Finding aid to the Edgewood Records,
1851-1959
SFH 29
Finding aid prepared by Pennington Ahlstrand, with Barb Heddy, Stacia Fink and Mary Gentry in 2001. Revised by Wendy Kramer
in 2012.
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA, 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
2003, revised 2012
Title: Edgewood Records
Date (inclusive): 1851-1959
Collection Identifier: SFH 29
Identifier/Call Number: SFH 29
Creator:
Edgewood (San Francisco, Calif. : Orphanage).
Physical Description:
8 cartons, 32 boxes, 6 plastic bins
(approx. 30.0 cubic feet)
Contributing Institution:
San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4567
info@sfpl.org
Abstract: Annual reports, board minutes, admission and discharge records, indenture and adoption files, correspondence, administrative
and financial records, property and maintenance records, and photographs of children, staff, buildings, activities, and events
for the San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum, which became Edgewood. The collection also includes some annual reports and
a small amount of ephemera from the San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children that were acquired by Edgewood.
Physical Location: The collection is stored offsite.
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in
English.
Access
The collection is available for use during San Francisco History Center hours, with photographs available during Photo Desk
hours. Collections that are stored offsite should be requested 48 hours in advance.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Edgewood Records (SFH 29), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Provenance
Gift from Edgewood Center for Children and Families, Sept. 20, 2003.
Related Materials at San Francisco History Center
Related files in the San Francisco History Center may be found in the San Francisco Ephemera Collection under "SF Buildings.
Edgewood Orphanage." Some annual reports of San Francisco orphan societies are available in the San Francisco History Stacks,
searchable in the library's online catalog.
Related Archival Materials at Other Institutions
Photographs of some of the early San Francisco Orphan Asylum Managers may be found at the California Historical Society; and
photographs of early orphanages at the Society of California Pioneers.
Materials Transferred
Photographs have been transferred to the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.
Processing Information note
Collection processed by Pennington Ahlstrand, with help from Barb Heddy, Stacia Fink and Mary Gentry. Completed May 2001.
Organizational History
Edgewood, currently known as Edgewood Center for Children and Families, was the first children's services agency in San Francisco.
Founded by the San Francisco Orphan Asylum Society in 1851 as the San Francisco Orphan Asylum (SFOA), it has undergone many
name changes and several alterations in mission and function over the years. In 1862, in order to distinguish it from other
agencies then in existence, its name was changed to San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum (SFPOA). In 1944, encouraged by
popular parlance of the children, the name was officially changed to Edgewood. Over the years, the institution evolved from
being an orphanage to a home additionally serving children and adolescents with problem family situations; and in 1951, it
became a residential treatment program for teenagers. In subsequent years outside of the scope of this collection, Edgewood
has also provided day treatment, educational services, and services to children and adults with learning disabilities. It
has occupied several sites and campuses throughout the city.
San Francisco Orphan Asylum (SFOA) was founded in 1851 to help a group of siblings orphaned by cholera en route to San Francisco,
probably from Australia. The Reverend Albert Williams and his wife hosted meetings in late January and early February of 1851
at the 1st Presbyterian Church. The ladies who attended the meetings agreed to found the San Francisco Orphan Asylum Society.
Although the originating meetings were held at the Presbyterian Church, the orphanage was never affiliated with any specific
denomination. ln 1854, the motto "Feed My Lambs" was adopted and incorporated into the official seal of the Society, which
was used until 1920.
The Board of Managers of the SFOA were all women until 1958, and the first elected Managers were Mrs. A. Williams, Mrs. S.H.
Will(e)y, Mrs. Emily A. Warren, Mrs. Harriet Boring, Mrs. Elizabeth A. Waller, Mrs. C.V. Gillespie, Mrs. Dub(b)s, Mrs. Taylor,
Mrs. Joyce and Mrs. O.C. Wheeler. Many other women attended meetings and served on committees for the Society. For legal reasons,
the Managers appointed three gentlemen to hold property in trust for the SFOA, and the first Trustees were Charles Gilman,
Stephen Franklin and Daniel L. Ross. The first matron was Mrs. Wilson, and Dr. Coit was the on-call physician.
On March 12, 1851, nine children moved into the orphanage's first home, a prefabricated cottage in Happy Valley. The cottage
had been imported from Boston by Mr. W.D.M. Howard and the "family" lived there rent-free for three months. The children ranged
in age from 3 to 12 years. Elizabeth Dodds, Agnes Dodds, Charles Dodds and Henry Bacon were siblings, as were Robert & Eliza
Plumbridge and Margaret, Patrick & Agnes Ward. (Spelling of names varied from document to document.) More children were admitted
to the orphanage within days as the Managers visited assigned areas of the City, inquiring about children in need of aid.
Most of the children were not actually orphans. Many were half-orphans (one parent was deceased), and in later years, they
were children of "broken homes" or other problem family situations. By 1852, there were 26 children in the orphanage and the
family clearly needed a new, larger home, so they moved a short distance to a house owned by General Halleck in Pleasant Valley.
General Halleck refused to accept rent for the use of the home.
The Board of Managers heard about land in San Francisco that was available through public auction. For $100, they purchased
property considered to be far beyond the City limits and basically in the middle of nowhere. Within a few years, the City
grew up around the orphanage, which was located on a two-block lot bounded by Haight, Buchanan, Hermann and Laguna Streets.
(In 2001, this site was occupied by the University of California Extension building and campus.) Legend has it that Haight
and Waller Streets are named for Mrs. Haight and Mrs. Waller, both prominent San Franciscans who served on the SFOA Board
of Managers for a time. The orphanage would be located on Haight Street from 1854 to 1919.
The Managers funded the purchase of this property and the intial construction of the building by canvassing door-to-door throughout
San Francisco, sometimes collecting up to $1000 per day. The Managers had to borrow $5000 at 10% interest to complete construction
of the building. On March 22, 1854, the children moved from Pleasant Valley to the new building, "located near Mission Dolores."
It was a two-story dormitory-style building built of stone quarried from the site of the old Mint and carted free of charge
by the Spring Valley Water Company. In addition to the children, the residents included a matron (and sometimes her husband
and children), a nurse and a teacher. As the number of residents grew, so too would the number of staff. The children were
schooled at the orphanage from 1854 to 1897. Before and after this period, they attended local public schools.
When the Society was first founded, the Managers raised awareness by placing an article in the
Alta California and raised money for operating expenses by requesting donations from local Protestant churches, encouraging regular "subscription"
donations and requesting board for half-orphans when the parent or friends of a child could afford it. An August 1852 meeting
of the Managers reports a charity concert by Signora Biscaccianti, probably at the Jenny Lind Theatre. The Managers were very
concerned with propriety and would refuse money raised in inappropriate ways, such as through the purchase of raffle tickets.
As the reputation of the orphanage grew, community leaders and clergy from other areas (Nevada, Sacramento), would ask the
Managers to admit children from their region. The Managers refused "without some appropriation being made for their support."
Managers discontinued requesting money from San Francisco citizens, relying instead on government funding, in-kind donations
and bequests.
