Area 14, New York City and Hilltop
In May 1933, while the North Carolina community was being established, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) included in its program the establishment of the Federal Emergency Nursery Schools Program (the federal government supplied money for salaries of teachers, nurses, parent workers, dieticians, and doctors). This was done primarily as a way of providing state assistance for the unemployed and their families. In reality this was a subtle retooling of the "Emergency Relief Administration" set up by Hoover in 1932 by the new Roosevelt Administration, which established the FERA as part of the Federal Emergency Relief Act becoming the first relief operation under the New Deal. It was headed by Harry L. Hopkins, a New York social worker, who was one of Franklin D. Roosevelt's most influential advisers.
A few years prior to this, a small group of Columbia University faculty members, sensitive to the culture of the surrounding urban area, felt that the university should bear some responsibility to the societal needs of the community. In the minds of this group the area (also called Area No.14, the Health Department’s designation of the area) between 110th Street southwards to 135th Street to the north and from the Hudson River on the west to Morningside Avenue could possible serve as a laboratory in which the problems of community development could be addressed by its more educated residents. At the request of this group, in 1932, Columbia University President Butler appointed a committee of interested faculty members and representatives of area businesses and institutions calling it the “Neighborhood Association of Morningside and Manhattanville.” As a group, the committee met but accomplished little other than concerned rhetoric, inactivity and the planning future of meetings, but certain individuals with vision rose to the opportunity afforded by the FERA.
Professor Patty S. Hill (1868–1946), was quick to take advantage of the program offered for the area surrounding the university. In October 1933, the trustees of the Jewish Theological Seminary gave use of their old building at 535 W. 123rd Street, under the supervision of Dr. Patty S. Hill of Teachers College, for a new Federal Emergency Nursery School. With money contributed by The New York Foundation and refurbished furniture from the Salvation Army the Hilltop Nursery School was established. It was often called just “Hilltop”, but to the surrounding neighborhood, it was nothing short than a gift from above. It offered a place for young children to be cared for as parents looked for work. It is interesting to note that not only was Hill a renowned educator and pioneer in the Kindergarten movement but along with her sister, Mildred, in 1893, as schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky they wrote a catchy little melody and verse intended as a kindergarten classroom greeting song entitled Good Morning to All. The tune later became Happy Birthday to You, the most popular song in the English language.
A few years prior to this, a small group of Columbia University faculty members, sensitive to the culture of the surrounding urban area, felt that the university should bear some responsibility to the societal needs of the community. In the minds of this group the area (also called Area No.14, the Health Department’s designation of the area) between 110th Street southwards to 135th Street to the north and from the Hudson River on the west to Morningside Avenue could possible serve as a laboratory in which the problems of community development could be addressed by its more educated residents. At the request of this group, in 1932, Columbia University President Butler appointed a committee of interested faculty members and representatives of area businesses and institutions calling it the “Neighborhood Association of Morningside and Manhattanville.” As a group, the committee met but accomplished little other than concerned rhetoric, inactivity and the planning future of meetings, but certain individuals with vision rose to the opportunity afforded by the FERA.
Professor Patty S. Hill (1868–1946), was quick to take advantage of the program offered for the area surrounding the university. In October 1933, the trustees of the Jewish Theological Seminary gave use of their old building at 535 W. 123rd Street, under the supervision of Dr. Patty S. Hill of Teachers College, for a new Federal Emergency Nursery School. With money contributed by The New York Foundation and refurbished furniture from the Salvation Army the Hilltop Nursery School was established. It was often called just “Hilltop”, but to the surrounding neighborhood, it was nothing short than a gift from above. It offered a place for young children to be cared for as parents looked for work. It is interesting to note that not only was Hill a renowned educator and pioneer in the Kindergarten movement but along with her sister, Mildred, in 1893, as schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky they wrote a catchy little melody and verse intended as a kindergarten classroom greeting song entitled Good Morning to All. The tune later became Happy Birthday to You, the most popular song in the English language.
