OUR HISTORY

Hamilton Township Neighborhood Service Center, was the aim and vision of the late Reverend Dr. John O. Wilson.

In 1965, Reverend Wilson’s vision was to form a federally funded early childhood program, to service children from low-income families of Hamilton Township.

In 1967, the Hamilton Township Neighborhood Service Center, was launched in the basement of St. Phillips Baptist Church. The church’s basement became the first site of the Mercer County Head Start Program of Hamilton. The Mercer County Head Start Program would eventually outgrow the basement of St. Phillips Baptist Church and it moved to a property in the rear of the church. This became the new home of the Mercer County Head Start Program, until a much needed larger, service center was built.

The “new service center” was built on the site of an old “neighborhood” playground. The funding was provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block Grant Program, to the Township of Hamilton.

In 1976 – 1977, the new service center was established and named the Hamilton Township Neighborhood Service Center. In 1978, Mayor John K. Rafferty, dedicated the Hamilton Township Neighborhood Service Center, to honor the memory of the late Reverend Dr. John O. Wilson. Reverend Wilson worked very hard in setting the groundwork for his long awaited dream, a community center in Hamilton Township. The service center is now known as the John O. Wilson Hamilton Neighborhood Center.

John O Wilson Center

Family Community Progress

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