Hull House: The Settlement That Reshaped American Society

In 1889, Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr moved into an 1856 mansion at 800 S Halsted Street in one of Chicago's most crowded immigrant neighborhoods. What they founded there — Hull House — became the most famous social settlement in American history and one of the most influential institutions in shaping modern social policy. By 1907, Hull House had grown into a complex of 13 buildings covering a full city block, serving thousands of immigrants daily with English classes, childcare, job training, medical care, public baths, and a theater. Hull House residents helped create the nation's first juvenile court in 1899 and campaigned for child labor laws and women's suffrage, and Jane Addams was among the founding members of the NAACP. Florence Kelley worked here and went on to write Illinois's landmark factory inspection law. Julia Lathrop, a Hull House resident, became the first woman to head a federal agency. Jane Addams won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. In 1963, the University of Illinois at Chicago demolished most of the Hull House complex to make way for its campus. Only two original buildings survive. They operate today as a museum and research center, still at 800 S Halsted.