Women of West End and the Settlement Movement

Settlement houses were part of a social service movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that aimed to aid impoverished communities, often with a special focus on women and children. They functioned as community centers, respite, and childcare facilities, as well as providing access to services such as healthcare, education, and employment resources. 

Marcia McDonald, Chair of the Archives and History committee at West End, and Lyn Hoyt, Chair for the TWK Commission on Archives and History, will be presenting on the active involvement and leadership of the women of West End in the local settlement house movement and the home mission division of the Women’s Missionary Council from the 1890s-1939.  Our history may surprise you—West End women worked across race and class divides to support direct service to communities in need and to advocate for progressive legislation to address social needs systemically.