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].