“A Congenial Environment in Which to Live”: Historical Archaeologies of the Phyllis Wheatley Home for Girls, Chicago

Abstract

Abstract The Phyllis Wheatley Home for Girls on Michigan Avenue was one of several Homes established by the Phyllis Wheatley Club (ca. 1908–1970) to provide safe lodging and employment support for African American women who were escaping the limitations of the South and hoping for opportunities in Chicago. Historical documents, archaeological findings, and architectural analyses have all contributed to our understanding of the types of mitigation resorted to by the Home's residents, administrators, and supporters while negotiating the complex racial landscape of Chicago's South Side.