Guide to the Alma Matthews House Board Minutes
Prepared by Robert Drew Simpson, Assistant Archivist and Mark C. Shenise, Associate Archivist
United Methodist Archives and History Center
General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church
12/4/2000
(Published for the Drew University Methodist Library)
Overview of Series
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| Record Creator: |
Alma Matthews House (New York, N. Y.) |
| Title: |
Alma Matthews House Board Minutes |
| Date Span: |
1961 - 1984 |
| Abstract: |
The Alma Mathews House opened its doors January 11, 1889 as the Immigrant Girls Home. An early project of the Women's Home Missionary Society of The Methodist Episcopal Church, the House first was located on State Street facing Battery Park, near old Castle Garden, the receiving station for immigrants in the pre-Ellis Island days. |
| Extent: |
0.36 Cubic feet |
| Resource ID:
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drew.in.2437 |
History Note
The Alma Mathews House opened its doors January 11, 1889 as the Immigrant Girls Home.
An early project of the Women's Home Missionary Society of The Methodist Episcopal Church, the House first was located on State Street facing Battery Park, near old Castle Garden, the receiving station for immigrants in the pre- Ellis Island days. Alma Mathews, the person for whom this House is named, was a Methodist missionary working with immigrant girls who arrived by the hundreds in New York City each day. Many had no one to meet them, no knowledge of English and little or no money.
Mathews met the ships and took the girls to the Home. They were fed, house and then assisted with the next leg of their journey, which might have been a trip to the train station, teaching them basic English, or basic job skills training. More than 3,000 were sheltered in the first year of operation. The Home had several locations, finally locating in Greenwich Village. Mathews was director of the House until her retirement in 1928. Mathews died in 1933.
As immigration abated, the next sphere of service for the House was in providing temporary housing for young women coming to New York City from other parts of the United States to pursue careers in business, education and the arts.
Today the Alma Mathews House is a retreat center related to the Women's Division of the Board of Global Ministries. Its purpose remains as in the beginning: a "home away from home."
Scope Note
The Alma Mathews House collection consists of the Board Minutes, Annual Reports, and Brochures
Arrangement
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
The collection was kept in the original order that it was received.
Access Restrictions
Copyright stilled owned by Drew. Permissions to publish must be directed to Drew
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Subject Terms |
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Subject Topics |
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Church work with women. |
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Subject Geographic |
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United States. |
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Genre |
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Minutes. |
| Call Number |
Folder Title |
Date(s) |
| 2127-4-4:
1 |
Minutes |
1961-1964 |
| 2127-4-4:
2 |
Minutes |
1964-1966 |
| 2127-4-4:
3 |
Minutes |
1966-1969 |
| 2127-4-4:
4 |
Minutes |
1969-1970 |
| 2127-4-4:
5 |
Minutes |
1970-1971 |
| 2127-4-4:
6 |
Minutes |
1971-1972 |
| 2127-4-4:
7 |
Brochures |
1984 |
