Orphaned By Epidemic, Children Call Washington Park Home
South Side
Throughout the 1800s, Chicago suffered sporadic epidemics of Cholera and other diseases that killed thousands. A need arose in the growing city to find care for orphaned children.
In 1849, the Chicago Orphan Asylum was established to address this need. Influential men made up the Asylum's board, and the daily operations were managed by a board of prominent Chicago women. The Asylum operated for over 60 years in several locations, beginning with small rented houses near the Loop.
The Chicago Orphan Asylum moved to a new large campus in 1899 located in the Washington Park neighborhood. The building complex was designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, the architects behind the Art Institute and Chicago Cultural Center, and is now designated a Chicago Landmark.
Reformers in the twentieth century, such as Jane Addams, criticized large institutional orphanages for their impersonal and often overcrowded accommodations. The Chicago Orphan Asylum reformed its mission and began moving children in its care into smaller, homelike arrangements. The few remaining residents of the Asylum moved to a rented house in the nearby Kenwood neighborhood in 1931.
The Chicago Orphan Asylum released Annual reports, which are now preserved in the collections of the Center for Research Libraries.
