The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01
MODEL HOME FOR THE AGED.
Unique Institution i'm Operation in
CharIesOn, :. G..

CharIesOn, :. G.
Baltimore American.
Inscribed over the gateway of the Will
! liam Enston Home, on upper King street,
near the limits of the city of Charleston, S.
| c., is the legend ITO Make Old Age Com
Portable" 1t is not only an unusual but an
encouraging motto, and also one that in
| spires any man or woman of kindly i'm
pulses to stop and to inquire more of the
meaning of the home. its founders and its
management.
In the words of ]. p. Kennedy Bryan,
who, on the opening of the William Enston
Home, on Washingtons birthday 1889, de-
/ livered an Grafton in honor of him whose
kindly charity made the home possible, 1T
| is a story of pure benefcence-simple, but
sublime. For the lasting memorial is of one
of the humblest spirit that never held or
sought any public office, that never bore
arms and had no love of military fame, that
wrote no book. that affected no genius Of
poetry or art or eloquence."
The Enston Home has no atmosphere of
| pauperization. It's attractive, well-built,
comfortbly furnished and prettily decorated
cottages, each covered with vines and sur
rounded by little gardens, trees and grass
| plots, have the individuality of separate
| homes.
There are no long wards or dormitories
no common eating room, no daily marshall
! ing Of inmates for inspection and review
in short. none of those regulations and sur
| roundings which make the usual poorhouses
or home sad and uninviting places TO those
| who are forced to become their inmates.
| Men and women can lead almost exclusive
! lives, can receive their friends and enter
tain them simply, in their own homes.
w
| of women than men in the Enston Home,
and at present there are onlys about six
| old couples there. Several of the occupants
| are from some of Charlestons Oldest ram
| lilies.
The rules which govern the occupants are
few and simple. The inmates are required
! to occupy and the cottages with the
| greatest care and cleanliness, and no abuse
| or destruction of property, trees, shrubs
or flowers is permitted under pain of i'm
mediate dismissal. When inmate is alb
sent over night, leaving his or her rooms
or cottage vacant he or she is required 10
| leave the key with the superintendent. The
gateway of the home is opened at a. m.
and closed at D. m. daily. No animals of
any kind allowed to be taken or kept
in any cottage, except small birds in cages
and pet cats.
The occupants must come from the city of
Charleston and must be of good moral char
acter and reputation. They must be recon-
mended by three citizens of Charleston of
good standing, and must either have them
selves or their sponsors must guarantee $40
vide for medical attendance in sickness or
I for burial in case of death, and is looked
upon fund TO be drawn upon only in
case of these necessities. Any occupant may
employ a servant at his or her own expense
during the daytime. but no servant is al
lowed TO sleep on the premises. There are
now nineteen cottages and some seN enty-
five occupants.
William Enston. the founder of the Ems
ton Home. was born in 1905 in the old village
of Canterbury, England There he lived
with his father, who was cabinet maker,
until 1890, when he came with his parents to
Philadelphia. His boyhood was one of toll,
but he found time to attend the night school
of the Franklin Institute. and later TO teach
school himself there. Going TO Charleston
in 1882, he opened a small cabinet making
shop.
The native force and abilities of the man
soon bore fruit. He rapidly acquired a good
business, by judicious investments in
Charlestons real estate and in Western
| lands increased his fortune, and finally be-
came a pioneer in the development of the
commerce of Charleston. In 1916 he. with
some fellow-merchants, built two steamers,
the Southerner and the Northerner, TO ply
between Charleston, New York and Havana.
A business career which promised much
for the community with which he had cast
his lot was cut short by the untimely death
of Mr.. Emston, from heart disease, in 1860.
He was buried amid the solemn pomp of
civic honors, the tolling of the chimes of
historic old st. Michaers Church, and the
| mourning of a grateful city for her de-
voted son and greatest benefactor He left
nah EnstOn, an English woman, whom he
had married in 1884.
The will of William Enston, after provid-
ing for his wife for life and the objects of
his affection among his large family con-
nection, gave his estate, which amounted
TO nearly a million dollars, to the city of
Charleston for the Establishment of a home
for "old or inhrm persons in poverty. of
good honest character none 10 be admitted
/ under the age of forty-five years unless in
case of some great infirmity in order the
more 10 make old age comfortable than for
anything else"
home should consist of a number of cot
tages built of brick, In rows, two stories
high. each having, besides living rooms and
a kitchen, small surrounding garden TO
busy the occupant or OCCUPANTS. 1t also
/, provided that the mayor of Charleston and
twelve trustees, chosen by the City Coun-
Gil. were &c determine the building Of the
home and manage the same.
Soon after Mr.. Enston's death the civil
war broke out. 1t would seem by provi-
Dental means nearly a half million dollars
was preserved of William Enstons estate
to found the home after a quarter OF a
century had elapsed. For years the faith
full widow, snarer In her husbands toll
\ and i'm his purpose, and to whom he had
e committed this trust in part, labored for
D its fulfillment to the end, and died in 1889
y with the work of building the home just
4 While the Enston home at Charleston is
Z due to the charity and forethought of Will
D liam Enston. its final building and its pres
l TO the energy. interest and zeal of William
o | A Coultenay, former mayor Of Charleston
S who was the soul of the establishment and
S | organization of charity and who has Ions
= since removed from Charleston, TO Charles
S tons great loss.
: Mr. Courtenay came across the record OF
[ the Enston bequest Having for some time
4 I considered the condition of the estate in
S its future relations with the city OF
Charleston and desiring. If possible tC
e | carry out the will of William Enston in tn,
n | lifetime Of his widow and eXecutrix, he
. / opened a correspondence with Mrs. Enston
{ / then residing a Emile Pa.
e The property at that time consisted OF
= real estate in the city of Charleston
[ | amounting to the assessed value OF S6l =.
= $50 and personal estate consisting Of pub
= lie securities, bonds and mortgages in diff
Z ferent States OF the Union.
" The lands were laid OF I'm a central ave
q nue. from west TO east. and another at right
@ I angles from north TO south. which have
e since been designated Canterbury and Col.
c sterworth avenues, after the birthplaces in
$ England of Mr.. and Mrs. EnstOn. Nineteer
$ cottages were erected on the subdivisions
n Of these avenues. Each cottage was built
n on a separate lot. with ample ground around
! il for cultivation. and TO insure complete
I ventilation.
: Each cottage is divided by a central hal
O and so arranged as 10 be occupied by two
c separate families. On either side OF the
r hall. TO which access Is had from the front
e porch. are the living rooms and a comfort