[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE, MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 1998

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th 
Anniversary of the Neighborhood House in Morristown, New Jersey.
  The Neighborhood House, known as the ``Nabe'' among its clients, 
began in 1898 as a one-room mission dedicated to easing the daily 
hardships of immigrant life among a growing number of Italian-American 
families in Morristown. The building housing the mission burned down in 
1901, and activities were soon moved to a more spacious, donated home. 
The larger accommodations allowed the mission to expand its work, and 
by 1908, then officially named the Neighborhood House, these activities 
included tutoring in English, providing help in finding affordable 
housing, and classes in music, carpentry, and crafts.
  While continuing its community outreach with the opening of 
Morristown's first baby clinic in 1915, the Nabe was also instrumental 
in the development of several local non-profit organizations. These 
included such groups as the Urban League of Morris County, the Colonial 
Little Symphony and the New Jersey Chorale Society. By the 1930's, the 
Neighborhood House expanded its work to accommodate newer immigrant 
groups that had settled in the Morristown area, and in 1936 there were 
46,016 individuals affiliated with the House, a record number at that 
time.
  In 1953, in response to concerns that the House's building was 
potentially unsafe due to overcrowding, more than $200,000 was raised 
for a new building on the original lot. Construction of this building 
was completed in 1957, and additional renovations have included several 
new wings, which have vastly increased the space available for classes 
and other activities.
  The Neighborhood House has been blessed with strong and caring 
leadership since its inception. From 1912 to 1938, the Neighborhood 
House was run by Aldus and Marie Antoinette Pierson, a couple deeply 
committed to the community, who oversaw much of the House's expansion 
in activities. Ten years after the Pierson's retirement in 1938, 
Carmeta Meade became the House's first African-American Executive 
Director. Mrs. Meade was among those who recognized the need for a new 
Neighborhood House building and in 1985, after serving the Neighborhood 
House for thirty-four years, retired with a sterling record of service.
  The Neighborhood House is led today by Sam Singleton, who had been 
active as a young man for ten years before returning to become 
Executive Director in 1991. As Mr. Singleton lays the foundation for 
the Neighborhood House's continued success, ensuring, in his words, 
that ``the Neighborhood House [becomes] a model of the community center 
of the future,'' I want to ask you, Mr. Speaker, and my colleagues to 
join with me in commemorating the Neighborhood House on this special 
anniversary year.

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