Phillis Wheatley Association

The Working Girls Home Association, later renamed The Phillis Wheatley Association, was organized by Jane Edna Hunter in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1911. In the first years the Association concentrated its efforts on housing and employment for young African American women. With a budget of $1,500, the Association maintained a boarding home for twenty-two girls. As the demand for housing expanded, by 1917 it was necessary to purchase a larger building to accommodate an increasing number of residents. The building was purchased for $37,000, raised by contributions.

In 1919, aided by the Welfare Federation of Cleveland, the Phillis Wheatley Association purchased an adjoining building for the development of an educational and social center and established the Stephen School of Music.

Residents of the Association lived in a wholesome atmosphere where cafeteria meals were cooked with a southern flare and attractively served at prices within the means of the residents. Cooking classes were established for the purpose of planning and preparing luncheons, dinners, and teas. Those employed who wished to become more skillful and more valuable to their employers and women who wished to improve their homemaking skills were encouraged to attend the training school that was established in 1931. Other programs successfully developed were sewing, dressmaking, sports such as swimming, basketball, baseball and tennis; dramatization, handicraft, discussion groups, and literary programs geared toward the development of friendship and cooperation.

The Phillis Wheatley Association is an example of an African American self-help organization designed to help young women adjust to city life. The intellectual achievements perpetuated and the vocational training offered in this institution aided young women in overcoming countless obstacles to advancement and thus became an important aspect of Cleveland's history.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History for the Phillis Wheatley Association click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History for Jane Edna Hunter

From the guide to the Phillis Wheatley Association Records, 1911-1960, (Western Reserve Historical Society)

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Phillis Wheatley Association

The Working Girls Home Association, later renamed The Phillis Wheatley Association, was organized by Jane Edna Hunter in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1911. In the first years the Association concentrated its efforts on housing and employment for young African American women. With a budget of $1,500, the Association maintained a boarding home for twenty-two girls. As the demand for housing expanded, by 1917 it was necessary to purchase a larger building to accommodate an increasing number of residents. The building was purchased for $37,000, raised by contributions.

In 1919, aided by the Welfare Federation of Cleveland, the Phillis Wheatley Association purchased an adjoining building for the development of an educational and social center and established the Stephen School of Music.

Residents of the Association lived in a wholesome atmosphere where cafeteria meals were cooked with a southern flare and attractively served at prices within the means of the residents. Cooking classes were established for the purpose of planning and preparing luncheons, dinners, and teas. Those employed who wished to become more skillful and more valuable to their employers and women who wished to improve their homemaking skills were encouraged to attend the training school that was established in 1931. Other programs successfully developed were sewing, dressmaking, sports such as swimming, basketball, baseball and tennis; dramatization, handicraft, discussion groups, and literary programs geared toward the development of friendship and cooperation.

The Phillis Wheatley Association is an example of an African American self-help organization designed to help young women adjust to city life. The intellectual achievements perpetuated and the vocational training offered in this institution aided young women in overcoming countless obstacles to advancement and thus became an important aspect of Cleveland's history.

From the guide to the Phillis Wheatley Association Photographs, 1930-1960, (Western Reserve Historical Society)