Greenwich House is a

West Village The West Village is a neighborhood in the western section of the larger Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. The traditional boundaries of the West Village are the Hudson River to the west, West 14th Street to th ...

settlement house in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

History

Greenwich House was founded on Thanksgiving Day in 1902 by city planner and social worker Mary K. Simkhovitch in a building at 26 Jones Street in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Its original focus was to help New York's growing immigrant population adapt to life in their new home. Early supporters who joined her on opening day included social reformers

Jacob Riis Jacob August Riis ( ; May 3, 1849 – May 26, 1914) was a Danish-American social reformer, "muckraking" journalist and social documentary photographer. He contributed significantly to the cause of urban reform in America at the turn of the twen ...

, Felix Adler and Carl Shurz. Greenwich Village was a mixed area at the time. Italian immigrants began crowding out the existing Irish population. Many homes along the maze of streets and alleys lacked running water. There was a high infant death rate and poor education. Early programs sought to relieve congestion and improve living conditions, which included founding the Greenwich Village Improvement Society, forerunner to the Greenwich Village Association and first neighborhood association of its kind in the United States, and publishing the Tenant's Rights Manual, the first ever of its kind in the nation. Recognizing a need for recreational and skills training among Village residents, Greenwich House established Greenwich House Music School at 46 Barrow in 1905 followed by the Handicraft School, the precursor to

Greenwich House Pottery Greenwich House Pottery is a non-profit pottery studio located in the West Village of New York City. History Greenwich House Pottery was founded in New York's Greenwich Village in 1909 as a part of the settlement house Greenwich House. Greenwi ...

, in 1909. By 1917 the organization's programs were becoming over crowded in its Jones Street buildings. Thanks to a gift from Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Greenwich House was able to hire architects Delano and Aldrich to design its current federalist building at 27 Barrow Street. The new building, complete with gym, running track, theater and rooftop playground provided Greenwich House the space to establish new programs like a nursery school and children's theater program. Greenwich House soon needed more space. The old Handicraft School building was rebuilt as

in 1928, enabling it to become an international center for ceramics. The

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

purchased two pieces from the Pottery in 1939. In 1942 Greenwich House continued to add more services with the New York City's first after-school program followed closely be a senior center. By the 1980s Greenwich House offered a mix of social service and arts education programs. In the late 1980s Greenwich House played a central role in the AIDS crisis in the West Village neighborhood, one of the city's original gay villages. In 1987 Greenwich House opened the AIDS Mental Health Project followed by the HIV Primary Medical Care Project. Today, the organization continues to host a long term HIV survivors support group. Also in 1987, Greenwich House founded the Children's Safety Project, the only program in the city dedicated to treating young victims of abuse. The Children's Safety Project was founded after a group of concerned neighbors came together after the killing of local Village child, nine year old Lisa Steinberg. Today Greenwich House provides art education, senior service and behavioral health programs including an after-school, summer arts camp, nursery school, senior centers and senior health clinic, substance abuse clinics and a program for children who have suffered from abuse.

Locations and facilities

Greenwich House's main facilities are located in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, including its main building at 27 Barrow Street, Pottery at 16 Jones Street and Music School at 46 Barrow Street. Greenwich House also rents space for programs, primarily senior and behavioral health programs, including at a nearby church, Our Lady of Pompeii; at a former convent located on

Washington Square Park Washington Square Park is a public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. One of the best known of New York City's public parks, it is an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. ...

North. Greenwich House's main building was built between 1916 and 1917, funded by board members including

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (January 9, 1875 – April 18, 1942) was an American sculptor, art patron and collector, and founder in 1931 of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. She was a prominent social figure and hostess, ...

and Anna Woershoffer. The Flemish-bond building was designed in the neo-federal style by architects Delano and Aldrich. The building was considered an example of refined American design, complete with mural by Arthur Crisp, intended to inspire immigrants new to the country. The seven story building contains a professional theater, currently the home of Ars Nova and previously home to

Soho Rep The Soho Repertory Theatre, known as Soho Rep,The official website'now use "Soho", with a lowercase h, as do most articles from th''New York Times''/ref> is an American Off-Broadway theater company based in New York City which is notable for prod ...

and the

Barrow Street Theatre Barrow Street Theatre is the name of both a 199-seat Off-Broadway theatre located in New York City's historic Greenwich House at 27 Barrow Street and a production company of the same name. From 2003 to 2018, the venue was leased to Barrow Street ...

