The Alta House Social Settlement, founded in 1895 by John D. Rockefeller and his daughter (Alta), began as a support organization for Italian immigrants to the Mayfield-Murray Hill area, known today as Little Italy, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Alta House initially provided a nursery and kindergarten for the community, adding a library, youth campus and playground in the early 1920s. The goal was to provide services to families in the area, giving the youth of the community a place to learn and socialize while their parents worked.

By 1970, many renovations had taken place including addition of a banquet room and  kitchen facilities. In the 1980s, as the Little Italy population grew older, the Alta House expanded its Elderly Services Program that included: Meals-On-Wheels, homemaking support, transportation, shopping and field trips. In the 1990s, the Alta House focused on diversifying funding, community outreach and program expansion beyond Little Italy into the greater Cleveland area. In 2000, the Alta House created a five-year, organizational plan and dedicated itself to be an established leader, partner and advocate among community organizations, and provide high quality programs to all community members.

The opportunity to partner with Cleveland Montessori School presented itself in 2015.  Together the two organizations renovated the aging Alta House facility and the school moved its operations to the building in January 2016.  This partnership has allowed both organizations to continue and build on their missions of serving the Little Italy / University Circle area as an educational, cultural, and recreational for all ages within this community.

In 2020, the Board of Trustees embarked on a strategic plan to revitalize the Alta House and bring it back to a gathering place for the local community. An important facet of that plan involved the renovation of the former boxing room which sat vacant for many years. With the plan unanimously approved by the Board, the renovation project began in May of 2021. The project transformed the boxing room into a lounge space that includes amenities like an industrial kitchen, TV’s, and bathrooms. Large glass doors open onto the piazza that is home to the acclaimed Alta House Bocce Courts. New renovations have allowed us to host weddings, meetings, and community events drawing many back to the historic and beloved Alta House.