Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-12
FLORENCE HOME FOR WOMEN.
A Rescue Home for Unfortunate
Females in This City. !.
An Extension of q Most Philanthropic
Plan of Work.
Rev. and Mrs. w. g. Stevens Donate q
Beautiful House-A Description OF
the Property and tho Scope
OF the Undertaking.

Los Angeles has a Florence home
NOW. to be conducted on the same gen.
eral plan as the Florence homes of San
Francisco and New York, says the San
Francisco Chronicle. Perhaps not 80
MANY have heard OF the singular, even
providential, way in which this dedica-
tion came about.
On the Fourth OF July last Rev. ] W.
Ellsworth, superintendent OF the Flor
ence home of this city, visited camp
meeting at Chapin's grove, Los Angeles.
One Of the ministers present invited him
to speak. Mr.. Ellsworth hesitated, as
he did not feel called upon. But he was
urged to tell something about Mr.. Crit.
tent0n's rescue work.
Mr.. Ellsworth then consented, and
by the time he had finished his speech,
had reused the enthusiasm OF his audi
ence. Several prominent business men
at once suggested that Mr.. Ellsworth
stay in Los Angeles and start q rescue
home for unfortunate women. On the
spur of the moment, Mr.. Ellsworth
promised that he would open such q
home on the 1et of September.
After the meeting gentleman and
lady called him to one side and offered
to give him house for the purpose i'm
mediately. The benevolent pair were
Rev. and Mrs. w. G. Stevens.
The house offered was beautiful pri
vate residence, two stories and q half in
height, on pleasant corner. 1t con-
tanned fifteen rooms, was partly sur
rounded by broad piazzas, and etood in
the midst of garden filled with roses,
palms and orange trees. In the back
was good sized two-story barn. The
lot measured 54x157 feet.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stevens on the 25th OF
August last decided the house and
grounds to Charles n Crittenton of
New York and J. w. Ellsworth of San
Francisco, to be used as rescue home
for erring women from any part of the
state of California. In case it were
found necessary to abandon the work in
Los Angeles the property can be sold
and the proceeds applied to the work of
reHcuiDg erring women elsewhere.
The house has been repainted in two
shades OF drab. The roofs and chimneys
are in terra Gotta. A new fence has
been built. The barn has also been
painted and put in order. The first
story is fitted up as laundry, the
second as an isolated ward in case of
contagious disease. Messrs. Crittenton
and Ellsworth bore the expense Of
painting and repairs, which was over
500.
The interior of the house is in hard
finished redwood. Mr.. and Mrs. Stevens
gave the furniture for the pariors and
dining-room from their own home.
Everything is complete, such ss any re-
fined family might use. The upper
rooms had to be refurnjshed as dormi-
tories, some containing three single
beds, some four. The house can ac.
commodate sixteen inmates at time.
Mr.. Stevens also gave great many
books from his large library, and with
Mrs. Stevens contributed number OF
fine engravings and etchings from their
own house. The parlors OF the Florence
home are adorned with life-siae oil por-
traits of the donors The new homo
will be under the care of the following
incorporated board of directors:
Rev. P. F. Bresee, d. D.,
president; Rev. T. P. Ferguson,
vioe-president; John Lowe, secretary ;
Rev. ]. M. Hervey, treasurer; G. A..
Jeffers, Charles N. Crittenton and J. w.
Ellsworth. In case the hoard should
not work satisfactorily, Messrs. Critten-
ton and Ellsworth, as trustees of the
property, have the power to take the di-
rectorship into their own hands.
The home. will be supported by
monthly donations from Messrs. Crit
tenton and Ellsworth and contributions
from the people of Los Angeles.