Rivington Street Settlement

The Rivington Street Settlement, which opened in 1889 at number 95 Rivington Street, served as a pioneering sociological laboratory for the Lower East Side. Founded by a group of college-educated women, it was only the second settlement house established in the entire United States. These women moved directly into the tenement district to live among the immigrant families they served, believing that proximity was essential to creating meaningful change. They transformed their residence into a community center, offering everything from public baths for women to a private playground tucked away in their yard.