Activists Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr moved into the city’s first settlement house on the Near West Side Sept. 18, 1889.
Originating in London, settlement houses were a new approach to charity where reformers would live in the communities they were trying to help.
On Polk and Halsted, the Hull House started offering childcare, English classes, and art programming to the many new European immigrants in the area. With more community members and more services — lodging, a library, kindergarten, and more — the Hull House expanded to 13 buildings.
The Hull House prompted Addams and others to launch a powerful social justice movement that sparked a lot of change, from more neighborhood parks and library branches to a federal child labor law.
Many of the settlement buildings had been displaced by the University of Illinois Chicago’s campus in the ‘60s, but the dining hall and original mansion remain as a museum.
Visit the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum to learn more about one of the country’s most-influential settlement houses. Also, check out this Hull House yearbook from 1906–07.
This Week in Chi History: Hull House
Sidney Madden
Children standing in a line at the Hull House on the Near West Side in 1908. (Chicago Daily News / Chicago History Museum / Getty)
Share article
Stay connected to City Cast Chicago and get ready to join the local conversation.
Chicago History
Who’s Preserving Chicago Family History?
If you are like me, all your family history lives within multiple photo albums and VHS tapes stored in your parents’ living room cabinets.
Happy Birthday, Chicago!
Chicago's official incorporation was in 1837, but Native American tribes had thriving trade networks across the Great Lakes region going...
The History of Millennium Park
With free events slated from July 18 to 21, let’s take a look back at the origin story of the city’s iconic public park.
Take This Chicago Women's History Month Quiz
Not ready for Women’s History Month to end?
How March Became Women’s History Month
International events, such as International Women's Day, may be why we celebrate women's history in March.
Chi’s Brief Role in Underwear History
Since the late 1800s, S.T. Cooper & Sons (later Cooper's) had been in the undergarment business.
This Week in Chi History: Rainbow Push Coalition Formed
Jesse Jackson formed Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) on Christmas Day more than 50 years ago this week.
This Week in Chi History: Jane Byrne
Eight years ago today, the city’s first woman mayor died.
The latest in Chicago
Chicago Was — Is? — a Magic Town
The Hand & The Eye is a new venue marketing Chicago-style magic. But what is Chicago-style magic? And where can you find it around and th...
Where to Read in Chicago
It’s National Library Week through April 25 — which is coincidentally Independent Bookstore Day! There’s an official crawl across Chicago...
The End of an Era For Lincolnwood Town Center
Lincolnwood Town Center shuts down April 30 — depending who you ask. I went to the mall to check things out for myself.
Celebrate 420 at These Chicago Dispensaries
It’s been a little over 6 years since recreational marijuana was legalized in Illinois. At the time, Gov. JB Pritzker called it the “most...
Take This Week's Chicago News Trivia Quiz
How closely were you paying attention to this week's current events? Test yourself in our weekly trivia quiz.
Chicago’s Splashiest Water Activities
As we mourn the Humboldt Park swan boats, there are still plenty of Chicago water and boat activities to enjoy as the season heats up.
3 Questions With Chicago’s Poet Laureate
It’s National Poetry Month, and while you can find a variety of workshops and open mics in April, poets call Chicago home all year round.
Celebrate Poetry in Chicago
Every month is Poetry Month in Chicago. But since April is actually National Poetry Month, consider diving in deeper.
