MOUNT HOLLY – As the nation’s 250th Anniversary quickly approaches, the Burlington County Commissioners continued to demonstrate their strong commitment to preserving and promoting local history by awarding a record number of grants to historic organizations and museums. The Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve $78,861 in local history grants to 17 organizations for the upcoming 2026 calendar year. The funding will be used to support their operations and advance specific plans for historic preservation projects and activities, including several surrounding the nation’s 250th anniversary. “Burlington County is one of the oldest counties in America and its history is among our most valuable assets,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the liaison to the County Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “As the 250th Anniversary of our nation approaches, our Board is excited to support more than a dozen organizations that are actively preserving our county’s history and teaching generations why it is important and relevant.” Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel speaks at the County’s kickoff for the nation’s 250th Anniversary celebration. On Tuesday, the Burlington County Commissioners approved $78,861 in local history grants to 17 organizations for the upcoming 2026 calendar year. The funding will be used to support their operations and advance specific plans for historic preservation projects and activities, including several surrounding the 250th anniversary. (Courtesy of Burlington County) The local history grants are awarded as part of the New Jersey Historical Commission’s County History Partnership Program to assist existing and emerging local history organizations and other nonprofits that undertake history projects. The County’s 17 grant recipients were recommended by a peer panel. Among the awards, at least six are for projects connected to the nation’s 250th anniversary. “From America’s struggle for independence through the Industrial Revolution and the fight for Civil Rights, Burlington County and its people have been at the heart of countless events that helped shape our nation,” said Commissioner Randy Brolo. “In 2026, we plan to celebrate this history and bring it to life for residents and visitors from across the world. These grants will help support several of the 250th events. They will also provide financial support Burlington County historic organizations rely upon to complete other important projects.” The 2026 local history grant recipients and projects are: Armed Forces Heritage Museum, Burlington City: $2,500 for general operating support to offset expenses for the organization’s Mobile Museum. Bordentown Historical Society, Bordentown: $9,000 to support the organization’s Camden Amboy Railroad Project, including a self-guided walking tour of the former rail line’s route with 15 interpretive signs and displays. Chesterfield Historical Society, Chesterfield: $4,500 to support the development of an agricultural museum within the organization’s 1870 barn. The exhibits will include agricultural equipment, memorabilia and photographs. Delanco Township History Board, Delanco: $6,861 to support stabilization work and other repairs to a small boat built at the L.D. Steel Boatyard in Delanco in the 1900s. Evesham Historical Society, Evesham: $8,000 to support the ongoing cataloguing, digitizing and archival storage of materials from the Edna Worth Collection. Historical Society of Moorestown, Moorestown: $5,000 to support a planned May 2026 event featuring a replica of General George Washington’s tent compound, along with interpreters from the Museum of the American Revolution. Main Street Mount Holly, Mount Holly: $5,000 to support the organization’s History on Tap celebration of the 250th Anniversary featuring historical presentations, battle reenactments, Tavern talks with historical interpreters, historical signage and the Revolution NJ exhibit “Revolutionary Lives: Living the American Experience Then and Now!” National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of New Jersey, Westampton: $3,000 for general operating support to assist with the salary of the organization’s only employee, a part-time director. New Jersey Folklife at Perkins, Moorestown: $4,000 to support events celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Hart-Celler Act, the 1965 immigration and nationality law that abolished national origins quotas. The planned events include a panel discussion on immigrant mothers and daughters, a family artmaking activity at the Alice Paul Center and a commemoration event at the Moorestown Community House. Revolutionary War Alliance of Burlington County, Eastampton: $4,000 to support the development of a 3- to 5-minute video about the Battle of Petticoat Bridge in Burlington County. The film will be created by Rutgers University film students and will feature footage from the annual reenactment. Riverside Historical Society, Riverside: $8,000 to support the organization’s America 250th and Riverside 175th anniversary projects, including a booklet for school children, Fourth of July activities, anniversary parade, and a digital tour of Riverside. Riverside Township, Riverside: $1,000 to support the town’s parade celebrating the nation’s 250th Anniversary and the 175th anniversary of Riverside Township. St. Andrew’s Graveyard Committee, Mount Holly: $7,000 for the purchase of supplies and training of volunteers for a project to preserve and document hundreds of headstones in the historic 1742 graveyard. Springfield Township Historical Society, Springfield: $1,500 to assist with the Revolutionary War Reenactment of the Battle of Petticoat Bridge, including advertising materials and maps. Tabernacle Historical Society, Tabernacle: $4,000 for general operating support, including insurance, office supplies, website expenses, printing, promotional materials and archival materials. Timbuctoo Historical Society, Westampton: $4,000 to assist with the upkeep of the organization’s website and printing of educational materials. Funding will also support curriculum development and newspaper digitalization project. Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County, Eastampton: $2,500 to support Black Veterans of the Decades event planned for June 2026. — Courtesy of Burlington County ...read more read less