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The State Home and School for Dependent and Neglected Children was the first state home for needy children in the state of
Prior to the founding of this school, neglected and needy children (either orphans or those whose parents could not care for them) were typically handled at the local or county level in poor houses. In 1884 the state purchased a farm in what was then rural western Providence, which was adapted for use as a school and home. The facility was modeled on the
The early dormitories were wood frame structures, of which only the "Yellow Cottage" (originally known as Cottage C) survives today. The school experienced significant growth in its first several decades, necessitating the construction of additional cottages and a schoolhouse. None of these have survived, the casualties of replacement done when the facility was modernized in the 1950s. The school's principal function came under criticism for extreme overcrowding, and the state began emphasizing placement of needy children in foster homes instead. Updated views of the treatment of children in the institution also prompted the demolition of most of the older cottages in favor of more modern residential facilities in the 1950s, with an emphasis on short-term stays.
The facility continued to suffer from management and treatment issues, and was finally closed in 1979, its functions taken over by the state Department of Children, Youth , and Families. Rhode Island College had established its current campus adjacent to the facility in 1958, and began to take over the former school buildings and grounds in the 1990s.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
. It was located on a campus in what was originally rural western Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
, on a former gentleman's farm
In the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, a gentleman farmer is a landowner who has a farm (gentleman's farm) as part of his estate and who farms mainly for pleasure rather than for profit or sustenance.
The Collins English Diction ...
. The school was established in 1884 and operated until 1979, when its remaining functions were taken over by other state organizations. Most of its surviving grounds and buildings are now on the Rhode Island College East Campus, and have been listed as a historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
History
Prior to the founding of this school, neglected and needy children (either orphans or those whose parents could not care for them) were typically handled at the local or county level in poor houses. In 1884 the state purchased a farm in what was then rural western Providence, which was adapted for use as a school and home. The facility was modeled on the State Public School at Coldwater
Michigan's State Public School at Coldwater was a model institution at Coldwater, Michigan, for the education and support of dependent and ill-treated children of the state. It was established by an act of the state legislature in 1871, but was no ...
, Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, and was built in the "cottage style", with home-like dormitories and a central administration building. The original stone farmhouse, built in 1870, was adapted for use as the superintendent's residence.Yellow cottage
The early dormitories were wood frame structures, of which only the "Yellow Cottage" (originally known as Cottage C) survives today. The school experienced significant growth in its first several decades, necessitating the construction of additional cottages and a schoolhouse. None of these have survived, the casualties of replacement done when the facility was modernized in the 1950s. The school's principal function came under criticism for extreme overcrowding, and the state began emphasizing placement of needy children in foster homes instead. Updated views of the treatment of children in the institution also prompted the demolition of most of the older cottages in favor of more modern residential facilities in the 1950s, with an emphasis on short-term stays.
The facility continued to suffer from management and treatment issues, and was finally closed in 1979, its functions taken over by the state Department of Children, Youth , and Families. Rhode Island College had established its current campus adjacent to the facility in 1958, and began to take over the former school buildings and grounds in the 1990s.
See also
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence, Rhode Island
__NOTOC__
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence, Rhode Island.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Providence, Rhode Is ...
References
{{National Register of Historic Places Historic districts in Providence County, Rhode Island Geography of Providence, Rhode Island National Register of Historic Places in Providence, Rhode Island Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island