FIVE POINTS, New York, a locality be tween Centre and Worth streets and Park street. At one time it was noted as a resort for crim inals and °hard cases." Under the auspices of the Ladies' Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the late Rev. L. M. Pease and Mrs. Pease began reform work at Five Points in 1850. The church of the As cension for a few years contributed funds to establish an industrial school which, in 1854, was incorporated and became a separate insti tution. The mission secured by purchase and by building an excellent home, which they oc cupied until 1909 when the institution was moved to the country. A city reception house is still maintained at 454 West 23d street, New York.
In 1911. Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Osborn presented a 286-acre farm at Pomona, Rockland County, N. Y., on which the institution is now located in form of a farm colony. Since its founda tion it has been instrumental in the reclamation of thousands of destitute, especially of chil dren, on whom, during most of its existence, the work has been centred. Many years previous to
its removal the institution was an important in changing the entire neighborhood greatly for the better. The most important step in this direction was the creation of a park and playground, on immediately adjoining ter ritory. In more recent years the entire borhood has practically lost its identity by the purchase and destruction of most of its build ings on the part of the city of New York to make room for a new courthouse and other municipal improvements which, however, have not been carried out, so that for a number of years the region has been unused. Consult Anon, 'The Five Points' (in National Maga zine, Vol. II, pp. 169 and 267, New York 1853) ; Barnard, W. F., 'Forty Years at the Five Points' (New York 1893) ; Five Points House of Industry, 'Annual Reports of the Trustees) (New York 1855 ff.) ; Five Points Mission, 'The Old Brewery and the New Mission House at the Five Points, etc.' (New York 1854).