Norah Magrini, president of the Avon-by-the-Sea Historical Society, is the recipient of the 2025 M. Claire French Award for Leadership in Historic Preservation, Monmouth County Clerk Christine Hanlon announced.
The award will be presented at the County Clerk’s 30th annual Archives & History Day on Saturday, October 11, at the Robert J. Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft.
“Norah Magrini has been an innovator in preserving the legacy of Avon-by-the-Sea, particularly in the commemoration of the municipality’s 125th anniversary,” said Clerk Hanlon. “She has worked tirelessly to memorialize for generations to come what a special community Avon is to Monmouth County through video projects, print and digital publications, education programs and restoration projects.”
Magrini is credited with reviving the Avon-by-the-Sea Historical Society after a period of inactivity due to the Covid pandemic, building it back up to 80 members strong in a shore town with a population of less than 2000. She spearheaded the creation of Postcard Ponderings, a publication and video project funded by a $25,000 grant she applied for and won from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities at Rutgers University. The project focused on six iconic sites and featured interviews with Avon’s longtime residents.
She also led the yearlong celebration of Avon’s 125th anniversary, which included a gala, swimming competition, firework show and branded commemorative items such as a beach badge to mark the milestone. Magrini led development of “Avonopoly,” a town-themed game that references town history that resulted in 500 games being sold.
Restoration of vintage street signs was another project Magrini led by coordinating volunteers, Boy Scouts and the Department of Public Works to preserve the unique concrete and tile structures. Magrini also created Avon-themed displays and resources to educate residents and visitors about local attractions and historical markers.
She has curated an extensive collection of photographs and artifacts dating back to the early 1900s, and administers a website containing an extensive repository of pictures and postcards that users can order.
Education is also an important component in Magrini’s mission. She authored curriculum for local elementary and middle school students about local history and hosts student contests to foster youth interest in their town heritage.
The M. Claire French Award for Leadership in Historic Preservation recognizes outstanding achievements of an elected official, government employee, public servant or civic organization in supporting historic preservation in Monmouth County through education, development, planning, rehabilitation, advocacy, community leadership or other means. Created in 2015, the award is named after M. Claire French, Hanlon’s predecessor, who served as County Clerk for 18 years until her retirement in 2015.
The County Clerk’s 2025 Archives and History Day will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Brookdale Community College with the awards presentations beginning at 12:30 p.m. This year’s featured exhibit, “Conflicting Allegiances: Patriots and Loyalists in Revolutionary Monmouth County,” will showcase dozens of key local figures during the period of the American Revolution.
For more information about Archives & History Day, visit MonmouthCountyArchives.com or contact the Monmouth County Archives at 732-308-3771, ext. 3772.
The Monmouth County Archives, which operates under the direction of the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, preserves, organizes and provides access to Monmouth County government records of enduring historic value that are retained on a permanent basis. Located in the lower level of the Monmouth County Library’s headquarters in Manalapan, the Monmouth County Archives is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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