The Washington herald., 1912-04-08
LOUISE HOME Is
A BOON TO CITY
Philanthropic Institution Founded
by W. W. Corcoran Is Doing
a Notable Work.

One OF the most remarkable phIlan-
thropic institutions in the. city Is the
Louise Home for Aged Women. which
Is now more than a half century old.
and which. from the start. has been
high efficiency.
The Louise Home is a famous land
mark OF Washington. located in a COM
mandinE position at the intersection of
Massachusetts, avenue and Fifteenth
Street, within striking distance Of Scott
Circle. and with the vista OF the most
beautiful Of washIngton's residential
thoroughfares before II. FROM the ar
tistic point of view. no other phIIan-
thropic institution IN this city compares
with Il: in location. as wen as in equip
ment. IL bears the imprint OF the per-
sonality OF its founder.
II is a large structure. with an ini-
pressive exterior OF red brick. terraced
up from the street in a way 10 give
II certain institutional distinction and
to give IL an austerity quite apart from
tho mass or residences that cluster
around il. Its property runs from T'if-
teenth street to Sixteenth street, facing
Scott circle, and IL could. II IL would.
dispose of the delightful park-Iike plot
on the circle at a fabulous price But II
prefers to keep all its property intact
just II was decided to il by William
W. CorCoran more than a half century
ago.
II was founded by Mr.. Corcoran in
recognition OF the fact that there were
many women in Washington without
adequate means of support, women who
had rendered distinct service to the
community, and whose old age should
hold a little better lot in store for them
than the poor house. At that period. the
field Of work open TO women. either mar
ried or single, was very limited indeed
and the Louise Home was founded to
care for those approaching later middle
age without means Of support
Now Forty Residents.
The present capacity of the home is
forty women, and of this number three
or four OF those now resident have been
there for thirty years and more. II is
rare. indeed, that a vacancy occurs. The
minimum age limit is fifty years. and the
maximum seventy years. Whenever
there is a vacancy. the board of trus-
tees selects a resident from the long list
OF applications. which at the present
moment, is longer than 1t ever has been
before. There are no limitations what
soever placed by the founder upon the
women to be admitted, but the board OF
trustees is free to select those whom it
deems the worthiest
In short. the Louise Home, as con-
ceived by Mr.. COrcoran, represents an
ideal OF social service which has been
faithfully carried out by those who have
followed him. II has an abundant endow-
ment, and does not call upon the commu-
Eity for support. II goes about its work
quietly, and the public scarcely ever
hears about its accomplishments. No
greater boon has ever been conferred
upon the women of the city than when
William W. Corcoran. among his many
other philanthropies. decided to establish
the Louise Home.
The superintendent Of the home is Miss
Mary II. Dodge, the assistant superin-
tendent Is Miss Edmunds, and the
trained nurse, Miss Chancellor. The
board Of trustees comprise Thomas
Hyde, Alexander B. Hagner. william
Corcoran Hill, John NJ. johnson. Henry
Matthews, and the directors are Mrs
Emily c. Matthews. Miss Jeannie Turn
bull. Mrs. Benjamin HELEN. Mrs. c.
Carlisle, Mrs. Thomas Bayard, Miss
Annie Snyder. Mrs. levin, and Mrs.
Sewers.