Facility serves as an after-school resource and community center for children, especially those in the John-Witherspoon neighborhood.
By: Jennifer Potash
Henry "Hank" Pannell of Clay Street has quietly made his mark on Princeton Borough and especially the John-Witherspoon neighborhood for decades.
Now, as a thankful gesture for his efforts to preserve the neighborhood’s history and to help provide a future for so many neighborhood children, the Clay Street Learning Center at the corner of Clay and Witherspoon streets has been renamed in Mr. Pannell’s honor.
Scott Parson, director of the Housing Authority of the Borough of Princeton, where Mr. Pannell worked for 28 years, said former director Mary Jo Grauso wanted to name the building after Mr. Pannell.
For some years the idea languished, but once he became the authority’s director earlier this year, Mr. Parson said he "followed through and got it done."
Last month, the center, which serves as an after-school resource and community center for Princeton Borough and Princeton Township children, especially those in the John-Witherspoon neighborhood, was formally named the Henry F. Pannell Learning Center.
Leighton Newlin, chairman of the Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners, said the learning center was Mr. Pannell’s vision and one he helped bring to fruition brick by brick.
"Years ago, Hank saw and responded to the need of young African-American youth to have a place in their own community where they could be nurtured to learn and develop a solid foundation for their future," said Mr. Newlin at the June 1 dedication ceremony. "With every brick, people here in the community witnessed not only the raising of a building but also, more importantly, the raising of a community."
With a vast knowledge of the building trades he was the supervisor of maintenance for the Housing Authority until his retirement in 2002 Mr. Pannell mentored countless young men who continue to work in Princeton, Mr. Newlin said.
The Learning Center is home to many programs including Clay Street Seniors, Princeton Young Achievers, Multicultural Summer Camp, computer classes and English-as-a-second-language classes.
Mr. Pannell is also a co-founder of both the Neighborhood Alliance and Save Our Kids, a neighborhood group founded to provide safe educational and recreational opportunities for minority Princeton children and to raise their social consciousness and self-esteem.
As a third-generation Princetonian, Mr. Pannell, 64, also donated his time to preserving the history of the John-Witherspoon neighborhood, the historically black neighborhood of the borough, which has grown more diverse over the years with the infusion of Latinos and Caucasians.
A member of the Historical Society of Princeton’s Board of Directors, Mr. Pannell worked in conjunction with Princeton University in videotaping oral histories from residents of Princeton’s African-American community.