Christodora was founded in 1897 as a settlement house on Manhattan's Lower East Side to provide health care, educational and job training programs and other social services to poor immigrant families. Christodora House also served as a home for art and drama clubs. Christodora's Poet's Guild included Robert Frost Vachel Lindsay and Edwin Arlington Robinson and it inspired Ira Gershwin.
The records are arranged in
five series:
Series I - Administration, 1897-1990, 2 linear
feet
Includes administrative correspondence and memos, constitution and by-laws, contribution lists, corporate certificates, funding agency files, Head Worker and Executive Director correspondence, membership lists, newsclippings, promotional materials, program reports, and publications. Folders arranged alphabetically. Documents arranged chronologically.
Series II - Board of Directors, 1897-1991, 2.5 linear feet
Includes annual reports, board member correspondence, and minutes. Folders arranged alphabetically. Documents arranged chronologically.
Series III - Clubs, 1897-1952, 3.5 linear feet
Includes attendance books, constitutions and by-laws, correspondence, dues ledgers, membership lists and minutes. Folders arranged chronologically. Documents arranged chronologically.
Series IV - Photographs, c. 1900-1985, 1.5 linear feet
Black and white and color photographs and negatives. Subjects include settlement staff and program participants, neighborhood scenes, settlement buildings, and camp. Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Series V - Scrapbooks, 1897-1961, 3 linear feet
Chronologically compiled scrapbooks contain administrative forms, annual reports, correspondence and memos, newsclippings, photographs, program flyers and announcements, promotional materials, publications, special event announcements, and tickets. Items fallen loose from some scrapbooks are contained in folders stored with the scrapbooks. Preservation photocopies of some scrapbooks have been made, and should be used by researchers.
This finding aid was prepared by LaGuardia and Wagner Archives of LaGuardia Community College, The City University of New York for Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
SERIES I | |||
--ADMINISTRATION | |||
| 1 | 1 | Anniversaries 1947, 1957 | |
| 2 | Athletics 1906, 1941 | ||
| 3 | Biele Correspondence 1932-35 | ||
| 4 | Budget Proposal 1935 | ||
| 5 | Calendar 1906 | ||
| 6 | Camp Ampersand 1968 | ||
| 7 | Camper Lists 1916, nd | ||
| 8 | Christmas 1917, 1941-58 | ||
| 9 | "The Christodora," 1898, 1912-14, 1927 | ||
| 10 | "The Christodora Hymn," nd | ||
| 11 | "The Christodora News," 1934-35, 1944 | ||
| 12 | "The Christodora Year Book," 1915 | ||
| 13 | City of Christodora House 1916-17 | ||
| 14 | Constitution and By-laws, 1897-1987 | ||
| 15 | Contributions 1911-24 | ||
| 16 | Contributions 1925-30 | ||
