The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-04-13
From the Old and New for April
Co Operative Building.

From the Old and New for April
Cooperative Building.
A cooperative building company was
organized year ago in Boston, with the
purpose of improving the homes of work
ingmen and women, by buil6i ing more con-
venient tenement houses in the city, and
by arrangements for building in the sub
urbs. A capital Of S159, ,375 has been sub
scribed. and the charter permits a capital of
600, 900.
The following is the report Of the direc-
tors Of their work in seven months. To
understand the allusiOn to the Crystal Pal
ace, the reader should know that the place
thus nick named has been for many years
the worst tenement house in Boston, and
has rivalled in deed the worst atrocities in
that line yet attempted elsewhere. The CO
operative company boldly determined to
hire these well-knOwn premises, and attempt
a reformation there. Their success may be
learned from the report.
The receipts from the rental Of the Crys-
tai Palace have already exceeded the ex-
penditure.
REPORT or THE DIRECTORS.
The Boston Cooperative Building Com
pany was chartered in May, 1871, with a
capital of two hundred thousand dollars,
in eight thousand shares. Four thousand
nine hundred and fifty-two shares were i'm
mediately taken by private subscription,
and on June 10, the stockholders held their
first meeting.
/ The directors held their first meeting on
June IL. and voted to take action at once
/ in reference to sites and plans for building;
appointing a committee to confer with the
city committee on public lands, and to seek
I by other means also a suitable piece of land
for building On July IA, it was voted to
purchase a lot upon East Canton street,
containing about thirty eight thousand
square feet, at cost Of one dollar foot.
7 The question of what kind of houses
should lie built had been thoroughly dis
cussed and it had been determined with
entire unanimlty that we would not build
/ tenement houses, in the belief that that
method Of living is not suited 10 de-
velop the home feeling, which il is 50 de-
sirable to cultivate Instead of adding 10
the already too large number of such
\ houses, We decided that the little we could
\ do would be more proftably done by build
.
OF apartments. isolated 81 far as may be
possible under a common roof.
The land then being our own. a commit
\ tee of three was appointed, with authority
/ 10 built few experimental apartment
houses subsequently the committee was
enlarged. and in September pile-driving
began Eight small houses in block are
now in process of erection. The general
plan is, that each floor should be 50 arranged
as to accommodate one family only and
thus, though the entrance and stairway will
be in common. there being only one set of
occupants on each floor, a tolersble degree
Of privacy will be secured Each apart
ment will be furnished with water and gas
and will he thoroughly airy and comfort
able.
There being, however, great need Of
dwellings for single persons, or for families
Of two members only, IT has been arranged
that some floors shall be subdivided Civ
ing the front to one person or family, the
back to another Fortunately the rear Of
the block will be as desirable as the front /;
for the directors have reserved vacant
space behind the houses fifty y-seven feet
deep by one hundred and twenty feet long
While discussion and action had been
going on in reference to new houses, other
plans for action had been discussed; for the
directors were far from believing that their
work would be accomplished by that meth
cd alone. It seemed that they might do
even more good by buying or hiring some
'1tenement-houses' already occupied, and
remodelling it, so that it might be a fit
habitation for human beings, and might
also show to our citizens that poor people
can be lodged in a thoroughly decent man
ner at moderate rent, and yet that this
property may yield an ample return to the
owner.
On July 7th, a committee was appointed
to see what could be done in that direc-
ton. Committee made a final report on
August oath, and recommended that the
building known as the Crystal Palace" be
hired for FIVE years from September 1st at
A rental Of 81, 800 and taxes The direc-
tors approved the recommendation, and
gave the committee authority to undertake
the work.
The whole character Of the house must
be changed and to do it has required time
and degree Of patience and hard work
that, perhaps, would hardly be believed.
All occupants were removed from the eel
lar, which was thoroughly cleaned and the
rumshop, which had been there from the
time the house was built, was closed. In
its place Holly-Tre coffee-room will soon
be opened, and the remainder of the cellar
will be used for storage and similar Pur-
poses.
Before we took charge Of the building,
arrests for bad conduct were Of almost daily
occurrence It is most gratifying to receive
from the captain Of police for that ward
the following statement I'm relation II
: the Crystal Palace for the last three months
can say that it has improved in order fifty
Der cent l do not remember of more thar
: two persons taken from the building fol
any crime these were for drunkenness
For the last two months have not had am
complaint of any kind from there" II i
J most satisfactory to learn by the dispensar1
physician, there has only been One-third o
the illness there in the last three month
; az compared with the corresponding thre'
months in other years.
ANNIE DAILY, q miss Of fifteen years, lef
, her fathers house in GrOton, last Frida,
: Afternoon and went In New Iondon to ae