| Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
| Creator: | East End Neighborhood House |
| Title: | East End Neighborhood House Records, Series II |
| Dates: | 1910-1976 |
| Dates: | 1963-1976 |
| Extent: | 0.60 linear feet (2 containers) |
| Abstract: | East End Neighborhood House was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1907. It originally offered domestic skills classes and recreational activities to new immigrants principally from Hungary. The Center is a social settlement/community center serving Cleveland's Buckeye-Woodland-Woodhill community. Hungarian during the first half of the century, this area became largely Black during the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout this period, the center adjusted its activities to meet the needs of the area and also to take advantage of newly available federal funds. The programs reflected increased attention to the needs of senior citizens and also included expanded daycare programs and mental-health programs. The collection consists of minutes of the Board of Trustees, membership lists, corporate documents, personnel and director search records, general correspondence, financial records, and general program descriptions and budget statements. The collection pertains to the center's operation and includes material relating to its financial crisis, 1974-76, its search for a black director, and the changing racial composition of the area served by the center. |
| MS Number | MS 4252 |
| Location: | closed stacks |
| Language: | The records are in English |
The East end Neighborhood House, officially incorporated in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1910, was established by Miss Hedwig Kosbob on the front porch of her mother's home in 1907. Groups of neighborhood girls gathered there and were taught to sew; the size of these groups increased to the point that Miss Kosbob saw the necessity for a more formal neighborhood center. she solicited money from friends and rented a store room at 89th Street and Quincy Avenue.
As the center's services were expanded to include lessons in canning and jell making for adults, the store room became unsatisfactory. In 1911, the center was moved again, this time to a vacated saloon at the intersection of Alpine and Holton streets. This location was chosen because of its proximity to the growing Hungarian and Slavic immigrant community there. At the same time, the East End Neighborhood House formed a close affiliation with Emmanuel Episcopal Church in order to secure strong organizational backing.
The need for such support faded, and the affiliation began to be restrictive in light of the large proportion of Catholic immigrants served at the East End Neighborhood House. A reorganization in 1914 resulted in a new Board of Trustees and an independent organization. During these years, cultural and recreational aspects of the settlement's program were developed and expanded to more effectively meet the needs of the people being served. In 1916, the Van Sweringen estate offered the use of the former summer home of the Van Sweringens at 2749 Woodhill Road in Cleveland. In addition, permission was granted to use the adjacent lots for playground facilities. This allowed and encouraged a great expansion of the scope of the House's programs. Title to the building was obtained in 1942, and in 1946 the lots on Shaker Boulevard were purchased down to East 103rd Street.
From 1940 to 1949, an additional residence at 2697 Woodhill Road was used for the adult programs and as living quarters for resident workers. The uncertainty of the continued availability of this second house and its much needed space provided the impetus for a building campaign in 1947 and 1948, which resulted in a modern, functional building that provided both space and facilities.
The East End Neighborhood House programs were at first geared to a very personal level, stressing individual case work. However, the Great Depression forced reconsideration of the purpose of all social work, and in 1931 emphasis was shifted to more widespread community work. The programs conducted at the House grew in size and emphasis to meet the needs of a changing neighborhood. These programs attempted to reach all age groups at various educational and social levels. Some examples of the activities included a nursery school, pre-school day care, youth canteens, summer camps, handicraft workshops, Golden Age clubs, Americanization classes, and sports programs. All work was carefully coordinated and the House worked in cooperation with various city, county, and national organizations.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the East End Neighborhood House
The East End Neighborhood House Records, Series II, 1910 and 1963-1976, consist of minutes of the board of trustees, membership lists for the board of trustees, corporate documents, personnel and director search records, general correspondence, financial records, and general program descriptions and budget statements.
This collection pertains to the center's operations between 1969 and 1976. Issues covered by the collection include the financial crisis that faced the center between 1974 and 1976, the changing racial composition of the area served by the center, and the ensuing search for an African American director. Those studying the history of neighborhood centers in Cleveland, Ohio, during the 1960s and 1970s, African American history, and changes in the urban landscape, particularly in the Buckeye-Woodland neighborhood of Cleveland, will find this collection useful.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 3568 East End Neighborhood House Records; PG 60 East End Neighborhood House Photographs; and PG 153 East End Neighborhood House Photographs, Series II.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4252 East End Neighborhood House Records, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
East End Neighborhood Center.
Processed by Jeanne M. Kish in 1988.
Series I: Administration 1910 1963-1976 |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Minutes of the board of trustees meetings 1969-1976 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Agendas for annual meetings 1973-1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Membership lists of the board of trustees 1971-1976 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Corporate documents, including original incorporation papers 1910 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Personnel correspondence 1973-1976 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Director Search Committee documents including resumes of applicants ca. 1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Affirmative Action Plan 1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Transitional Task Force files 1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Correspondence, general 1963-1976 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Correspondence, Donald Wiper, member and president of the board of trustees 1963-1975 | |||||||||
Series II: Finance 1968-1976 |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Budgets 1973-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Receipts and disbursements 1972-1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Miscellaneous budget documents dates vary | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Special Purchase Fund documents, including bank statements and disbursements 1974-1975 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Real estate documents, including rental/lease agreements; property descriptions; and a real estate appraisal 1974 | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | General financial correspondence 1968-1976 | |||||||||
Series III: Programs 1974-1975 |
|||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Child development 1974-1975 | |||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Community Development Fund 1974-1975 | |||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Elderly Day Care 1974-1975 | |||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Nutrition Program 1975 | |||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Service Network 1974-1975 | |||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Youth Program 1974 | |||||||||