Vanderheyden (formerly Vanderheyden Hall) is a not-for-profit organization based in Wynantskill, New York, that works with youth and families in need across the

Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...

. It originated as the Troy Orphan Asylum in 1833.

History

In 1800, the Benevolent Society of Troy to Assist Indigent Women and Children was founded in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...

. The Society opened the Troy Orphan Asylum in 1833. The name was changed to Vanderheyden Hall in 1942, and today the organization is known as simply "Vanderheyden." Across the river in Watervliet, the Fairview Home for Friendless Children was founded in 1888 by James Barclay Jermain, a lawyer and local philanthropist. In 1956, the Fairview Home merged with the Troy Orphan Asylum. Services moved to the Troy location as the Fairview property, located on Boght Road, was sold to Behr-Manning in 1957. According to a Times Union article, the Troy Orphan Asylum was originally located on Spring Avenue, where it was known as "the house on the hill." An 1877 map locates the orphanage at Eighth St. and Hutton St., however. Troy Orphan Asylum was one of the orphanages from which

Martha Van Rensselaer Martha Van Rensselaer (June 21, 1864 – May 26, 1932) was a founding co-director of the College of Home Economics, which led to the establishment of the New York State College of Human Ecology in Ithaca, New York. Van Rensselaer served as an edu ...

, director of the Cornell College of Home Economics, requested infants be used as "practice babies" for home economics students in the 1920s. A former resident of the Troy Orphan Asylum describes the living conditions as highly regimented yet not too harsh. Children were brought to church on Sundays, were allowed to play outside frequently, and went on regular outings to

Frear Park Frear Park is an urban park in the city of Troy, New York. It was initially opened in 1917, on land donated by the Frear Family, later expanding to its current size of . The park contains nature trails, as well as tennis courts, a golf course, and ...

and other destinations.

Vanderheyden today

The modern Vanderheyden serves over 500 individuals and families in locations throughout the Capital Region, including a main campus and residential facility at 614 Cooper Hill Road in Wynantskill. Vanderheyden provides a New York State Regents-accredited school program for youth grades 7-12, a residential program, youth emergency services, and community and home-based programs including outings and events for children and families. It is an 853 school. Karen Carpenter-Palumbo, formerly the commissioner of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, has served as Vanderheyden's president/CEO since 2012.

Notable residents

Dorothy Lavinia Brown Dorothy Lavinia Brown (January 7, 1914 – June 13, 2004Martini, KelliDorothy Brown, South's first African-American woman doctor, dies News Archives, The United Methodist Church, June 14, 2004, UMC.org), also known as "Dr. D.", was an African-Ame ...

lived at the Troy Orphan Asylum from the time she was five months old until she was about twelve (1914-1926). Her mother tried to adopt her back, but Brown repeatedly ran away from her mother and returned to the orphanage. During her stay there, she found inspiration to study medicine. Brown went on to become the first African American female surgeon in the southern United States, and the first African American woman to become a fellow at the American College of Surgeons.

References

External links

{{coord missing, Capital District Psychiatric hospitals in New York (state)