Finally, in 1855, SFOA received a grant of $5000 from the State of California to help with the expenses of the children, who
were often wards of the State. In 1860, SFOA received another $6000 from the State, and this money was used to enlarge the
building. In 1862, the SFOA re-incorporated and changed its name to San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum (SFPOA) to distinguish
it from other children's agencies that were in existence. In 1861, SFPOA had received the title to a building and the lot
on Montgomery between Jackson and Pacific Streets. The building had served as the Sansome Hook & Ladder Company, and the lot
was owned by James Lick. The building and lot were sold to raise money, and the resulting funds were used to construct what
became known as the "Sansome" wing of the orphanage in 1863.
In 1865, the Managers noted that very few of the children living at SFPOA were actually from San Francisco. Because of this,
the Managers continued their policy of not soliciting donations from the local populace and continued requesting funds from
the State. While the Managers refused to actively request money from the people of San Francisco after the home on Haight
Street was built, they did continue to accept "subscriptions" -- a regular annual donation -- and donations in many forms.
Many of the names of people who contributed to SFPOA over the years are familiar still -- Levi Strauss, Eadweard Muybridge,
H.H. Bancroft, Mrs. Stanford, Mrs. Crocker, Adolf Sutro, John McLaren, Bruce Porter, Spreckels, Milton Bradley, Mrs. Dean
Witter, James Phelan, Gabriel Moulin, James Flood and Lillie H. Coit. The children who lived at SFPOA were fondly remembered
by philanthropists and merchants alike. The children were given trips to the movies, circuses, the Mid-Winter Fair of 1893,
the Pan-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, Mt. Tamalpais, Sutro Baths, the Chutes, a wide variety of concerts and other
events. For decades, the children were allowed to ride the Muni streetcars and the merry-go-round at Golden Gate Park free
of charge. By 1913, Mr. Scott Southwork came by once a week to give children rides in his motorcar.
The Managers were heavily involved in the lives of the children. A Visiting Committee regularly inspected the orphanage building
and occupants, observing the children's health, manners, clothing, cleanliness, lessons and the methods used by Matrons and
teachers in handling the children. When necessary, the Managers themselves helped the Matron-- for example, by mending the
children's clothes during their board meetings. And when Elizabeth Dodds (the first orphan admitted to the orphanage) left
to learn the dressmaking trade, the Managers presented her with $50 to help her on her way.
The Managers also decided which children to accept for admission to the orphanage. They investigated the habits and health
of parents, whether living or dead. They thoroughly researched couples requesting to adopt children or take them for indenture,
often checking references and asking neighbors about the applicant's character. Even after a child was sent for adoption or
indenture, the Managers checked on the child once a year, ensuring that the child was receiving education, food, clothing
and a generally appropriate upbringing. By 1867, new guardians had to sign a contract, specifying the terms of the indenture
or adoption. Even when a parent returned to remove their own child from the orphanage, the Managers checked on the parent's
financial situation and living accommodations to be sure that a child would be well-cared for. It was not unusual for children
to be repeatedly admitted to the orphanage over the course of a few years.
The number of children living at the orphanage on Haight Street grew from a couple dozen to 300 in later years. The children
were divided by age and gender and lived dormitory-style in large rooms. Reports indicate that the Hayes Valley neighbors
enjoyed having the children in the area, and the orphans socialized with the local children. After the children began attending
the public schools in the late 1890s, it was not unusual for the neighborhood children to play in the orphanage garden with
their friends. At the home, the children were allowed to have small garden plots, to keep a dog or cat, or sometimes tend
chickens and other animals at the orphanage. The older boys learned the Sloyd method of woodworking skills and the girls learned
cooking and sewing. Children were expected to do their homework, do chores as assigned, and some children took drawing, dancing
or music lessons. During the Spanish-American War, the boys became fascinated with military practices and formed their own
marching regiment with uniforms. The girls did calisthenics and made articles of clothing for needy people. One year the girls
made and dressed several dozen "Chinese" dolls and donated them to the Red Cross.
A diphtheria outbreak in 1902 necessitated a quarantine of the children for several months. Morale declined severely when
the orphans were not allowed to see their school chums nor play with neighbor children. The Managers were very concerned about
this and arranged a camping trip at Armstrong's Grove near Guerneville. They memorialized this summer outing as "Camp Alvord"
when Mrs. Mary E. Alvord, then President of the Board of Managers, suddenly passed away. This was not the first time the children
had been away from the City during the summer, but this "camp" was so successful that it was decided that the orphanage should
make this an annual event. A bequest enabled the Managers to purchase land in Rancho EI Rio, near Alamo and Danville in Contra
Costa County. The orphans attended "Camp Swain" (named for Ann T. Swain) from 1911 to 1946, when the property was sold. (Some
of the original SFPOA camp structures are still standing on the land, which is now a park.)
In the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906, devastation was everywhere. Orphanages were no exception. Everyone escaped the building
unharmed. (Some records and ledgers that were kept at Managers' homes were lost in the Fire; but the orphanage itself, being
west of Van Ness, was not destroyed, and that is why this collection exists.) The building was damaged but repaired by November.
In the meantime, the children lived for a few weeks in the State Normal School, located on the southern half of the orphanage
property, which had just been leased to the State of Califorma. Later, the children were sent to Petaluma, where they reportedly
lived in the stables near Kenilworth Pavilion at the county fairgrounds.
In 1910, Mr. Ginn arranged a legacy to pay for boys to attend the Lick/Wilmerding vocational schools. Some fifty-five boys
from SFPOA served in the military during World War I. The Managers tried to stay in touch with children who left the orphanage
to make their way in the world. In poor economic times, they encouraged the former residents to return to the orphanage rather
than suffer the embarrassment of bread lines, etc. Many alumni returned for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday parties. Sometimes
they had younger siblings who still lived at the orphanage and other times they were interested in mentoring or helping orphans
themselves. By 1926, at least two former residents graduated from the local high school and went on to college--a boy to California
College of Arts & Crafts and a girl to nursing school.
By 1919, the orphanage building on Haight Street was no longer habitable. The repairs done after the Earthquake and the age
of the building were conspiring to make the children homeless until the Managers negotiated a deal to rent the Maria Kip Orphanage
until SFPOA could build a new facility. The Kip home was located at 7th Ave and Lake Street, near the Presidio. The Kip children
went to an affiliated home while SFPOA occupied their building. After much deliberation, the Managers decided to sell the
Haight Street property and build a new orphanage elsewhere in San Francisco. The Haight property was sold to the State of
California, which had been leasing it since 1905. None of the Managers could bring themselves to attend the razing of the
old Orphanage building.
SFPOA ended up being in the Kip Orphanage for five years. It was a difficult time for the staff and administrators. The Kip
home was much smaller and arranged differently, with a yard that did not allow for the gardens and play areas the children
had had at the old home. Sloyd and sewing classes were halted for lack of space. The older children were allowed to go to
thc YMCA and the YWCA for recreation. At this time they also started a Boy Scout Troop and a Girls' Friendly Society. There
was a great deal of personnel turnover during these years, and the Managers were trying new procedures in managing the home,
including having a Superintendent instead of a Matron. Many of the new procedures were due to the fact that the State of California,
and the City and County of San Francisco began regulating social services agencies more heavily. Enormous amounts of documentation
were required when applying for financial aid for any child, and SFPOA had 80-120 children in residence. Admissions often
came from the San Francisco Juvenile Court. Reports and forms had to be completed and sent in regularly. Officials came to
visit and inspect the orphanage and could withhold funds from agencies that were not adhering to new standards. The Managers
also re-incorporated as the San Francisco Protestant Orphanage Society in 1920.