| 17 | Contributions 1927-29, 1933-34 | ||
| 2 | 1 | Contributions 1927-36 | |
| 2 | Contributions 1933 | ||
| 3 | Corporate Certificates 1897-1981 | ||
| 4 | Dances 1931-47 | ||
| 5 | Drama and Dance Performances 1906-59, nd | ||
| 6 | Financial Ledger 1897 | ||
| 7 | "Flagship," 1947 | ||
| 8 | Flyers and Announcements 1934-50s, nd | ||
| 9 | Gershwin nd | ||
| 10 | Guest Register 1918-39 | ||
| 11 | Guest Register 1933-38 | ||
| 12 | Health Service 1935-50 | ||
| 3 | 1 | Histories 1926-80s | |
| 2 | Reminiscences 1939 | ||
| 3 | History-Edward Steiner 1940 | ||
| 4 | Harry Hopkins 1930s | ||
| 5 | "Information for Members," 1941-42 | ||
| 6 | James Foundation 1941-49 | ||
| 7 | James Foundation 1950-59 | ||
| 8 | James Foundation 1960-65 | ||
| 9 | MacColl Correspondence 1903-35 | ||
| 10 | MacColl Memorial 1939-40 | ||
| 11 | MacColl Reception 1937 | ||
| 4 | 1 | Manice Education Center 1980s-90s | |
| 2 | Membership 1936-48 | ||
| 3 | Membership-Boys 1920-21 | ||
| 4 | Membership-Boys 1921-22 | ||
| 5 | Membership-Girls 1920-21 | ||
| 6 | Miscellaneous Correspondence 1928-56 | ||
| 7 | Music Program 1906-47 | ||
| 8 | National Federation of Settlements 1940-46 | ||
| 9 | Neighborhood Statistics, 1930 nd | ||
| 10 | Newsclippings, c. 1898-1966 | ||
| 11 | Northover Camp 1908-1972 | ||
| 12 | Northover Camp-Song Books nd | ||
| 5 | 1 | Organization Chart nd | |
| 2 | Other Organizations 1936-59 | ||
| 3 | Press Release 1962 | ||
| 4 | Program and Event Schedules 1945-59, nd | ||
| 5 | Program Reports and Proposals c. 1930-86, nd | ||
| 6 | Promotional Materials 1906-80s | ||
| 7 | Real Estate-147 Avenue B 1928-48, 1984-86 | ||
| 8 | Real Estate-84-86 East First Street 1964-67 | ||
| 9 | Real Estate-Massachusetts 1981-85 | ||
| 10 | Relocation 1947 | ||
| 11 | Residents 1930-47 | ||
| 12 | Staff Manuals 1932-42 | ||
| 13 | Struwing Correspondence 1945, nd | ||
| 14 | Thrift Fund nd | ||
SERIES II | |||
--BOARD OF DIRECTORS | |||
| 6 | 1 | Annual Reports 1902-04 | |
| 2 | Annual Reports 1905-06 | ||
| 3 | Annual Reports 1908-09 | ||
| 4 | Annual Reports 1910-11 | ||
| 5 | Annual Reports 1912, 1915 | ||
| 6 | Annual Reports 1916-17 | ||
| 7 | Annual Reports 1918-19 | ||
| 8 | Annual Reports 1920-22 | ||
| 9 | Annual Reports 1923-26 | ||
| 10 | Annual Reports 1927-34 | ||
| 11 | Annual Reports 1941-42 | ||
| 12 | Annual Reports 1948-49 | ||
| 13 | Annual Reports 1950-56 | ||
| 14 | Annual Reports 1957-63 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Annual Reports 1964-66 | |
| 2 | Annual Reports 1966-68 | ||
| 3 | Annual Reports 1968-70 | ||
| 4 | Annual Reports 1970-72 | ||
| 5 | Annual Reports 1972-74 | ||
| 6 | Annual Reports 1974-76 | ||
| 7 | Annual Reports 1976-78 | ||
| 8 | Annual Reports 1980-81 | ||
| 9 | Annual Reports 1986 | ||
| 10 | Annual Reports 1987 | ||
