Funded by private donations, the Free Kindergarten Association was established in Salt Lake City in 1894. The aims of this organization were to "provide instruction for underprivileged children; to come into closer touch with parents in poorly regulated homes; to raise standards of living, and to provide, when necessary, food and clothing."
The first kindergarten was opened in the Odd Fellows Hall with one teacher and fifteen to twenty children. However, the school quickly increased in size making a new and larger location a necessity. During the following ten years the Free Kindergarten moved to various locations throughout the city, seeking larger quarters and locations closer to the populace it served. Finally, in 1910, a piece of property was obtained on Seventh West and First South and a new building constructed. The Free Kindergarten Association was reorganized and incorporated in 1911 under the name of the Neighborhood House, a name that better reflected the goals of the organization.
At this point of its existence, the organization sponsored not only a kindergarten, but a day nursery, library, mother's club, children's club, and sewing classes. In addition, the Neighborhood House frequently sponsored lectures and music and literary programs for the entire community. Over the years the organization has continued to expand and the number of people it serves steadily increases. Presently the Neighborhood House is located at 1050 W. Fifth South and is funded by government contracts, private fees, and the United Way. In addition to the programs the organization provided in its early years, the Neighborhood House now offers a well-baby clinic, dental clinic, and classes for senior citizens.
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Gift of Neighborhood House in 1983.
Boxes 10-16 and oversize boxes 17-18 (11 linear feet) were donated in 2001.
Box 10, folder 4 (two annual reports) donated by the Salt Lake City Public Library in 2010.
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Processed by Allesen Peck, Kate Kimball, and Andrew J. Lengyel from 1988-2005. Addenda processed by Kristina Barksdale in 2026.
Forms part of the
The Neighborhood House records were donated to the Marriott Library in 1983. Originally organized in 1894 as a free kindergarten for underprivileged children in the Salt Lake area, the Neighborhood House gradually expanded to offer a variety of services for the entire community. General board meeting minutes make up the greatest portion of the collection spanning the years 1894-1969. Along with the original copies, the collection also contains bound photocopies of the board meeting minutes. These records provide information regarding the philosophies and activities of the Neighborhood House as well as the kinds of issues the organization concerned itself with.
Other material found in the collection include annual reports for the years 1942-1982; a fiftieth-year history of the Neighborhood House and Day Nursery Association written by Lela Horn Richards in 1944; a list of board members that resigned between the years 1942-1976; photocopies of newsclippings removed from yearly scrapbooks; financial statements and allocation requests made to the United Way for continued funding in 1985; role books, guest books, and donation records; and the minutes of the Halleck House Board of Trustees, 1913-1918. The Halleck House was operated in conjunction with the Free Kindergarten as a housekeeping apartment where girls untrained in domestic skills were instructed.
See also the
Halleck House was operated in conjunction with the Free Kindergarten as a housekeeping apartment where girls were trained in domestic skills.
Statistical information on the use of the Neighborhood House facilities, financial reports on receipts and disbursements for the year, and listings of officers and board members
Articles on the organization's activities, changes in directorship, and obituaries of board members.
A history written by Lela Horn Richards in 1944.
Floor plans, miscellaneous invitations, and brief descriptions of the Neighborhood House and its functions.