The Denver Orphans’ Home (DOH) was organized in 1881. It had two main goals: to offer short-term shelter to the children of families having financial challenges, and to care for orphans and other children who needed long-term shelter. In 1902 the organization moved to a new building at the corner of Albion Street and Colfax Avenue. The building was designed by Denver architects Willis A. Marean and Albert J. Norton. Now called the Denver Children’s Home, the facility provides residential therapy, counseling, and other social services for children experiencing emotional or psychiatric problems or who have been abused and neglected.

Origins

The DOH was established in 1880 when several Denver citizens, including philanthropist George Washington Clayton and Denver Jewish businessman Fred Salomon, gave $850 to the Ladies’ Relief Society to help poor children in need. Another man, J. H. Wyman, donated a half-block of land on Race Street for the orphanage. When the first cottage was built for the children to live in, it was named after him. According to the Articles of Incorporation filed in January 1881, only white full orphans (who had no parents living) under the age of twelve were allowed to be admitted to the DOH. Shortly afterward, the home soon changed its charter to admit poor half-orphans (who had only one parent living), “thus enlarging its sphere of usefulness.”

As with most child welfare institutions of the period, the DOH was founded by members of the city’s elite, largely for the benefit of working-class children. Margaret Gray Evans, wife of Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans, served as the first president of the DOH board. Among the first donors who gave $1,000 or more were important Denver citizens such as David Moffat, Walter Cheesman, Elizabeth Iliff, and Margaret and John Evans.

During the 1880s and 1890s, well-to-do women on the DOH board took a keen interest in day-to-day affairs at the home. These women were motivated by a genuine compassion for the children, and they wanted to share their kindness, generosity, and Protestant values. They also wanted to “uplift” the children who came from working-class families, some of whom were immigrants. They tried to make life “more fair” for the poor children and their families. Most of the board members who directed the home would probably have agreed with Mrs. Belden, who was an early DOH president. She believed that “there cannot be a nobler charity, a diviner work, than the care of destitute children.” Involvement in the orphanage may have also served to raise their own social standing in the local community.

Growth

The DOH began accepting children in 1882 at the home of a Mrs. Lord. She agreed to give the children food and shelter at her residence on Ninth and Pine for a fee. But the fledgling “home” soon moved to other temporary quarters at Seventh and California. The success of the early fundraising campaign resulted in the first DOH building, which was built at Sixteenth Avenue and Race Street in 1886. The number of children under the care of the DOH increased steadily, reaching 83 in 1898 and 125 in 1900.

When the building at Sixteenth Avenue and Race Street became too small to house the growing number of children, a larger, permanent home was built at 1501 Albion Street in 1902. That building still stands to this day. It was designed by the Denver architectural firm of Willis A. Marean and Albert J. Norton. It has two-and-a-half-stories and is made of red brick. Its architectural style is called Second Renaissance Revival. The original building cost nearly $35,000. The massive structure provided much more space for children and had plenty of large windows to let in light.

Role in the Community

From the beginning, the DOH was more than a shelter. A primary goal of Protestant child-saving institutions was to impart middle-class values, including religious values. Although the DOH was officially “non-sectarian” (meaning non-religious), it was essentially Protestant. Protestant ministers or teachers instructed the children according to Protestant beliefs.

The vast majority of children in the DOH were from Protestant families, although the home records showed that a sprinkling of Jewish and Catholic children lived there as well. Tuberculosis often played a role in why some Jewish children were placed in the Protestant-directed DOH. At the time, it was common for adults who suffered from tuberculosis to live for many weeks or months in a medical treatment facility called a sanatorium. Denver had two Jewish sanatoria: the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives (1899) and the Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society (1904). Often, Jewish adults ill with tuberculosis would send their children to the Denver Orphans’ Home while they stayed at the sanatoria.

From the beginning, many children remained at the DOH for only a short time, while some stayed longer. Another facility called the Colorado State Home for Dependent Children opened in 1896, providing long-term care for children. To avoid duplicate efforts, DOH managers soon concentrated on assisting children in need of short-term aid. The loss or illness of one parent could have a profound and often devastating effect on a working-class family in that era. Many times, mothers and fathers were forced to give up a child (at least on a temporary basis) so that they could hold down a job and contribute to the child’s board while he or she was a resident of the Denver Orphans’ Home.

At that time, it was harder for women to get higher paying jobs. Women were generally forced to accept unskilled, lower-paying jobs. Widows may have faced a greater challenge than men in financially supporting their children. Widowers, however, were not immune to the problem of combining a job with child care. Working-class men were generally unable to pay a housekeeper to care for young children, and so they turned to the DOH as a stop-gap measure. Figures from September 1915 show that nearly half the children at the DOH had parents or relatives who helped pay for their stay at the DOH.

