12 BULLETIN 825, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



300 men and women, representing 235 families, together with its 

 boys' recreation department, and also be a general social center. 



The keynote of the enterprise was struck by the president of the 

 Neighborhood Association at the time the plans were presented to the 

 association, when he said : 



It is not an easy matter to plan out this building enterprise because it has got to 

 represent everyone in the village and be an expression of all the people. We could no 

 doubt get a single individual or a group of individuals to put it up for us, but that is 

 not the sort of thing we are after. When we go into this interesting edifice it will be a 

 success only if we feel that each of us has had a hand in making it and each of us will 

 have a hand in keeping it a thing of life, radiating friendliness and pleasure. 



The completed building, together with the land, represents an out- 

 lay of $32,000. The community nature of the work was continued 

 in the raising of funds and the method of construction, as indicated 

 in the following summary : 



Site of 2 acres donated by five members $3, 200 



Voluntary labor of 110 members 1, 500 



Bequest to the association 2, 000 



Voluntary contributions from 90 per cent of the families in the 

 village. 26, 300 



Total....:. 32,000 



The work was put in charge of a local manager who received only 

 his expenses for the work. Subcommittees were appointed to have 

 charge of excavating, masonry, plans, carpentry work, painting, 

 grounds, purchasing, plumbing, and finance. All work was done by 

 local citizens. 



The building is situated on a rise of ground in a grove of trees 

 and comprises one story and a basement. The auditorium can be 

 made to seat 500 people and was especially designed for motion- 

 picture exhibitions, for dances, and for basket ball. There are also 

 a social room for pool, cards, and other games, which is used for a 

 general informal meeting room, a committee room, two rooms for 

 the caretaker, two coat rooms, five baths, toilets, four bowling 

 alleys, and heater and storage rooms. In the building also is a 

 room for the volunteer fire department and its apparatus, since the 

 department at its own request has been made an adjunct of the 

 association. The building is a library substation, and among the 

 furnishings are a player piano, stoves, kitchen utensils, and billiard 

 tables. 



The house is entirely self-supporting through the earnings of 

 the recreation department, the receipts from motion-picture shows, 

 entertainments, dances, card parties, pool tables, bowling alleys, 

 basket-ball games, and the rental of the auditorium for lectures and 

 concerts. 



An average of 800 people use the building weekly. 



