Inclusive History Grant Program
The NJ Historical Commission is proud to announce the awarding of nearly $500,000 in grants as part of its inaugural Inclusive History Grant Program in FY 2024. Here are the latest deserving recipients. And if your organization would like to apply for grant consideration in future rounds, see below for the application instructions.
1719 William Trent House
The 1719 William Trent House in Trenton has received $21,537 for its project, “From Research to Interpretation - Integrating Multiple Stories,” to fund a comprehensive interpretive plan revealing the complex history of Lenape interactions with European colonialists, of immigrants during the Industrial Revolution, and of African Americans who relocated from the South during the Great Migration. LEARN MORE
Friends of While Hill Mansion
The Friends of White Hill Mansion in Fieldsboro has been granted $5,500 for its project, “A Lady Without Protection: Researching Mary Field’s Courageous Battle to Protect Her Farm and Family during the Revolutionary War,” which will illustrate the life of an ordinary woman who accomplished the extraordinary at a time when women were universally regarded as submissive and secondary to men. LEARN MORE
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum will use their $21,750 grant for their project, "Discovering Forgotten African American Stories," to research the lives of both enslaved and freed individuals in the Black communities of the Sourland Mountain region using the investigation techniques featured in "If These Stones Could Talk: African American Presence in the Hopewell Valley, Sourland Mountain, and Surrounding Regions of New Jersey." LEARN MORE
Alice Paul Institute
The Alice Paul Institute in Mount Laurel was awarded $22,750 to update its Paulsdale's permanent exhibit with a digital-hybrid exhibit highlighting the voices of diverse individuals who have fought for equality in America, with a particular focus on the experiences of women of color, women of varied abilities, and those from the LGBTQ+ community who have long fought for equal rights. LEARN MORE
Monmouth County Historical Association
The Monmouth County Historical Association received $22,185 for its project, "Living & Breathing: Revolutionary Choices at Covenhoven House, " which will explore the realities of the Covenhovens and the enslaved people who lived within the house, as well as the confrontations that occurred during the American Revolution. LEARN MORE
Kenilworth Historical Society
The Kenilworth Historical Society will use their $18,245 grant to update their exhibits at the Oswald J. Nitschke House to reflect their surrounding communities, including themes of immigration, community integration/adaptation, cultural influence, negotiation of space, community change, citizenship, community ideals, and shared responsibilities in ways that "come to life" in unique interactive settings. LEARN MORE
Lawnside Historical Society
The Lawnside Historical Society has received $21,750 to create three visitor experiences at the Peter Mott House, to help students and visitors engage with different Underground Railroad routes and connect to the people who experienced and conducted these journeys, highlighting the importance of the African American communities and less-discussed South Jersey routes. LEARN MORE
Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum
The Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum will use their $4,000 grant to support their research into the experiences of women and minorities in southern New Jersey during World War II, highlighting local contributions to the war effort and participation in the operations at the Air Station. LEARN MORE
Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs
Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs was awarded a grant of 5,000 for its Essex County Parks Land Acquisition Research Project to encourage research and interpretation of the roles of underrepresented groups such as indigenous and marginalized people who have impacted the past and present. LEARN MORE
Do you have a project that needs funding?
Our Inclusive History Grants can fund the exploration of under-represented narratives in New Jersey history with a goal of expanding inclusive, community-centered interpretation and resources offered by historic sites and history organizations. Grants can be utilized in support of research and interpretative planning efforts that seek to tell a more diverse and complex story for a public audience. For the latest information on funding opportunities, sign up for the New Jersey Historical Commission newsletter at https://bit.ly/NJHCMailingList