Princeton-Blairstown Center Honors Dr. Robert Rivers & Hendricks Davis

The Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC) recently honored two outstanding individuals who have been influential in the PBC community at their annual Woodcutters event. Woodcutters is a day of service and camaraderie for the purpose of winterizing the beautiful Blairstown Campus.

Dr. Robert Rivers was honored with the naming of the “Rivers Porch.” Dr. Rivers' long history with the Princeton-Blairstown Center began in 1946 as one of the first Black campers to attend what was then called the Princeton Summer Camp. Dr. Rivers has said that receiving the "Best Camper" Award – on the same porch that was just named for him – was one of the defining moments in his life. Dr. Rivers entered Princeton University as one of its first black students and served as a counselor in Blairstown during his undergraduate years. He went on to graduate from Harvard Medical School and served as a trustee and honorary trustee of the Center.

Hendricks Davis was also honored at PBC’s annual Woodcutters event. Hendricks Davis was the Executive Director of the Princeton-Blairstown Center from 1993-2004. Hendricks believes that the part of his work that was most impactful was creating a sense of community at PBC. The work that he did created a community that is “still connected – across the years, across the miles, and across the world.” However, Hendricks does not give himself sole credit for making an impact on PBC. He said, “So many things were done not because of me singularly, but because of we – together.”

The Princeton-Blairstown Center serves young people, primarily from historically marginalized communities, by nurturing their social-emotional skills through experiential, environmental, and adventure-based programming. Developing these skills enables our participants to engage in self-discovery and transform their communities to create a more just world.