Hull House 1889

Jane Addams founded what was later to become the world famous Hull House in Chicago. She worked in it from it's start in 1889 to her death in 1935. She and a lady named Ellen Gates Starr founded it to help lots of Chicago immigrants and others gain a place of self respect in society.

Jane Addams was born in Cedarville on Sep. 6, 1860. She got her reputation as the countries most widely known woman through her writings, settlement work, and international efforts for world peace. In 1931, she became the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the years following 1889 about a dozen more buildings were added to the neighborhood. There was a nursery school, one of the first gymnasiums in the country, and the only library in the city. Many of the neighbors came to the center for weekly baths.

Now, the building that used to be the Hull House is the University of Illinois. The Hull mansion still stands though, and it has most of the furniture that Jane Addams used. South of the original Hull House is the restored dining hall. It is now used by community and university groups for meetings.

Until she died, Jane Addams served as head resident of the Hull House and became one of the most famous woman in the nation. Today, the Hull House Association operates about 25 community centers in Chicago. The centers provide things like child care, counseling, and housing.