535 West 123rd Street. Jewish Theological Seminary, synagogue interior.
Fifty parents were at the door on opening day with babes in tow asking for admission. Before the end of the week, more than one hundred toddlers had been enrolled. By early 1936, it was written that:
One hundred and eighty families, colored and white, Catholic and Protestant, Jew and Gentile, literate and illiterate, bring their children
to the school and receive instruction in the care of their families.
All races, creeds and classes have learned to pull together with
remarkable goodwill and interracial tolerance, growing daily not
only in their ability to live and let live but to respect each others
differences of beliefs, customs and traditions, whether religious, racial, or political.
With funding assured (at least until December 1935), Hill held a long view which brought all the assets of the university (education, the arts, and sciences) to Hilltop seeking to improve the neighborhood through a coordinated effort. This would turn Area No.14 into a community laboratory in general with Hilltop as the foci for training teachers in their responsibilities as community leaders and agents for social change. This of course is something that New College was all about.
Professor Hill knew the faculty of New College very well and when made aware that Professor Alexander was looking for a building to serve as the center of an urban community development for New College students she realized that they were working toward the same goal. Dr. Hill immediately sought out her friend, Dr. Agnes Snyder, who was on the faculty of New College and began planning for the expansion of Hilltop with participating New College student teachers resulting in literally a win-win situation for all. Alexander and New College had a real-life experiential training community in a racially diverse urban area that was government funded and Professor Hill had the warm, socially-conscious, enthusiastic bodies to fill the classrooms and teach the children and adults of the community.
In the summer of 1935, five New College and one Teachers College students began recreational activities with 43 community children daily from three in the afternoon until five, in drama, piano, art and science. This first step showed New College the potential that Hilltop had as an ideal teacher-training situation and as any good idea should, it began to snowball. By fall, with the opportunity for socially constructive activities at hand, one of the Education Seminars embarked on conducting a thorough survey of the neighborhood. Thirty additional New College students (more than 10% of the student body) were conducting afternoon activities with the school-age children. By January of 1936, the Department of Health Education of Teachers College had completed physical examinations of all the children.
From the beginning, Professor Hill knew the huge influence parents played in raising their young and because of that, parental guidance classes and discussions were regularly scheduled. Comprehensive social help (housing, employment placement, medical and parenting) was available to the parents of the Hilltop children, again regardless of race, creed or color. On February 4, 1936, Hilltop began an evening high school for parents who wished to complete their high school education or in the case of many foreign born parents, they came eager to improve their English. In a May 1936 report to the Advisory Board Dr. Snyder outlined the major objectives of the project as:
One hundred and eighty families, colored and white, Catholic and Protestant, Jew and Gentile, literate and illiterate, bring their children
to the school and receive instruction in the care of their families.
All races, creeds and classes have learned to pull together with
remarkable goodwill and interracial tolerance, growing daily not
only in their ability to live and let live but to respect each others
differences of beliefs, customs and traditions, whether religious, racial, or political.
With funding assured (at least until December 1935), Hill held a long view which brought all the assets of the university (education, the arts, and sciences) to Hilltop seeking to improve the neighborhood through a coordinated effort. This would turn Area No.14 into a community laboratory in general with Hilltop as the foci for training teachers in their responsibilities as community leaders and agents for social change. This of course is something that New College was all about.
Professor Hill knew the faculty of New College very well and when made aware that Professor Alexander was looking for a building to serve as the center of an urban community development for New College students she realized that they were working toward the same goal. Dr. Hill immediately sought out her friend, Dr. Agnes Snyder, who was on the faculty of New College and began planning for the expansion of Hilltop with participating New College student teachers resulting in literally a win-win situation for all. Alexander and New College had a real-life experiential training community in a racially diverse urban area that was government funded and Professor Hill had the warm, socially-conscious, enthusiastic bodies to fill the classrooms and teach the children and adults of the community.
