CENT’ANNI: Dorothea van Dyke McLane and Guy Richards McLane on their wedding day.

Dorothea’s House, the Italian-American cultural center in Princeton, celebrates its 100th anniversary on October 5 with entertainment by Coro d’Italia, an Italian American singing and dancing group based in Upper Montclair, and specialties from area restaurants and food purveyors representing regions throughout Italy. The event will be held from 2 to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

Dorothea’s House, located at 120 John Street, was founded as a living memorial to Dorothea van Dyke McLane, a volunteer social worker who assisted Princeton’s newly arrived Italian immigrants in the early 1900s. Similar Italian culture centers exist in metropolitan areas across the United States, but Dorothea’s House is a rare example of an ethnic settlement house that still thrives and serves the public today. It now serves community members, regardless of their background, as an Italian-American cultural institution, providing programs, events, and a link from the Princeton of today to the Italian immigrants who settled in the area over 100 years ago.

Admission to the celebration is free. Visit www.dorotheashouse.org for more information.

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