Historical institutions such as orphanages, homes for unwed mothers and reform schools often come with negative stereotypes, thanks largely to books and movies featuring mistreated, motherless waifs. But many well-meaning people in Alabama tried over the decades to ensure children who had no parents, or with behavioral problems, would have a chance for a future.

Although orphan homes existed in Alabama before the 20th century, social reform was slow in arriving in any organized way. For many years, benevolent organizations such as Masons, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows operated orphan homes, as did many churches.

In a 1921 newsletter published by Alabama's newly created Child Welfare Department created two years earlier, workers wrote of the difficulties in making progress. "For many years Alabama was known to be one of the most backward of all the states in social welfare work, being one of a group of Southern States that, for various reasons, was slow to awaken to a realization of its duties and responsibilities toward children," wrote the author of "Alabama Childhood: The Official Bulletin of the State Child Welfare Department of Alabama, Volume 1."

The booklet reports that many orphanages and homes were sending children to public schools, while others tried to teach the children themselves while woefully understaffed.

Some examples from the book:

Bathing: "The institutions have grasped the need for regular and frequent bathing and have either installed tubs or shower baths to meet the requirements or are planning to do so. However, one institution has only two bath tubs and no showers for ninety children."

Toiletries: "Very few of the institutions make any attempt to supply the children with individual toilet articles - soap, towels, comb and brush. Tooth brushes are very rare."

Medical Services: "Very few of the institutions employ a physician to visit the children regularly, only calling a physician for special illnesses."

Maternity hospitals, or home for unwed girls: "We have interpreted the law giving the Child Welfare Commission power to license maternity hospitals and to prescribe rules and regulations governing their conduct to mean that children born in such institutions are to be safe-guarded and that traffic in infants is to be prohibited."

In addition to offering homes for children without parents, many children's institutions were used as a means of "hiding away" those who behaved in ways that brought shame to their families. A 1906 newsletter for the Charity Organization Society in New York, called "Charities and the Commons: A Weekly Journal of Philanthropy and Social Advance," reported that a member from Alabama had broached the need of a girls' home in Montgomery. The idea was not well received and the report stated: "... the Conference should have understood that delicacy induced the writer to use 'friendless' as a euphemism for wayward."

A Home for Friendless Girls did exist in Montgomery in 1921, according to the booklet "Alabama Childhood."

Segregation in children's homes

Because the races were segregated even among children, some of the homes in Alabama were established especially for black children. Historical listings of children's homes show that, although institutions for white children were typically segregated by gender, homes for black children often housed both genders.

The Zimmer Memorial Home in Mobile was established for black children by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

A 2003 obituary for Sister Judith Lozowski, a nun who worked with children at Zimmer from 1960-'65 at the height of the Civil Rights movement, recounted this incident: "Sister Judith shared a story about an incident that occurred within days after the desegregation laws were initiated. Sister Judith planned an outing to take the teens and the younger children to the movies at a local theater. Previously, black persons had special showings of movies and could only attend at that time. Sister, however, decided to test the new law and take the group to an afternoon showing. Sister met with much personal difficulty in providing this simple enjoyment to the youth."

After a driver refused to transport the children and a ticket-seller refused tickets, Sister Judith and the children finally gained access, only to have white teens throw popcorn at the older Zimmer Home children. Her obituary said: "Though it was not the most comfortable experience, Sister Judith comforted the older youth afterwards, assuring them of their dignity and equality as children of God, human beings and American citizens, despite the struggles that they experienced and would most probably continue to experience in this new American era."

Why most orphanages closed and a historical listing

The institutional nature of orphan homes - lack of health care, both mental and physical; barracks-like dorms; overcrowding and underfunding - led to their reputations as providers of low standards of care.

The advent of federal- and state-sponsored initiatives such as foster-home programs reduced the need for institutional orphanages. From World War II through the 1960s, most orphanages in the U.S. closed, while remaining ones converted to boarding schools or group homes where children could receive more one-on-one attention. Today, several church-run group homes still operate in Alabama.

For those looking for information for genealogies or family histories, I've listed as many Alabama orphanages, reform schools and maternity homes as I could find, and gave dates if they were available.

Alabama Boys Industrial School. Reformatory school that operated in the East Lake area of Birmingham from 1909-1975.

The Alabama Odd Fellows Home in Cullman. Founded in 1910 by the Rebekah Assembly, International Order Odd Fellows. The building now in use as Childhaven.

Alabama Maternity and Infants Home in Mobile. Run by Sister Cephas of the Little Sisters of the Poor Mobile. Dates unknown, listed in 1921 report "Alabama Childhood."

Alabama Methodist Orphanage opened in 1890 in Summerfield and moved to Selma in 1911. Still operates as United Methodist Children's Home.