In the summer of 1935, five New College and one Teachers College students began recreational activities with 43 community children daily from three in the afternoon until five, in drama, piano, art and science. This first step showed New College the potential that Hilltop had as an ideal teacher-training situation and as any good idea should, it began to snowball. By fall, with the opportunity for socially constructive activities at hand, one of the Education Seminars embarked on conducting a thorough survey of the neighborhood. Thirty additional New College students (more than 10% of the student body) were conducting afternoon activities with the school-age children. By January of 1936, the Department of Health Education of Teachers College had completed physical examinations of all the children.
From the beginning, Professor Hill knew the huge influence parents played in raising their young and because of that, parental guidance classes and discussions were regularly scheduled. Comprehensive social help (housing, employment placement, medical and parenting) was available to the parents of the Hilltop children, again regardless of race, creed or color. On February 4, 1936, Hilltop began an evening high school for parents who wished to complete their high school education or in the case of many foreign born parents, they came eager to improve their English. In a May 1936 report to the Advisory Board Dr. Snyder outlined the major objectives of the project as:
- The expansion of the present activities at Hilltop into a full-time neighborhood school.
- A research program concerned with the place of the school in urban community development.
- The development of such leadership within the neighborhood as will lead to improved conditions of living; employment, housing, conservation of talent, health, recreational facilities, etc.
- The preparation of teachers from among the student bodies of Teachers College and New College who will do similar work in other parts of the country.
The report stated that from the original 43 children who had enrolled in August of 1935, the numbers had increased to 292 within less than a year. While Hilltop was to be a training place for Teachers College and New College students, it was clear from the start that because of Dr. Snyder’s involvement, New College supplied a far greater number to become staff members, 67 students to Teachers College’s 13. The comprehensive survey, entitled Area No. 14, A Study of an Urban Area, was completed by sixty-five New College Education Seminar students and released as an in-school report on September 9, 1936 under the guidance of Dr. Snyder. The genesis of the survey was the pragmatic viewpoint that before one could satisfactorily effect fundamental social or economic change in a community one had to understand the socio-economic and political dynamics of that community. Understanding the controlling hegemonic bloc was essential if real and lasting change was to occur. The report was not only a compilation and analysis of statistical information but it included personal interviews of the residents, highlighting the Persistent Problems of Living they encountered in that crowded New York neighborhood. This combined qualitative and quantitative overview gave a glimpse into the multicultural urban community experience as experienced by the New College students.
In 1934, the population of Area No. 14 was 16,504 of which approximately 7-8% was African-American. Although the overall population of the area had decreased, the percentage of “Negro” and “Foreign-born white” families had increased. The report notes this subtle change when in its description of social life describes how churches, in general, made no distinction as to race, and African-American children were admitted freely to activities in which the population was predominately white. However, when African-Americans moved into a congregation in larger numbers, the white groups tended to move away. This was a condition reported in several churches in the eastern part of the Area No. 14.
In the section of the report describing the family, under miscellaneous facts it states:
While we have no figures to support the statement, it is said by those who know the area that there are
comparatively few divorces. Separations occur more frequently particularly among the Negro groups.
There are few foster children in the families. In the eastern part of the area, there is a growing tendency
toward intermarriage between whites and Negroes, the woman usually being white. Negro families
are usually composed of various relatives, children of cousins, neighbors and friends as well as outsiders.
We are not sure as to why the necessity arose to include this information and not mention any marriage or coupling trends among foreign-born whites but it does show that there was a consciousness of race when gathering the information for this report. Why these observations were made by New College students in the eastern part of Area No. 14 should come as no surprise to anyone as it was adjacent to Harlem, center of the New Negro Renaissance. Here was the heart of African-American cultural and intellectual life, and the light which attracted thousands of African-American seeking to escape the overt racism of the South.
By February 1937, it was apparent that the funds needed to keep Hilltop functioning were not coming. It cost too much to repair the seminary for use as a learning institution, despite Dr. Snyder’s efforts. The school, with the nursery school as the nucleus, was reorganized as a cooperative enterprise by the parents. The new school was located at 1125 Amsterdam Avenue. The parents came together under the guidance of New College, and as a cooperative group divorced itself from New College and Teachers College sponsorship. The parents of students in the afternoon classes as well as those who attended the evening adult school also formed a cooperative. On February 14, 1937, at a meeting of the parents of the nursery group, the name ‘Hilltop” was formally dropped, to be replaced by the “Community Cooperative Educational Association” (CCEA). The New College Outlook reported on February 18th, that any New College faculty member or student who continued to assist the school was to become a member of the association. He was expected to, “play his part, then, according to his ability, just as the painters, plumbers, lawyers, etc., among the parents contribute their respective skills” (p. 3). On April 20th, 1937, the constitution and by-laws of the Kindergarten Parents’ Group of the CCEA was adopted.
