Call Number:

RG13.S

Repository:

Bryn Mawr College

Extent:

0.5 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1890-1919 (inclusive)

Creator:

Scudder, Vida Dutton, 1861-1954 and Balch, Emily Greene, 1867-1961

Abstract:

The rise of the Settlement House movement came out of the Progressive Era (1880 – 1920) a time of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and an influx of immigration in the United States. These factors helped contribute to the growing economic divide between the poor working class and the rich upper class. The increased economic stratification also led many, especially within the middle class, to focus more on social welfare issues, eventually leading to greater government oversite of social welfare programs.

Settlement houses first began in London's East-side slums, funded by Samuel Barnett; however, the concept quickly came to the United States with the opening of prominent settlements such as the Neighborhood Guild in New York and Hull House in Chicago. In Philadelphia, St. Mary Street College Settlement (renamed College Settlement of Philadelphia in 1893) opened in South Philadelphia in April of 1892. Because Philadelphia saw less influx in immigration as compared to other major cities in the US, the College Settlement primarily focused on helping working class African American families.

The Settlement Houses offered classes and other social welfare programs in an attempt to break the cycle of poverty and acclimate new immigrants to American culture. The women running the houses focused primarily on women and children, teaching domestic skills and offering childcare services during working hours. Though Settlement Houses began to close after World War I and increased job opportunities for women, and with the professionalization of social work, some of the places morphed into other types of community centers. For instance, the College Settlement of Philadelphia became a camp for children from disadvantaged families in Philadelphia that is still prominent in the Philadelphia community today.

Similar to Settlement Houses in other cities, the College Settlement of Philadelphia was primarily run by white, middle-class, college-educated women. Working in settlements provided job opportunities for college-educated women, as women were often denied professional work due to their gender in the early the 20th century. Though residents each paid for their own room and board, the Settlement Houses were also sustained through individual and organizational memberships. Women's colleges, including Bryn Mawr College, were members through their branches of the College Settlement Association (CSA), which would contribute to local settlements by raising funds, helping run the Settlement Houses, and training women to become residents. These Settlement Houses kept extensive records about the upkeep and money spent, publishing this information in Annual Reports. These Annual Reports provide insight into not only the residents who worked for the Settlements but also what types of classes and welfare aid was being provided at each Settlement House sponsored by the Seven Sisters Colleges (historically women's colleges along the North East Coast of the United States).

Further reading:

Ryan, Rosina McAvoy. (2006). ""A graduate school in life": The College Settlement of Philadelphia and its role in providing post-baccalaureate education for women." Dissertation.

Ryan, Rosina McAvoy. (n.d.). Settlement Houses. The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia.

Stromquist, Shelton. (2006). Reinventing the People: The Progressive Movement, the Class Problem, and the Origins of Modern Liberalism.

Williams, Joyce E., and Vicky M. MacLean. (2015). "Chapter 7: The College Settlements Association: Breaching Gender and Class in Cities." In Settlement Sociology in the Progressive Years: Faith, Science, and Reform.

This collection contains the copies of the College Settlements Association's (CSA) Annual Reports, which include information like the permanent and temporary residents, living expenses, donations, and short essays written by the Head Worker of a given Settlement House on what classes, community aid, and future plans for their location. The CSA's Annual Reports begin with the First Annual Report printed in 1890 and runs until the Twenty-Second Annual Report printed in 1911.

Each Annual Report begins with information about the General Elected Board of the College Settlement Association, a memo about the status of residents across the three Settlement Houses supported by the CSA, and a list of subscribers and donors to the CSA. There is a treasury report for all donations and spending for each of the Settlements supported by the CSA.

The last half of each report is dedicated to updating the individual finances and current affairs of the Settlement Houses in New York (Rivington Street), Philadelphia (College Settlement of Philadelphia), and Boston (Denison House). These reports each contain a brief report from the head worker about both current classes and direction for the future, a list of permanent and visiting residents, a treasury report on each Settlement, and donations. There is also a longer book made that summarizes Settlement House activities from 1889 to 1914 in broader detail that does not include information about individual residents or the finances of each Settlement, instead focusing more on the general development of each Settlement and a call for continued financial support.

Note that the Philadelphia settlement first appears in the Third Annual Report, as this was the year the Settlement was founded. The third issue discusses how the settlement was created and the demographics of the area when it was first implemented.

Beginning in 1915, publications shift to College Settlements Association Quarterly reports, which are shorter in length and only contain brief essays from Head Workers about Settlement House activities. There are no financial records in the Quarterly editions. The collection only spans from 1915 – 1919, with some editions missing in between. These provide a smaller snapshot of what was happening in the Settlement Houses but lack details about specific residents or the financial breakdown of each Settlement.