Alabama Masonic Home in Montgomery. Opened 1912 by the Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M. for "indigent master masons in good standing, and widows and orphans of deceased master masons;" both sexes admitted," according to the "History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, Volume 1."

Alabama Orphans Home of the Synod in Talladega. Dates unknown, listed in 1921 report "Alabama Childhood."

Allen Memorial Home in Mobile. This facility was a home for unwed mothers and orphans and is now a nursing home. According to its website: "The Daughters of Charity served at Allen Memorial Home since 1911, when it began operation as Alabama Maternity and Infant Home on Broad and St. Anthony Streets in the vacated original Providence Infirmary. It served as a maternity hospital for the general public and later became a home for unwed mothers. It was home to numerous orphaned and abandoned children, the first of whom was brought to the Sisters to be cared for on Christmas Eve, 1911." The facility is now located in the former Martin de Porres Hospital at Washington and Virginia streets.

Athenaeum Orphans Home in East Lake. A boarding school for girls built in 1890 became an orphanage when the school closed in 1900.

Catholic Boys' Home in Mobile.

Children's Protective Home. Dates unknown, listed in "Annual Report of the State Department of Public Welfare of Alabama: FY Ending 1935."

Colored Detention Home. Dates and location unknown, listed in "Annual Report of the State Department of Public Welfare of Alabama: FY Ending 1935."

Eliza Pollock Lipe Boys Home in Boaz. Dates unknown; information from post card.

Episcopal Church Home for Orphans in Mobile. Dates unknown, listed in "Annual Report of the State Department of Public Welfare of Alabama: FY Ending 1935."

Florence Crittenton Home in Mobile. Home for unwed mothers. Dates unknown, listed in 1921 report "Alabama Childhood."

Girls' Home for the Friendless, operated in East Lake beginning 1911. Name later changed to the Alabama Home of Refuge, a place for, according to the state Legislature, girls who were orphaned, daughters of alcoholics or prostitutes, who had been arrested or were prostitutes themselves, or who were vagrants. In 1915, the name was changed to the Alabama State Training School for Girls and moved to Pinson in 1918. It operated until 1973.

Home for Friendless Girls in Montgomery. Dates unknown, listed in 1921 report "Alabama Childhood."

Knights of Pythias Children's Home in Montgomery. Dates unknown; information from post card.

Lady Mary Maternity Home in Birmingham. Dates unknown, listed in "Annual Report of the State Department of Public Welfare of Alabama: FY Ending 1935."

Louise Short Baptist Widows and Orphans Home in Evergreen. Operated on Main Street from 1891 until 1923, when it was moved to Troy and called The Alabama Baptist Children's Home.

Lula Foster Home in Birmingham. Dates unknown, listed in "Annual Report of the State Department of Public Welfare of Alabama: FY Ending 1935."

Mercy Home, 11th Avenue and 22nd Street North, Birmingham. Founded in 1891 by the Women's Christian Temperance Union as a "refuge to unwed mothers and their babies, to abandoned babies and deserted or abused children, and to problem children."

Parental Home for Negro Children in Mobile. Dates unknown, listed in 1921 report "Alabama Childhood."

Parental School for Girls in Mobile. Dates unknown, listed in 1921 report "Alabama Childhood."

Presbyterian Children's Home in Talladega. Built for widows and orphans in the wake of the Civil War. The organization still operates and its website says the home provided "food and shelter, an education, and a foundation of faith in God." It opened in 1868.

Protestant Children's Home, also called Orphanage, in Mobile. Operated from 1840-1970 at 911 Dauphin Street, building still stands. It was built for children whose parents died in the 1839 yellow fever epidemic and run by the Protestant Orphan Asylum Society.

Salvation Army Rescue Home for Women. Home for unwed mothers in Birmingham, founded 1903 or 1904. At the home's dedication, Birmingham Judge N. B. Feagan, said: "I learned from Salvation Army officers stationed in Birmingham that during the past few years they have buried fourteen young women, twelve of these having taken their own lives. Of the twelve, I understand that four had begged to be carried to a Rescue Home, but there was no place for them."

St. Mary's Female Orphans Home in Mobile. Founded in 1838 and still operating as St. Mary's Home.

St. Mary's Industrial School and Orphanage for Boys in Mobile. Dates unknown, listed in 1921 report "Alabama Childhood."

Tuggle Institute in Birmingham. Founded by former slave Carrie Tuggle in 1903 for black children.

Wilmer Hall Children's Home in Mobile. Wilmer Hall was started in 1864 by Bishop Richard H. Wilmer, the second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. According to WilmerHall.org, "Wilmer saw the plight of Civil War orphans and planned a children's home for them in Mobile, Ala. Originally the home was located in Tuscaloosa, Ala. because of concerns of an attack on the port city from the Union Navy." The home was moved to Spring Hill and is still in operation at 3811 Old Shell Road in Mobile.

The Zimmer Memorial Home in Mobile. Established for black children by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

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