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The Franklin Inn Van Liew Homestead Association was one of four Somerset County historic sites to receive grants last month through the Somerset County Historic Preservation Grant Program.
The Franklin Inn was awarded $237,730 to help with the cost of preparing construction documents, structural repair drawings, an archaeological survey, and all construction-related activities and repairs, according to a press release about the program.
Originally a Dutch-framed 1734 farmhouse built for the Van Liew family, the building was remodeled into a tavern around 1830, according to the New Jersey Historic Trust web site. The inn served as British headquarters briefly in 1777. Stagecoach, canal, railroad travelers and workers visited throughout the 19th century. The Inn’s business suffered during prohibition, the Depression and the closing of the canal, and the structure was then used as place of business, according to the web site. It currently houses a first-floor book store managed by the Meadows Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is a steward to many historic sites in the county, according to the web site.
In total, the four historic sites received $1,145,982 in grants through the program, according to the press release.
“For 26 years, Somerset County’s Historic Preservation Grant Program has helped to save and restore over 70 individual buildings, structures, and archaeological resources that tell the rich story of Somerset County,” Somerset County Commission Deputy Director Melonie Marano, liaison to the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, said in the release. “All of our historic sites provide an insightful glimpse into Somerset County’s history. Without the hard work and support of historic preservationists, these important sites and structures could not survive.”
The competitive program enables applicants to apply for funding, which is allocated annually, to help with preservation plans, construction projects, cultural landscape reports, and overall planning, according to the release.
The grant program is supported by the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, which operates out of the Division of Planning, with funds made available by the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners and the Somerset County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
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