CAMDEN NJ - Camden Home for Friendless Children

The Camden Home for Friendless Children was established in 1865. By the 1890s the institution had located at 915 Haddon Avenue in Camden NJ.

Mrs. Lucretia Read, the widow of Camden realtor William T. Read Sr., and mother of New Jersey State Senator William T. Read Jr., was very active in the affairs of the Home. She served on the Board of Managers, and eventually was elected President of that body. She was President Emeritus of the Board of Managers when she died in October 1936 qt the age of 83.

Shortly after World War II, in 1946, the name of the building was changed to the Camden Home for Children. The home, with its capacity of 56 children, eventually closed, due to age and growing needs. After being renamed the Camden Home for Children, the foundation operated in the 1960s and 1970s at Kaighn Avenue and Vesper Boulevard, a facility now used by the Camden Board of Education.

When the Camden Home for Friendless Children at 915 Haddon Avenue closed sometime in the 1960s, the building was razed, and the Camden branch of the Salvation Army built a new building which they presently occupy, at the Haddon Avenue address. The old building is gone, but 915 Haddon avenue is still an address that takes care of Camden's underprivileged children, as the Salvation Army has remained there.

In recent years, the Camden Home for Children organization has maintained offices at 216 Haddon Avenue, in Westmont NJ.

THE CAMDEN HOME FOR FRIENDLESS CHILDREN is an institution located on Haddon Avenue, above Mount Vernon, the object and design of which is to afford a home, food, clothing and schooling for destitute friendless children, and, at a suitable age, to place them with respectable families to learn some useful trade or occupation. The home was established and is conducted by a corporation. The charter, granted by the State Legislature, April 6, 1865, sets forth that "Whereas, a number of citizens of this State have formed an association for the laudable and benevolent purpose of educating and providing for friendless and destitute children; and whereas, the Legislature of this State is willing to encourage such purposes; therefore, Be it enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, that Matthew Newkirk, Elijah G. Cattell, James H. Stevens, George W.N. Custis, J. Earl Atkinson, Joseph C. De La Cour, Joseph D. Reinboth, Robert B. Potts, Jesse W. Starr, Edmund E. Read, John B. Graham, Benjamin H. Browning, Solomon M. Stimson, Philander C. Brinck, John Aikman, Thomas P. Carpenter, Elisha V. Glover, Thomas B. Atkinson, Isaac L. Lowe, Peter L. Voorhees, and their associates, be and they are hereby incorporated and made a body politic in law and fact, by the name, style and title of 'The Camden Home for Friendless Children.'"

Source Information: THE HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
by George. R. Prowell, Member Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
PHILADELPHIA: L.J. RICHARDS & CO. 1886

REMOVED TO HOSPITALS

The police ambulance removed the following residents of South Camden to the hospitals late on Saturday afternoon:

West Jersey Homeopathic- William Perry, aged 62 years, 1725 Fillmore Street; Albert Biron, 24 years old, 1108 Baring Street.

Cooper Hospital- Mrs. Edna Rosenfelt, aged 23 years, 575 Washington Street; Margaret Radcliffe and John Carella, inmates of Children's Home.

Camden Courier-Post
January 9, 1922

Camden Courier-Post * June 30, 1933

Bathing Season Opens at Home for Friendless

Youngsters at the Camden Home for Friendless Children yesterday attended "en masse" the opening of the wading pool at the home's playground. More than 50 of the "swimmers" are shown above as they, romped in the cooling waters.

Children at Camden Home Have Big Time in Wading Pool
Bathing Place, Given by Citizens Officially Opened
Four Youthful Charges, Left Motherless, to Return to Father

Bathing in the backyard is a privilege of the children of the Camden Home for Friendless Children that is enjoyed by few of the other youngsters in the city. Yesterday, 63 of the little charges of the institution romped and played in the newly opened wading pool in the home playground.

Built by contributions of residents of the city, the pool was officially opened yesterday for the first time this season to the delight of the children whose gay laughter and shouts resounded throughout the grounds.

The children, whose ages range from 4, to 12, finished their school term last Friday and are now on "vacation" during which time they are taken for sight-seeing trips and picnics by civic club groups and individuals.

Included among the recent outings given the children was a trip to the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens under auspices of the Camden Kiwanis Club. Plans are now complete for a picnic at Berlin Park under direction of Rev. George Yard and members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church.

Six of the children, some of whom have been at the home for more than six years, will leave the institution within the next few days. Four of those are returning to their father who was left with the motherless group upon the death of his wife:

Not all of the home inmates were among the "waders" at the pool yesterday. Five charges are but in fants who are occupants of the "baby house," and were unable to join the crowd.

The children who are under direction of Miss E. R. Schofield, superintendent of the home, apparently enjoy the period of vacation equally as much as youngsters whose parents take them to seashore or mountains, with the older children of the group acting as embryonic "dads" and mothers to the smaller inmates.

Camden Courier-Post - June 2, 1933

PYNE POYNT PLANS ALL-DAY 4TH PARTY
Program to Have 'Something' on Continuously, Day and Night

Plans for the thirty-third anniversary of the Pyne Poynt Athletic Association to be observed with an all day program at Pyne Poynt Park July 4 were discussed last night at a meeting in the Pyne Poynt Social Club, 929 North Fifth Street.

Among the features tentatively planned are a children's parade at 9.30 a. m., under the supervision of Isaac Kyler; memorial service at 11 a. m., under direction of William B. Sullender; sporting events for men, women and children to start at 1.30 p. m., under direction of Alfred J. Ross, Jr.; outdoor motion pictures starting at 9 p. m., under supervision of Robert J. Nelson and a dance in charge of Samuel G. Dickinson, Jr., starting 11t 10.30 p. m.

Committee chairmen chosen by Frank J. Hartmann, Jr., president, are: Grounds, Foster Willis; program, Otto E. Braun; police, Clifford Flennard; dancing, Samuel G. Dickinson, Jr.; first aid, Dr. Joseph E. Nowrey and William Hughes; transportation, Samuel J. Edwards; public speakers, William B. Sullender; motion pictures, Robert J. Nelson; decorations, Walter A. Reyno; sports, Alfred J. Ross, Jr.; ways and means, Frank J. Hartmann, Jr.; publicity, Walter S. Agin; parade marshal, Isaac Kyler; refreshments, George Washington Ash; light, William Hilton, and music, Frank Kelley.

Children of the Sheltering Arms Home, Home for Friendless Children and the Detention Home will be guests of the association during the day. Samuel J. Edwards will be in charge of their entertainment.

The association will meet again next Thursday night.

*Camden Courier-Post October 6, 1947**


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