The 1772 Foundation and the New Jersey Historic Trust have awarded 29 historic preservation 1:1 matching grants totaling $290,000 for exterior painting; fire detection and/or security systems; roof, porch, and window repair/restoration; sill and foundation repair/replacement; and chimney repointing. Grants also were awarded in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Atlantic Highlands Historical Society, a past grantee, again was awarded funding to repair and restore windows of the Strauss Mansion. The Mansion, Atlantic Highlands’ only National Register listed property, was built in 1893 as a vacation home for Adolph Strauss, a New York merchant. The National Register nomination of this Queen Anne summer cottage cites its many significant architectural features, including “the varied windows that include both traditional one-over-one and two-over-two clear glass sash windows, and stained glass in one-over-one sash windows as well as in fixed rectangular, round, and half-round windows.” The Atlantic Highland Historical Society is making every effort to retain and restore the original fabric of the Strauss Mansion’s many windows.

The trustees of The 1772 Foundation sometimes have wondered just how many windows have been repaired and restored with its matching grants, which fund only exterior preservation projects. “Bricks and mortar” dollars often are harder to come by than programmatic funding. With this granting program, the Foundation recognizes the critical importance of maintaining the envelopes of historic buildings in order to protect the artifacts and archives they house.