, a gym with running track, commercial kitchen, medical offices and a rooftop playground among other facilities. The building was built with a shaft for an elevator, but no actual elevator, as the new technology was too expensive at the time. Greenwich House Pottery is located at 16 Jones Street. The current building was built in 1928, also designed by Delano and Aldrich. The building is notable for containing the only gas

kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects made from clay int ...

s in Manhattan which are grandfathered despite no longer being allowed in new construction. It is also the home of the Jane Hartsook Gallery. Greenwich House Music School, located at 46 Barrow Street composes two out of a row of six brick row homes. The homes were originally designed in the Italianate style by Smith Woodruff in 1851. The two Music School homes were combined on the interior and now comprise the 100 seat Renee Weiler Concert Hall as well as sound proof practice rooms. Greenwich House's rented space in the basement of Our Lady of Pompeii Catholic Church also received notoriety. In 2015, after more than thirty years in the space, the pastor of the church attempted to kick the senior center out, hoping to lease the space for more money to movie crews wanting to film in the Village. After months of negotiations, including elected officials and

Cardinal Timothy Dolan Timothy Michael Dolan (born February 6, 1950) is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. Dolan served as the president of the United S ...

, weighing in, the church agreed to a new revised lease allowing the center to remain.

Programs

Greenwich House Music School

Founded in 1905, Greenwich House Music School is a true community based arts school located. The School was the result of a growing Italian population with a strong musical tradition at the turn of the 20th century in the Village. Started as a place for immigrant children Greenwich House Music School now provides music, art and dance education for both children and adults. About 40 faculty members provide group and individual instruction for a variety of instruments including piano, strings, guitar, harp, percussion, woodwinds, brass and

Suzuki Violin The Suzuki method is a music curriculum and teaching philosophy dating from the mid-20th century, created by Japanese violinist and pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki (1898–1998). The method aims to create an environment for learning music which para ...

. In addition to music, early childhood classes are offered in music and art. Dance classes are also available at the school. The Renee Weiler Concert Hall on the school's second floor hosts a variety of performances throughout the year. Notable performers who have passed through the concert hall include

Meredith Monk Meredith Jane Monk (born November 20, 1942) is an American composer, performer, director, vocalist, filmmaker, and choreographer. From the 1960s onwards, Monk has created multi-disciplinary works which combine music, theatre, and dance, recordin ...

Hilary Hahn Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is an American violinist. She has performed throughout the world as a soloist with leading orchestras and conductors and as a recitalist. She is an avid supporter of contemporary classical music, and several ...

, John Cage,

David Amram David Werner Amram III (born November 17, 1930) is an American composer, arranger, and conductor of orchestral, chamber, and choral works, many with jazz flavorings.

Tim Berne Tim Berne (born October 16, 1954) is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones. Biography Berne was born in Syracuse, New York, United States. He has said that ...

and

Ruth Laredo Ruth Laredo (November 20, 1937May 25, 2005) was an American Classical music, classical pianist. She became known in the 1970s in particular for her premiere recordings of the 10 sonatas of Alexander Scriabin, Scriabin and the complete solo piano ...

. Notable faculty members include long time Piano Chair, German Diez (1924-2014),

Morton Subotnick Morton Subotnick (born April 14, 1933) is an American composer of electronic music, best known for his 1967 composition '' Silver Apples of the Moon'', the first electronic work commissioned by a record company, Nonesuch. He was one of the foun ...

, sometimes referred to as the grandfather of Electronic Music, and current faculty

Brandee Younger Brandee Younger (born July 1, 1983) is an American harpist. Younger infuses classical, jazz, soul, and funk influences to the harp tradition pioneered by her predecessors and idols Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Younger leads her own ensemble ...

, jazz harpist. Notable alumni include Bobby Lopez, the Tony, Grammy, Emmy and Academy Award-winning composer for the movie ''Frozen'', ''Avenue Q'' and ''Book of Mormon'', as well as Erika Nickrenz of the

Eroica Trio The Eroica Trio is an American piano trio consisting of Erika Nickrenz, piano; Sara Parkins, violin; and Sara Sant'Ambrogio, cello. The trio take their name from Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. They have toured and recorded widely, and released si ...