Life at the Denver Orphans’ Home

The children at the DOH had to follow lots of rules in their daily lives. In the DOH report for 1890–91, a list of “Domestic Rules” gives some clues about the everyday life at the home. Upon arrival, each child was to be bathed and disinfected (if necessary), and all their clothes had to be changed. No child was allowed to come to meals until “hands, face, and hair was in proper order.” Each child older than four was taught the proper care of clothing, and children were “required” to be polite and kind to each other and the employees.

The adult board members decided how the home should be run. It may seem a bit odd by today’s standards that these adults were deciding how to raise other people’s children who lived at the home. The board members tried to make the home the best that it could be for the children. They tried to pass along their own middle-class values to the children.

The DOH board members, led by the education committee, took great pride in the children’s school progress. In the early years, classes were held on the DOH grounds with private teachers. As the years passed, however, the children went to schools within the Denver public school system.

Child Welfare in the Progressive Era

The DOH applied business principles to the way the home was run. In the beginning, volunteers at the DOH were the ones to decide which children would be admitted to live at the home. They would be the ones to investigate and consider the family’s situation before accepting a child. The volunteers kept only brief and informal notes about the children. But during the Progressive Era, when society increasingly looked to panels of experts to help solve problems, officials believed that such tasks would be better done by professionals. By 1925 the Denver Child Welfare Bureau took over the responsibility of investigating and recommending admissions. Their professionally trained social workers gradually replaced the dedicated volunteers. After 1925 the DOH instituted a new, expanded file system, which included very detailed background information and carefully documented case files about the children.

New state laws, such as the Mother’s Compensation Act of 1912 and the Social Security Act of the New Deal in the 1930s, were helpful to many families. The government gave payments to widowed mothers to help them be able to care for their children in their own homes, instead of placing them in the DOH. These payments helped show the renewed value society placed on the role of motherhood at the time.

Today

In the 1950s, the state and city began to directly give money to the DOH through their social services departments. The DOH changed its mission. Today it serves as a residence and treatment facility for emotionally distressed children. In 1962 the DOH was renamed the Denver Children’s Home. They had the ability to provide food, housing, treatment, and care of virtually any child in need of help (if room was available). As of the early 2000s, government funding provided approximately three-quarters of the cost of running the home; private contributions provided the rest of the money.

In 1981 the Denver Children’s Home celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 1999 the organization’s building on Albion Street was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Denver Orphans’ Home (DOH) was organized in 1881. It had two main goals. It provided short-term shelter to the children of families having financial problems. It also provided long-term care for orphans and other children. In 1902 the DOH moved to a new building at the corner of Albion Street and Colfax Avenue. The home is now called the Denver Children’s Home. This home is a place where children can live and receive special counseling. Many children there are experiencing emotional or psychiatric problems. Some children may have been abused or neglected.

Origins

The first donation for the DOH was $850. The money was given to the Ladies’ Relief Society in 1880 to aid poor children in need. The donation was given by several generous men, including George Washington Clayton and Fred Salomon. Another man named J. H. Wyman donated a half-block of land on Race Street for the orphanage. The official legal papers to create the DOH were done in January 1881. They stated that only white children under age 12 who had no parents alive could live at the DOH. Shortly afterward, the home soon changed its rules to allow children who had only one parent living, in order to be more useful.

The DOH was founded by several powerful and wealthy citizens of Denver. They wanted to help children from working-class families. One of the founders was Margaret Gray Evans (wife of Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans). She served as the first president of the DOH board. Among the first donors who gave $1,000 or more were important Denver citizens such as David Moffat, Walter Cheesman, Elizabeth Iliff, as well as Margaret and John Evans.

During the 1880s and 1890s, a board (or group of leaders) helped run the home and make important decisions. Many wealthy women were part of the DOH board. They were involved and very interested in the daily life at the home. These women wanted to help for several reasons. They really cared about the children. They wanted to share their kindness and be generous. They also wanted to “uplift” the children who came from poor working-class families. Helping others less fortunate than oneself is one example of social justice. In other words, the women tried to make life “more fair and kind” for the poor children and their families. An early leader of the board believed that “there cannot be a nobler charity, a diviner work, than the care of destitute children.” Another reason is that involvement in the orphanage may have helped the women on the board to be seen as more important people in their community.

Growth

The DOH began accepting children in 1882 at the home of a Mrs. Lord. She agreed to give the children food and shelter in her personal home for a fee. But the new “home” soon moved to another location at Seventh and California. Next, the DOH raised money and built their own first building at Sixteenth Avenue and Race Street in 1886. The number of children under DOH care grew larger over time. In 1898 there were 83 children at the DOH, and by 1900 there were 125 children.