The urban community also was acquired by being at the right place at the right time, or rather, Dr. Agnes Snyder, being there. What started as a few students working in an after school program evolved into a comprehensive study of a New York urban area and a solid educational system from pre-kindergarten to adult education involving dozens of New College students. This could not have worked out better if Alexander had planned it from the start, but again, for all the benefit of instructional experience for his students, what was the financial cost? What cannot be appraised is the difference in the quality of the lives of the children in the mountains of North Carolina, in the red clay fields of Georgia, or on the harsh streets of Manhattanville that were taught by the students of New College.
In 1934, the population of Area No. 14 was 16,504 of which approximately 7-8% was African-American. Although the overall population of the area had decreased, the percentage of “Negro” and “Foreign-born white” families had increased. The report notes this subtle change when in its description of social life describes how churches, in general, made no distinction as to race, and African-American children were admitted freely to activities in which the population was predominately white. However, when African-Americans moved into a congregation in larger numbers, the white groups tended to move away. This was a condition reported in several churches in the eastern part of the Area No. 14.
In the section of the report describing the family, under miscellaneous facts it states:
While we have no figures to support the statement, it is said by those who know the area that there are
comparatively few divorces. Separations occur more frequently particularly among the Negro groups.
There are few foster children in the families. In the eastern part of the area, there is a growing tendency
toward intermarriage between whites and Negroes, the woman usually being white. Negro families
are usually composed of various relatives, children of cousins, neighbors and friends as well as outsiders.
We are not sure as to why the necessity arose to include this information and not mention any marriage or coupling trends among foreign-born whites but it does show that there was a consciousness of race when gathering the information for this report. Why these observations were made by New College students in the eastern part of Area No. 14 should come as no surprise to anyone as it was adjacent to Harlem, center of the New Negro Renaissance. Here was the heart of African-American cultural and intellectual life, and the light which attracted thousands of African-American seeking to escape the overt racism of the South.
By February 1937, it was apparent that the funds needed to keep Hilltop functioning were not coming. It cost too much to repair the seminary for use as a learning institution, despite Dr. Snyder’s efforts. The school, with the nursery school as the nucleus, was reorganized as a cooperative enterprise by the parents. The new school was located at 1125 Amsterdam Avenue. The parents came together under the guidance of New College, and as a cooperative group divorced itself from New College and Teachers College sponsorship. The parents of students in the afternoon classes as well as those who attended the evening adult school also formed a cooperative. On February 14, 1937, at a meeting of the parents of the nursery group, the name ‘Hilltop” was formally dropped, to be replaced by the “Community Cooperative Educational Association” (CCEA). The New College Outlook reported on February 18th, that any New College faculty member or student who continued to assist the school was to become a member of the association. He was expected to, “play his part, then, according to his ability, just as the painters, plumbers, lawyers, etc., among the parents contribute their respective skills” (p. 3). On April 20th, 1937, the constitution and by-laws of the Kindergarten Parents’ Group of the CCEA was adopted.
The urban community also was acquired by being at the right place at the right time, or rather, Dr. Agnes Snyder, being there. What started as a few students working in an after school program evolved into a comprehensive study of a New York urban area and a solid educational system from pre-kindergarten to adult education involving dozens of New College students. This could not have worked out better if Alexander had planned it from the start, but again, for all the benefit of instructional experience for his students, what was the financial cost? What cannot be appraised is the difference in the quality of the lives of the children in the mountains of North Carolina, in the red clay fields of Georgia, or on the harsh streets of Manhattanville that were taught by the students of New College.
