League of Catholic Women Building

Infobox_nrhp | name =League of Catholic Women Building
nrhp_type =

---

caption = League of Catholic Women Building
location= Detroit, Michigan
lat_degrees = 42
lat_minutes = 20
lat_seconds = 52
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 83
long_minutes = 3
long_seconds = 41
long_direction = W
locmapin = Michigan
area =
built =1927
architect= Smith, Hinchman & Grylls
architecture= Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Colonial Revival
added = September 22, 1997
governing_body = Private
mpsub=Cass Farm MPS
refnum=97001093cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

The League of Catholic Women Building is located at 100 Parsons Street in Detroit, Michigan. It is also known as Casgrain Hall or the Activities Building.

History

In 1906, a group of women from all over Detroit associated with the Catholic Church organized the Weinman Club as a charitable organization, [http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/historic/districts/lcw_bldg.pdf League of Catholic Women Building] from the city of Detroit] dedicated to providing assistance to immigrants flooding into Detroit. [http://www.detroit1701.org/League%20of%20Catholic%20Women.html League of Catholic Women Building] from Detroit1701.org] In 1911, the club was renamed the Catholic Settlement Association, and in 1915 it was reorganized and again renamed the League of Catholic Women. As immigration was curtailed in the 1920s, the League shifted focus to assisting single young women who were seeking employment in the city.

Building

When this building was constructed, the League spent over $1,000,000, raised by a membership numbering some 12,000 women. The League named the building Casgrain Hall in honor of the League's founder, Anastasia Casgrain. [http://www.hsfsc.org/HSFSC-General/About-Us/MHSHSFSCHhistorical_overview.htm Historical overview] ]

The building originally provided accommodations for 250 women. These women were between the ages of 18 and 30 and earned less than $150 per month. The building also housed the League’s offices, and included a cafeteria, a chapel, library, ballroom, auditorium and a roof top garden.

Later use

Over time, the aims of the League changed, as they opened community centers and neighborhood services. In the 1960s, the League began providing housing to women attending Wayne State University's School of Nursing. In 1972, the League repaired and improed the building. In 1982, the building was converted into 82 apartment units for low-income elderly and/or handicapped with Section 8 rent subsidies.

In 1994, the organization officially changed its name from the League of Catholic Women to Metro Matrix Human Services. The League of Catholic Women continued as a division of Metro Matrix, and the organization continues to operate from the building.

External links

[http://www.matrixhumanservices.org/index.html Matrix Human Services]

References