As the Managers explored available real estate, they also researched the styles and methods of other orphanages. They visited
the Pacific Hebrew Orphanage in San Francisco and a dozen other institutions in California. In 1923, the Managers negotiated
the purchase of a 10-acre property on Vicente Street in the Parkside District of San Francisco (the property abuts what is
now Stern Grove). They also decided that instead of building another dormitory-style institution, they would adopt the cottage
system for SFPOA, similar to that of the Pacific Hebrew Orphanage. The cottage system was intended to better simulate family
life for children who were separated by choice or chance from their parents and other family members.
On the new campus, there were six cottages, an administration building and a laundry building. In 1951, a Recreation building
would be added. Each cottage housed up to 20 children and a cottage mother. The rooms were big and airy. Each child had her
or his own closet. There was a living room, kitchen and dining room in each cottage. The buildings were designed by Bliss
& Faville, and constructed by Lindgren & Swinerton. John McLaren offered to move vegetation from the old orphanage site to
the new campus. By the time the children moved into the new orphanage, the neighborhood was being settled. Streets had been
graded, street lights installed, streetcar routes added to service that part of town, and some sidewalks had been installed.
An oral history interview with a former resident revealed that the children actually walked to their new school on a boardwalk
for a time.
Great care was taken in deciding how to divide the children into the cottages. Most of the time siblings were housed together,
but it was to the orphanage's benefit to segregate the older boys into a cottage of their own. The children were allowed to
visit any cottage and play with any other children, and there was some friendly competition between cottages. The children
continued to spend their summers at Camp Swain.
The staff and teenagers of SFPOA noticed that some of the children were embarrassed about being called "orphans," either because
of social stigma or because they did have parents--only about 6% of the children were actually orphans. For psychological
benefit, the children of each cottage were invited to designate a name to replace the cottage's original number. Even seven
decades later, the cottages are called Lane Hall, Dimond Cottage, Stow Hall, Halleck Hall, Pine Lodge, and Williams Cottage.
As early as 1930, the children began calling their home "Edgewood," and in 1944 the name was officially changed. Sometimes
the children referred to themselves as "P.O. kids."
At Edgewood, life for the children was very similar to regular family life. Each child was expected to perform chores according
to his or her abilities, they could do extra work to earn pocket money, they had bicycles and pets, they played basketball
and baseball in the park with the neighborhood children. Edgewood children went to school, did homework, participated in scouting
activities, went to dances, hosted parties in the gymnasium, exchanged gifts and took photographs of each other. Camp Swain
was "self-governing" in that the children elected a "mayor" to be in charge of planned activitics throughout the summer.
During the Depression, children stayed an average of 35 months at Edgewood. When other orphanages closed, some of those children
were sent to Edgewood. Some children were admitted to Edgewood for the summer months only, so they never lived at the Vicente
campus as the children were at Camp Swain for vacation.
In 1948, a group of women got together and founded the Edgewood Auxiliary. Volunteer fundraising and assistance groups had
been started at least twice before, circa 1883 and 1923, but these women were determined to make a profound difference in
the lives of Edgewood children. In the first ten years, the Auxiliary took the children to the Ice Follies, threw bridal showers
for young Edgewood brides, bought a school bus to facilitate transportation to and from special events, hired a tutor for
children who needed help with schoolwork, decorated the recreation room, funded birthday parties for the children, paid for
hot lunches, gave gifts to those children graduating from high school, and purchased flashlights for the children to have
at Camp Swain, a television set, an encyclopedia and sports equipment. The Auxiliary made sure that Edgewood celebrated its
centennial in 1951 with a great deal of media attention. The Auxiliary hosted annual fundraising events such as the Garden
Fair and the Crystal Ball.
In 1951, Edgewood officially changed from a child-care agency to a residential treatment program for emotionally-disturbed
children, mostly teenagers. In 1964, the residential day treatment program was initiated, with a focus on younger children
and their families. Edgewood programs continued to change and grow over the years. Other programs that Edgewood sponsored
during this time were: the Edgewood Learning Center, an intensive assessment and treatment program for learning disabled children
and adults;a day-treatment program, a fully-independent non-public school; the Primary Intervention Program in San Francisco
public schools; a sub-acute unit that is a fully-accredited alternative to psychiatric hospitalization; a diagnostic shelter
care program; Parents Helping Parents; Grandpatents Who Care; and Therapeutic Foster Care. For a time, Edgewood was open only
to boys of a certain age (the age group changed several times), but was again coeducational by 1979. In 1980, the Lucinda
Weeks Center merged with Edgewood. In 1998, Edgewood won the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award for its Kinship
Support Network, which started in 1995. In 2001, Edgewood has three campuses: the original Vicente campus, the Kinship Support
Network on Rhode Island Street near Pacific Bell Park, and the East Palo Alto campus.
Scope and Contents
The San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum (SFPOA) / Edgewood records contain listings of children admitted to and discharged;
the minutes and annual reports created by the Board of Managers; photographs of children, staff, buildings, and events; and
administrative records of the institution. Included are documents regarding all facets of management of an institution: personnel,
taxes, construction and building repair, supply of foodstuffs and other goods, transportation of children and staff, entertainment,
schooling, contact with parents and guardians, financial obligations, endowments, investments and legacies.
In 2001, Edgewood celebrated its sesquicentennial, and the institution maintains the records created since 1958. For privacy
reasons, Edgewood has closed all files of children admitted to the institution and maintains them securely onsite. An index
to a major portion of Edgewood's files is available for genealogical purposes, but interested parties would have to contact
Edgewood for further information. Edgewood also has a small historical exhibit.
Also included in the collection are records of the San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children, San Francisco Female Hospital
and San Francisco Foundling Home. Exact provenance of these items is unknown, but it is assumed that these homes sent their
residents and records to SFPOA/Edgewood when they closed.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into two record groups: Record Group 1: San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum / Edgewood; and Record
Group 2: San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children. Record Group 1 is arranged in seven series: Series 1: Board of Managers;
Series 2: Records of Children; Series 3: General Administrative Files; Series 4: Finances; Series 5: Property and Maintenance;
Series 6: Publications; and Series 7: Photographs. Record Group 2 is arranged in three series: Series 1: Annual Reports;
Series 2: Adoption Papers; and Series 3: Ephemera.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children.
San Francisco Orphan Asylum.
San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum.
Adolescent psychotherapy -- Residential treatment -- California -- San Francisco.
Children -- Institutional care -- California -- San Francisco.
Orphanages -- California -- San Francisco.
San Francisco (Calif.)--Social conditions
Record Group 1
San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum / Edgewood,
1851-1958
Physical Description:
8 cartons, 31 boxes, 6 plastic bins
Arrangement
Organized into seven series: Series 1: Board of Managers; Series 2: Records of Children; Series 3: General Administrative
Files; Series 4: Finances; Series 5: Property and Maintenance; Series 6: Publications; and Series 7: Photographs.
