Father Panik Village
Encyclopedia
Father Panik Village was a housing project located in Bridgeport, Connecticut
. Ground was broken in 1939, and it opened as Yellow Mill Village, the first public housing project in the state. The Village was renamed in honor of Father Stephen Panik in 1955, a Catholic priest from Saints Cyril and Methodius Church
whom campaigned for affordable housing.
train tracks as its northern border, directly south of the former Remington Arms
ammunition plant. The east of the development stopped at the Yellow Mill River, and the western end stopped at Pembroke Street. Hamilton Street was the southern boundry.
Since being torn down, the property was essentially split into three areas with the northeastern portion of the property becoming the Water View Park, the western half (the area south of the church) being converted into single family homes and the southeastern corner becoming Eastside Park, divided from Water View Park by the Waltersville Elementary & Middle School.
, and the Village opened in 1940, with 778 apartments in 47 brick buildings set on a 30 acres (12.1 ha) site on the east side of Bridgeport. Originally the population was 5,400 people, which would have made it the 51st largest town in the state at the time.
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. Ground was broken in 1939, and it opened as Yellow Mill Village, the first public housing project in the state. The Village was renamed in honor of Father Stephen Panik in 1955, a Catholic priest from Saints Cyril and Methodius Church
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
St. Cyril and Methodius Parish is a Roman Catholic church in Bridgeport, Connecticut, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport.-Masses:As of April 2011, it was noted as being the only Roman Catholic Church in Bridgeport to offer the Tridentine Mass.- History :...
whom campaigned for affordable housing.
Location
The parcel of land abutted Saints Cyril and Methodius Church to the northwest, with Crescent Avenue and the Metro NorthMetro north
Metro North can refer to either of* Metro-North Railroad, a commuter railroad serving parts of New York and Connecticut in the United States* Dublin Metro#Metro North, a branch of the proposed Dublin Metro, in Dublin, Ireland...
train tracks as its northern border, directly south of the former Remington Arms
Remington Arms
Remington Arms Company, Inc. was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. It is the oldest company in the United States which still makes its original product, and is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in North America. It is the only U.S....
ammunition plant. The east of the development stopped at the Yellow Mill River, and the western end stopped at Pembroke Street. Hamilton Street was the southern boundry.
Since being torn down, the property was essentially split into three areas with the northeastern portion of the property becoming the Water View Park, the western half (the area south of the church) being converted into single family homes and the southeastern corner becoming Eastside Park, divided from Water View Park by the Waltersville Elementary & Middle School.
Opening
The 1939 groundbreaking was attended by Congressman Albert E. AustinAlbert E. Austin
Albert Elmer Austin was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut, stepfather of Clare Boothe Luce.-Biography:...
, and the Village opened in 1940, with 778 apartments in 47 brick buildings set on a 30 acres (12.1 ha) site on the east side of Bridgeport. Originally the population was 5,400 people, which would have made it the 51st largest town in the state at the time.