University Settlement Society of New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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University Settlement Society of New York
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University Settlement Society of New York
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 Location in Lower Manhattan
Location in Manhattan
Location in New York City
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 184 Eldridge Street Manhattan New York City |
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| Architect | Howells & Stokes |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002515 |
| Added to NRHP | September 11, 1986 |
The University Settlement Society of New York is an organization in New York City. It helps immigrants and families who don't have a lot of money. They offer many educational and social programs. The main building is at 184 Eldridge Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
This organization started in 1886. It was the very first settlement house in the United States. Settlement houses were places that helped new immigrants settle into their new country. They provided important services to the community.
Contents
How University Settlement Began
University Settlement was founded in 1886. It was first called The Neighborhood Guild. It started in a basement on Forsyth Street. The founders were Stanton Coit, Charles Bunstein Stover, and Charles Barzillai Spahr.
What Settlement Houses Did
Settlement houses were very important places. They helped hundreds of thousands of immigrants. These people arrived in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Other famous settlement houses include Hull House in Chicago and the Henry Street Settlement in New York.
University Settlement offered many classes for new immigrants. They taught everything from English language to how the government worked. They even taught sports like basketball. The settlement house also had a library and a kindergarten. It even had some of the first public baths. These places were key in a time of big social change. This time was known as the Progressive Era.
Early Workers and Their Impact
When University Settlement first opened, all the workers lived there. They were all men who had recently graduated from college. Many of these men were also writers. They used their writing to speak out about social problems. They wanted to help make things better.
Some famous writers lived and worked there between 1900 and 1907.
- William English Walling was a socialist writer. He helped start the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
- Ernest Poole won a Pulitzer Prize for his writing.
- Howard Brubaker later wrote for The New Yorker magazine.
- Walter Weyl was a founding editor of The New Republic.
These writers cared deeply about improving living conditions. They wrote articles and books. These writings focused on housing and jobs for workers. They especially focused on women and children in the Lower East Side.
Supporting Change in Russia
Many of the writers at University Settlement were interested in events far away. They learned about the struggles in Russia. Many immigrants they met were Jews from the Russian empire. These people often faced harsh treatment under the ruler, Nicholas II of Russia.
Through talking with these immigrants, some residents became strong supporters of change in Russia. In 1905 and 1906, Poole, Walling, and Bullard traveled to Russia. They reported on the 1905 Russian Revolution. They made connections with Russian revolutionaries. They helped link American writers with these groups.
A National Landmark
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once spoke about University Settlement. He called it "a landmark in the social history of the nation." This shows how important the organization was.
University Settlement Today
University Settlement still helps people in the Lower East Side. It now has programs in 31 different places. These locations are across Manhattan and Brooklyn. They help New Yorkers of all ages.
The programs include:
- Child care and pre-school for young children.
- Help with housing.
- Mental health services.
- Programs to prepare for college and careers.
- Help during difficult times.
- Activities for older adults.
- Art events.
- English classes for new speakers.
- After-school programs and summer camps for kids.
Notable People Connected to University Settlement
- Abraham Beame – Former Mayor of New York City
- Howard Brubaker – Columnist for The New Yorker
- Nicholas Murray Butler – Won the Nobel Peace Prize
- Andrew Carnegie – Famous businessman
- George Gershwin – Well-known musician
- Ira Gershwin – Well-known musician
- Joseph Benson Gilder – Editor for The New York Times Review of Books
- Samuel Halpert – Artist
- Hamilton Holt – Journalist
- Henry Holt – Publisher
- Jacob Javits – American Lawyer and Politician
- Seth Low – Former Mayor of New York City
- Pauline Arnoux MacArthur – Clubwoman and suffragist
- Clara Pasvolsky – Concert singer
- Gifford Pinchot – Former Governor of Pennsylvania
- Ernest Poole – Won a Pulitzer Prize
- Peter Riegert – Actor
- Eleanor Roosevelt – Former First Lady
- Elihu Root – Won the Nobel Peace Prize
- Carl Schurz – Former US Senator
- Jacob Schiff – Banker and helper of charities
- Barney Sedran – Member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
- Charles Bunstein Stover – New York City Parks Commissioner
- Jean Toomer – Author of "Cane"
- Mary van Kleeck – Social feminist
- William English Walling – Helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- Walter Weyl – Author and founding editor of The New Republic
See also
In Spanish: University Settlement Society of New York para niños
- New York Association for New Americans
- Settlement and community houses in the United States
