From L-R: Dennis Culliton, Executive Director, the Witness Stones Project, Ryan Cullinane, Teacher, Robert Morris School, Kathy Ormosi, President, Friends of the Abraham Staats House, Kathy Faulks, President, South Bound Brook Historic Preservation Commission, Shawn Wooden, Liaison Councilperson, South Bound Brook Historic Preservation Commission, Dennis Quinlan, Trustee, Friends of the Abraham Staats House.
The awards recognize individuals and organizations that support the preservation of Somerset County’s history and historic resources through preservation or restoration projects, publications, leadership efforts, or education.
“The extensive history of Somerset County is not just a list of names, places, and events,” said Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson. “We must remember that those names have legacies, these places tell stories, and those events offer insights. That’s why we honor and celebrate these great people and organizations that work to preserve Somerset County’s history.”
The awards are sponsored by the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners and Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
The program is administered by an awards committee appointed by the County’s Cultural & Heritage Commission including Cultural & Heritage Commission board members and Advisory Committee members.
2024 Historic Preservation and History Awards:
History Education Award Winners – Friends of The Abraham Staats House & Robert Morris School (South Bound Brook School District), Witness Stones Project.
Project Name – “We Were Here ~ The Enslaved People of Colonial America: An Inclusive History Partnership Program”.
Project Info – The Friends of the Abraham Staats House, the Witness Stones Project, and 8th graders from Robert Morris School all collaborated to learn the stories of the enslaved people that lived and worked on the Staats farmstead.
This category recognizes specific programs, educational institutions, groups, or individuals, displaying excellence in increasing public awareness and knowledge of Somerset County history.
History Publication Award Winner – Davie-Lyn Jones-Evans.
Project Name – “At Home with History.”
Project Info – This project focused on the history of Somerville’s African American community. Jones-Evans used her collection of published work to educate readers, along with her 5th grade students at Somerville’s Van Derveer Elementary School, about Somerville’s historic black community.
This category recognizes publications that can include books, journals, articles, brochures, or pamphlets which increase public awareness and knowledge of Somerset County history.
Davie-Lyn Jones-Evans, a fifth grade teacher at Somerville’s Van Derveer Elementary School and a local historian, won the history publication award.
The award is given to publications that increase public knowledge of Somerset County history and Jones-Evans was rewarded for her project “At home with history.”
The project explores the history of African Americans in Somerville and looks back through historical documents and events during their time living in town.
The Robert Morris School in South Bound Brook in partnership with the Witness Stones Project and the Friends of The Abraham Staats House took home the history education award for their program “We Were Here ~ The Enslaved People of Colonial America.”
This award, like the publication award, is given to programs that increase public knowledge of Somerset County history.
The “We Were Here” program allowed eighth graders at Robert Morris School, the Friends of the Abraham Staats House and the Witness Stones Project to come together and learn about the stories of slaves on the Staats farmstead.
The Staats house, which was built in 1740, was where the Staats family lived for almost 200 years. The house is full of rich history showing New Jersey’s evolution through the revolutionary war and slavery and was bought by the borough of South Bound Brook in 1999.
It is persevered by the Friends of the Abraham Staats House.
The Witness Stones Project, on the other hand, is dedicated to restoring and honoring the history of slaves who helped build communities.
Both groups do preservation and historical work around Somerset County and that is why they have received recognition.
The historic preservation and history awards were created to promote preservation and foster historical awareness in the county.
“The extensive history of Somerset County is not just a list of names, places, and events,” said Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson at the award ceremony. “We must remember that those names have legacies, these places tell stories, and those events offer insights. That’s why we honor and celebrate these great people and organizations that work to preserve Somerset County’s history.”
Winners of the awards are selected by a committee who is appointed by the Cultural and Heritage Commission. New winners are selected yearly, and one must be nominated to win.
SOMERVILLE, NJ – Somerset County has announced the winners of the Somerset County Historic Preservation and History Awards for their excellence in preserving local history, including Davie-Lyn Jones-Evans, a fifth-grade teacher at the Van Derveer School in Somerville.
The awards recognize individuals and organizations that support the preservation of Somerset County’s history and historic resources through preservation or restoration projects, publications, leadership efforts, or education.
Jones-Evans’ project, “At Home with History,” focused on the history of Somerville’s African American community. Jones-Evans used her collection of published works to educate readers, along with her students about Somerville’s historic black community.
Also recognized are the Friends of The Abraham Staats House & Robert Morris School (South Bound Brook School District), Witness Stones Project.
Their project, “We Were Here ~ The Enslaved People of Colonial America: An Inclusive History Partnership Program,” was recognized for their collaboration with 8th-graders from Robert Morris School to learn the stories of the enslaved people that lived and worked on the Staats farmstead.
The awards are sponsored by the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners and Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission.
The program is administered by an awards committee appointed by the County’s Cultural & Heritage Commission including Cultural & Heritage Commission board members and Advisory Committee members.
“The extensive history of Somerset County is not just a list of names, places, and events,” said Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson. “We must remember that those names have legacies, these places tell stories, and those events offer insights. That’s why we honor and celebrate these great people and organizations that work to preserve Somerset County’s history.”
For more information, contact the Cultural & Heritage Commission at 908-231-7021 or email CulturalHeritage@co.somerset.nj.us.
By Rod Hirsch in 
