MSS 899 St. Stephans Community House Records

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H I S T O R Y
MSS 899
S t . S t e p h e n ' s Community House
( Columbus, Ohio) Records
1 / 4 c u b i c f o o t
S t a n d a r d i n v e n t o r y
C o l l e c t i o n Synopsis
Provenance: The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y a c q u i r e d the S t . S t e p h e n ' s
Community House ( Columbus, OhiolRecords as a g i f t of S t . S t e p h e n ' s
through the auspices of s t a f f member, J u d i t h S t a t t m i l l e r , i n J u l y
1985. Richard W . Arpi processed the c o l l e c t i o n in August 1986.
P r o p e r t y r i g h t s : The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l Society owns the property
r i g h t s t o t h i s c o l l e c t i o n .
C o p y r i g h t s : S t . S t e p h e n ' s Community House has d e d i c a t e d such copy-r
i g h t s as i t possesses i n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n t o t h e p u b l i c . Considera-t
i o n of a l l o t h e r c o p y r i g h t s i s the r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of the author and
pub1 i s h e r .
Access: This c o l l e c t i o n i s open under t h e r u l e s and r e g u l a t i o n s of
t h e Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y .
C i t a t i o n : Researchers a r e requested t o c i t e c o l l e c t i o n name, col l e c -
t i o n number, and the Ohio H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y i n a l l f o o t n o t e and
b i b l i o g r a p h i c r e f e r e n c e s .
H i s t o r i c a l s k e t c h : S t . S t e p h e n ' s Community House was founded i n 1919
and o r i g i n a l l y served the I t a l i a n and S l a v i c communities of south
Columbus w i t h f a c i l i t i e s a t 379 Barthman Avenue. In 1965, s i n c e the
South Side S e t t l e m e n t House on Reeb Avenue a l s o s e r v e d t h e s o u t h s i d e ,
S t . S t e p h e n ' s decided t o move t o 1790 Cleveland Avenue i n t h e South
Linden neighborhood, an a r e a without s o c i a l s e r v i c e s . This neighbor-hood
bounded by Hudson S t r e e t on the n o r t h , t h e Pennsylvania Railroad
t r a c k s on t h e s o u t h , Sunbury Road on the e a s t , and t h e 1- 71 freeway
on t h e w e s t , c o n t a i n s predominately b l a c k f a m i l i e s and b u s i n e s s e s .
The aim of S t . S t e p h e n ' s t h u s changed from t e a c h i n g the English
language and American customs to immigrants t o providing s e r v i c e s
and programs which s t r e n g t h e n family and community l i f e . Among the
programs of S t . S t e p h e n ' s a r e medical exams and counseling on s i c k l e
c e l l a n e m i a , v e n e r e a l d i s e a s e , and pregnancy; a t u t o r i a l program f o r
c h i l d r e n ; summer work programs; drug c o u n s e l i n g ; a food p a n t r y ; and
r e c r e a t i o n a l and s o c i a l programs f o r youth and a d u l t s . S t . Stephen's
Community House i s funded through the United Appeals of Franklin
County, the United Community Council, C a t h o l i c C h a r i t i e s , and p r i v a t e
d o n a t i o n s .
Source: United Community Council Records, MSS 568, The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l
S o c i e t y .
ONlO NlSTORICAL SOCIETY
1982 Velna Avenue. Coiurnbui. Ohio 43211- 2497 pi,: 614.297.2300 fx: 614.297.2411
vrww. ahiohistory. org