. Greenwich House Music School was named by CBS New York as one of the best music schools for adults in New York City, and is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education.

Greenwich House Pottery

is a full service clay studio center for ceramics. The Pottery offers classes and workshops for students of all ages. It also host Master Series lectures as well and two residency programs, including Egyptian painter

Ghada Amer Ghada Amer ( ar, غادة عامر, May 22 1963 in Cairo, Egypt) is a contemporary artist, much of her work deals with issues of gender and sexuality. Her most notable body of work involves highly layered embroidered paintings of women's bodies r ...

. Within Greenwich House Pottery is the Jane Hartsook Gallery. 3The gallery was named in honor of Jane Hartsook, former Pottery director.

Greenwich House Youth Community Center and Summer STEAM Camp

Greenwich House YCC and Summer STEAM Camp is located in Greenwich House's main building, 27 Barrow Street. When the

Children's Aid Society Children's Aid, formerly the Children's Aid Society, is a private child welfare nonprofit in New York City founded in 1853 by Charles Loring Brace. With an annual budget of over $100 million, 45 citywide sites, and over 1,200 full-time employees ...

moved away from the West Village in 2011, Greenwich House assumed responsibility for its After-School and Summer Arts Camp programs.

Children's Safety Project

In 1987 six-year-old Village girl Lisa Steinberg was found murdered, the victim of physical abuse, with the prime suspects her adoptive parents. Headlines following the trail and conviction of Lisa's adoptive father and illegal guardian filled the papers for two years straight. A direct response to the community's call to protect its children, Greenwich House launched the Children's Safety Project that same year. CSP helps children heal from their trauma of abuse through supportive therapy and by teaching them the life-skills required to become self-reliant and lead productive lives. While originally intended to serve the immediate neighborhood, CSP has expanded over time to serve hundreds of the most vulnerable individuals a year from across the city with individualized therapy.

Barrow Street Nursery School

Barrow Street Nursery School is a pre-school.

Additional programs

Greenwich House also operates four senior centers, a senior health and consultation center providing mental and physical health treatment, a methadone maintenance clinic, chemical dependency program and all-girls non-competitive basketball league.

Notable people

* Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch, founder, *

, early supporter, *

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, supporter, *

Carola Woerishoffer Carola Woerishoffer (August 1885 — September 11, 1911) was an American labor activist and settlement worker. Early life and education Emma Carola Woerishoffer was born in New York City, the daughter of German-born banker Charles Frederick Woeris ...

, resident (1907-1909) and supporter * Gertrude Payne Whitney, supporter, helped fund 27 Barrow building, *

Guy Pene du Bois Guy or GUY may refer to: Personal names * Guy (given name) * Guy (surname) * That Guy (...), the New Zealand street performer Leigh Hart Places * Guy, Alberta, a Canadian hamlet * Guy, Arkansas, US, a city * Guy, Indiana, US, an uninc ...

, painter, *

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

, received free studio time by sweeping floors at Greenwich House Pottery, *

Leonard Warren Leonard Warren (April 21, 1911 – March 4, 1960) was an American opera singer. A baritone, he was a leading artist for many years with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Especially noted for his portrayals of the leading baritone roles in ...

, singer, *

Julius Rudel Julius Rudel (6 March 1921 – 26 June 2014) was an Austrian-born American opera and orchestra conductor. He was born in Vienna and was a student at the city's Academy of Music. He emigrated to the United States at the age of 17 in 1938 after ...

, conductor, *

Ossip Gabrilowitsch Ossip Salomonovich Gabrilowitsch (Осип Сoломонович Габрилович, ''Osip Solomonovich Gabrilovich''; he used the German transliteration ''Gabrilowitsch'' in the West) (14 September 1936) was a Russian-born American pianist, ...

, pianist, * Henry Cowell, composer, * Edgar Varese, potter, *

Peter Voulkos Peter Voulkos (born Panagiotis Harry Voulkos; 29 January 1924 – 16 February 2002) was an American artist of Greek descent. He is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic sculptures, which crossed the traditional divide between ceramic ...

, potter, *

Marshall Field Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of quality and customer ...

, board president, 1938–1944, * Amelia Earhart, resident, 1927–1929, * Manton B. Metcalf, board president, 1947–1954.

References

External links

Greenwich House Records
at Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University Special Collections {{Authority control Settlement houses in New York City Greenwich Village