29 Jan Two New Publications Celebrate Our Beloved W-J Neighborhood
The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) and Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society (WJHCS) have joined forces to create new literature highlighting the invaluable contributions of the neighborhood’s residents, past and present.
The Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood, Princeton’s 20th Historic District, is a community rich in cultural and historical significance. In the early 19th century, Princeton’s original African American residents occupied this segregated district as a proud, self-sufficient, and self-sustaining community. Throughout the years, the W-J Neighborhood has been a vital part of the fabric of our town, with its important legacy kept alive, in part, through the work of WJHCS and ACP programming.
Reflections of a Vibrant Past: Poetry of the Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood, according to its author Reverend Gregory S Smith, is “dedicated to the countless individuals who have graced the Witherspoon-Jackson community and shared their lives, breath, and souls with us all.” Within its pages, Reverend Smith identifies by name multiple members of the neighborhood, acknowledging their impact on culture, education, leadership, and community-building. To celebrate its release, ACP will host a launch party and book signing on Sunday, February 2 from 2-4pm. This free event will include readings by Rev. Smith and a number of the featured subjects, as well as light refreshments and community conversation.
The Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood by ACP Executive Director Adam Welch was created in the spirit of a “zine”, placing digitally colorized historic images alongside research into the Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood. This project, a brief socio-pictorial history, was made possible by the Mercer County Historical Commission. As there is not a bountiful volume of literature available on the Neighborhood, this publication adds a “people’s history” of how it came to be, beginning in 1497 and continuing into the present day.
Both books are available now at online and in person in the Arts Council’s lobby. Domestic shipping is available. All proceeds benefit ACP and WJHCS programs that continue to highlight the neighborhood’s significance.
About the Arts Council of Princeton
The Arts Council of Princeton, a non-profit organization founded in 1967, fulfills its mission of building community through the arts by presenting a wide range of programs including public art projects, exhibitions, performances, free community cultural events, and studio-based classes and workshops. Arts Council of Princeton programs are designed to be high-quality, engaging, affordable and accessible for the diverse population in the greater Princeton region. To learn more, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or follow @artscouncilofprinceton.com.
About Reverend Gregory S. Smith
The Reverend Gregory S. Smith was born April 4, 1964 in Long Beach California. In 1971 his mother married Rev. Leon Gipson, who served as pastor of Mount Pisgah AME Church in Princeton. The blended family assimilated into the church parsonage on Maclean Street. The members of Mount Pisgah and the Witherspoon Jackson “village” became an integral part of Gregory’s social and spiritual development. As a young boy, Gregory received support from his close friends and the community, which helped offer him a sense of purpose and meaning. He found that he was well liked, especially among the older people and began to make lots of friendships in the community. Gregory worked as a paper boy and at a local grocery store (Food Mart) on Witherspoon Street. It was through these combined initiatives that he began the art of observing the “characters” in the community. After graduating from high school in 1982, Gregory attended Rutgers University where he received his bachelor and master’s degrees in social work. He returned to Princeton and began working as a Social Worker at Penn Medicine, Princeton (formerly the Medical Center at Princeton). As an avid creative writer, somehow, he began writing poems, a gift he inherited from his maternal grandmother. He was often asked to write poetry at funerals for local community icons.
Gregory always felt he had a special calling on his life and finally accepted the call to pastoral ministry in 2006. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2015. He has pastored several AME, United Methodist and Baptist congregations in Pennington, Willingboro, Hopewell, Mount Holly, and Birmingham Alabama. He currently serves as pastor of Fisk Chapel AME Church in Fair Haven, New Jersey. Gregory is married and has five children, four grandchildren, and a host of surrogate and godchildren alike.
As an innate lover of history, art, and community, Gregory became a 2008 Leadership Trenton Scholar and has served on various local boards and committees, including the Jean D. Riley Scholarship Foundation, The Hi Tops of Princeton, Advisory Board, Past Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Maker’s Place in Trenton. He currently serves as Vice President of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical Cultural Society, and in 2024 he joined the Arts Council of Princeton’s Board, and Hope For The City, in Trenton, NJ. He also works annually with Joint Effort in support of the community endeavors led by his community mentor, John Bailey. He is also a member of Aaron Lodge #9 (formerly of Princeton) and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Iota Lambda Chapter, Trenton.