The Florence Crittenton Movement

Note: In addition to the history of the Crittenton Movement, this entry includes a history of the “Mother House” the first facility of the Florence Crittenton Mission, a poem entitled: “The Soliloquy of a Florence Crittenton Girl” and the
Florence Crittenton Homes Association (FCHA) that was established in 1950

Florence Crittenton work is a memorial to the four-year old daughter of Charles Nelson Crittenton; she died in 1882.  Seven months after her death her father was roused from his stupor of grief through interest in the welfare of girls on the lower East Side of New York City.  He was a very practical man and saw very soon the need for shelter for the girls whom he told “Go and sin no more”.

The Florence Night Mission was opened on April 19, 1883 as a combination mission where daily and nightly services were held and a shelter for girls.  The work continued as a combination of evangelism which included midnight street-corner meetings and the care of the girls in the shelter.  In 1889 Mr. Crittenton went abroad for a year’s rest and on his return he spent several years in the West, preaching and helping  “rescue homes” with their problems.  New homes were organized with his name.  Because so many imitators used to name “Florence Mission”, it was changed to Florence Crittenton.

In 1893 Mr. Crittenton caught the interest of Dr.  Kate Waller Barrett of Atlanta, Georgia, who had been doing rescue work for several years and had opened a home there.  Together they worked out the plan of organization for the National Florence Crittenton Mission, which was to federate the scattered homes and encourage and help with the establishing of home across the country.

Because the Barrett family moved to Washington, the National Florence Crittenton Mission was organized and chartered there in 1895.  The need for a character which was more inclusive than that given by District of Columbia was felt and in 1898 the Mission was characterized by special act of the United States Government; this was amended n 1903 to give the National certain more-inclusive trusteeship of the Homes.

Mr. Crittenton was president of the National Florence Crittenton Mission until his death in 1909; Dr.  Kate Waller Barrett succeeded him and acted as both president and General Superintendent

Dr. Barrett’s son, Dr. Robert South Barrett, succeeded his mother in 1925; her daughter, Reba Barrett Smith, took over the work of the General Superintendent.  The two traveled a great deal around the country, counseling and advising on matters from Board and management to finances and building projects.  They felt the need for an additional person, and a traveling “Extension Director” was added to the staff.

Greater participation from the Homes was wanted and there was representation on the National Mission Board; the Central Extension Committee was organized in 1925 with membership drawn from the different Homes on a geographical selection.  The Committee’s responsibility was to employ and direct the work of the Extension Director.  With the Homes represented on the National Board and the Extension Committee, plans were begun to carry out National’s plan to turn over to representation of the Homes (and therefore to the Homes themselves) the responsibilities of the National Florence Crittenton Mission, except finances.

In 1950 the Florence Crittenton Homes Association was chartered.  It has taken over all of the National Florence Crittenton Mission’s work except that of finance.  Representation on the Association’s Board is drawn geographically from the Boards and staff of the Homes.  The function of the Association is to help the Homes develop high program standards, consolidation of program and service information to be used as a norm against which to measure; exchange of information and experiences; to give field advisory service to the individual homes; to give interpretation to the public.

History of the “Mother Mission:” The First Florence Crittenton Facility

The history of the New York Home is of the particular interest and significance because with it began the Florence Crittenton movement and also because it is a striking example of how the work changed to meet the needs of the community and the times.  The New York home was known from 1883 as “Florence Night Mission”, “Florence Crittenton League” and “Barret House.”

The work started in 1883, helping poor and misguided women in the days of large immigration to this country and predated that of the Salvation Army and Red Cross.  As a Mission on Bleeker Street women were recruited from the local pubs and rooming houses, and were given spiritual guidance, clothing, shelter, food, jobs, and new hope.  This idea spread rapidly and other agencies here and in other cities took up the work with sick and underprivileged girls, many of them unmarried mothers who required special care.

The period of transition in the years following Mr.  Crittenton’s death in 1909 held many difficulties and crises.  In the summer of 1912 it was determined to reorganized the work thoroughly and put it on a solid basis, financially and otherwise, Mrs.  Barrett was struck with the work being done in Boston by Mr. Clarence R.  Preston.  The board of the Boston Home was persuaded to allow him to go to New York, early in 1913, on a part-time basis.  With the title of General Secretary of the New York Home he spent the next 18 months in alternating between two cities, giving each two weeks at a time.  By 1914 the plans were moving along rapidly for a campaign for $150,000 when the War broke out and ended the project.

In 1914 the problem of segregating first offenders and runaways form hardened criminals was brought to the attention of the Board.  It became clear that there was a great need for custodial home for these girls, 18-21 years of age, while they awaited court disposition.

On July 6, 1914 a new charter was obtained from the State of New York, the name was changed to Florence Crittenton League, Inc., a new Board and a new set of officers were selected.  The incorporators were: Kate Waller Barrett, Clarence R.  Preston, Thomas M.  Debevoise, Franklin B.  Waterman and Aldia B.  Hazard.  A Home was set up and for many years Florence Crittenton League cared for girls on a temporary basis as they waited disposition of their cases in court.  The Home was pleasant and helpful but the numbers were large – 18,000 in 30 years – and not much was being done on an individual basis to try to find the roots of the girl’s problem and put her rehabilitation on a firm basis.

In 1949 a study made by the Welfare Council of New York indicated that the greatest need in the Youth Group in New York was for residences where girls could have their individual needs studied, where each according to her own capacities could be helped to take her place in the community.  By that year other agencies had taken up custodial care for the Courts and so once more as pioneers Florence Crittenton Board set out to show a new way to help girls.

“Barrett House” named in honor of Dr.  Robert South Barrett, past-president of National Florence Crittenton Mission, was a well-equipped residence, designed for girls who had personal problems and in need to save them from the serious consequences of intolerable home situations.  It was inter-faith, open to all races and creeds.  The girls stayed in residence as long as they needed help—weeks, months, and longer.  The follow-up program continued to give them counseling after they have left the Home.  “Barrett House” was a positive factor in the prevention of delinquency.  The brochure, from which part of this material were taken comments: “Programs of prevention are not popular because they are not dramatic.”