Wells Memorial Institute facts for kids
Wells Memorial Institute was a special place in Boston that helped working people. It was like a community center where people could meet, help each other, have fun, and learn new skills.
The Institute was started in 1879 by a kind person named Robert Treat Paine. He was a philanthropist, which means he used his money to help others. Mr. Paine got the idea from similar clubs in England. The Institute was named after Reverend E. M. P. Wells from the Episcopal City Mission of Boston.
What Wells Memorial Institute Offered
The Wells Memorial Institute provided many useful classes for people to learn and grow.
Learning New Skills
People could take courses to learn different subjects. These included:
- Mechanical drawing (how to draw plans for machines)
- Civil service (preparing for government jobs)
- Automobile construction (how to build cars)
- English language
- Public speaking (how to talk confidently in front of groups)
- Cooking
- Household economics (how to manage a home and money)
- Embroidery (decorative sewing)
- Millinery (making hats)
Location and Lectures
The Institute was located at 987 Washington Street in Boston. It was also a place where important educational talks happened. In the 1800s, the Lowell Institute gave lectures there about "mechanics," which is the study of how things move and work.
