Evening star., 1926-06-10
PRESIDENTS WIFE
TURNS FIRST SOD
Mrs. Coolidge Starts Work
on New 0rphanage Home
at Hill Crest.

Actual construction nf the new home
of tho Washington CITY orpha n
Asylum. hoped for a d pla nned nv It's
officials for many years was formally
begun yesterday, when Mrs Calvin
I-ro"lege, in tho presence Of happy
group Of directors. friends and chill
dren of the institution. turned the
first shovelful Of earth for the founda
tons Of the buildings.
The new home OF the Orphanage, at
Hill Crest. is 10 be built on Nebra SKA
avenue on a magnificent tract OF 1874
acres of forest and grassy land us;
ca 81 of the Mount Vernon Seminary.
Mrs. Coolidge Enthusiastic
Mrs. Coolidge. ererseticaily welding
q heribboned spade, tarned many bits
of sod 10 demonstra e her enthusid SIN
over the sod breaking for the chill
dren's home and posed three times
vii n he children for a battery OF news
pho osra pliers and new reel men.
The simple and brief ceremony was
cllmaXesi when . numbet' ot the ihtle
misses OF ihe home Who had sllpped
aNaN from their supte' visofs 70 pihce
y ;id flowers on the site presented
them ~ MIS-. Coolidge.
'Tha o"ca.si;}n under the direction
oe Mrs. W. a. cox. president OF the
boa ri oF directors. WAS opened D. the
>incins az "AmeIi"4 tho Beautiful
nv the children of the home. who
were arranged in a group "a receive
Mrs Coolidge.
Following The formal sod brea s,inc
Eev. Dr. Charles Wood. pastor of tho
church % tne Covenant. offered
PRAYER for the continuance 0f the IN
-,itution as a real home for or
phanod children. No forna' addr asscs
" ere made.
Mrs. Andrew Bradley. member of
the board Of lady managers. assisted
Mrs. Coolidge in the ceremony. IrN
inG Linton. president of the board OF
trustees: Blair Lee, former Senator
from Maryland: Clinton James and
George Francis Williams, othar mem.
bers OF the trustees hoard comm's-
sioner Frederick A. F'euninS. \. r.
Clark. .r. designer of the buildings,
and Horace Peasley. Landscape archi.
tect. also were present. Miss t,stelle
MeeS. superintendent Of the home,
was IN charge Of The children.
Memhera of the hoard Of lady man
acars include Mrs. Fernando tuni,
hertz. Mrs. Huston Thompson. Mrs.
Douglas r. Brnie. Mrs. l.. NJ. Saun-
ders. Mrs. r. w. Parker. Mrs. Mark
Kaufman. Mrs. A. 3. Brown. Mrs.
Fonrose Wainwright. Mrs. Bradley
Mrs. William y. Colt. Miss Carrie
risdel. Mrs. Frederick A. E'ennins
Mrs. Wrisley Browne and Mrs.
George NJ. Eckels.
Personnel Of Board.
The Washington City Orphan
Asylum is more than 100 years old.
Its first president was Dolly Madison.
wife of the fourth President of the
United States. The home was found.
ed by group of socially prominent
women under the leadership OF Mrs.
Van Ness wife Of Cen. Van Ness a
member Of Congress from New York.
Mrs. Van Ness Sathered number Of
children orphaned by the War OF 1872
and placed them in her home. Others
later We're added and the institution
was officially organized in 1914.
Construction Of three buildings Of
the new home at Hill Cres, will he
started at once. Three cottages of
building will be erected first at a
mnistra ton building will he added
later.
The institution. which receives n"
fina ncia aid from the District or Fed
eral governments. ia endowed I" a
limited extent and is The recipient Of
private aid.