November 13, 1999

    At the turn of the century there were "temperance
  halls" in many American cities.  Some of these
  buildings have survived although they may now be
 in use for other purposes (e.g., as community
 centers).

    What I'm curious about is which organization
 established and ran these temperance halls.  Since
 there were many temperance halls, they apparently
were run as part of the program of some organization.
 Was it the WCTU?  Or possibly the Salvation Army?  Or
 maybe some branch of the woman suffrage movement?
 Or were they run by government as a kind of municipal
 shelter?

   Exactly what activities were carried out at the
 temperance halls?  Public education?  Emergency
 shelter?  I've been unable to find any history of
 the temperance halls.

    Specifically, there was a temperance hall at
 403 Greenwich Street in Manhattan, New York City, at
 about 1880.  The building on that site today dates
from about 1920 and so cannot have been the original
 temperance hall building.

   I'd be grateful for any help or references that
anyone can provide about these questions.

Alfred Kohler,

St. Francis College,
Brooklyn,  New York   11201




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