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  2. The Health House, 1917

The Health House, 1917

Dear Mr. Coney Island...
I have some letters from a great aunt written in 1917 when she was working for the summer at Health House, on Surf and W. 23rd street. It seems to have been a place for mothers to send their children. She wrote of a measles quarantine, which was unexpected. Any idea of what this place was? Thanks!
- Susan

Hello Susan,

The facility was the Children's Aid Society. It was located in Coney Island from the 1870s until 1924. There were four other similar organizations. Mothers and their children, mostly from poor neighborhoods, were invited to stay in beachside bungalows or the Surf Avenue hospital to learn about child-rearing, health care, and good hygiene.

Men were not allowed to stay but could visit on weekends. Here is a picture of the facility.

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