By Sean Patrick Murphy
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie chose Paulsdale as the site where he signed legislation securing more than $10 million to help preserve 58 historic sites throughout the Garden State.
In Mount Laurel, the Alice Paul Institute will receive $20,000 in state aid, while Sunnyside Farm will receive $12,000.
“Places like Paulsdale are not only important to our community but they are important to both our state and nation,” Mount Laurel Mayor Jim Keenan said. “That is why I support state funding for historical sites like Paulsdale.”
Paulsdale was the residence of suffragette Alice Paul, who was on the forefront of the women’s movement in the early 20th century.
“We want to make sure that her story be told,” Christie said, noting providing money for such sites has bipartisan support in state government.
“It is a place for all women to celebrate the achievements of Alice Paul and her contemporaries,” Keenan said. “It is a place that will remind everyone that not everyone has been treated fairly or equally in our nation and we must be on alert to make sure we do not repeat such atrocities against a class or sex of people again.”
He said he believes the governor is committed to preserving as many historic locations possible in the state.
“From the Revolutionary War and the Underground Railroad to Thomas Edison and Alice Paul, New Jersey has been the nucleus of many of our nation’s most significant historical events,” Christie said. “Preserving these cultural and historic sites is critical to ensuring that future generations have the opportunity to learn more about New Jersey’s place in history.”
Keenan said Jacobs Chapel on Elbo Lane has largely been overlooked as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
“I expect Paulsdale to continue to educate the local children and community and hope that it becomes a must place to visit for visitors of our community,” he said. “I hope that the historical review of Sunnyside helps to identify the historical need to keep the house alive and allows the township to participate in future grants to restore the house to its former beauty.”
The grants will be awarded and administered by the New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Eligible projects are funded under several categories.
Of the projects to be funded, $945,996 will be used to provide historic site management grants for 29 projects in 13 counties. These grants have a maximum award of $50,000 to support non-construction activities such as long-term operations planning and programs including building assessments, archaeology investigations and educational campaigns.
In the category of capital preservation grants, $9,304,784 will be used for the restoration and rehabilitation of historic resources for new or continued active use. These properties must be listed or eligible for listing in the State or National Register of Historic Places.
This year’s grant recipients were previously approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust Board of Trustees and the Garden State Preservation Trust. Funding for the grants comes from the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund, which was created to preserve open space, farmland and historic sites and to encourage joint preservation efforts by the public and private sectors. In 2007 and in 2009, voters approved referendums to provide additional money to the trust fund.