Soon the original building at Sixteenth Avenue and Race Street became too small for all the children. So a larger, permanent home was built at 1501 Albion Street in 1902. That building still stands. It was designed by the Denver architectural firm of Willis A. Marean and Albert J. Norton. It has two-and-a-half-stories and is made of red brick. Its architectural style is called Second Renaissance Revival. The original building cost nearly $35,000. It had much more space for the children with plenty of large windows.

Role in the Community

From the beginning, the DOH was more than just a shelter. A primary goal was to pass along middle-class values to the children, including Protestant religious values. Although the DOH was officially non-religious, it actually shared Protestant religious ideas in many ways. For example, Protestant ministers or teachers instructed the children according to Protestant beliefs.

Most of the children in the DOH were from Protestant families. But there were also some Jewish and Catholic children who lived there as well. Tuberculosis was often part of the reason why some Jewish children were placed in the Protestant-directed DOH. Tuberculosis is a serious and often deadly lung disease. It is also called consumption. In that time period, it was common for adults who were ill with tuberculosis to live for many weeks or months in a medical treatment facility called a sanatorium. Denver had two Jewish sanatoria: the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives (1899) and the Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society (1904). Often Jewish adults ill with tuberculosis would send their children to live at the Denver Orphans’ Home while they were patients in these sanatoria.

In the beginning, some children lived at the DOH for only a short time, but some stayed longer. Another facility called the Colorado State Home for Dependent Children opened in 1896. It provided long term care for children. So the DOH leaders soon focused on helping children who needed short-term care.

In those days, it was very difficult for poor working-class families if one parent became very sick or died. Many times, the healthy parent had to send their children to live in the Denver Orphans’ Home (at least for a while). That way they could work at a job to earn money to help pay for their child’s care. It was very difficult in that era for a single parent to try to care for their children and work at a paying job at the same time. So families like these turned to the DOH to help care for their children. For example, in September 1915 nearly half of the children at the DOH had a parent or relatives who helped pay for their stay at the DOH.

Life at the Denver Orphans’ Home

The children at the DOH had to follow lots of rules in their daily lives. Here are some examples. Upon arrival, each child had to take a bath, and they had to change into clean clothes. Children had to have a clean face and hands and tidy hair before eating. Each child older than four was taught to take care of their clothes. Children were taught to be polite and kind to each other and the adult workers.

The adult board members decided how the home should be run. In many ways, these adults were deciding how to raise other people’s children. The board members tried to make the home the best that it could be for the children. They tried to pass along their own middle-class values to the children.

The DOH board members thought that school classes for the children were very important. In the early years, classes were held at the DOH building with private teachers. In later years, the children went to the public schools in Denver.

Child Welfare in the Progressive Era

The DOH tried to run the home using good ideas from the business world. In the beginning, DOH volunteers decided which children would be allowed to live at the home. These volunteers would investigate and consider the family’s situation before accepting a child. The volunteers kept only brief and informal notes about the children. Later it was felt that such tasks should be done by professional experts. By 1925 the Denver Child Welfare Bureau took over the task of admitting children. Their professional social workers gradually replaced the hard-working volunteers. After 1925 the DOH started keeping more detailed information about the children.

New state laws, such as the Mother’s Compensation Act of 1912 and the Social Security Act of the New Deal in the 1930s, were helpful to many families. The government gave payments to mothers whose husbands had died. The money was to help the women to be able to care for their children in their own homes, instead of placing the children in the DOH.

Today

In the 1950s, the state and city began to directly give money to the DOH. The DOH changed its main purpose. Today it serves as a place for emotionally distressed children to live and receive treatment. In 1962 the DOH was renamed the Denver Children’s Home. It provides food, housing, treatment, and care for almost any child in need of help (if room is available). As of the early 2000s, about three-quarters of the money to run the home comes from the government. The rest of the money comes from charity.

In 1981 the Denver Children’s Home celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 1999 the organization’s building on Albion Street was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Denver Orphans’ Home was started in 1881. It had two main goals. It gave short-term care to the children of poor families. It also gave long-term care for orphans and other children. In 1902 the home moved to a new building at the corner of Albion Street and Colfax Avenue. The building was designed by the Denver architects Willis A. Marean and Albert J. Norton. The home is now called the Denver Children’s Home. This home is a place where children can live and receive special counseling and other help.

