Tau Beta Community House - Hamtramck, MI - Michigan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The Tau Beta Community House was founded in the early 1900's at 3056 Hanley St, Hamtramck MI 48212. From the Tau Beta Association history page:
"Tau Beta Association was founded in 1901 by four young high school women: Eloise Jenks, Hildegarde Meigs, Marian Stinchfield and Margaret Snow. Their first full-fledged project was in 1906 and consisted of a diet kitchen under the direction of the Visiting Nurses’ Association. In 1908, they and their associates raised money to provide for the first Tuberculosis Cottage which was the beginning of Herman Kiefer Hospital.

In 1916, Tau Beta established a Community House on Hanley Street in Hamtramck. It provided a day nursery, clinic and first and only library in Hamtramck. The Community House became one of the finest in the country and was studied, copied and praised by many social workers and civic leaders. The music program at the Community House provided the foundation of today’s Center for Creative Studies Institute of Music and Dance.

In 1929, a campsite was purchased in Columbiaville, Michigan and building funds were made available in 1934. Tau Beta maintained, operated and financially supported Tau Beta Camp. Campers included many non-profit groups including schools, youth groups, The Children’s Home of Detroit, and most notably, the Michigan Diabetes Association. From 1960 to 1994, Tau Beta Camp served as a medically staffed, safe environment for children who suffered with diabetes to enjoy the fun of summer camp.

Historical Date: 01/01/1901 Historical Name: Eloise Jenks, Hildegarde Meigs, Marian Stinchfield and Margaret Snow Description: In 1901, four young women between the ages of fifteen and sixteen founded Tau Beta as a social club for girls. Within a few years, the club members became volunteers for the Visiting Nurse Association, delivering meals to shut-ins in Detroit and establishing a tuberculosis clinic. By 1916, Tau Beta had become a service organization and established a settlement house on Hanley Street to serve the influx of Polish immigrants who had come to work at the Dodge Main auto factory. Hamtramck residents visited the first Tau Beta settlement house for legal aid and medical services. The organization moved to a larger building just down the street in 1920. There it provided a daycare center, a playground, laundry services and Hamtramck’s first public library. Tau Beta hired the Detroit architectural firm Smith, Hinchman and Grylls to design this 1928 building. The much larger space allowed for full-time doctors at medical and dental clinics, a gymnasium, an auditorium and a full-sized kitchen. By the 1950s, an increase in Hamtramck social service providers had reduced the need for Tau Beta’s services. In 1958, the women focused their efforts on charity work outside of the community house and sold the building to the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church for use as a school. Various businesses occupied the house until 2017, when Hamtramck Public Schools purchased the property. The front entrance and modern exterior are not original to the 1928 structure, but the interior remains largely unchanged. Parking nearby?: yes D/T ratings: website: [Web Link] Registered Site #: L2311

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