| 11 | Annual Reports 1988 | ||
| 12 | Members-Elliman 1964-66 | ||
| 13 | Members-James 1909-37 | ||
| 14 | Members-Lincoln 1959-68 | ||
| 15 | Members-Manice 1961-63 | ||
| 16 | Members-Manice, Correspondence 1935-38 | ||
| 8 | 1 | Members-Miscellaneous 1913, 1946-76 | |
| 2 | Minutes 1897-1905 | ||
| 3 | Minutes 1905-11 | ||
| 4 | Minutes 1912-15 | ||
| 5 | Minutes 1916-18 | ||
| 6 | Minutes 1919-20 | ||
| 7 | Minutes 1921-23 | ||
| 8 | Minutes 1924-27 | ||
| 9 | Minutes 1928-30 | ||
| 10 | Minutes 1931-33 | ||
| 11 | Minutes 1934-35 | ||
| 9 | 1 | Minutes 1936 | |
| 2 | Minutes 1937-38 | ||
| 3 | Minutes 1939-40 | ||
| 4 | Minutes 1941-42 | ||
| 5 | Minutes 1943-44 | ||
| 6 | Minutes 1945-46 | ||
| 7 | Minutes 1947 | ||
| 8 | Minutes 1948 | ||
| 9 | Minutes 1949 | ||
| 10 | Minutes 1950 | ||
| 11 | Minutes 1951 | ||
| 12 | Minutes 1952 | ||
| 13 | Minutes 1953 | ||
| 10 | 1 | Minutes 1954 | |
| 2 | Minutes 1955-56 | ||
| 3 | Minutes 1957-58 | ||
| 4 | Minutes 1959-60 | ||
| 5 | Minutes 1961-62 | ||
| 6 | Minutes 1963-64 | ||
| 7 | Minutes 1965 | ||
| 8 | Minutes 1966 | ||
| 9 | Minutes 1967 | ||
| 10 | Minutes 1968 | ||
| 11 | Minutes 1969-70 | ||
| 12 | Minutes 1971-72 | ||
| 13 | Minutes 1973-75 | ||
| 11 | 1 | Minutes 1976-77 | |
| 2 | Minutes 1978-79 | ||
| 3 | Minutes 1980 | ||
| 4 | Minutes 1981 | ||
| 5 | Minutes 1982 | ||
| 6 | Minutes 1983 | ||
| 7 | Minutes 1984 | ||
| 8 | Minutes 1985 | ||
| 9 | Minutes 1986 | ||
| 10 | Minutes 1987-88 | ||
| 11 | Minutes 1989-91 | ||
SERIES III | |||
-- CLUBS | |||
| 12 | 1 | Aimwell 1916 | |
| 2 | Aimwell 1918-20 | ||
| 3 | Aloha 1908-09 | ||
| 4 | Aloha 1909-10 | ||
| 5 | Aloha 1915-16 | ||
| 6 | Alpals 1922-23 | ||
| 7 | Alpals 1922-23 | ||
| 8 | Alpals 1923-24 | ||
| 9 | Bluebird 1916-17 | ||
| 10 | Bluebird 1916-20 | ||
| 13 | 1 | Bluebird 1917-19 | |
| 2 | Boy Scouts 1924-25, 1951-52 | ||
| 3 | Button 1918-21 | ||
| 4 | Button 1918-27 | ||
| 5 | Button 1919-22 | ||
| 6 | Button 1921-24 | ||
| 7 | Carol 1926-27 | ||
| 8 | Clionion 1898-99 | ||
| 9 | Clionion 1898-99 | ||
| 14 | 1 | Clionion 1910-11 | |
| 2 | Club/House Council-Minutes 1919-27 | ||
| 3 | Club/House Council-Minutes 1929-34 | ||
| 4 | Club/House Council-Minutes 1935-36 | ||
| 5 | Debate Notes 1938 | ||
| 6 | Deoc/Amister 1923-26 | ||
| 7 | Girl Scouts 1944-51 | ||
| 8 | Hamilton 1920-21 | ||
| 9 | Happy Heart 1911-19 | ||
| 10 | Happy Heart 1911-16, 1925 | ||
| 15 | 1 | Helping Hand 1917-30 | |
| 2 | Loyalty-Constitution 1897 | ||
| 3 | Loyalty-Correspondence 1898 | ||
| 4 | Loyalty-Correspondence 1899 | ||
| 5 | Loyalty-Correspondence 1900-01 | ||
| 6 | Loyalty-Correspondence 1902-03 | ||
| 7 | Loyalty-Correspondence 1904-14 | ||
| 8 | Loyalty-Correspondence 1915-17 | ||
| 9 | Loyalty-Correspondence 1925-26 | ||
| 10 | Loyalty-Correspondence nd | ||
| 11 | Loyalty-Minutes 1897-98 | ||