Origins

The first money for the Denver Orphans’ Home was given in 1880. It was meant to help poor children in need. The $850 donation was given by several generous men. They included George Washington Clayton and Fred Salomon. Another man named J. H. Wyman donated some land on Race Street for the orphanage. Legal papers to start the Denver Orphans’ Home were created in January 1881. The rules they wrote said that only white children could live there. The children had to be under age twelve and both parents could not be living. Later the home changed its rules. They allowed children to stay there who had only one parent alive.

The Denver Orphans’ Home was started by several powerful and wealthy citizens of Denver. One of them was Margaret Gray Evans (who was the wife of Colorado Territorial Governor John Evans). She was the first president of the board (or group of leaders) who ran the home. Several donors gave $1,000 or more to help run the home. They were important Denver citizens. Some of them were David Moffat, Walter Cheesman, Elizabeth Iliff, as well as Margaret and John Evans. They wanted to help children from poor families.

During the 1880s and 1890s, a board (or group of adult leaders) made important decisions about the home. Many wealthy women were part of the board. They were very interested in life at the home. These women wanted to help for several reasons. They really cared about the children. They wanted to share their kindness. It is also possible that helping the children made the women feel important in their community.

Growth

The Denver Orphans’ Home began caring for children in 1882. At that time it did not have its own building. In 1886 the leaders of the Denver Orphans’ Home raised money and built their own building. Over the years, more and more children were living at the Denver Orphans’ Home. In 1898 there were 83 children at the home, and by 1900 there were 125 children.

Soon the building from 1886 became too small for all the children. So a larger home was built at 1501 Albion Street in 1902. That building still stands to this day. It was designed by Denver architects. It has two-and-a-half-stories and is made of red brick. Its style is called Second Renaissance Revival. The original building cost nearly $35,000. It had much more space for the children with plenty of windows.

Role in the Community

The official rules of the Denver Orphans’ Home did not include ideas about religion. But it was important to the leaders of the home to share their Protestant religion with the children. Classes about Protestant beliefs were taught to the children by Protestant ministers or teachers.

Most of the children in the home were from Protestant families. But there were also some Jewish and Catholic children who lived there. Tuberculosis was often a reason why some Jewish children lived there. Tuberculosis is a serious lung disease. It is also called consumption. In those days, people with tuberculosis had to live for many months in a special hospital. Two such places were the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives (1899) and the Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society (1904). Often Jewish adults who were ill with tuberculosis would send their children to live at the Denver Orphans’ Home.

In the beginning, some children lived at the Denver Orphans’ Home for only a short time, and some stayed longer. But in 1896 another place called the Colorado State Home for Dependent Children opened. It just provided long term care for children. So the leaders of Denver Orphans’ Home then focused on giving short-term care.

In those days, it was very hard for poor families if one parent became very sick or died. It was very difficult for a single parent to try to care for their children and work at a paying job. Many times, the healthy parent had to send their children to live in the Denver Orphans’ Home (at least for a while). That way the healthy parent could work at a job to earn money to help pay for their child’s care.

Life at the Denver Orphans’ Home

The children at the Denver Orphans’ Home had to follow lots of rules. Here are some examples. When a child first came to the home, he or she had to take a bath. Next, they had to change into clean clothes. Children had to have a clean face and hands and tidy hair before eating. Each child older than four took care of their clothes. Children were taught to be polite and kind to each other and the adult workers.

The adult board members decided how the home should be run. The board members tried to make the home the best that it could be for the children. They tried to pass along their own values to the children. The board members thought that school was important for the children. In the early years, school classes were held at the Denver Orphans’ Home with private teachers. In later years, the children went to the public schools in Denver.

Child Welfare in the Progressive Era

The Denver Orphans’ Home tried to use good business ideas. In the beginning, volunteers at the home were the ones to decide which children would be allowed to live there. These volunteers would learn all about the children and their families before deciding. But the volunteers kept only short notes about the children. Later people said such tasks should be done by experts. By 1925 the Denver Child Welfare Bureau took over the task. Their professional workers did the work instead of the volunteers. After 1925 the Denver Orphans’ Home started keeping more information about the children.

New laws created in the early twentieth century were helpful to many families. The government gave money to mothers whose husbands had died. The money was to help the women to be able to care for their children in their own homes. That way they did not have to send their children to live in the Denver Orphans’ Home.

Today

In the 1950s, the Denver Orphans’ Home changed its main purpose. Today it serves as a place for deeply troubled children to live and get help. In 1962 it was renamed as the Denver Children’s Home. The home is able to give food, housing, and other help to almost any child who needs it. As of the early 2000s, most of the money to run the home comes from the government. The rest of the money comes from generous people.

In 1981 the Denver Children’s Home celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 1999 the organization’s building on Albion Street was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.