Protestant Female Orphan Asylum

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[ Home ] [ 1848-1854 ] [ 1860-1866 ] [ 1868-1869 ] [ 1870-1881 ] [ Letter for the Board ] [ 1889-1900 ] [ 1902-1911 ] [ 1912-1922 ] [ 1925-1930 ]

The Protestant Girls Home filed a petition for liquidation, June 4, 1969 with the final liquidation of all assets completed in 1972.

THE PROTESTANT ORPHANS HOME

The Protestant Girls Home was established in 1847, by civic-minded people of the City and surrounding area.. At that time it was called the Female Orphan Asylum, and from bits of records pieced together over the years, seems to have been financed by small contributions collected weekly by door to door calls. The earliest record tells that a concert was given to aid the "Female Orphan Asylum" as it was called. This date was September 9, 1848. Property was acquired by the Female Orphan Asylum Association in 1851 on Main Street, and in 1927 a new larger home was built on North Street. There were other properties acquired by the orphanage virtue of will's, and these properties were leased out which gave the home a little income but not on a regular basis.

According to the Secretary records, the home survived on private donations until after the Civil War when records indicate that there were no children in the home in 1877 through 1880. Records for the home do not pick up again until 1890. The date the orphanage started accepting orphans after 1880 is unknown.

The 1901 charter of the Female Orphan Association of Baton Rouge reads: "The purposes and objects of this Association are hereby declared to be to provide a home for, protect and educate indigent female orphans." That purpose was maintained throughout the lifetime of the Orphanage. While all the girls were not "orphans" they all had a background of an abnormal life. Through the years age of admission and discharge were altered to beet the changing needs of the children in the Home and community it served. A child was not discharged from the Home until suitable plans had been made for her. The Home tried to provide educational opportunities which would allow the girl to be independent.

There were facilities for 25 girls, limited to the need of the parish. The staff consisted of a Superintendent, two matrons, a cook and laundress.

According to journal's and letters the home also provided and paid for weddings, camps extended education to business schools and LSU. Records provide a powerful insight as maintenance of this orphanage and its orphans, and by reading I can see that this was not your ordinary "orphanage". Great lengths were taken to provided a natural home environment for the children, one that was kind and understanding with always the welfare of the child it's priority. It is noteworthy that the Home was always a private institution, and at one time was paid by the Department of Welfare $60.00 per month per child to house their children until they were found foster homes. The children were accepted on a case by case basis subject to the approval of the Association's board and were expected to live by the rules set up by the association.