Left image from http://www.uic.edu/depts/uichistory/hullhouse.html, right image from Urban Vignettes (http://urbanvignettes.com/north-america/forgotten-heroines/).
Established on September 18, 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, Hull House was Chicago’s first and the nation’s best-known settlement house. Most often located in poverty-stricken areas, such institutions provided a variety of services to their neighbors. Originally located on the corner of Halstead and Polk, Hull House served the residents of Chicago’s Near West Side, which had a primarily immigrant population. At its height, Hull House consisted of thirteen buildings and included a theatre, music school, art gallery, art studios, libraries, post office, auditorium, gymnasium, kitchen, cafeteria, playground, kindergarten, and nursery.
The settlement house remained an integral part of the neighborhood until the construction of UIC’s Circle Campus. To make room for the school’s new campus, most of Hull House’s buildings were demolished. However, through the determined efforts of Florence Scala and other area residents, Hull House’s original building and its dining hall were preserved. Today, the buildings are part of UIC’s East Campus and house the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.
Memories of Hull House