The Children’s Home
The origin of the structure itself is that it was built between 1857 and 1860 by General Humphrey Humphreys as his summer home. His primary residence was on Broad Street in Salisbury between the Jackson Memorial Building and the Presbyterian Church. The Humphreys’ family cemetery is still located behind the house between the east and west lanes of Fairfield Drive about 250 yards south of the Salisbury-Parsonsburg Road or Old Ocean City Road as it is now called. Interred in the plot are Gen. Humphreys (7/23/1799 – 3/7/1882)), his wife, Elizabeth (2/20/1816 – 9/10/1878), the infant daughter of Gen. and Elizabeth Humphreys (d. 7/28/1834 aged 8 days), Thomas Parsons Humphreys, son of Gen. and Elizabeth Humphreys (d. 9/25/1838 aged 4 mos. 4 days), Eugene Randolph Humphreys, son of Gen. and Elizabeth Humphreys (d. 10/13/1847 aged 4 yrs. 7 mos. 6 days) and Elizabeth Humphreys’ father, Elijah Parsons (7/20/1778 – 1/7/1854).
By 1907, the house and adjacent property was known as Fairfield Farms and was owned by Grant Sexton. It was the largest dairy farm serving Salisbury.
After its service as a dairy farm, the house was secured by Wicomico County in 1930 and used as a home for homeless boys and girls aged four to fifteen. The original Matron in charge was Mrs. Rhetta Duffy. The Children’s Home was subsequently under the supervision of Mrs. Beulah White Hare. The Matron in the late 1940’s-early 1950’s was Ethel Johnson, the widow the late Judge Benjamin A. Johnson (this information came from Pat Taylor at the Nabb Center, Mrs. Johnson’s granddaughter -2009). While a campaign was conducted each year for contributions for its support, William H. Morton was the chief benefactor.
The Children’s Home was discontinued in 1954 after federal and state programs were instituted. For the next two years, it was an institution for boys with mental and emotional problems.
The property was then sold to the Lutheran Church which used it as a church until their new church was built in front of it (new church is visible from Old Ocean City Road). When their new church was ready they sold the old Children’s Home and it has been in the possession of private families since then. The present owners are restoring it at their own expense. I have tried to get them financial help but the fact that it is privately owned prevents any historical trust from getting involved. What she has managed to do so far is impressive and worth a trip out to E. Fairfield Dr. to see it if only from the outside.
6 comments:
I remember assisting my older brother with a "magic" show (including hypnosis demonstrations), at the Children's Home. He learned to perform under the tutilage of "Jimmy Snow", a local business man who enjoyed his "magic" hobby by giving shows for local organizations.
I saw workers up on the outside of that house a few years back. I heard that a lot of the ornamental woodwork had been covered up years and years ago and the workers found it while doing repairs. I think the workers restored the woodwork back to original. It looks really good. I wonder why they stopped?
There are historic tax credits private owners can apply for that can help offset the cost of restorations. It's a pain in the butt, but a friend of mine did it and really does help with costs.
It's a shame there aren't still orphanages for the children whose parents either aren't around or don't care about parenting.
This is nice infomation about the Home. My wife was part of it along with her two brothers with she was 6 years old, she stayed their for about 3 years. would like to get a copy of this info.
There ARE still orphanages around. They are now called "foster homes". SAMO-SAMO des.
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