Whenever any association or society shall propose the erection of any monument in stone or in bronze to commemorate any historic event of importance in the history of the state, the commission may, if it approves the person or event to be commemorated and the design and material of the monument, contribute up to fifty per cent of the cost toward the erection of the proposed monument, provided the title to the property be vested in the state and its custody be intrusted to the commission.
N.J.S. § 28:1-8