Series 1
Board of Managers,
1851-1957
Physical Description:
Document boxes 1-2, 4-7, Folder 1; Legal box 2, Folders 12-13
(5 boxes, 3 folders)
Arrangement
Arranged in three subseries: 1.1: Minutes; 1.2: Annual Reports; and 1.3: Miscellaneous Business Documents.
Subseries 1.1
Minutes,
1851-1930
Physical Description:
Document boxes 4-6, Doc box 7, Folder 1
(3 boxes, 1 folder)
Document-box 4, Folder 1
Constitution, By-Laws & Minutes of the Proceedings of the San Francisco Orphan Asylum Society (Liber A),
1851-1861
Document-box 4, Folder 2
Revised constitution, revised by-laws & minutes (Liber B),
1861-1867
Document-box 4, Folder 3
Revised constitution, revised by-laws & minutes (Liber C),
1867-1875
Document-box 4, Folder 4
Revised constitution, revised by-laws & minutes (Liber D),
1875-1882
Document-box 4, Folder 5
Revised constitution & minutes (Liber E),
1882-1889
Document-box 5, Folder 1
Minutes (Liber F),
1889-1894
Document-box 5, Folder 2
Minutes (Liber G),
1894-1898
Document-box 5, Folder 3
Minutes (Liber H),
1898-1902
Document-box 5, Folder 4
Minutes (Liber I),
1902-1905
Document-box 6, Folder 1
Minutes (Liber J),
1905-1907
Document-box 6, Folder 2
Minutes (Liber K),
1907-1910
Document-box 6, Folder 3
Minutes (Liber L),
1910-1915
Document-box 6, Folder 4
Minutes (Liber M),
1915-1918
Document-box 7, Folder 1-7
Minutes, (typewritten, from a post-bound notebook),
1919-1930
Subseries 1.2
Annual reports,
1851-1941
Physical Description:
Document boxes 1 and 2
(2 boxes)
Document-box 1, Folder 1
Annual Reports, bound in 1 volume,
1851-1870
Document-box 1, Folder 2
Annual Reports, bound in 1 volume,
1871-1891
Document-box 1, Folder 3
Annual Reports, bound in 1 volume,
1892-1910
Document-box 2, Folder 10
Document-box 2, Folder 11
Document-box 2, Folder 12
Document-box 2, Folder 13
Document-box 2, Folder 14
Document-box 2, Folder 15
Document-box 2, Folder 16
Document-box 2, Folder 17
Document-box 2, Folder 18
Document-box 2, Folder 19
Document-box 2, Folder 20
Document-box 2, Folder 21
Document-box 2, Folder 22
Annual report drafts,
1930-1931
Document-box 2, Folder 23
Document-box 2, Folder 24
Document-box 2, Folder 25
83rd & 84th Annual Reports,
1934-1935
Document-box 2, Folder 26
85th & 86th Annual Reports,
1935-1936
Document-box 2, Folder 27
87th & 88th Annual Reports,
1937-1938
Document-box 2, Folder 28
89th & 90th Annual Reports,
1939-1940
Document-box 2, Folder 29
Miss Stow's handwritten draft of the 90th Annual Report,
1941
Document-box 2, Folder 30
Miss Stow's typescript draft of the 90th Annual Report,
1941
Subseries 1.3
Miscellaneous business documents
1860-1957
Physical Description:
Document box 7; Legal box 2, Folders 12-13
(1 box, 2 folders)
Document-box 7, Folders 9-10
List of fees, G.W. Haight,
1897-1898
Document-box 7, Folder 11
Opinion on status of Board of Trustees,
1898
Document-box 7, Folder 12
Board of Managers correspondence,
1919
Document-box 7, Folder 13
Articles of Incorporation,
1920
Document-box 7, Folder 14
Letter from Elizabeth Watt Campbell,
1921
Document-box 7, Folder 15
Resignation letter from Louise de Voe Brickell,
1925
Document-box 7, Folder 16
Resignation letter from Nellie Stow,
1934
Document-box 7, Folder 17
Promotional booklet,
1946
Document-box 7, Folder 18
Promotional brochure,
1948
Document-box 7, Folder 19
Auxiliary projects,
1948-1966
Document-box 7, Folder 20
Promotional brochure,
ca. 1957
Document-box 7, Folder 21
Misc. notes by Miss Stow,
undated
Document-box 7, Folder 22
Howard's Boston Houses, from
The Argonaut,
1937
Document-box 7, Folder 23
Eugenics Made Plain, by Havelock Ellis,
ca. 1910
Document-box 7, Folder 24
Rev. Albert Williams quotations re: Edgewood history,
undated
Document-box 7, Folder 25
Quote from
California, an Intimate History, by Gertrude Atherton,
1914
Document-box 7, Folder 26
Total population figures,
1851-1965
Legal-box 2, Folder 12
Articles of incorporation, by-laws, amendments,
1919-1942
Legal-box 2, Folder 13
G.W. Haight, Powers of a corporation,
1903
Series 2
Records of Children,
1851-1957
Physical Description:
51 volumes; Document boxes 8, 10-11; Document box 9, Folders 1-4; Legal box 3, Folders 5-9
(51 volumes, 3 boxes, 9 folders)
Arrangement
Arranged in eight subseries: 2.1: Admissions and discharge records; 2.2: Indenture and adoption files; 2.3: Correspondence;
2.4: Baptisms; 2.5: Applications for children; 2.6: Matron's and Supervisor's reports; 2.7: City, State, and County documents;
2.8: Cecil Malmin Oral History.
Subseries 2.1
Admission and discharge records,
1851-1957
Physical Description:
50 volumes, 1 box
Scope and Contents
Fifty record books containing handwritten information regarding admission and discharge of children. Most volumes contain
a combination of admissions and discharges, while a few contain solely one or the other. Also included in this subseries are
one additional folder of discharges and four folders of admissions and discharge reports.
Arrangement
Admission and discharge records are subdivided into Record Books and Files, with each arranged chronologically.
Record books,
1851-1957
Physical Description:
50 volumes
Box ?, Volume 2
Register (of the Orphans),
1851-1878
Box I, Volume 10
List of Children,
1858-1882
Box G, Volume 14
Minutes / Register,
1867-1881
Box B, Volume 15
Removal Record,
1867-1885
Box I, Volume 18
List of Inmates,
1873-1902
Box B, Volume 19
Alphabetically Arranged List,
1878-1885
Box C, Volume 36
Record of Discharge,
1888-1903
Box J, Volume 37
Record of Children,
1890-1917
Box J, Volume 44
Matron's Record,
1896-1912
Box D, Volume 45
Record of Discharge,
1897-1903
Box J, Volume 50
Record of Orphans,
1899-1922
Box D, Volume 54
Record of Discharge,
1903-1906
Box E, Volume 56
Record of Admissions,
1904-1916
Box K, Volume 57
Record of Inmates,
1904-1906
Box K, Volume 59
Record of Orphans,
1906-1914
Box E, Volume 61
Record of Discharge,
1906-1917
Box E, Volume 62
Record of Admissions,
1907-1910
Box F, Volume 64
Record of Discharges,
1907-1914
Box K, Volume 65
Record of Orphans,
1908-1913
Box F, Volume 66
Record of Discharge,
1908-1916
Box F, Volume 67
Record of Discharge,
1909-1918
Document-box 8
Files,
1887-1904
Physical Description:
1 box
Children discharged,
1890-1904
Physical Description:
4.0 folders
Admissions & discharge reports & receipts,
1887
Physical Description:
1.0 folder
Subseries 2.2
Indenture and adoption files,
1867-1916
Physical Description:
Legal box 3; Document box 9, Folders 5-9
(1 box, 5 folders)
Arrangement
Filed alphabetically by child's birth name.
