The Somerset County Cultural Heritage Commission and County Commissioners announced the recipients of the Historic Preservation and History Awards.
The winner of the History Publishing Award was Davie Lynn Jones Evans, a fifth-grade teacher at Van Derveer Elementary School in Summerville and a local historian.
The award recognizes a publication that enhances public knowledge of Somerset County history, and Jones-Evans won for her project “With History.”
The project explores the history of African-Americans in Somerville, looking back at historical documents and events from the time they lived in town.
Robert Morris School in Southbound Brook, in partnership with the Witness Stones Project and Friends of the Abraham Sturtz House, received the History Education Award for their program, “We Were Here: Slaves in Colonial America.”
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This award, like the publication award, is given to a program that enhances public knowledge of Somerset County history.
The “We Were Here” program brought together eighth grade students from Robert Morris School, Friends of Abraham Sturts House and the Witness Stones Project to learn the stories of slaves on the Sturts Plantation.
Built in 1740, the Starz Mansion was home to the Starz family for nearly 200 years. The home is filled with rich history showcasing New Jersey’s progress through the Revolutionary War and slavery, and was purchased by the Borough of South Bound Brook in 1999.
This is continued by the Friends of Abraham Staats House.
Meanwhile, the Witness Stones Project is committed to restoring and honoring the history of slavery that helped build the community.
Both organizations do preservation and history work around Somerset County, which is why they’re recognized.
Historic Preservation and the History Awards were created to promote preservation and foster historical awareness in the county.
“Somerset County’s long history is much more than a list of names, places and events,” said County Mayor Shenelle Y. Robinson during the awards ceremony. “We must remember that these names have traditions, these places tell stories and these events provide insight. That is why we honor and celebrate these great people and organizations who work to preserve Somerset County’s history.”
The winners are selected by a committee appointed by the Cultural Heritage Committee. A new winner is selected each year and must have a nominator to receive the award.
Ethan Mannello: EMannello@mycentraljersey.com
