Area of
studies.
For my area
of study, I have chosen to focus on how I can improve the interior spaces of
orphanages. That's why my history development is based on orphanages.
Orphanage
“Orphanage”
- is an institute caring for children
who have lost their parents, been abandoned, abused or have a lack of proper
care.
There are
many types of orphanages, such as, private, religious and Government based
Orphanages.
In the past,
parents of children born out of wedlock where often forced to put their child
in an orphanage. Possibly because of the shame of baring children out of
wedlock or they would be so poor they couldn't afford to feed him.
In the 25th
century, there were more than 200 million orphans around the world. These
included children that were forced to leave their homes because of war,
refugees and natural disasters. Other children that were forced to be soldiers.
Some were registered with an orphanage/institute, while others were likely to
be living in the streets.
These
circumstances have greatly improved, so that orphaned children could find a
suitable home, hopefully to experience the love and caring they have never had
and help them through their tragic past.
In general
History
Children's
homes have existed since the middle ages (A.D. 500-1500). The cities, towns or
churches provided homes for the homeless children. First orphanage was in North
America in Natchez, Mississippi, that was build in 1729 by Roman Catholic Nuns.
After the Indians killed a huge number of adults.
The first
"State Home for Dependent and Neglected Children" post-civil war
public orphanages in the United States, was founded in 1884. It was previously
known as "Walnut Grove Dorm." The original purpose was to provide
care for abandoned children dependent on the states for help.
Up to that
time, large institutions called “Almshouses” provided primary factors for
children that were abandoned or poor, and weren't able to get into a small,
privately sponsored orphanage. The Almshouses incurred Public criticism,
because of the poor conditions that these houses were in. Some children were in
danger because other residents included adults that had committed crimes or had
physical or mental issues.
In the
beginning of the “state home” it was regarded as a "state of art facility”
because it was designed to address more than the basic physical needs of
children.
In the
united states in the 1830’s, they had 23 orphanages and in the 1850s, 27
orphanages where in New York alone. At that time the conditions of these
orphanages horrendous when comparing them to nowadays.
Research
shows that some orphanages during that time had health issues such as cholera,
tuberculosis and influenza. They were also dealing with wars, influx of immigrants
into a particular geographical area, growing urbanisation, and poor economic
times.
Philadelphia's
house of refugees orphanage had 100 orphans contained in four dormitories.
Some of the
orphanages kept children’s behaviour in line by treated them as solders.
"They drilled the orphans, put them on a parade, and had them march to
meals."
In 1916, New
York states government commission inspected the orphanage where they found
child abuse scandals such as cutting children's hair really short, sitting on wooden
benches and eating from tin plates. Some of them didn't even eat.
In homes the
parents wanted to teach the children to be eager for work, so they made them take care for the field. When these children returned back from work they attended
public schooling, and some basic factors needed to be met by the family.
It was found
that the children were working eight or more hours a day and only doing one
hour of school work.
Nowadays
child abuse has decreased due to education and awareness, however, there is still
some child abuse happening in orphanages.
In the
1930's, administration turned large institutes into small cottages. These where
built to make it a more family environment, supervised by "cottage
parents." The Children had the opportunity to have academic schooling and
achieve practical skills, like working in the field placed at the Home.
This was the
beginning of welfare where the government gave other options for orphanages
like "foster care and widow's pensions." Government paid mothers to
help their children at home.
The children
placed in the State Homes were not all orphans. A child could have been
placed there because their parents couldn't give them a better life due to
their financial situation. Then there where cases such as illness, child abuse,
the lack of housing problems, unemployment and abandonment.
The “placing
out” is when children don't live in an institutional environment but where
families provide a more permanent home. The children could experience a
family environment. Agencies would pay the families to take care of the
children. This was introduced in 1912. It was eliminated in 1919 but then the
Rhode Island Penal and Charitable Commission came up with a newly formed
placing out program for all vulnerable children in the state. This placement
program was a prototype for the nowadays “foster care” system, run by the Rhode
Island Department of Children, Youth and Families.
The State
Home underwent numerous physical changes during its existence. Originally the
Home was situated on 80 acres of land. Its physical structures consisted of a
stone farmhouse (now known as the Forman Centre), two wooden cottages, and a
barn. The first year it housed 27 children and was staffed by 8 people. By 1900
the Home had grown considerably. Four residential cottages were built and the
farmhouse was expanded to allow for a dining room, a bakery, a dormitory, a
classroom, and a boiler house. A two-story schoolhouse with three classrooms
and an auditorium for religious services and entertainment was also built. In
addition, a well, a pond for cutting ice, a laundry, and a hospital cottage
were constructed. By the late 1900’s the Home housed 125 children and employed
21 staff members.
This was a
basic information about the history of orphanages during the years. Although
orphanages improved with time, there is still more to improve.
Reference:
Rhode Island
statehomeandschool, History of the Home. [online] Available at: <
http://www.ric.edu/statehomeandschool/historyHome.html> [Accessed 12
December 2016].
new world
encyclopedia, Orphanage. [online] Available at: <
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Orphanage> [Accessed 12 December
2016].
slideshare,
2010. history-of-orphanages. [online] Available at: < http://www.slideshare.net/michellemoon67/history-of-orphanages>
[Accessed 12 December 2016].
