Established in 1892, it was originally associated with the settlement movement under the auspices of the College Settlements Association (CSA) to provide educational and social services in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focusing on the mostly immigrant population of the neighborhood it served, and providing a home to the children and young people of the neighborhood.

The St. Mary Street neighborhood was a flourishing center of African-American religious, education and political life in the early 19th century.

By 1892, when the College Settlement moved in, the neighborhood had experienced economic decline along with a remarkable growth of immigrants from Germany, Poland, and Italy.

These groups, along with the existing African-American community, occupied the homes in the square bounded by Lombard and South, Sixth and Seventh Streets.

For some years, a group of earnest workers known as the St. Mary Street Library Committee had done effective work here, and they strongly felt that they could provide services for the community.

Through the influence of the Committee in 1892, the Stuart Memorial Hall, the Starr Garden and other organizations, the College Settlement of Philadelphia was established.

[1] In 1893, a Fellow appointed by the College Settlement Association investigated the food question in the neighborhood and succeeded in getting 25 dietaries as a result of six months' work.

[1] The settlement, in addition to its work among the people in its immediate vicinity, sought to aim activities of a more public and general character.

The question of enlarging the Starr Garden was agitated, the Councilmen of the district approved of the plan brought to their notice by the Settlement committee and other friends of the small parks movement.

Between 1900 and 1904, the headworker had believed that one of the two graveyards in the vicinity of the Christian Street house was intended as the site of a gymnasium and playground, to be owned and managed by the Settlement until the city government was ready to municipalize such undertakings; however, this did not advance.