SETTLEMENT schools, settlement HOUSES, MISSION SCHOOLS, sponsored schools & early Colleges in the Southern Appalachians

AND

SOCIAL OR SPONSORED ORGANIZATIONS
related to SETTLEMENT SCHOOLS
IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS

INCLUDES NOTES ON
NORTHERN SETTLEMENT HOUSE MOVEMENT

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN CENTERS

Episcopal

Methodist

or Calhoun School for Plantation Negroes at Calhoun

[Tuskegee Institute]

NYT article:

"IN AID OF COLORED MEN; Work That Is Carried on in the Calhoun School in Alabama. GOOD EFFECTS OF THE SETTLEMENT Aim to Elevate the Race, Teach Ways of Earning a living, and Practical Christianity -- Mr. Dillingham's Mission ...."

January 21, 1896, Wednesday, Page 9, 1099 words

Also see NYT:

"CALHOUN NEGRO SETTLEMENT; Devoted to the Education and Material Advancement of the Freedman in Alabama's Black Belt."

April 28, 1897, Wednesday, Page 7, 1415 words

Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee, Alabama who is now lecutring in this city, is one of the trustees of the Calhoun School for Plantation Negroes at Calhoun, Lowndes County, Ala.  For five years the negroes of this county have prided themselves on the work done in this institution. In addition to the school there is an agricultural and social settlement. Calhoun is in the heart of the Alabama cotton belt, twenty-eight miles southwest of Montgomery, and its negro inhabitants outnumber the white by 26 to 1, while in Lowndes County they are in the ratio of 7 to 1. The population of the county consists almost entirely of crop-mortgaged farmers.

Calhoun School and Settlement was founded in 1892 by two teachers from Hampton -- Miss Mabel W. Dillingham and Miss Charlotte R. Thorne. It is supported by voluntary contributions. The settlement is on the old Shelby cotton field, and the school has over 300 students. There are also a twenty-thousand-dollar plant with eleben buildings and a one-hundred -acre farm connected with the the school. The subjects taught in the school are elementary agriculture, house-keeping, sewign, dressmaking, elementary English, and the duties of citizenship. The tenets of Christianity are also taught. On April 29 the school will have its commencement day, an event of much importance to Calhounites.

The report for 1896-7 states that 75 students had to be turned away for lack of  room, and that there were 325 scholars enrolled. In the two dormitories of the settlement -- Armstrong Building and Lafayette Hall -- 50 persons were accommodated. The school is about to close its fifth year with the prospect of paying all its running expenses, despite the hard times. From friends of the settlement $15,000 was received during the year, leaving $3,500 to be raised by May 31.As only a portion of this amount is promised, subscriptions in aid of the school and settlement will be promptly acknowledged by the Rev. Pitt Dillingham, S. West Forty-ninth Street, New York.

The first county agricultural fair of Lowndes, which occurred on the school grounds last Autumn, was a great success. Among the exhibits were dairy products, home-made syrup, canned, preserved, and dried fruits, and select laundry and sewing work. Calhoun settlement took the prize on cotton, having produced a bale to the acre by through cultivation of a poor soil.  Preparations are to be made for another exhibition next Fall. The delegates from Calhoun to the Birmingham State Conference of Colored Teachers, which was held recently, are endeavoring to have elementary agricultural and experimental school gardens introduced as a part of the country school in the Black Belt of Alabama.

Mention is made in the report of the "neighborhood" history of the settlement. An event of first importance was the co-operative buying of the Chestnut plantation and the formation there of a colony of twenty-two families, each having a fifty-acre farm. This was essentially the work of the Calhoun Land Company, which aims at creating small farmer proprietorys [sic] from the ranks of those on whose crops there is a perpetual advance mortgage. The Harris place, consisting of 120 acres, was also purchased in this way. The purchases were made on a three-year time plan at $7 per acre, 8 percent interest being charged.

