Philadelphia, NJ, 18 May 2011 – Yesterday afternoon the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia held their annual awards ceremony in the historic John Wanamaker’s Crystal Tearoom. The recent Burlington County Warden’s House renovation received a Grand Jury Award, one of only two given to projects in New Jersey.

The Warden’s House is connected to the Burlington County Prison Museum, an 1811 structure designed by famed Philadelphia architect Robert Mills. The County of Burlington constructed this small, two-and-one-half-story, Second Empire Victorian red brick addition in 1888 to house the Burlington County Warden and his family. The building is located within the Mount Holly National Register Historic District.

Having fallen into underutilization and disrepair over the decades, the Burlington County Freeholders decided to restore the building’s exterior and in the same project, perform needed interior repairs and improvements. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s Historic Preservation Office reviewed & approved the project, and it was restored in accordance with Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabililitation.

Mount Holly’s Regan Young England Butera: Referendums, Engineering, Architecture, Design (aka RYEBREAD) were the architects for the renovation, John Bowie Associates of Wallingford, PA, the preservation consultant, and Robert Frizell from Forked River was chosen general contractor via competitive public bidding.

Upon completion, the Warden’s House now displays the work of Burlington County’s prolific 20th Century folk artist, Hugh Cambpell. The building also hosts the offices of the Prison Museum Association, an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting this unique historic asset.

Next week, the Warden’s House renovation will receive a Historic Preservation Award from the NJ Historic Preservation Office.