Grant To Help Restore Farmstead Arts Barn Receives Governor's Final Approval

Gov. Chris Christie this week put the final signature on approval of grants previously recommended by the New Jersey State Historical Commission, including $176,000 earmarked for the restoration of the interior of an English Barn at the township's Farmstead Arts center off King George Road.

The grant recommendation, became official on Monday when the governor signed a bill for State Historic Grants, said Ann Rosenblum, vice president of arts programming at the townsnhip-owned

"The money will be used to restore the interior of the English Barn and make it usable as a performing arts space, and for installations of large art pieces, art shows, barn dances, and a host of other uses," Rosenblum said. "We were notified about the grant award earlier this summer."

At that time, Township Committeewoman Carolyn Gaziano, who attended the presentation when the pending awards were announced, mentioned the award publicly at a Township Committee meeting.

The state award was presented to the Kennedy-Martin-Stelle Farmstead project team. including the Friends of the KMS Farmstead; Bernards Township; the project's historic building architect Dennis Bertland Associates; English barn structural engineers, S. Harris & Co.; and English barn general contractors, Schtiller & Plevy, according to a news release from the Friends of the KMS Farmstead at that time. 

The barn and the farmhouse on the Kennedy Martin Stelle property was last as an arts center, although the barn has not yet been able to host public events. Officials said at that time that continued work was needed on the historic structure before it could be made handicapped accessible, and open as a public building to host such events as art shows and perhaps barn dances.

Ann Rosenblum, vice president of arts programming at the Farmstead Arts, said then that public performances might also be held in the structure once it is complete. She and other officials at the center's opening said other grant money already had been used to partially restore the barn.

John Campbell, vice president of the Friends group, said at that time that the state award could be used to improve the interior of the barn in multiple ways, including a cement slab topped by a wood floor, a new permanent closure with swinging emergency egress doors in the opening of one of the large sliding doors, and a ramp to provide handicapped patrol access and electric service.