This system of co-operative buying of large holdings in order to cut them up into small ones has worked successfully with the negroes. An owner of 20,000 acres in Lowndes County has said that the future of his food

and buy his land, and these are the very things that the Calhoun School has been using its influence to bring about. The condition of affairs on the Chestnut plantation is pointed out as illustrating on a small scale what may be done toward establishing higher standards of farming and living among the inhabitants of the Black Belt.

Photographs: 
http://vc.lib.harvard.edu/vc/deliver/executeQueryInt?_collection=WW&cssUrl=http%3A%2F%2Focp.hul.harvard.edu/collections/vcint.css

Methodist

Presbyterian

Bibliography:

Wooly, Isma: Article in Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 30, 1900. 
Thrasher, Max Bennett. "Women and Their Work." N.Y. Evening Post, August 22, 1900.

Wesley House, Atlanta, GA

Alice Lloyd Community Out-Reach Program

Bethany Christian Mission Center

Buckhorn School

Buckhorn Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency

Founded in 1902 by the Reverend Harvey Murdoch and first called "Witherspoon College", Buckhorn School was sponsored by the E.O. Guerrant Society of Soul Winners. Founded by a religious organization, the school intended to serve the educational needs of an isolated community in Perry County, Kentucky. "Witherspoon" was the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence and Murdock at first imagined the older students of the area forming a college. A full thirty years later, however, the "college" never materialized and Buckhorn School focused on grades 1-12 population. At its height, under the leadership of the Reverend Elmer Gabbard, Buckhorn School served over 200 students in residence.  Cumulatively, the boarding school educated some 2,500 students.

The residential boarding-school was terminated in the 1950's when school consolidation under the Perry County School system provided alternatives for education to the local population.

Forced to re-think their mission, the School, in the early 1950's, changed their focus from one of residential education to one of care for dependent children. At this time the name of the institution changed to  the Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency and later to the Buckhorn Children's Center, a name it bears today.

Since the 1980's the schools mission has centrally been one of care and treatment for boys and girls who present a threat to themselves and to others and who are unable to function in a regular school program. Partially funded by federal and state money, the staff includes social workers, and other social service support. Focused on rehabilitation, the  staff provide education, health, and recreational activities for the residential population and the day-treatment program.

The mission of the Service is to "...provide a high quality education that prepares nurses to become competent, entrepreneurial, ethical and compassionate nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners who will provide primary care for women and families residing in all areas with a focus on rural and medically underserved populations."

http://www.midwives.org/faculty.asp

Henderson Settlement School

"Our mission, as part of the body of Christ, is to lift up Jesus Christ by providing basic needs in Appalachia through God's love."

In February 1925, Rev. Hiram Frakes observed a murder hearing in the county courtroom presided over by one of the members of his church. The judge was faced with yet another case from a notorious section of the county. The Laurel Fork Valley abided by its own kind of law of fear and violence. When witnesses refused once more to place the blame for certain killings, the judge could take no more. In frustration, he told the residents to "go back and kill yourselves off."

Moved by this incident, the Pineville Methodist pastor decided to shift his ministry toward these valley people. There were elementary schools of variable quality scattered around, but the nearest high school was 30 miles away. With no land or money, Frakes made the trek and shared his dream to provide a school for all children with whoever would listen. Incredibly, the people with a proud tradition of land ownership affirmed that dream. Uncle Scott Partin gave 16 acres, Bill Henderson donated all 68 acres of his land, and several others contributed portions of their holdings.

Frakes went to his bishop, Theodore Henderson, laying the groundwork for financial support. Bertha Reil, a deaconess and graduate of the Chicago Training School, heard about Frakes and came to be the first teacher of the school. The cabin where she stayed remains a Settlement landmark.

Frakes Builds an Institution: 1925-1950

Following the birth of the Henderson Settlement School, a school building named Partin Hall was constructed in 1927. Shortly afterward, dormitories were added for orphans and students who lived too far away to walk. Dormitory students would do laundry, milk cows, and garden, before and after school and throughout the summer to help pay for their education as well as keep the Settlement going."

http://www.hendersonsettlement.com/history.htm

W.C.T.U Settlement School

An incorporated school, it was not associated with any denomination, but is self-described as "strongly Christian."