Indenture files
Physical Description:
Legal box 3
(88 items)
Hamburger, Lena
1909, 1910
Kelly, Mary Ellen -- see Saunders, Elene
Koenicke, Henry
1905, 1908
Peterson, Mary Winifred
1903
Schmidt, Maria
1871, 1872
Schwilks, William
1872, 1872
Adoption files
Physical Description:
Legal box 3
(21 items)
Austin, Minnie Constine
1877
Document-box 9, Folders 5-9
Letters of inquiry for adoption and indenture
1927-1945
Subseries 2.3
Correspondence,
1881-1915
Physical Description:
Document boxes 10-11
(2.0 boxes)
Arrangement
Filed alphabetically by child's birth name.
Beggo, Edward, James A. & Samuel C.
Berg, Hugo & Vivian Grace
Crandall, Eugene Gilbert & Warren W.
Detels, Albert H. & Edward H.
Fiest, Albert, Leroy & Louis H.
Findley, Bertha, Emma, Harry & Minnie
Fitzgerald, Gerald & Marion
Forbes, Florence [Susie?]
Frederick, Conrad, Emma & Robert
Garratt, Arthur, Elsie, Grace & Walter
Grange, Elizabeth & Walter
Hopwood, Nettie -- see Wood, Nettie
Houge, Elizabeth, Minna, Robert & William
Johnson, Frederick & Sarah
Keebler, Johnnie & Oliver
Kelly, Mary Ellen -- see Sanders, Elene
Kempf, George & Margaretta
Kern, Abbie, George & Stella
Larson, Mamie A. [Minnie?] & Susie A.
Liebenberg, Harry & Mary [Mamie]
Loeffler, Emma, George, Harry & Lulu -- see also Loeffler, Carrie
McDonald, John A. & Robert Lyle
Popp, Claus, Frederick, Henry & Lizzie
Potts, Jessie, Louisa & Minnie
Pregg, Harry & Minnie -- see Findley
Presley, Bruce, Lee & Nellie
Scarborough, Clarance, Edith & Robert
Schmidt, Adela, Gideon & Lionel
Shackleton, George, John, Jonathan & William
Smith, Joseph, Percy & Walter
Stevens, Lloyd, Rosie & Sadie
Stillman, Margaret & Raymond
Willett, Angelina & Della
Williston, Cecil & Florence
Box D, Volume 48
Subseries 2.4
Baptisms,
1898-1946
Physical Description:
Volume 48
(1 volume)
Document-box 9, Folders 1-4
Subseries 2.5
Applications for children
1918-1921
Physical Description:
4 folders
Legal-box 1, Folders 2-4
Subseries 2.6
Matron's and Supervisor's reports
1918-1922
Physical Description:
3 folders
Legal-box 1, Folders 5-23
City, State, and County documents Subseries 2.7
1916-1943
Physical Description:
19 folders
Legal-box 1, Folder 5
Report of the Coordination Committee to the Council of Social and Health Agencies and to the Community Chest,
1925
Legal-box 1, Folder 6
Proof of publication: Notice of children admitted to SFPOA,
1919-1934
Legal-box 1, Folder 7
Board of Charities and Corrections: Standards for childrens' institutions and per capita costs by institution,
1919
Legal-box 1, Folders 8-10
State aid documents,
1916-1929
Physical Description:
3.0 folders
Legal-box 1, Folders 11-15
Reports and claims for State aid,
1917-1929
Physical Description:
5.0 folders
Legal-box 1, Folders 16
SFPO reports on payments from City & County of San Francisco,
1921-1934
Legal-box 1, Folders 17-22
Court documents,
1919-1934
Physical Description:
6.0 folders
Legal-box 1, Folder 23
County maintenance documentation,
1934-1943
Legal-box 1, Folder 24
Subseries 2.8
Cecil Malmin Oral History,
Mar. 29, 2001
Physical Description:
1 CD-R disc
Scope and Contents
Interview with former resident (1924-1932) Mr. Cecil S. Malmin. Audio only; no transcription.
Series 3
General Administrative Files,
1851-1951
Physical Description:
Document boxes 12-15; Document box 23, Folders 6-23
(4 boxes, 18 folders)
Arrangement
Arranged in three subseries: 3.1: Correspondence; 3.2: Business Documents; 3.3 Centennial 1951.
Subseries 3.1
Correspondence,
1851-1951
Physical Description:
Document boxes 12-15, Folders 1-3
(2 boxes, 3 folders)
Document-box 12, Folder 1
General correspondence,
1851-1879
Document-box 12, Folder 2
General correspondence,
1880-1899
Document-box 12, Folder 3
General correspondence,
1900-1909
Document-box 12, Folder 4
General correspondence,
1910-1916
Document-box 12, Folder 5
General correspondence,
1917
Document-box 12, Folders 6-12
General correspondence,
1918
Arrangement
Alphabetical by correspondent.
Document-box 13, Folders 1-9
General correspondence,
1919
Document-box 13, Folders 10-13
General correspondence,
1920
Document-box 14, Folder 1-4
General correspondence,
1921
Document-box 14, Folders 5-14
General correspondence,
1922-1931
Document-box 15, Folders 1-4
General correspondence,
1932-1935
Document-box 15, Folder 5
Letter from Eva Daniels,
1938
Document-box 15, Folder 6
Letters from former residents,
1950-1951
Subseries 3.2
Business documents,
1916-1934
Physical Description:
Document box 15, Folders 7-18
(12 folders)
Form for report for Children's Institutions,
1916-1927
Menu planning information from the State Board of Charities and Corrections,
1917
Eligibility for lamp purchase agreement from State Purchasing Department,
1918
Statement on corporal punishment from State Board of Charities and Corrections,
1918
"Milk for Children" from State Board of Health,
1918
Some suggestions re: obtaining County aid,
1919
Instructions and table showing rates for months and days (re: State aid),
1919
Monthy Census Bulletin from the State Board of Charities and Corrections,
1919
Rules relating to State aid from State Board of Examiners,
ca. 1919
Visit reports from State Board of Control,
1920-1922
New rulings from the State Dept. of Finance, Bureau of Children's Aid,
1922
Children's Council,
1930-1934
Subseries 3.3
Centennial 1951
Physical Description:
Document box 23, Folders 6-23
(18 folders)
City-County Record (reprint),
1951
A compilation of earlier reports of history,
1950
Press releases,
1950-1951
Press release and invitation to Edgewood Christmas play,
1950
Notes and timeline from historical records, 1851-1951
1951?
