The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-12-03

within and from outside the Immediate
neighborhood. Through friendship
through having good times together
through working for the interests of the
neighborhood, and inspiring each other
with ideals, courage, and civic spirit,
the people who compose the various
clubs, classes, and social gatherings of
the house endeavor to upbuiId and en-
rich the lives of themselves and their
community.
"A social settlement is not a charity,
although friends may contribute to its
support. 1t does not offer aims. but
opportunities. 1t is not a means of pa
tronage or condescensIon. It is not a
mission or a church: it does not seek, by
preaching or other distinctively religious
methods, to convert people to any creed,
although it humbly strives to work out,
in practical ways. the commandment,
Love thy neighbor as myself 1t is a
neighborhood house
"A social settlement is prompted by
the growing social consciousness and So
cial conscience of our day. 1t is con-
cetved IN a spirit of sincere democracy
1t expresses a conviction that the help
er's interests are identical with the in
terests OF those whom he seeks to help;
that the success Of a community or the
success Of an individual Is incomplete
while men, women, and especially little
children, are denied many of the oppor-
tunitiesr inspirations, and interests which
make our lives worth living"
With this Interpretation of the ideal Of
a social settlement, Neighborhood House
has been progressing steadily since its
inception in 1901, when the first public
playground in Washington was installed.
The first clubhouse was at 456 n street
southwest; after a years trial the rooms
next door at 454 were found unsatisfac-
tory and not homelil1e, and then came
a friend in need in the person of the
then Mrs. Albert Clifford Barney, who
purchased and offered as a temporary
gift to the clubs, an old residence at
46S n street, with fifteen rooms and two
smaller houses in the rear. In the
autumn of 1904, with a glorious house
warming and great rejoicing. the bar
ney Neighborhood Club Building" opened
its doors.
Brought Industrial Work.
Since 1906, when Mr.. and Mrs. John
p. S. Neigh assumed charge of the
House and introduced the industrial tea
ture in addition to the social work,
Neighborhood House has made wonderful
development. Its work may be divided
into these distinct features: The kinder
garten, the playground, the Provident
Stamp Savings Bank, a branch of the
Public Library, the girls clubs, includ-
ing the Cooking Club, the Woman's Club,
the Neighborhood Peace Club the basket
class, the cooking class, and the sewing
school, and the multitudinous boys clubs,
including the Young Builders, the True
Americans, the Columbias the metal
class, Little Citizens, Knights of King
Arthur, the Columbia Athletics, the Key
stones, the Tremonts, the Iroquois, the
New Yorks, the Welch Athletics, the
dancing class, the White Eagles, the
carpenter class, and the Mayhowers.
Other features of Neighborhood House
include the babies roof garden, run in
connection with the dispensary; the day
nursery, which is managed by the In
fants' and Children's Dispensary Asso-
citation, and the milk station, supported
and managed by the Washington Diet
Kitchen. Then II ere is the Golden Rule
Club, a social and industrial club for
little girls organized and conducted by