Records of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: MSS 3/019

Scope and Contents

Volume of copies of outgoing correspondence, 1844-1861, of Robert Milham Hartley, first Corresponding Secretary and General Agent of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. Volume documents organization and first years of relief work of Association. Correspondence concerns funding appeals and donations; organizational matters; letters on individual charity cases; and statistical reports of diet, fuel use, employment, and emigration. Extracts of printed reports and newsclippings included. Additional folder of unbound material also included.

Dates

Creation: 1844 - 1861

Creator

Hartley, Robert Milham (Person)
New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor (Organization)

Biographical / Historical

The New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor was formed in 1843 and incorporated in 1848. It was a non-sectarian charitable organization, formed to systematize and distribute charity in New York. Its work was funded solely by voluntary contributions. The Association tried to elevate the moral and physical condition of impoverished people with no other charitable support, inspire them to self-sufficiency, and relieve cases of necessity. The Association divided the city into districts and sections; a "Visitor" was assigned to investigate and report on relief cases in each section. The Association eventually had oversight of a bathhouse, industrial settlement house, labor bureau, and summer retreat house. In 1939, the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor merged with the Charity Organization Society of the City of New York to form the Community Service Society of New York.

Full Extent

.2 Linear feet (1 volume and 1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Subjects

Genre / Form

Topical

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Records of the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: English
Script of description: Latin