Legislators of District 11 Partner with Mayor Pallone to Secure Funding for Historic Church of the 7 Presidents Museum

Museum to receive $250,000 under Fiscal Year 2022 State Budget
LONG BRANCH— Senator Vin Gopal and Assembly Members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey join Mayor John Pallone in announcing that Long Branch’s most historic museum has received $250,000 in funding in Governor Murphy’s official state budget.

The Long Branch Historical Museum Association was founded in 1953 as a 501 (C)(3) -non-profit organization, in order to preserve St. James Chapel in Long Branch, NJ. Commonly known today as The Church of the Presidents, the museum honors the seven Presidents who are associated with Long Branch.

“We are happy to help secure this funding for this very historic museum,” Senator Gopal and Assembly Members Houghtaling and Downey said in a joint statement (D-Monmouth). “The money is very much needed for this organization to help preserve the rich history in Long Branch, and we are proud to support this community as they work towards upgrading this notable building.”

“The Church of the Seven President’s Museum has always been an iconic building here in Long Branch.  As a board member myself, I know firsthand that this money is needed for the museum to succeed. The board members have used private donations to restore the museum, but a lot more needs to be done,” Mayor Pallone stated.

“The pandemic has severely impacted the private donations that we normally receive. We are very appreciative to Senator Gopal and Governor Murphy and we cannot wait until we can use this money to further upgrade the museum,” Museum President Jim Foley said.