Henry Street Settlement facts for kids
|
Henry Street Settlement
and Neighborhood Playhouse |
|
(2011)
|
|
 Henry Street Settlement
Location in Lower Manhattan
|
|
| Location | 263-267 Henry St., and 466 Grand Street Manhattan, New York City |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1827 |
| Architect | 267: Buchman & Fox |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001272 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | May 30, 1974 |
The Henry Street Settlement is a special organization in New York City. It helps people of all ages in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. This group offers many services, like social programs, art classes, and health care. It was started in 1893 by a nurse and reformer named Lillian Wald. Back then, it was called the Nurses' Settlement.
Contents
What is the Henry Street Settlement?
The Settlement helps around 50,000 people every year. They support many different groups. This includes families with lower incomes and young people from ages 2 to 21. They also help older adults and those with health challenges. People who love art can enjoy shows, classes, and exhibits at the Abrons Arts Center.
The main offices are still in the original buildings. These old houses were built around 1832 on Henry Street. The Settlement offers its services at 17 different places. Many of these are in buildings run by the New York City Housing Authority.
The buildings at 263, 265, and 267 Henry Street are important. They became New York City landmarks in 1966. Later, in 1989, these buildings and the Neighborhood Playhouse at 466 Grand Street became a National Historic Landmark. This means they are very important to the history of the United States.
History of Helping Others
In 1892, Lillian Wald was a 25-year-old nurse. She taught a class on home health care for immigrant women. One day, a young girl came to her, asking for help. Lillian followed the child to her home. She found the girl's mother, who had just had a baby and needed medical care. The doctor had left because the family could not pay him. This experience showed Lillian how much poverty existed. She decided to dedicate her life to helping the poor. She wanted to bring nursing care, education, and art to immigrant families. The next year, she started the Nurses' Settlement. It later became the Henry Street Settlement.
In 1895, a banker named Jacob Schiff bought a building for the organization. It was a Federal style house at 265 Henry Street. The building was made taller to create more space. Schiff gave the building to the Settlement in 1903. Before that, in 1902, the Settlement added new places. This included a gymnasium at 299, 301, and 303 Henry Street.
The organization grew again in 1906. Morris Loeb bought the building at 267 Henry Street for them. This Greek Revival house was bought from the Hebrew Technical School for Girls. In 1900, the firm Buchman & Fox had updated its front in the Colonial Revival style.
In 1915, the Neighborhood Playhouse opened. It was one of the first "Little Theatres." Sisters Alice and Irene Lewisohn created it. It offered classic plays for people in the area. The theater is still open today as the Harry De Jur Playhouse.
The Henry Street Music School started in 1927. Its official opening was in November 1928. Famous musicians like Aaron Copland and Walter Damrosch supported it. In 1937, the school put on a special play-opera called The Second Hurricane. Aaron Copland wrote the music. Orson Welles directed it. Many talented people have studied at the music school. These include violinists Berl Senofsky and Stuart Canin. Pianists Martin Canin and Jacob Lateiner also attended.
In 1938, the Settlement began using the house at 263 Henry Street. It was next to their original building. They used it for classes and homes. In 1949, they bought the building. It was originally built in the Federal style. Combining these three houses (263, 265, and 267) helped save a piece of old New York. This part of Henry Street still looks like Manhattan did in the 1820s and 1830s.
Henry Street is known for its new ideas in social services and health care. Here are some of their important firsts:
- They opened one of New York City's first off-street playgrounds in 1902.
- They helped fund the first public school nurse in 1902.
- They started the Visiting Nurse Service. This became its own group in 1944.
- They opened one of the country's first mental health clinics in 1946.
- They created one of the first temporary homes for people experiencing homelessness in 1972.
- They started the city's first Safe Haven shelter for women in 2007.
In 2018, a secretary named Sylvia Bloom gave $6.24 million to the Settlement. This money helps their Expanded Horizons College Success Program. This program helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds get ready for and finish college.
For Henry Street's 125th anniversary, artist KAWS worked with them. He led a workshop for art students from the Lower East Side. Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller also gave money to the Settlement's art and youth programs. This helps young people in the Lower East Side with their education and art skills.
Services for the Community
The Henry Street Settlement offers many helpful services:
- Housing - They provide safe places to stay. This includes shelters for families needing a safe place and permanent homes for people who used to be homeless.
- Senior Programs - They have programs for older adults. This includes a senior center, a Senior Companion Program, and a Meals-on-Wheels program.
- Youth Programs - They offer day care, after-school help, and college prep. They also have job programs for youth, GED classes, sports, and summer camps.
- Workforce Development Center - This center helps people find jobs. They offer job training and help people get hired.
- Health and Wellness Services - They have clinics for mental and primary health care. They offer counseling and services for families.
- Neighborhood Resource Center - This is a place where people can get help. They can learn about benefits, get legal advice, and find affordable health insurance.
- Abrons Arts Center – Located at 466 Grand Street, this center offers art classes. Kids and adults can learn dance, music, visual arts, and theater. It also has performances in three theaters, including the historic playhouse. The center shows art exhibits and has summer camps for arts and architecture.
Books About Henry Street
- The House on Henry Street by Lillian Wald
- Sue Barton Visiting Nurse by Helen Dore Boylston
- All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
- The House on Henry Street: The Enduring Life of a Lower East Side Settlement, by Ellen Snyder-Grenier
See also
In Spanish: Henry Street Settlement para niños