Centennial press correspondence and Home Tour information,
1950-1951
Edgewood Centennial Program scripts (KCBS),
1951
Centennial guests and gifts,
1951
Centennial press packet,
1951
Centennial program draft and mock-up,
1951
Master copies [mimeograph] of background information,
1951
Salute to Edgewood script (KNBC),
1951
Press release: Mrs. Bartlett's remarks to Council of Executives of Child Care Institutions,
ca. 1951
Press release: Auxiliary increase,
1951
Centennial invitation,
1951
Fortnight,
January 22, 1951
Series 4
Finances,
1851-1959
Physical Description:
Various volume numbers; Document boxes 16-19; Legal box 2, Folders 1-11 and 32; Legal box 4
(36 volumes, 4 boxes, 12 folders)
Arrangement
Subdivided by physical type into Files and Record Books. Files are arranged chronologically within each box; Record Books
are arranged chronologically by volume.
Record books,
1851-1951
Physical Description:
Various volume numbers
36 volumes
Box A, Volume 8
Treasurer's Book,
1854-1858
Box G, Volume 11
Treasurer's Book,
1861-1869
Box G, Volume 17
Treasurer's Book,
1869-1878
Box G, Volume 20
Treasurer's Book,
1878-1888
Box C, Volume 29
Record of Bequests,
1885-1976
Box I, Volume 34
Treasurer's Book,
1888-1894
Box J, Volume 38
Treasurer's Book,
1894-1899
Box H, Volume 69
Building Fund Book,
1911-1917
Box F, Volume 71
Articles Donated,
1916-1923
Box L, Volume 77
Chart of Accounts,
1924-1931
Box L, Volume 81
Cash for Maintenance of Children,
1928-1948
Box M, Volume 84
Receipts and Disbursements,
1930-1946
Files,
1852-1959
Physical Description:
Document boxes 16-19; Legal box 2 Folders 1-11 and 32; Legal box 4
(5 boxes, 12 folders)
Document-box 16, Folder 1
Contributions from Bowen Bros. Grocers,
ca. 1860
Document-box 16, Folders 2-5
Legacies, gifts & investments,
1879-1915
Physical Description:
4.0 folders
Document-box 16, Folders 6-8
Investments,
1931-1944
Physical Description:
3.0 folders
Document-box 16, Folder 9
Committee on the Modification of the Federal Legacy Tax,
ca. 1900
Document-box 16, Folder 10
Metropolis Trust & Savings bank,
1908
Document-box 16, Folder 11
List of legacies left to SFPOA,
1852-1903
Document-box 16, Folder 12
Notes on investments and legacies,
1870-1898
Document-box 16, Folder 13
Cancelled cheques drawn on investments,
1877-1896
Document-box 16, Folder 14
Relating to Christmas donations,
1881
Document-box 16, Folder 15
In regard to the purchase of bonds,
1900-1903
Document-box 16, Folder 16
Summary of Building Fund account,
1918
Document-box 16, Folder 17
Estates of Glazier, Leiding, Riordan, Scott, Stanford, Van Reed, Wiley,
undated
Document-box 16, Folder 18
Cash donations for new orphanage, gifts for new orphanage,
1924
Document-box 16, Folder 19
Legacies received,
1937-1959
Document-box 16, Folder 20
Donations as given to the Board of Managers,
1939-1943
Document-box 16, Folder 21
Newspaper clippings regarding legacies,
undated
Legal-box 2, Folder 1
Probate business,
1859-1878
Legal-box 2, Folder 2
Correspondence and information on legacies,
1870-1910
Legal-box 2, Folder 3
Search of records of City & County of San Francisco showing bequests,
1885-1894
Legal-box 2, Folder 4
Investments for the Building Fund,
1898-1917
Legal-box 2, Folder 5
Lease Agreement with State Normal School,
1906
Legal-box 2, Folder 6
Notes re: Swain estate,
1908
Legal-box 2, Folder 7
Copy of Court Proceedings in the Matter of the Sale to the State of California of two 50-vara lots in Waller and Hermann Streets,
1911
Legal-box 2, Folder 8
List of securities of the SFPOA Society [Building Fund],
1918
Legal-box 2, Folder 9
Building Fund deposit and credit slips,
1924-1929
Legal-box 2, Folder 11
Investment securities of the Oroville-Wyandotte Irrigation District,
1932
Legal-box 4, Folders 1-3
Monthly population reports,
1919-1933
Physical Description:
3.0 folders
Legal-box 4, Folders 4-5
Population & payroll,
1934-1944
Physical Description:
2.0 folders
Legal-box 4, Folders 6-29
Treasurer's reports,
1918-1949
Physical Description:
24.0 folders
Legal-box 4, Folders 30-33
Auditor's reports,
1917-1948
Physical Description:
4.0 folders
Document-box 17, Folders 1-2
Requisitions,
1918-1926
Physical Description:
2.0 folders
Document-box 17, Folder 3
Cancelled cheques for taxes,
1877-1896
Document-box 17, Folders 4-8
Tax bills,
1898-1946
Physical Description:
5.0 folders
Document-box 17, Folder 9
Documents re: purchase of 1 Ford Model T,
1920
Document-box 17, Folders 10-12
Insurance,
1922-1930
Physical Description:
3.0 folders
Document-box 18, Folders 1-4
Insurance,
1931-1939
Physical Description:
4.0 folders
Document-box 18, Folders 5-10
Balance sheets,
1947-1952
Physical Description:
6.0 folders
Document-box 19, Folders 1-5
Balance sheets,
1953-1958
Physical Description:
5.0 folders
Document-box 19, Folders 6-10
Bank statements,
1949-1958
Physical Description:
5.0 folders
Series 5
Property and Maintenance,
1855-1946
Physical Description:
Document boxes 20-23; Legal box 2, Folders 13-27
(4 boxes, 15 folders)
Arrangement
Arranged in three subseries: 5.1: Haight Street Building; 5.2: Vicente Campus; and 5.3: Camp Swain.
