Howard Colored Orphan Asylum facts for kids
The Howard Colored Orphan Asylum was a special orphanage. It was one of the few places like it that was run by and for African Americans. It was located in Weeksville, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. Weeksville was a historic community mainly for Black people.
The orphanage faced many challenges. It slowly got worse because it didn't have enough money. It finally closed in 1918. This happened after water pipes burst in cold weather. Two students got frostbite and needed their feet amputated.
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History of the Asylum
The Home for Freed Children and Others started in 1866. It was founded by Henry M. Wilson, a Black Presbyterian minister. Sarah A. Tillman, a Black widow, and General Oliver Otis Howard, a white general, also helped.
At first, it helped freedwomen who were new to the northern United States. They needed a place for their children while they looked for jobs. Sometimes, their children worked as indentured servants for families. This meant they worked for a family for a certain time. The children would get a small payment.
General Howard, who the orphanage was named after, gave some money. But mostly, Black Americans ran the orphanage. This was because Henry Wilson was part of the African Civilization Society. This group supported organizations and schools for Black people. By 1868, the orphanage had money problems because of how Wilson managed things.
In 1888, the orphanage changed its name. It became the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum. It also moved to Brooklyn. Rev. William Francis Johnson (c.1820-1903) became the new leader. He was a blind preacher who fought for equal rights.
Under Johnson, the orphanage often got money from Black churches and speakers. It also got more attention in the news. This created strong connections with the Black community. In the 1890s, the orphanage changed its focus. It stopped using the indentured servant system. Instead, it taught students practical skills. This was called industrial education. It prepared them for jobs, business, and farming.
The Hampton Institute suggested that most students should get this training. Booker T. Washington was asked to help get money from rich people. An extra building was built first. In 1899, a plan was made by Rufus L. Perry to build a school. It would be on land next to the orphanage, using money from the state.
In 1902, it was found that Johnson had managed the orphanage's money poorly. This led to an investigation. Johnson left the orphanage after this. The board of directors then changed. It included more white men, instead of mostly Black Americans and women. This change was suggested to help get more white donors. Rev. Powhattan E. Bagnall was chosen as the new leader.
Ota Benga's Story
In September 1906, a man named Ota Benga from Congo was at the Bronx Zoo. He was about 23 years old. Many Black leaders, including James H. Gordon, the orphanage's superintendent, were upset about this.
By September 29, Benga was moved to the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum. He was given his own room. He was treated as a visitor there.
Howard Orphanage and Industrial School
In 1908, the institution changed its name again. It became the Howard Orphanage and Industrial School. A white Quaker named L. Hollingsworth Wood became its president.
In 1910, the State Board of Charities checked the Brooklyn location. They found it was not safe and had unclean conditions. So, the orphanage moved. It was called the "Tuskegee of the North." In 1911, 250 children moved from Brooklyn. They went to a 572-acre (231 ha) farm in Kings Park, Long Island. Here, they could learn practical skills.
The farm used to be two large farms. It was once used for a similar project for Jewish people. That project aimed to help them move from tailoring to farming. But it didn't work out. When the Howard Orphanage moved there, it planned to use four existing cottages. These would house 200 children. They hoped to build more cottages for up to 1,000 students if they got enough money. In 1913, Booker T. Washington visited the school. He wrote good things about his visit.
Closure and Legacy
By the mid-1910s, the orphanage needed more money again. More people were moving north for work during World War I. This meant more orphans needed a home. In 1917, a group was formed to raise $100,000. This group included George Foster Peabody, Oswald Garrison Villard, and W.E.B. DuBois.
However, by the end of the year, they couldn't get the money. It was hard to raise funds during the war. Not enough money and war shortages meant the orphanage had little coal. They also couldn't fix broken pipes when it froze.
In January 1918, pipes froze and burst. Two students got severe frostbite and needed their feet amputated. After this, the Commissioner of Charities, Victor F. Ridder, closed the institution. Ridder accused the institution of not being careful. But a grand jury in Suffolk County decided the asylum was not guilty of negligence. The farm then became property of W.P. Anderson. He was the Commissioner of Agriculture for Russia. He turned it into a farming school for Russian boys.
After it closed, the trustees used the remaining money. They paid for Black students' tuition in Brooklyn. In 1956, it was renamed the Howard Memorial Fund.
See also
In Spanish: Orfanato de color Howard para niños
