League of Catholic Women Building
Encyclopedia
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. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1997.
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.
's School of Nursing. In 1972, the League repaired and improved 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.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is also known as Casgrain Hall or the Activities Building. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1997.
History
In 1906, a group of women from all over Detroit associated with the Catholic Church organized the Weinman Club as a charitable organization, dedicated to providing assistance to immigrants flooding into Detroit. 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.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 UniversityWayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
's School of Nursing. In 1972, the League repaired and improved the building. In 1982, the building was converted into 82 apartment units for low-income elderly and/or handicapped with Section 8
Section 8
Section 8 or Section Eight may refer to:*Section 8 , a United States military form of discharge due to mental illness and/or problems*Section 8 , a U.S...
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.