U.S. Settlement Houses: Services and Activities


Figure 1.--Here is an interesting photo of a boys' wrestling club at Hull House, Chicago, about 1910. Hull House was the internationallyh known settlement house, founded by Jane Adams and Ellen Gates, that arranged educational and athletic activities for underprivileged families, esecially the children and youths, in Chicago's inner-city and immigrant neighborhoods. Most of the boys here wear tights (either black or white), but a few wear knitted shorts. Some of the tights have knee patches.

Settlement Houses offered a wide range of services to immigrants. The services were intended to help immigrants adjust and integrate into American society. The integration factor was not always readily apparent. But proiding the type of cultural and entertaiment activities that Americans engaged in helped to promote integration, especially because the language used at the settlement houses was English. (Immigrants from different countries had to use English to speak with each other.) There were classrooms to teach a range of subjects, often focusing on English and domestic skills like cooking and sewing. There were shelters for the homeless or abused women. There was also a strong cultural component. Plays were organized as well as orchestras. Here we see children at Hull House preparing for a concert (figure 1). There were also other entertaiments for children as well as sports activities sponsored.

Education

There were classrooms to teach a range of subjects, often focusing on English and domestic skills like cooking and sewing.

Shelter

There were shelters for the homeless or abused women.

Culture

There was also a strong cultural component. Plays were organized as well as orchestras.

Orchestras

We notice quites a few photographs of the children practicing with musical instruments or giving concerts.

Entertaiment

There were a variety of entertaiments for children.

Sports

There were often sports activities sponsored, primarily to appeal to boys. Images we have found from settlement houses show the children involved in musical activities, but there were also a range of sports activities as well. There were limitations here as settlements were located in urban areas withouit extensive grounds which limited the range of sports which could be sponsored. Here we see a boy's wrestling club at Hull House. The photograph is not dated, but was probably taken about 1910. Sports were a useful draw to get boys off the street and involved in some of the beneficial activites at the settlement house.






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Created: 9:26 PM 12/18/2004
Last update: 9:26 PM 12/18/2004