History

  

"The cause of the orphan is one which appeals to every sympathy of the heart – cast upon the wide world, cold and friendless, with none to care for or sympathise (sic) in its wants – what object so successfully pleads for our sympathy, or claim our patronage." – The First Annual Report of the Ladies Protestant Orphan Association, 1835

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Ann M. Perry and the other 15 founding women of the St. Louis Association for the Relief of Orphan Children met for the first time in 1834, they couldn’t have imagined Edgewood Children’s Center today. These kind-hearted women responded to the first cholera epidemic in St. Louis, which broke out in 1832. It was common for pioneers and immigrants to arrive in St. Louis aboard a steamboat from New Orleans, contract cholera and die, leaving children and babies without money or relatives to care
for them.

 

Edgewood's history closely mirrors significant transitions and major themes in American history-westward expansion, the challenges of urbanization, growth of a river city, the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and the "underground railroad."

Alarmed by the number of frightened, homeless children roaming the streets, a group of concerned St. Louis women, led by Ann Perry, banded together and met at the Second Presbyterian Church in downtown St. Louis on December 22, 1834. At this meeting they adopted a constitution and bylaws, and what we know today as Edgewood Children’s Center was born. By March of 1835, they had been granted a charter by the State of Missouri. Enoch Henry Williams was the very first child who was taken in.

 

The St. Louis Protestant Orphan Asylum (the name changed in 1853) grew to a population of 59 children by 1857 and became surrounded by city dwellings, with few trees or play areas, and the board began to talk of finding a more suitable atmosphere for the children. In 1869, the Rock House and surrounding acreage were purchased to move the children ou t of the city and away from the influence of disease and poverty. In 1943, at the children’s request, the organization’s name was officially changed to Edgewood Children's Center.

 

 

From the beginning, Edgewood was at the forefront of programs that were flexible and ready to meet the changing needs of children and their families. A 1955 merger with the Forest Park Children's Center reflected changes in the type of children referred to Edgewood – children causing disruptions in home and school, children needing more treatment-oriented services, and children displaying signs of severe emotional disorders. A 1978 merger with The Girls' Industrial Home for the first time brought adolescent girls to the campus. In 1998, Childhaven joined Edgewood, expanding its special education commitment to include children on the autism spectrum. Guided by compassion and professionalism, Edgewood's staff has always been dedicated to nurturing and educating children in a safe, loving environment. 

 

Click here to see photos from Edgewood's 175 years of history.