the journal of literature and the arts at saint david ’ s school
Upon returning to America , Addams chose Chicago ’ s 19th Ward to start their new settlement house . Chicago ’ s 19th Ward was home to 19 different nationalities , and at the time it was one of the poorest , most crowded districts in the city . To start , the housing situation was horrific . Most of the houses were overcrowded , rotten , wooden structures . They had no indoor plumbing and no fire escapes . Additionally , there was no system established for removing the garbage from the stables . Aside from the housing , there were unregulated sweatshops scattered throughout the neighborhood where underpaid immigrants would work in unventilated , dimly lit rooms . Addams noted , “ The streets are inexpressibly dirty … the street lighting bad , the paving miserable , and the stables foul beyond description ” ( Berson 25 ). Addams couldn ’ t stand aside and allow these repulsive conditions to continue . She had found a neighborhood where she could make a noticeable difference for people in need , and she wasted no time getting to work .
By 1889 , Addams had rented a mansion to serve as her base of operations . The main goal of Hull House was to offer social services to those in the community who needed help . It initially started as a kindergarten , but soon a day-care and art studio were added . Hull House later provided additional services such as reading groups , sewing classes , maternity wards , and facilities helping young women who were being abused ( Gibbon ). These are just a few examples of the dozens of services that were provided . Notably , a large portion of Hull House ’ s funding came from Jane Addams herself . She had found a way to use her father ’ s inheritance to better the lives of those around her . Due to the hard work that Jane Addams put in , Hull House became a smashing success among the community . Addams was featured in women ’ s magazines , newspapers , and even the New York World , a popular newspaper at the time
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