Rochester Female Charitable Society papers
Creator: Rochester Female Charitable Society
Call Number: D.160
Dates: 1822-1997
Physical Description: 22 boxes, 56 Volumes, 1 package
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Table of Contents:

Biographical/Historical Note
Scope and Content
Subject(s)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Access
Use
Citation
Content List
Series I: Minutes
Series II: Relief
Series III: Articles given out
Series IV: Income and accounts
Series V: Collectors' books
Series VI: Treasurers' records
Series VII: Treasurers' books
Series VIII: History and ephemera
Collection Overview
Title: Rochester Female Charitable Society papers
Creator: Rochester Female Charitable Society
Call Number: D.160
Dates: 1822-1997
Physical Description: 22 boxes, 56 Volumes, 1 package
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Biographical/Historical Note
Rochester Female Charitable Society was founded in February 1822, at the home of Everard Peck. The principal functions of the society were to aid the sick poor and establish a charity school for those too poor to pay city school fees. The organization consisted of a president, vice president, treasurer, board of twelve directresses, and a visiting committee to oversee fifteen districts of the village. Members paid twenty five cents per year to belong to the Society and also contributed provisions, clothing, and bedding which they collected from the community. Visitors distributed the goods and money to the poor of each district. By 1872, seventy three districts had been established, each with a woman visitor.

The chief source of income for the early years was a collection taken at a sermon preached by a different minister each year. The Society also received money from the proceeds of the second Jenny Lind concert in 1851, and from a lecture given in 1855 by P.T. Barnum, as well as many gifts and bequests of cash and property. In 1855, the Society was incorporated, with an additional board of men trustees to oversee the investment of funds.

The Charitable Society School was carried on in a building on a lot given by William Fitzhugh until 1841, when it was superseded by the city school system. The major task of the period 1845 to 1863 was the establishment of the Rochester City Hospital. The City of Rochester designated the old cemetery on Buffalo Street for the hospital, and the school lot was sold to help finance it, but the building was not erected and occupied until 1863. In the meantime, the Society tried to maintain a temporary hospital, or sick house. The Charitable Society, or individual members, was also involved in the organizing of the Rochester Orphan Asylum, the workhouse, the Home for the Friendless, and the Industrial School. In addition, the Society oversaw disaster relief after the flood of 1865 and a major fire in 1868.

By the early twentieth century, the Society was primarily involved with visiting nurse services, and also began distributing pure milk to the needy. By 1922, many functions were being carried out by other agencies. The constitution was amended to conform with the newly formed Community Chest, and the system of visitors was dropped. The Society since that time has supplied needs not met by other agencies.

The collection consists of minutes of the directresses, records of relief distribution, financial records kept by both the treasurer and by male trustees, and printed histories and related ephemera.

Scope and Content
The material is arranged in four series in chronological order within the series. The first series consists of correspondence, manuscript annual reports, and the monthly minutes. The minute books until about 1859 also contain lists of dues collected and visiting districts. The second series consists of records of relief in money and goods given or lent out, and reports by district visitors. The third series consists of financial records, including the treasurers' accounts, the records of income from dues, annual sermons and special events, and the minutes and records of the trustees' investment accounts. The final series contains miscellaneous histories of the society, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks and printed ephemera. The following inventory is arranged by subject. The bound volumes and boxed material on the same subject, therefore, are listed together.

Subject(s):
New York (State)--Rochester
Women in charitable work
Schools
Charities
Floods
Disaster relief
Records (Documents)
Rochester Female Charitable Society
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Rochester Female Charitable Society, May 29, 1981, August 23, 1982, October 12, 1995, and May 2001.Access
The Rochester Female Charitable Society papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.Use
Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.eduCitation
[Item title, item date], Rochester Female Charitable Society papers, D.160, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Administrative Information
Author: Jessica McCane
Publisher: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Address:
Rush Rhees Library
Second Floor, Room 225
Rochester, NY 14627-0055
rarebks@library.rochester.edu
URL:


Content List