Bound Brook reenactment.

  • Downtown Bernardsville Inc., $16,250, to create and promote a historic walking tour in Bernardsville.

  • Friends of the Abraham Staats House, South Bound Brook, $6,000, to support annual programing and preservation activities.

  • Friends of the Kennedy Martin Stelle Farmstead, Bernards, $5,000, to create a more user-friendly website to highlight the 300-year history and events at the Farmstead.

  • Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition, Franklin, $15,500, to create a smart phone enabled audio tour of the Millstone Valley Scenic Byway which will highlight the history of the region.

  • Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, Montgomery, $15,000, to support to support operations at the Mt. Zion AME Church and the True Farmstead.

  • Ukrainian History and Education Center, Franklin, $2,000, to facilitate the digitization of eight reels of motion picture film documenting historic events at the St. Andrew Memorial Church and St. Andrew Cemetery from the 1960s to 1980s.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Somerset County NJ reinvests in local history