"Hindman Settlement School was the first and most successful rural social settlement school in America. Established in 1902 by May Stone and Katherine Pettit at the forks of Troublesome Creek in Knott County, Kentucky, the school soon became a model center for education, health care and social services. Earning praise as “the best school in the mountains,” it not only transformed the community of Hindman, but also contributed significantly to regional progress. The school has played a vital role in preserving and promoting the literary and cultural heritage of southeastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia." Challenge and Change in Appalachia: The Story of Hindman Settlement School. Copyright © 2002 by Jess Stoddart.

"In essence, all of the Settlement School's work is educational--not just for those who come to learn--but for those who teach as well.

During the early years of the Settlement School, the founders believed that by living among the people of the mountains and engaging in regular interchange with them, the well-educated women who came to teach would benefit as much as those they came to serve. They certainly would have agreed with the mountaineer, who when asked what he thought of all these outsiders coming in to teach, remarked, "[M]ixin' larns both parties."

"The Hindman Settlement School's adult literacy efforts began in 1981 with one student and a part-time volunteer tutor. As word spread and the demand increased, additional staff were added. In 1992, the Knott County Adult Learning Center was opened. The school's Adult Literacy and GED Program are making a significant difference in the lives of hundreds of adults. During the past 20 years more than 1,200 adults in Knott County have received their GED."

Associated with the school:
James Still
Katherine Pettit
Ethel deLong
Harriet Butler

Bibliography:
Occasional pamphlets, some printed at other locations.

Kentucky White Ribbon (published at Morehead), vii, No.7, (Oct. 1904)  Panmphlets, 1909, Jan. 1910.

Semple, Ellen C. " A New Departure in Social Settlements." Annals of American Academy of Political and Social Science, XV: 301 (March, 1900).

"Social Settlements in the Mountains of Kentucky." Herald (Lexington, Ky.), Apr. 8, 1900.

Daingerfield, Henderson. "Social Settlement and Education Work in the Knetucky Mountains, Journal of Social Science, XXXIX: 176 (1901)

Hill, Mary Anderson. "Social Settlement Work in the Kentucky Mountains." (Condensed from Miss Pettit's report), Commons, VII, No. 70 (May, 1902)

West, Max."The Revival of Handicrafts in America." Hindman, p. 1585. Bureau of Labor Bulletin, No. 53 (Nov., 1904).
 

[Handicraft Mutual}

Bibliography:

"College Settlements and Their Relation to the Church." Philadelphia Church Standard, July 17, 1893.

"A Log Cabin Settlement." Outlook, January, 1895.

"A Log Cabin Settlement," Churchman, July 23, 1895.

West, Max. "The Revival of Handicrafts in America." Bulletin of the Bureau of Labor, No. 55, p.1576.

Whisnant, David.  All That is Native and Fine,

"Nonah" is the Cherokee word for hemlock tree and it paid homage to the large hemlock that stood beside the small building that became the weaving center. This center continues to serve as a central location for the women of the area to come and weave and also to share their skills and interests. 

A recent article in Carolina Arts, describes the creative exchange between the weavers at Nonah Crafts and the sources of their inspiration. See:  http://www.carolinaarts.com/folkart-jul99.html 

http://www.sunsetgap.org/

Nashville Settlement Home (1901-1906)

Bibliogrpahy:

"Lea Taylor was active in the Chicago Federation of Settlements and attended meetings of the organization with Jane Addams, Mary McDowell, and other Chicago settlement pioneers. She was president of the Chicago Federation of Settlements from 1924-1937 and from 1939-1940. She was president of the National Federation of Settlements from 1930-1934 and 1950-1952. Her involvement with the National Federation of Settlements included work on Young Working Girls, a study published in 1913, and Case Studies of Unemployment, published in 1931"

"From 1950 to 1952, as president of the National Federation of Settlements, Lea Taylor focused her energies on housing, integration in cities, poverty programs, and international settlement work"

[Ruth Dennis, a nurse, who came to Pine Mountain in late summer of 1920 was assigned as head resident and took on the responsibilities of religious and industrial work at Pine Mountain Settlement School. She had been trained at the Chicago Commons under Lea Taylor.]