| 12 | Loyalty-Minutes 1898-1900 | ||
| 13 | Loyalty-Minutes 1908-11 | ||
| 14 | Loyalty-Minutes 1911-12 | ||
| 15 | Loyalty-Minutes 1913-15 | ||
| 16 | 1 | Loyalty-Minutes 1916-19 | |
| 2 | Loyalty-Minutes 1920-26 | ||
| 3 | Lucy Larcom 1902-07 | ||
| 4 | Miscellaneous 1922-44, nd | ||
| 5 | Mother's-Minutes 1904-06 | ||
| 6 | Mother's-Minutes 1905-08 | ||
| 7 | Mother's-Minutes 1907-10 | ||
| 8 | Mother's-Minutes 1910-15 | ||
| 9 | Mother's-Minutes 1919-22 | ||
| 10 | Mother's-Minutes 1923-24 | ||
| 11 | Mother's-Miscellaneous 1903-15, 1944-52 | ||
| 17 | 1 | Mother's-Roll Books 1903, 1915-24 | |
| 2 | Northover Cadets 1918 | ||
| 3 | Patriotic 1910-12 | ||
| 4 | Poet's Guild 1940-41, nd | ||
| 5 | Sangster 1897-98 | ||
| 6 | Sangster 1899-1902 | ||
| 7 | Sangster 1905-10 | ||
| 8 | Sangster 1913-14 | ||
| 18 | 1 | Sangster 1919-21 | |
| 2 | Service 1917-20 | ||
| 3 | Spartan 1919-21 | ||
| 4 | Spartan 1921, nd | ||
| 5 | Steadfast 1903-04, nd | ||
| 6 | Steadfast 1910-12 | ||
| 7 | Sunshine 1900-05 | ||
| 19 | 1 | Sunshine 1907-09 | |
| 2 | Sunshine 1909-13 | ||
| 3 | Tansh Palofa 1927-28 | ||
| 4 | Waiting 1911 | ||
| 5 | Waverly 1929-33 | ||
| 6 | Work and Win 1907-09, 1912-13 | ||
| 7 | Work and Win 1914-18 | ||
SERIES IV | |||
--PHOTOGRAPHS | |||
| 20 | 1 | Arts and Crafts 1950s-60s | |
| 2 | Athletics c. 1900s-60s | ||
| 3 | Board Members, Residents and Staff c. 1900s-80s | ||
| 4 | Building Exterior c. 1900s-60s | ||
| 5 | Building Interior c.1920s-50s | ||
| 6 | Camp-Building Exterior c. 1910s-60s | ||
| 7 | Camp-Building Interior c. 1930s-50s | ||
| 8 | Camp-Children, c. 1900s-60s | ||
| 9 | Camp-Children-Boys c. 1900s-50s | ||
| 21 | 1 | Camp-Children-Girls c. 1900s-50s | |
| 2 | Camp-Landscapes c. 1910s-50s | ||
| 3 | Camp-Miscellaneous c. 1900s-50s | ||
| 4 | Camp-Pool c. 1940s-60s | ||
| 5 | Children c. 1900s-60s | ||
| 6 | Dramatics c. 1910s-61 | ||
| 22 | 1 | Environmental Education c. 1980s | |
| 2 | Health Care c. 1910s-50s | ||
| 3 | Kiwanis Day Camp 1964 | ||
| 4 | Miscellaneous c. 1910s-50s | ||
| 5 | Mother's Club c. 1920s-40s | ||
| 6 | Music Lessons c. 1910s-50s | ||
| 7 | National Federation of Settlements 1947 | ||
| 8 | Neighborhood Scenes c. 1900s-50s | ||
| 9 | Senior Citizens 1950s-60s | ||
| 10 | Teenagers c. 1910s-50s | ||
| 11 | Wood Shop 1950s | ||
| 12 | Negatives-Camp c. 1900s-60s | ||
| 13 | Negatives-Environmental Education c. 1980s | ||
| 14 | Negatives-Miscellaneous c. 1900s-60s | ||
| 26 | 1 | Oversize Photographs c. 1920-60s | |
SERIES V | |||
--SCRAPBOOKS | |||
| 23 | 1 | 1897-1958 | |
| 2 | 1950s | ||
| 3 | 1960-61 | ||
| 24 | 1 | 1898-1904 | |
| 2 | 1908-20 | ||
| 25 | 1 | 1905-18 | |
| 2 | 1920-24 | ||
| 26 | 1 | Northover Camp 1908-1918 | |
| 27 | 1 | 1927-30 | |
| 28 | 1 | 1931-34 | |
| 29 | 1 | 1936-40 | |
| 30 | 1 | 1940-45 | |
| 31 | 1 | 1945-55 | |