By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Pennington Borough Mayor Anthony Persichilli and the Borough Council officially proclaimed 2015 “the 125th anniversary of the borough’s incorporation” at Monday night’s council meeting and laid plans for a yearlong celebration of the event.
Pennington became an incorporated municipality in 1890. Until then, it had been part of Hopewell Township, which now surrounds the borough.
“To celebrate, the Pennington 125th Anniversary Committee has scheduled many exciting events to mark this milestone year in the town’s history,” borough Administrator Eileen Heinzel said.
“That committee has adopted the motto: ’Celebrating Our Hometown Heritage For 125 Years’ and a logo designed by Kim Waters, of Zoe Graphics in Pennington.”
The first event will be an exhibition of George H. Frisbee’s photos. It is titled “Pennington Comes of Age” and will be curated by Jack Koeppel and presented by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society at The Pennington School’s Silva Gallery of Art from March 27 to April 24 under the direction of Dolores Eaton, director of the gallery.
A reception will be held at the school on April 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. The Silva Gallery is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
Ms. Heinzel said the official opening ceremony of the 125th anniversary celebration will be held at the Pennington United Methodist Church at 5 p.m. on April 19. Featured will be an updated and digitized slide presentation by Tom O’Neill, who presented a similar show for Pennington’s Centennial in 1990. There also will be a musical presentation by the Hopewell Valley Chorus.
On April 26, the churches of Pennington will join in an ecumenical celebration featuring tours of churches from 2 to 5 p.m. followed by an ecumenical service at 6 p.m. All churches will join in a reception following the service.
Ministers have been invited to share the significance of their churches to Pennington over the years. The event is being planned by the Rev. Gregory Smith, of Bethel AME Church, and Beverly Mills, who serves on the ecumenical celebration subcommittee.
“The Pennington 125th Anniversary Committee is working with other community organizations to plan and expand additional events throughout the year,” Ms. Heinzel said. “Announcements will be made when details are complete. The committee is also working on a publication featuring a chronology of historic Pennington events and a schedule of programs to be offered during this anniversary year.”
Pennington Borough Councilwoman Catherine “Kit” Chandler and former councilman and mayor, Edwin Weed Tucker, are co-chairs of the Pennington 125th Anniversary Committee. The committee welcomes volunteers, sponsors, and patrons. For information contact Pennington Borough Administrator Eileen Heinzel at (609) 737-0276 or email at [email protected].
THE PROCLAMATION issued Monday night notes that the town now called Pennington was first settled about 1708 as Queenstown, honoring Queen Anne of England. It was later known as Penny Town. Town leaders petitioned the New Jersey Legislature to establish a municipality with a government separate from Hopewell Township, and Pennington Borough was incorporated in 1890 by an act of the New Jersey Legislature.
Noting that the borough is home to six churches, the proclamation adds that “Pennington’s earliest settlers saw their 1709 Presbyterian Church house Hessian soldiers during the Revolutionary war, while these then unwelcome visitors exercised their horses over the church’s cemetery wall.”
In 1838 the Elders of the Methodist Church raised $5,000 to establish what is now known as The Pennington School, which the proclamation terms “a prestigious college preparatory academy, that has educated many foreign and domestic students, allowed the use of its fields and facilities to be used for community events.
“After a horrendous fire that completely destroyed the Pennington School’s O’Hanlon Hall in 1980 (January), Pennington residents rallied to help raise funds to replace the building. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Pennington Day was born.
“Proceeds from this first event raised funds to build Stainton Hall. Today The Pennington Day street fair draws thousands of visitors, raising thousands of dollars for local charities in a classic example of how great good can come from tragedy.”
Since its incorporation, the proclamation goes on to say, “the Borough of Pennington has continuously improved its quality of life including, in the 1970s, the construction of a modern sewer system, upgrading of water lines, reconstruction of its water tower, and a revision of its zoning master plan to make the borough a more welcome environment for business and additional homes.”
HOPEWELL BOROUGH, which was incorporated in 1891, will fete its 125th in 2016.
