Mead Hall In Madison Awarded $26K Preservation Grant

MADISON, NJ — Mead Hall at Drew University has been awarded a $26,268 historic preservation grant from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund. It was one of 21 county sites to receive a grant this round.

Officials will use the grant to prepare a historic preservation plan for the building.

Currently used as an administration building, Mead Hall was built in 1833 as a home for William Gibbons and his family. It was last restored after a fire in the 1990s.

A total of $2.1 million in grants were awarded this round. This year, all the applications were approved for grants.

“This historic preservation grant program, which was overwhelmingly approved by county voters, helps to finance the protection our county’s heritage, and helps to ensure that we maintain important links to our past,’’ said Freeholder Director Doug Cabana.

“The dedicated people working to preserve our links to the past, provide lessons for the present and ensure an inheritance for the future deserve our sincere thanks,’’ said Ray Chang, Historic Preservation Program Coordinator for Morris County. “Their efforts, supported by these grants, ensure that our county’s heritage and architectural legend are sustained.”

To receive a grant, projects just promote preservation activity, represent innovative design, reach new audiences, offer significant contributions to the advancement of historic preservation; and restoration, rehabilitation, and adaptive use plans of historic buildings and cultural landscapes.

Since the grants began in 2003, 98 sites in 32 towns have received funds.

Image: Mead Hall, Drew University. Photographer: Lynne DeLade