page_title: New Orphan Houses, Ashley Down, Bristol
section_title: Expansion of the work
hierarchical_section_title: New Orphan Houses, Ashley Down, Bristol / Expansion of the work
caption_attribution_description: English: line drawing of New Orphan House No 4
context_page_description: The New Orphan Houses, Ashley Down, commonly known as the Muller Homes, were an orphanage in the district of Ashley Down, in the north of Bristol. They were built between 1849 and 1870 by the Prussian evangelist George Müller to show the world that God not only heard, but answered, prayer. The five Houses held 2,050 children at any one time and some 17,000 passed through their doors before the buildings were sold to Bristol City Council in 1958.
context_section_description: Some eighteen months later, Müller started to think about erecting a second House - he first discusses this in his journal on 5 December 1850.  He mentions it again on 4 January 1851, when he receives a single donation of £3,000, Again, after much prayer, he made public his intention, on 28 May 1851, to build a second home for orphans.  The cost was estimated to be £27,000 for land and construction, and another £8,000 for furnishing.  Twelve months later, only £3,530 - a tenth of the amount required - had been received, but Müller was not discouraged.  By the end of the fourth year, the building fund stood at just over £23,059.  
  It was his original intention to build a home for 700 children but he found that the surrounding fields could not be sold at that time, under a clause in the late owner's will, so the plans were changed to build a smaller house for 400 children on the existing ground he owned, to the south of No 1 House.  Building work started on 29 May 1855, and seven months later received a boost when a local glazier asked if he could provide all the glass for 300 large windows gratuitously.
  At the end of the financial year, 26 May 1856, the building fund had a balance of just under £29,300.  Müller came back from visiting the finished building on 18 September 1857 to find another unsolicited cheque for £1,000 had been left for the fund.  Further sums came in and by 26 May 1858, £35,000 was to hand - sufficient to build a third house, which would take the number of orphans who could be accommodated to 1,000.
  On 2 February 1858, plans started to be made for the erection of the third orphan house.  Many significant donations were received during this time but on 20 June 1858, from a previously unknown benefactor, came a gift of £3,500, of which £3,350 was to be put to the building fund.  The donor wished it to be sent before his imminent death to avoid delay and tax.  In September a site of eleven and a half acres was purchased, just across the road from the existing buildings, at a cost of £3,631 15s.
  
  Müller's original plan was to accommodate 300 orphans on this site but felt that better use would be made if 400 could be housed.  After discussions with the architects, however, he found that, for a little extra expense, he could build for 450 children instead.  He at once prayed for the provision of the extra funds required and, on 4 January 1859, received a gift of £7,000, £4,000 of which he set aside for the building fund.  Two days later £300 came in from an anonymous donor with the promise of a further £8900 later in the year.  On 1 February, two gifts totalling £2,700 were received, of which £700 was applied to the fund.  By the end of May, the fund held £41,911 15s 11d and, in early July, the construction work started.
  The building was completed and opened its doors to orphans on 12 March 1862.  It was, like the other two Houses, plain in appearance.  W Elfe Tayler reports that it contained 94 rooms, 36 on the ground floor, 35 on the first floor and 23 on the second floor.  Two 90 feet (27 m) long dormitories each held 50 beds.  Mr Haden of Trowbridge, an eminent heating engineer, installed modern and efficient kitchen and laundry equipment, together with ventilation and heating systems.
  
  Before New Orphan House No 3 was even opened, Müller contemplated expanding the work even further by building two more houses capable of holding another 850 children.  It was estimated that to do so would cost at the very least £50,000.  As well as expecting God to provide this, Müller also prayed that the increased running costs, from £20,000 to £35,000 annually, be sent.
  After much further prayer, Müller received the first donation for this latest expansion on 6 June 1861:  five rupees, six annas, three seams, three Spanish coins, and three other silver coins".  By 3 November 1864, the building fund held over £27,000, including just under £3,000 left over from the fund to build No 3 House.  The land Müller desired for the next two houses was separated from No 2 House by a turnpike road and he found that it was for sale
caption: The fourth Orphan House at Ashley Down
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