Evening star., 1927-11-27
BY JOSEPHINE TIGHE WILLIAMS

tdIe anu sympathy Oh our clllZeilS d
fun share of the orphanage resulting
therefrom. The proclamation of
peace sent q thrill of joy through
every household and has elected the
warmest sympathy for the fatherless
children brought to public notice.
Your committee is now ready to ac-
cept gifts and pledges toward the care
of these same orphans"
Il will give COW and $50 in
money" said Dolly" Madison.
And l." said Mrs. president"
Monroe. will contribute $50"
My pledge announced q Marcia
Van Ness, will be $40 in money and
lot. on which to build a suitable
orphanage"
All Of which reads like scrambled
history until it is made clear that
war" destruction of public build
ings" and the proclamation of
peace" alluded to in the first para.
graph, had nothing to do with the
recent Worldwide Unpleasa ntness
but referred to the War of 1872.
The fatherless children brought to
public notice were little ones right
here in Washington. The wife of
Gen. John Z. Van Ness (AIarcial
moved by the frequency of appeals to
her charity. consulted with the wife
OF the Rev. Obadiah Brown of the
local First Baptist Church as to the
feasibility of effecting an organization
Tor permanent relief of the city or
phans. AS result it was decided to
can a meeting to be held in the Hall
OF Representatives. October TO- 1915.
This meeting resulted in the draft
of constitution and the adoption of
the name, the Washington City Or
phan Asylum. Mrs. James Madison
was elected first directress: Marcia
Van Ness. second directress: Mrs
Joseph Caldwell, treasurer: lady man.
ayers. Mrs. MCGOWAN, Mrs. Roger
Weightman, Mrs. Andrew Ramsey,
Mrs. Chalmers, Mrs. obadiah Brown.
Mrs. Joseph Mechlin. Mrs. Blake.
Mrs. Breckenridge and Mrs. Dudley
Diggs of Green Hill.
The cow and $40 subscribed by the
sparkling and good hearted Dolly
Madison. the financial gifts of Mrs
Monroe and of Marcia Van Ness were
the nucleus of the first home for des.
titute orphans in the Capital City
and the third such institution, it is
believed, in the United States
The first unpretentious "home" was
a small frame rented house fronting
on Tenth street near Pennsylvania
avenue. This soon proved to be too
small for the rapidly growing fam.
1ly. A contract was then concluded
with Henry Smith. builder. for the
erection of a frame tenement" to
be erected on the site donated bv
Mrs. Van Ness, and in this structure
the orphans were domiciled for the
next fve years. In 1922 a house
fronting on Seventh street between
III and l streets was rented and the
children transferred there until the
permanent home at III street between
Ninth and Tenth was completed in
1929.
Congress gave legal status to the
Washington City Orphan Asylum by
Incorporating it in May, 1928. This
Congress likewise donated to the in
stitution number OF city lots valued
at about $4,000. For 28 years at the
III street house the lady managers
representing most of the churches
OF the city-sheltered, fed, clothed
and schooled all of the city's orphans
The toll of the Civil War now added
its woeful quota OF orphaned chill.
dren and additional accommodations
were necessary. William Gait finally
made an offer of $4,000 for the II
street home, possession to be given in
April, 1867. The orphanage trustees
forthwith rented one of the large
residences on I street near Second
street northwest. adjoining the resi-
dence at that period of Gen. Grant.
For nine years, i'm this temporary
home, dependent city wards were
cared for.
Then w. w. Corcoran. banker.
philanthropist, decided to the Wash
ington City Orphan Asylum $3.50
feet Of land at the corner Of Four.
teenth and streets northwest. Un-
der plans prepared by John c. Harck-
ness erection began. and by the
Spring Of 1866 the building was sat.
isfactorily inclosed. Whereupon Sec.
retary William III. Seward requested
the use Of it as accommodation for
the State Department. The trustees
assented and it was used as the De-
partment OF State until November.
1876. In May Of that year the Or
phans were transferred to this home
and for the subsequent so years it
sheltered thousands upon thousa nds
OF fatherless. motherless, homeless lit
tie ones. In 1880 the will Of DIR.
James c. Halle who had long been
a member Of the institutions board,
as well as its visiting physician, pro-
vided for a gift Of about S35, 900.
This amount. known as "the Laurie
Fund" in memory of DIR. Halls
mother, was employed to build a
large wing on the street side Of
the structure.
\ X 4
IN the Summer Of 1927 the Wash.
l. ington City Orphan Asylum moved
to it's beautiful. substantial and
wholly adequate quarters at Nebras ska
and Loughboro road northwest. Here.
upon a 14-acre plateau, located just
beyond Mount Vernon Seminary. on
site said to be the highest in the
District of Columbia, is situated
Hillcrest. "a children's village"
"Hillcrest." "a Children's Village"
That is the fascinating sign which
greets the visitor to the new-old
orphanage. In an instant memory
of the fiat, cold. red brick 'institu.
ton" at Fourteenth and streets
passes out Of the minds picture.
There is nothing institutional" about
Hillcrest-"the Childrens Village"
(How that last name conjures up in,
innate remembrances Of Louisa AL
colts delightful stories, Little Men
and Little Women"9
Hillcrest is A group of buildings. no.
of houses, homes; each individual
building really. truly home" Three
of the cottages" and two of the serv-
ice buildings are completed. There is.
n:rst. approaching from the west. the
edwin Gould cottage, the donor OF
which was for long time unknown
in fact this is his first public presen-
tation as to name.
The Gould cottage is the nursery
and in ii are housed the Tiny Orphan
Tads. 8 to years of age. MIR. Gould's
interest in the Washington City Or
nhan Asylum does not cease with the
donation and upkeep Of this nursery
building. This Summer he had as his
guests at Summer camp, Spring Val
lev, n. Y, all the Hillcrest children
except the "minums" and af.
fectionately known as the mlnnows.
T. .ha ha sement of the nursery" is