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| Home for Destitute Children, Mt. Pleasant, SC |
This sign stopped me in my tracks. There is a beautiful and prosperous home on the location now. See the link for some historical and clearly posed photos.
At this site in 1881, Abby Munro, a Quaker from Philadelphia, established a home for orphans, neglected, and destitute children. Funds to purchase and operate the home were solicited locally and from friends in the North. It was incorporated in 1883 and is believed to have been the first orphanage for colored children in the State. Room and board cost approximately one dollar a week per child. The children were taught to cook, wash, iron, knit, sew, mend clothes, and all the duties of a household. The older children attended school regularly and made commendable progress in their studies. The orphanage operated here until the building was destroyed by fire in 1920.Am I the only one who got slapped back into reality at work today?! Hello 2017.
That is a beautiful place! The historical plaques aren't that different from what we might see here.
ReplyDeleteI'm struck by the phrase "colored children". Do people still use that description for African Americans?
ReplyDeleteThey could be keeping with the term that was used when the home was open. It's possible the structure was more commonly known, for example, as "The Colored Children's Home." It doesn't sit well on our ears, but it would have been accurate to the era.
DeleteI believe Kevin is correct. That was probably exactly what it was known as.
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