Presbyterian Orphan home Society of Louisville (Presbyterian Synod Home for Children), 1874-1956
Scope and Contents
The Buckhorn Children’s Center Collection (1874-1979) consists of records of the Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency of Buckhorn, Kentucky (PCWA), incorporated in 1956. This collection also includes records describing the program and facilities at Buckhorn from 1902-1956, as well as the extant files of the Presbyterian Orphan’s Home Society of Louisville. The Society, established in 1870, was reorganized and re-named the Presbyterian Synod Home for Children in 1946. It was later merged with the Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency at Buckhorn (Buckhorn Children’s Center.) The PCWA is the legal successor of the Louisville Orphan’s Home Society; thus the minutes of the governing board (1908-1956) and admission / release ledgers (1874- 1936) are part of the collection.
Documentation of Buckhorn’s history is sparse for the years 1902-1956, specifically for the administrations of Harvey Murdoch (1902-1936) and Elmer Gabbard (1936-1956). All that has survived are the yearly reports given by the directors to the Buckhorn Association, a New York City-based group that served as the governing body of the school beginning in 1916. Thus, the Board of Directors and Association membership annual meetings and reports (2 vols. 1916- 1960) are the primary sources describing the program at Buckhorn during those years.
In 1953-54, The Buckhorn Association signed over the administration of the child welfare program and facilities to the E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund. The Robinson Fund administered Buckhorn until the 1956 merger with the Presbyterian Synod Home for Children. While the record of the Buckhorn Association is substantive, the lack of correspondence and other administrative files from 1902-1956 is unfortunate. As a result, all records found at the Center for this period have been microfilmed. (Berea’s E.O. Robinson Mountain Fund Collection SAA 20, contains additional information on the Buckhorn Children’s Center for the period 1953- 1956.)
Part A is divided into three series: 1. Presbyterian Orphan’s Home Society of Louisville (Presbyterian Synod Home for Children), 1874-1956; 2. Buckhorn Association, 1902-1960; 3. Presbyterian Child Welfare Agency, 1954-1979.
Dates
- created: 1874-1956
Creator
- From the Collection: Buckhorn Children's Center (Buckhorn, Ky.). (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Restrictions regarding Records
Buckhorn Children’s Center records were collected and organized in 1982. Those having administrative, legal or historical value were microfilmed at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and all then returned to Buckhorn. The resultant microfilm master negative is owned by Berea College. A user copy is available for researchers. Berea College does not own the copyright for the manuscripts or printed documents included in this microfilm edition. Therefore, it is the researcher’s responsibility to secure permission to publish from the Buckhorn Children’s Center or its successors and assigns.
Records containing personal information may be restricted.
Restrictions regarding Photographs
In 1985 selected Buckhorn Children’s Center photographs were organized and copied. The copy negatives and a set of copy prints are owned by Berea College. A second set of copy prints and all originals were returned to Buckhorn Children’s Center. Permission has been granted by Buckhorn Children’s Center for Berea College to reproduce all or part of the school’s photographs and to use them in slide or film presentations, display them or loan them for displays, and to allow their use by researchers for reproduction and publication. The proper credit line for all of the above uses shall be, “Buckhorn Children’s Center Photographic Collection, Berea College Southern Appalachian Archives.” Records and photographs can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College. Scans of microfilmed records (in CD format) are available, see Box List, Box 2B.
Extent
From the Collection: 2.50 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Private Title
The most significant and prevalent records, the meeting minutes and reports to the Board of Managers / Trustees (1908-1956), detail the policies and activities of the Society’s central governing body and the overall administration and daily operations of the home. There is however, a sizable record gap; there being no files for the period 1925-1936. Information on the Society’s efforts prior to 1908 is found in the admission / release ledgers (2 vols. 1874-1936) which detail the children served by the home, including entrance and release dates, ages, addresses, and names of parents or guardians. The extant amount of the early entries varies, with there being more information on the 1905-1936 period. The series is arranged by the material format.
Repository Details
Part of the Berea College Special Collections and Archives Repository
Hutchins Library
100 Campus Drive
Berea Kentucky 40404 US
859.985.3262
special_collections@berea.edu