Chicago Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers
(CFSNC)

"Founded at Hull-House in 1894, the Chicago Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, was joined by representatives from similar institutions in the area, including Northwestern University Settlement, Maxwell Street Settlement, University of Chicago Settlement, Epworth House and Chicago Commons. The collaborative was intended to join the efforts of like-minded people and organizations in the area of Chicago.  It was an amalgam of the original settlement workers, the new professional social workers, and individuals who either contributed to or benefited from the early settlement house movement in Chicago. Intended as a forum for discussion of issues and ideas derived from the settlement house movement, the Federation assisted the members in community organization, in local economic studies, sociological inventories, charity work, and settlement programming.  The Federation, comprised of some 36 members between 1894 and 1921often coordinated its efforts with the developing social service agencies in the city. By 1922 the CFSNC has established a charter with the State of Illinois and was incorporated with Jane Addams from Hull-House and five other settlement workers as Directors.  The other Directors included the following:  Harriet E. Vittum, Northwestern University Settlement; Lea D. Taylor, Chicago Commons; Ruth Austin, Gad's Hill Center; Mrs. Beryl T. Gould, House of Happiness; and Winifred Salisbury."

Emerson House

Today Hull House Association's mission is to:

• Jane Addams Hull House Association improves social conditions for underserved people and communities by providing creative, innovative programs and advocating for related public policy reforms.
• Jane Addams Hull House Association provides child care, domestic violence counseling and prevention, economic development, family services, job training, literacy training, senior services, foster care, independent living, and housing assistance for 60,000 children, families and community members each year in communities in and around Chicago.
• Hull House Association also advocates for social and public policy reforms and initiatives that impact the lives of the men, women, and children in the communities we serve.

Founding mission:  " ... to provide social services and education to the urban poor by having educated women and poor people live together in the same residence. Denison House was the hub of many neighborhood activities and social services: classes in nursing, English literature, dancing, and basketweaving; sports and activities for girls and boys; clubs for adults; and relief programs, including coal distribution and free milk. Denison House also had a library, gymnasium, and clinic that enhanced the quality of life in the Old South Cove area of Boston." Emily Greene Balch and  Amelia Earhart, were two of the most famous residents.

Later missions: In the 1940s, Denison House relocated to Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1940 and later in 1965 it merged with three other settlement houses  to create the Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses (FDNH), still in operation today and still serving largely an immigrant population. Staffed by professional social workers.

Denison House had a significant impact on Pine Mountain as many of the workers who came to the mountain settlement school had studied with Balch and with Vida

Henry Street's core divisions include a multidisciplinary arts center, shelter and supportive services, behavioral and health services, senior services, home care services, a workforce development center, day care centers, and after school and summer programs for neighborhood youth."

"Some of the most adventurous artists of the past century have trained, taught, or performed at Henry Street, including John Cage, Aaron Copland, Dizzy Gillespie, Martha Graham, Alicia Keyes, Alwin Nikolai, Jackson Pollack, Denzel Washington and Orson Welles"  [Connections with Black Moutain College.]

About Lillian Wald

"Born into a life of privilege, at age 22 Wald came to Manhattan to attend the New York Hospital School of Nursing. In 1893, Wald founded the Henry Street Settlement and began teaching health and hygiene to immigrant women on the impoverished Lower East Side. Wald devoted herself to the community full-time, and within a decade, the Settlement included a team of twenty nurses and was offering an astonishing array of innovative and effective social, recreational and educational services. "