Howell Historical Site To Undergo Repairs Thanks To County Grant

HOWELL, NJ - The Monmouth County Historical Commission has announced its 2021 grant awardees to historical sites across the region in need of preservation. Howell Township’s MacKenzie House was named among the recipients.

The MacKenzie House, a centuries-old landmark on Lakewood-Farmingdale Road, has housed Howell residents since the early 18th century. In fact, a Civil War Union Army soldier and his family once called the residence home. That includes William A. Prickitt, who served as a captain in the Union Army's newly formed troop for Black soldiers.

The house was previously owned by Howell Township and was sold in 2019 for $1 to the Howell Heritage and Historical Society. According to a report from CentralJersey.com, township officials claimed that the building – which has been sequestered from the public for a number of years – requires over $150,000 in renovations.

“The Monmouth County grant was for $3,890 toward the project quote of $8,280,” said Bob Novak, the president of the Howell Heritage and Historical Society. “This project is to shore up/replace below ground foundation brickwork in one corner of the basement, to give added support to that corner of the house. Additionally, it entails the removal/replacement of the four brick piers supporting the north porch, which are slowly sinking further into the ground, and the porch is moving downward accordingly. We will work with the contractor to select the best timing for the project, later this year, based on weather and his crew availability.”

The county historical commission announced matching grant awards totaling $61,215 for 10 restoration projects at the 2021 Grants Presentation ceremony held virtually on Monday, Feb. 22.

“The annual awards ceremony for the Preservation Awards Program looked different this year, but it was still my sincerest honor to present grants to these organizations who have devoted so much to the preservation of historical structures in Monmouth County,” said Commissioner Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Historical Commission. “Monmouth County has a rich history and I commend each of these organizations for their commitment to preserving structures for the next generation to learn from and enjoy.”

The county’s historical commission aims to remember the past and preserve history for residents and visitors to learn about Monmouth County’s past. The projects eligible for funding are preservation, restoration or rehabilitation of historic structures, which are owned by non-profit organizations or municipalities, and are accessible to the public. The program covers structural work for projects commonly known as “bricks and mortar” endeavors.

Here’s the full list of 2021 Preservation Grant recipients and projects:

• Allentown Historic Preservation Commission – Borough Annex exterior painting
• Freehold Borough – Historic Firehouse doors restoration
• Monmouth County Historical Association – Association Headquarters chimney restoration
• Freehold Township Historic Preservation Commission – Georgia Road Schoolhouse cedar shake replacement
• Friends of Monmouth Battlefield – Craig House windows replacement and repair
• Howell Heritage & Historical Society – McKenzie Museum and Library brick repointing
• The Parker Homestead 1665 – Parker Homestead kitchen restoration
• Township of Millstone – Baird House front porch replication Ocean Grove Historic Preservation Society – Old Neptune High School Wing wall restoration
• InfoAge Learning Center – Camp Evans Building 9400 exterior painting

“Since 1990, the Historical Commission continues to provide support for preservation undertakings in Monmouth County,” said John Fabiano, Executive Director of the Historical Commission. “Once again, we have a variety of dedicated grantees that are moving these preservation projects forward.”

But although the site is slated to undergo the much-needed repair work sooner rather than later, renovations are far from complete on the MacKenzie house, according to Novak.

“Our collapsing internal south chimney was removed by volunteers, and the enclosing walls will be shortly rebuilt by volunteers,” Novak told Patch. “The external view of the removed chimney stack above the roof is slated at some point to be replaced by faux-look “box” with thin veneer bricks adhered, to balance the architectural visual appearance. However, one quote for that work alone came to $5,800.”

Other areas of work include window replacements, window reframing, walkway redesign, wall patching/repair and fence replacement.

“The sum total of this is that the house is 165+ years old, and repairs will be needed,” Novak added. “Some very big, as last year's completed basement re-support work and this year’s job with the grant. Others will have to be worked as time, material, volunteers, and grants are available. As we start to move toward some level of normalcy (due to COVID), we would like to empower the Building and Grounds Committee to review the entire facility and make recommendations as to possible paths of aesthetic recovery.”

The Howell Historical Society is looking to complete similar work on the Ardena Schoolhouse, which is also over 165 years old and in need of repair. The society is awaiting word from Howell Township to work out a land-lease arrangement before any projects on the schoolhouse may be carried out.

To learn more about the MacKenzie House and other areas of Howell's rich history, visit HowellHeritageHistoricalSociety.org. Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Howell Heritage and Historical Society, PO Box 444, Farmingdale, NJ 07727.

Residents can also sign up with the AmazonSmile program, which ties regular Amazon purchases to a charity donation program. In addition, those with checking accounts at Investors Bank can opt into the Howell Heritage and Historical Society donation program.