Mendham Historic Sites Receive More Than $837K In Preservation Grants

MENDHAM, NJ — Two of Mendham Borough's most recognizable historic properties are set to undergo significant preservation work after receiving nearly $800,000 in construction grants through the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund.

The Phoenix House and Scott Farm Barn were among 35 projects awarded funding this year, with the county recommending more than $4.9 million in construction grants and additional non-construction planning grants for historic sites across Morris County.

The largest local award went to Scott Farm Barn, which received $428,900 for rehabilitation work.

The early 19th-century English bank barn, built around 1825, is part of the Stephen Cary House property, which is individually listed on the state and national historic registers. After serving as a working farm for more than a century, the 10.5-acre property was purchased by Mendham Borough in 2015. The funding will support the barn's Phase II exterior restoration, improve public access to the building and fund archaeological work on the site.

Another landmark, the Phoenix House, received $357,200 for its second phase of exterior restoration.

Built around 1820, the Federal-style building originally operated as an inn along Washington Turnpike before later becoming Mendham Borough's municipal building. The project includes restoring the building's front porch structure as part of a broader exterior restoration effort. The historic building was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936 and contributes to the Mendham Historic District.

Additional Mendham Grants Approved

In addition to the two construction projects, two Mendham preservation planning efforts also received county funding:

Bowers Building Preservation Plan: $31,520 to prepare a preservation plan for the early-to-mid 18th-century building, now used as borough offices. The structure is a contributing resource within the Mendham Historic District.

Mendham United Methodist Church: $19,560 to prepare construction documents for replacing the roof and repairing the church's tower and dormers. Founded in 1828, the church's current Richardsonian Romanesque building dates to 1893 and is part of the Mendham Historic District.

Together, the four Mendham Borough projects received $837,180 in county historic preservation funding.

Not every local application was successful, however. Mendham Township's Pitney Park Walled Garden wall repair project sought $25,000 in construction funding but was not recommended for an award this year.

The Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund awarded grants to projects ranging from municipal buildings and museums to churches, theaters and historic homes throughout the county. Overall, the review board recommended funding for 35 construction projects totaling $4,920,231, along with numerous planning and preservation-documentation projects