$50K State Grant Will Help South Brunswick Identify, Preserve Historic Properties

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ - South Brunswick Township has been awarded a $50,000 Historic Preservation Certified Local Government grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to update its Cultural Resource Survey, the township said Tuesday.

The township received notification on May 13 that the grant agreement had been executed, allowing work to move forward. Phase I of the project is scheduled to begin this month and continue through 2027.

The Cultural Resource Survey was originally completed in 2003. The update will bring it into compliance with current New Jersey Historic Preservation Office guidelines and incorporate historically significant properties that were either omitted from the original survey or require updated documentation.

The overall project covers 320 cultural resources throughout South Brunswick. Of those, 287 were documented in the 2003 survey and require updates to meet current standards. An additional 23 properties protected under the township's Historic Preservation Ordinance need new research, mapping and photography, while 10 other historically significant properties in Kendall Park, Little Rocky Hill, Monmouth Junction, Deans, Kingston and Dayton will be documented for the first time. Phase I will focus on approximately 85 to 110 properties and include updated research, photography, mapping and field inspections.

The updated survey will help the township and its Historic Preservation Commission evaluate opportunities to establish additional historic districts in Monmouth Junction, Dayton, Fresh Ponds and Deans. Kingston is currently the township's only designated historic district.

"This grant will help us better understand and preserve the places that tell South Brunswick's story," Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman said. "By updating our Cultural Resource Survey, we are creating an important tool that will guide future preservation efforts and help ensure our community's history remains part of our future."

"Updating the Cultural Resource Survey is one of the South Brunswick Historic Preservation Commission's responsibilities per the municipal code," said Terry Caruso, vice chair of the commission. "This state grant provides the resources needed to complete this update and support the township's ongoing historic preservation efforts."

The Historic Preservation Certified Local Government Grant Program supports municipalities in identifying, documenting and preserving historic resources. The updated survey will inform future planning decisions, preservation initiatives, educational programs and historic district designation efforts throughout South Brunswick.

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