TheHiram House was the firstsettlement house in Cleveland and one of the first in theUnited States. It was founded in 1896 by George A. Bellamy and students fromHiram College.
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Hiram House was founded by students from Hiram College who had been studying settlement work.[1] In June 1896, the students rented a house near theWhiskey Island area of Cleveland, which was predominantly populated by Irish immigrants at that time.[1] George Bellamy joined the group, which shortly thereafter moved the settlement house to a site on Orange Avenue, in what was then the city's main Jewish neighborhood.[1] Hiram House was incorporated in 1899, and within a year had raised enough funds to construct a new four-story building, which served until 1941.[2][3] Financial support came from the Mather, Prentiss, and Hunt families.[1]
Hiram House initially offered English classes for immigrants to assist in passing the exams for citizenship.[2] With the new building came college preparatory courses, a kindergarten, a summer camp, and various clubs and other recreational activities.[1] Among the teachers at Hiram House in 1900 wasLouise Brigham, who later became known for designing furniture out of packing crates.[4]
The Hiram House Camp, located on a 172-acre (0.70 km2) site in the nearbyChagrin River Valley village ofMoreland Hills, was donated in 1902.[3] The organization has operated a summer camp continuously since 1897.[2]
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