This timeline intends to give our visitors more information on our 38 settlement houses around New York City. It will detail what our settlement houses have been and will continue to do to greatly impact New York City.
Founded by Gale Dodge in 1872, the Riverdale Neighborhood House (RNH) began as a lending library for neighborhood workers. Since then, they have been serving the community through early childhood programs, enrichment programs for teens, and they have continuously provided volunteer senior assistants to help the elderly. As RHN continues to serve the Northwest Bronx community to this day, they continue to hold onto the belief that "all lives are enriched by participation in a compassionate and supportive community."
Toynbee Hall came to fruition in 1884 with the hopes of achieving social change through individualized approaches. The immediate intention was to bring visionaries face to face with poverty in London's East End. The goal was that these men would develop radical and practice social change.
Hailed as the first settlement house in the United States in 1886, University Settlement was a haven to struggling immigrants on the Lower East Side. Today there is a paid staff of over 500, and is a pioneer in social services. They offer an array of programs, including a creative center, adult literacy programs, swimming programs, youth programs, and more.
Educational Alliance served the entire population of Downtown Manhattan, although originally intended for Eastern European Jews, since 1889. There were opportunities to participate in the arts, recreation, and theater. As the population of Lower Manhattan changed in 1940's, so did the Alliance: they began to employ trained professionals, aimed to curb teenage delinquency in the 1960's, and acted as one of the first organizations to offer Head Start.
Hull House, co-founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, located in Chicago, IL and served as an American example of the London-based Toynbee Hall. Opening in 1889, it served as a community for "university women," with the hopes to create educational and social opportunities for Chicago residents. Eventually, Hull House began advocating for child labor, healthcare, and immigration reforms, as well as women's suffrage.
Originally the King's Daughters Settlement House, it was founded by Jacob A. Riis, a social reformer, in 1890. Currently, it's mission is to strengthen communities in Western Queens and act as a "catalyst for change." Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House focuses on youth services, senior services, and immigrant services.
This settlement house is one of the oldest non-profits in NYC. It orginiated in Manhattan's Upper East Side in 1891 and relocated to the South Bronx, one of the "poorest congressional districts in the country." East Side House serves over 8,000 residents of Manhattan and the South Bronx.
Henry Street Settlement was established in 1893 by Lillian Wald to care for the poor. Her philosophies established Henry Street as one of the nation's models for service to children, families, and the poor. Today, Henry Street serves 50,000 members of its community annually, and are developed to help individuals learn to help themselves.
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House was founded in 1984 by the Alumnae Association of Normal college (now Hunter College of the City University of New York) as a free kindergarten for immigrant children. Now, Lenox Hill serves over 200,000 community members in need, including: economic, social, emotional, and physical need.
Established in 1895, the Union Settlement Organization is one of the largest settlement houses in NYC. They serve over 10,000 people annually, focusing on East Harlem communities. Union Settlement prides itself on meeting the demands of the changing demographics of the neighborhood, helping everyone from infants to senior citizens.
