The Historic Proprietary House, 149 Kearny Ave., Perth Amboy
*Photo Submitted by Mary Ellen Pavlovsky

Press Release 8/16

PERTH AMBOY – After years of neglect, centuries-old windows at the state-owned Proprietary House will soon be seeing much-needed repairs and restoration thanks to a 2016 Grant for Historic Preservation awarded to the Proprietary House Association by The 1772 Foundation, in cooperation with and administrated by the New Jersey Historic Trust. Twenty-five New Jersey non-profit organizations shared in total funds awarded of $290,000. (Grants also were awarded in Connecticut and Rhode Island.)

The Proprietary House Association is one of 11 New Jersey organizations to have received the maximum grant request of $15,000. The grants are available for exterior repair and restoration projects, and require a one-to-one match from the recipient. The Proprietary House Association will use the funds to help cover costs associated with the repair and restoration of windows at Proprietary House, which is owned by the State of New Jersey and administered by the NJ DEP, Division of Parks & Forestry.

“The Proprietary House Association is honored and very thankful for the support of both The 1772 Foundation and the New Jersey Historic Trust,” said Association President Lisa Nanton. She added, “These funds will allow us to begin work on long-neglected exterior repairs and restoration at Proprietary House, colonial New Jersey’s royal governor’s mansion.  The project to be covered by this grant and our matching funds is focused on windows dating from the 1790s and 1809 in the oldest part of Proprietary House.  The Association greatly appreciates this grant award.”

The 1772 Foundation was named in honor of its first restoration project, Liberty Hall in Union, NJ, which was built in 1772 and is the ancestral home of the Livingston and Kean families. The late Stewart B. Kean was the original benefactor of The 1772 Foundation. The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations. The 1772 Foundation may be found at www.1772foundation.org.

The Proprietary House Association is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is preservation, restoration and interpretation of Proprietary House as a historic site and museum.  Built in 1762-64, Proprietary House is the only official royal governor’s residence still standing in the 13 original colonies and was the home of New Jersey’s last royal governor, William Franklin, son of the Founding Father. For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.theproprietaryhouse.org.