Dorothy moved to the Patterson Houses in 1950 from Brooklyn. At the time, she was married with two children. They saw moving to Patterson as a stepping-stone to greater things. Rose also moved there in 1950 from Queens with one child. Both of these families were part of the first group to live in the new projects. People were very friendly. The husbands would go to work and the mothers would go to a play yard and socialize. The building was also very safe. Dorothy and Rose’s children went to Catholic school. Dorothy’s at St. Rita’s and Rose’s at St. Jerome’s. Both families saw Catholic school as an option that would give their children more opportunities. The building started to change when many of the white families were forced to leave be...