Subseries 5.1
Haight Street building,
1855-[1918]
Physical Description:
Document box 20, Folders 1-15; Legal box 2, Folders 13-15
(18 folders)
Document-box 20, Folder 1
Construction & repair estimates & agreements,
1855-1913
Document-box 20, Folder 2
Bills for building [Sansome] wing,
1859-1860
Document-box 20, Folder 3
Bills for digging well,
1859-1860
Document-box 20, Folder 4
Facilities improvements,
1880-1896
Document-box 20, Folder 5
Cancelled cheques for repairs,
1882-1896
Document-box 20, Folder 6
Laundry building,
1896-1910
Document-box 20, Folder 7
Grading & paving Laguna Street (corr. w/ attorney Haight),
1904
Document-box 20, Folder 8
Document-box 20, Folder 9
Lease agreement with State Normal School,
1905
Document-box 20, Folder 10
Resolution re: lease to State Normal School,
1906
Document-box 20, Folder 11
Corr. re: State Normal School,
1906-1907
Document-box 20, Drawer 12
Corr. re: sale of Jones Street lot,
1907-1908
Document-box 20, Folder 13
Notes re: Boys' Savings Account,
1911-1914
Document-box 20, Folder 14
Architectural report on orphanage building,
1913
Document-box 20, Folder 15
"Mayor" and "Councilmen" position descriptions,
ca. 1918
Legal-box 2, Folder 13
Specifications for buttresses,
ca. 1860
Legal-box 2, Folder 14
Bills & vouchers for alterations and additions to SFPOA building (Clevland & Swain),
1882-1883
Legal-box 2, Folder 15
Contract and plans for boiler,
1913
Subseries 5.2
Vicente Campus,
1922-1930
Physical Description:
Document box 20, Folders 16-34; Document box 21; Legal box 2, Folders 17-27
(1 box and 30 folders)
Document-box 20, Folder 16
Trocadero Valley property offer,
1922
Document-box 20, Folder 17
Crocker Amazon property offer,
1922
Document-box 20, Folder 18
Assessed and estimated values of lots considered for purchase,
ca. 1922
Document-box 20, Folder 19
Sunset district (San Francisco) maps and notes,
ca. 1922
Document-box 20, Folder 20
Corr. re: property near Laguna Honda tunnel station,
1922
Document-box 20, Folder 21
Detailed cost of the SFPOA,
1922-1926
Document-box 20, Folder 22
Building Zone Ordinance (San Francisco),
ca. 1922
Document-box 20, Folder 23
Parkside Realty Co.,
1922-1923
Document-box 20, Folder 24
Bliss & Faville,
1923-1930
Document-box 20, Folder 25
Spring Valley Water Co.,
1923-1924
Document-box 20, Folder 26
Pacific Gas & Electric,
1924
Document-box 20, Folder 27
West Coast Fire Extinguisher Co.,
1924
Document-box 20, Folder 28
Document-box 20, Folder 29
General Sales Corp.,
1924-1926
Document-box 20, Folder 30
C.A. Ericsson estimate for tree planting,
ca. 1924
Document-box 20, Folder 31
Criticisms and responses re: building plans,
ca. 1924
Document-box 20, Folder 32
William McCann notes re: furnishings,
1924-1925
Document-box 20, Folder 33
A. Quandt & Sons,
1924-1930
Document-box 20, Folder 34
American Laundry Machinery Co.,
1924-1925
Document-box 21, Folder 1
Standard Fence Co.,
1924-1925
Document-box 21, Folder 2
Construction estimates, bills and corr.,
1924-1928
Document-box 21, Folder 3
List of the contents of the box placed in the tablet stone... [time capsule],
1924
Document-box 21, Folder 4
Fay Improvement Co.,
1925
Document-box 21, Folder 5
Building Fund statements of account,
1925
Document-box 21, Folder 6
Receipts for goods & services,
1923-1938
Physical Description:
6.0 folders
Document-box 21, Folder 7
Cyril Williams, Jr.,
1924
Document-box 21, Folder 8
City & County of San Francisco,
1924
Document-box 21, Folder 9
Document-box 21, Folder 10
Cement work and invoices,
1925
Document-box 21, Folder 11
Gladding, McBean & Co.,
1924
Document-box 21, Folder 12
Job descriptions: Matron, Superintendent, Clerk,
1928
Document-box 21, Folder 13
American Trust Roos Fund (used for campus improvement),
1929-1937
Document-box 21, Folder 14
Significance of cottage names,
1930
Legal-box 2, Folder 17
Agreement to purchase Parkside property,
1922
Legal-box 2, Folder 19
General specifications of work to be done in the erection and completion of eight buildings (Bliss & Faville, architects),
1923
Legal-box 2, Folder 20
Nathan-Dohrmann Co.,
1924
Legal-box 2, Folder 22
Specifications for painting work,
1924
Legal-box 2, Folder 23
Specifications for well,
1924
Legal-box 2, Folder 24
Lindgren & Swinerton contracts,
1924
Legal-box 2, Folder 25
Payroll for construction labor,
1924
Legal-box 2, Folder 27
Lindgren & Swinerton receipts & invoices,
1924
Physical Description:
5.0 folders
Legal-box 2, Folder 27
MacRorie-McLaren Co.,
1924-1925
Subseries 5.3
Camp Swain,
1913-1946
Physical Description:
Document box 22;
Document box 23, Folders 1-5; Legal box 2, Folder 16
(1 box, 6 folders)
Document-box 22, Folder 1
Notes re: purchase of property at Rancho El Rio [Camp Swain],
1914-1921
Document-box 22, Folder 2
Directions for reaching Camp Swain,
undated
Document-box 22, Folder 3
Document-box 22, Folder 4
The story of the swimming pool,
1936
Document-box 22, Folder 5
Document-box 22, Folder 6
Records re: Camp Swain, including hiring staff, travel, food, raods, health,
1929-1941
Physical Description:
6.0 folders
Legal-box 2, Folder 16
Contract for construction of Camp Swain (Bliss & Faville),
1913
Document-box 23, Folder 1
Records re: Camp Swain, including hiring staff, travel, food, raods, health,
1942-1946
Physical Description:
5.0 folders
Series 6
Publications,
1875-1941
Physical Description:
Document box 2, Folders 31-37
(7 folders)
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous copies of rules and regulations (1875-1905) and other publications about San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum.
Rules and Regulations,
1875
Rules and Regulations,
1880
Etchings from
The Tower of Strength in the City's Building,
1941
Rules and Regulations,
1905
Some Reminisces of the San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum,
1900
The Story of the San Francisco Protestant Orphanage,
1924
The Tower of Strength in the City's Building,
1941
Series 7
Photographs,
185?-1959
Physical Description:
Document boxes 24 and 25; Volumes 88-89 in Box N
(2 boxes, two volumes)
Publication Rights
Copyright of some (separated) photographs is held by Gabriel Moulin.
Scope and Contents
Images of children, staff, buildings, activities and events, late 1800's to 1950's.
At least two photos from San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children are included.
Arrangement
Subdivided by physical type into Files and Albums. Files are arranged roughly chronologically within each box.
Adults (parents?),
pre-1900
Scope and Contents
7 cartes de visite, incl. J. H. Sperling, Caroline Frey, Reinhold Frey, Eddie Bruce's mother.
Portraits of young ladies,
undated [early 1900's]
General note
Bound volume
Scope and Contents
Signed Marjorie, Elizabeth Dacher, Harriet Walsh, Betty Barioll, Mad Benedict, Kathryn, Barbara, Mary, Adeline E. Howard,
Eleanor P. Sell, Miriam Beaver, Amy Long, Amy Requa.
Children,
Pre-1924
Scope and Contents
Includes cabinet cards (group of six unidentified children, baby portrait) and photographs (group of children and car in front
of Haight St. building, classroom of young children, boys in military uniforms ca. Spanish American War, boys in Sloyd class,
girls in sewing class, girls and boys exercising). Includes some copy prints.
Panorama of children in Petaluma after the Great San Francisco Earthquake,
1906
Children,
1922-1929
Scope and Contents
Incl. indoor shots of boys and girls playing, outdoor shots of children playing, 1922 panorama of Business League Picnic and
Kiddies Outing. Includes some copy prints.
Children,
ca. 1924-1959
Scope and Contents
Identified persons incl. Charles Boser, Miss Marden, Mrs. Wayne.
Camp Swain,
1927
Scope and Contents
Pages and photographs separated, but identified persons incl. Mr. C. W. Mark.
