CAPE MAY AIRPORT, NJ – Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) Aviation Museum, located at the Cape May Airport, is proud to announce the museum recently received two grants for historic preservation, which will fund a project with four separate components.
Funding from the Cape May County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund will assist with replacement of deteriorated windows, stabilization of the main hangar roof, and rehabilitation of the north side sloped roof. It will also allow the renovation of the main entrance to the museum, which will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act while remaining true to its historic appearance. The total amount of the grant funding is $85,991, which the Aviation Museum is required to match.
The north (sloped) roof project will be accomplished with additional financial assistance from the 1772 Foundation in cooperation with and administered by the New Jersey Historic Trust. The 1772 Foundation will provide $15,000 in funding, which will serve as a partial match for the funding through Cape May County. The Museum will pay for the balance of the project out-of-pocket. “Although this project represents a major financial commitment on the part of the Aviation Museum, the Board of Trustees is committed to the preservation of Hangar #1,” explained Executive Director Joseph Salvatore. “We are grateful to both grant funders for their partnership in making this work possible.”
Hangar #1 is listed on the National and State of New Jersey’s registers of historic places. The Navy all-wood double wide hangar was one of only six dive-bomb training facilities in the United States during WWII. Part of NASW Foundation’s mission is to preserve Hangar #1; all projects will be done in compliance with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.