About Us

Our History

Lawrence Hall’s roots date back to 1865 when Chicago and the nation nursed the wounds of a brutal Civil War. The conflict left thousands of children orphaned and homeless. Many flocked to Chicago seeking work and a place to live. Vulnerable and without skills, they faced disease, crime and exploitation on the streets.

The Rev. Martin Van Arsdale responded to their needs by opening one of the city’s first shelters for homeless boys. Eventually, these shelters became known as Lawrence Hall School for Boys.

In the 1960’s, Judge Mary Bartelme, a pioneer in the juvenile justice system and college of Jane Adams in the settlement movement, opened her home to trouble girls. The Chicago Home for Girls merged with the Mary Bartelme Club, creating “Mary Bartelme Homes and Services.”

In 1988, Lawrence Hall School for Boys and Bartelme Homes & Services merged to create Lawrence Hall Youth Services.

A look back at the 14 decades of Lawrence Hall reveals an astonishingly rich history. To follow it is to see the evolution of child welfare in Chicago – from the early “city missions” and refuges that provided food, shelter and (sometimes) moral or religious instruction, through homes of often close-knit kids who shared life like a family, to the time when more “scientific” or professional approaches to care began to take hold, and then local, state and federal government began to play much larger roles in children’s care.

The constant has been the care of tens of thousands of children and youth who needed help and hope.

Following are some of the highlights of Lawrence Hall’s long, rich history:

View Historic Photos

View highlights of LHYS’s long, rich history