Children,
1930-1939
Scope and Contents
Incl. 1937 portrait of Cottage 3 (all children and adults identified).
Camp Swain,
1936
Scope and Contents
Removed from a scrapbook. Incl. track results from 4th of July races. Identified persons: Eddie Burch (?), Gerald Topper,
Marlon Newton, Howard Keenan, Doug Lariolette, Billie Metcalf, Arthur Vaughan, Esther Glunt, Lillian Glunt, Dorothy McGhee,
Keitha Bailard, Dolores LaRose, Elinor Lewohl, Lucile Burchell, Mary Hansen.
Camp Swain,
1943
Scope and Contents
Photo of dedication stone, buildings and identified persons: Mrs. Howard Naffziger, Mr. Kuser, Mrs. Leroy Briggs, Mrs. Clarence
Oddie, Mrs. Rulofson.
Children,
1940-1949
Scope and Contents
Identified persons include: Mrs. Roth, Mr. Runyan, Mrs. Towne, Bill Kuser, Alex Sherriff, Melvin Philbrick. Scenes are of
Camp Swain, Searsville Lake and SFPOA/Edgewood. VERY POOR CONDITION.
Christmas,
1940s-1950s
Scope and Contents
Images from U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, Union Label (A.F. of L.) parties.
Children,
1950-1959
Scope and Contents
Includes images of District Attorney Pat Brown, Byron Owen, Mr. & Mrs. Fred Levy, Melvin Philbrick, Parkside School Room 5
(1955), Jerry Wills.
Edgewood Campus,
1930s
Scope and Contents
Images of Edgewood campus taken by Gabriel Moulin.
Haight Street building(s),
ca. 1854-1900
Scope and Contents
Images of old orphanage building in Haight between Laguna and Buchanan. Etching of building as it was in 1854, photos & drawing
of building after addition of Sansome wing in 1863.
Edgewood buildings,
1923-1951
Scope and Contents
Includes images of construction (1923-1924), dedication plaques and completed buildings (1924-1951).
San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children,
ca. 1910?
Scope and Contents
Two images. Newspaper clipping mounted on cardboard -- photo of group of children. Photograph mounted -- image of building
at 14th Ave. and Lake St.
Desk shots,
undated
Scope and Contents
Staged images of the SFPOA registers, fountain pen and roll-top desk.
Staff, Board members and volunteers,
undated
Scope and Contents
Identified: Mrs. Cunningham (?), Mrs. Dean Witter, Mrs. Roth, Mr. Atholl McBean, Melvin Philbrick, Miss Nellie Stow, Mrs.
Waldo Coleman, Mrs. Henry Wright.
Staff, Board members and volunteers (unidentified),
undated
Scope and Contents
Cabinet cards and photographs of adults.
Auxiliary,
1948
Scope and Contents
Includes photos of Mrs. Alan McLenegan, Mrs. John Bosche, Mrs. Edmund MacDonald, Mrs. Lawrence Bowes, Mrs. Philip Boone, Mrs.
Granger F. Kenly, Mrs. Thayer Hopkins.
Poster,
ca. 1947-1949
Scope and Contents
Includes images of a cowgirl actress visiting with groups of Edgewood girls, a cowboy actor visiting with Edgewood children,
Camp Meeker and a roller skating party panorama.
Custodial History note
Someone created an historical display of photographs of Edgewood events. Images were mounted on several posters and were identified
with a number written on a bright orange sticker. The key to these images is not available. The posters have been disassembled,
but the photos remain grouped and identified as much as possible. Some of these photos may not be Edgewood-related.
Christmas 1 poster,
undated
Scope and Contents
Images of Marine Corps Christmas parties, Optimist basketball team, talent shows.
Christmas 2 poster,
ca. 1946-1948
Scope and Contents
Marine Corps parties (incl. Gen A Creesy), talent shows, all day picnic with Marin Town & Country Club, and San Francisco
Lumberman's Club party at the Palace Hotel.
Christmas 3 poster,
ca. 1946-1948
Scope and Contents
Includes images of Halloween, drawing, science classes, birthday party, boys visit to HMNZS Royalist, opening the Blum's store
at the Fairmont Hotel with Mrs. Fred Levy, and in kitchen with cook.
Box N, Volume 88
Album,
ca. 1951
Scope and Contents
Boys' outing(s) to the beach.
Box N, Volume 89
Album,
ca. 1951
Scope and Contents
Recreation at Edgewood and around SF. VERY POOR CONDITION -- photos not correctly developed.
Record Group 2
San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children,
1895-1932
Physical Description:
Document box 3; Legal box 1, Folder 1
(1 box, 1 folder)
Arrangement
Organized into three series: Series 1: Annual Reports; Series 2: Adoption Papers; and Series 3: Ephemera.
Biographical/Historical note
The San Francisco Nursery for Homeless Children (SFNHC) was founded in 1892 as "a non-sectarian home for children whose parents,
either by neglect, ill-fortune, or unfitness, could not give them proper care and protection" and the institution continued
until at least 1932. Both boys and girls were admitted. SFNHC was originally incorporated as the San Francisco Female Hospital
in 1878 and also incorporated a Foundling Home that was founded in 1887. SFNHC's stated purpose in 1900 was to be a home for
children under the age of 12. In 1932 the ages of children allowed was "4 years 3 months to 16 years." The first location
of SFNHC was at First St. and Bryant. They moved to Second St. and Harrison for a time, and then to 14th St. and Mission.
In 1904, SFNHC moved from its home on Mission St. to a new builcling near 14th Ave. and Lake St. This new building was practically
destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, and the children lived in tents for two weeks before being sent to an affiliated home in
Sacramento. SFNHC rebuilt the building at 14th Ave and Lake St. By 1911, SFNHC had begun a successful series of annual pencil
sales as a fundraiser. Records in this collection include a letter from Al Jolson. The children were treated to movies, gardening,
open air shop classes, piano lessons, sewing lessons, folk dancing lessons, various circuses, the beach, the Chutes and the
Pan-Pacific International Exposition. In 1915, the SFNHC children attended a Christmas play put on by Bruce Porter and the
SFPOA children at the Haight St. orphanage. The SFNHC children attended public school (primarily Sutro Elementary). In 1921,
the SFNHC children began going to the "country" for the summer. By 1932 SFNHC had purchased the Love Creek summer camp in
Ben Lomond, California. When possible, parents were expected to pay something toward room and board, but State and County
Aid was sometimes available as well. SFNHC was a member of the San Francisco Community Chest.
Series 1
Annual reports,
1900-1932
Physical Description:
Document box 3, Folders 1-19
(19 folders)
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
29th Annual Report,
1918-1919
Report,
July 1919 - February 1922
Document-box 3, Folder 20
Series 2
Adoption papers,
1895-1901
Physical Description:
1 folder
Series 3
Ephemera,
1910-1932
Physical Description:
Document box 3, Folders 21-22; Legal box 1, Folder 1
(3 folders)
Document-box 3, Folder 21
Published admission notice,
1910
Legal-box 1, Folder 1
Publicity for pencil sale,
1919-1922
Document-box 3, Folder 22
Promotional brochure,
1932
