Millhurst Mills Wins Monmouth County Historical Commission Preservation Award

The winners of the 2012 Preservation Awards have been announced by the Monmouth County Historical Commission. Owners of the historical buildings which have undergone recent renovations and preservation projects were given awards.

Private residences, business buildings and public places all won awards, and Millhurst Mills of Manalapan was one of them.  The preservation awards are given out every year to recognize the people who took the time and effort to preserve a portion of Monmouth County history.

"The mills that once dotted Monmouth County’s agricultural landscape are either gone or have been adaptively used," a press release issued by the the Monmouth County Department of Public Information said. "Bernard Hochberg preserved Millhurst Mills, Manalapan, while planning its new use. Returning the mill to its original exterior color and retaining interior work are features of his project."

Other historical buildings that won Preservation awards include the Van Pelt House in Matawan and The Count Basie Theater in Red Bank.

“Monmouth County has an amazing collection of historic buildings,” Randall Gabrielan, executive director of the Historical Commission, said. “These include places to live, places to worship and places of public accommodation. Keeping these structures that give our county special character is more than ownership; it is a distinctive calling and mission."

“We speak regularly of Monmouth County as a historic county,” Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Monmouth County Historical Commission, said. “Monmouth County is historic not only for what happened here, but for the efforts of those who preserve its buildings to ensure that they will be here for future generations. Preserving these sentinels of the past takes more than interest in history; it takes personal dedication, hard work and financial commitment by these current guardians of our shared heritage.”