Association for the Care of Colored Orphans Records
Scope and Contents
The collection includes: Charter, minutes of the Board, financial records, register of children, and some correspondence.
Dates
- Creation: 1822-1979
Creator
- Association for the Care of Coloured Orphans (Cheyney, Pa.) (Organization)
- Friends Shelter for Girls (Organization)
- Association for the Care of Coloured Orphans (Cheyney, Pa.) (Contributor, Organization)
- Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children (West Chester, Pa.) (Contributor, Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Access is through microfilm when available. Collection is open for research.
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Conditions Governing Use
Some of the items in this collection may be protected by copyright. The user is solely responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder or their heirs/assigns to reuse, publish, or reproduce relevant items beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to the law. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/.
Biographical / Historical
The Association for the Care of Colored Orphans, also known as “The Shelter,” was founded in Philadelphia by Quaker women in 1822 to care for black orphans, both boys and girls, within a nurturing, home-like environment. In 1915, it relocated to Cheyney, Pa, adjoining the property of Cheyney Training School for Teachers (now Cheyney University) and became a home for girls, known variously as the Shelter for Colored Orphans and the Shelter for Colored Children. In 1965, its name was changed to “Friends Shelter for Girls,” and its mission evolved to serve as a home for teenaged girls, offering training and psychological support. It continued operation until 1981 when it ceased to function as a group home. It was succeeded by the Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children which functioned as an emergency shelter.
Extent
9 linear ft. (15 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Association for the Care of Colored Orphans, also known as “The Shelter,” was founded in Philadelphia by Quaker women in 1822 to care for black orphans, both boys and girls, within a nurturing, home-like environment. In 1915, it relocated to Cheyney, Pa, and became a home for girls. In 1965, its name was changed to “Friends Shelter for Girls,” and its mission evolved to serve as a home for teenaged girls. In 1981 it ceased to function as a group home and was succeeded by Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children which functioned as an emergency shelter.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into 8 series. The series are:
- Incorporation and historical papers
- Board of Managers minutes
- Register of children and related papers
- Financial papers
- Legal papers
- Correspondence
- Annual reports
- Miscellaneous
For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Physical Location
For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 6/1975, 9/1983
Gift of The Shelter, Acc. 2012.017
Separated Materials
Board of Managers Minutes to 1945 and Register of Children available on microfilm.
Book, Children of the Storm: Black Children and American Child Welfare, by Andrew Billingsley and Jeanne M. Giovannoni, Harcour; 1972 removed and catalogued with book collection.
Processing Information
Material organized and placed in 8 document boxes and 1 package in RG 4 in the Summer 1982. Additional material interfiled from Friends Shelter for Girls (1925-1968) 3 document boxes, March 1983. Additional material including Director's records (about three boxes) interfiled December, 1983. A framed copy of the constitution and an indenture agreement written by the Association with the consent of Estelle Johnson were added to the collection in 2014 (Acc. 2012.017).
Subject
- Association for the Care of Coloured Orphans (Cheyney, Pa.) (Organization)
- Friends Shelter for Girls (Organization)
- Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children (West Chester, Pa.) (Organization)
Topical
- African American children -- Education -- Pennsylvania
- African Americans -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Population
- African Americans -- Services for -- Pennsylvania
- Charities -- Pennsylvania
- Charities -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Children -- Institutional care -- Pennsylvania
- Quakers -- Pennsylvania
- Quakers -- Societies, etc.
- Social service -- Pennsylvania
- Society of Friends -- Charities -- Records and correspondence
- Women in charitable work -- Pennsylvania
- Title
- An Inventory of the Association for the Care of Colored Orphans and the Friends Shelter for Girls Records, 1822-1979
- Author
- FHL staff
- Date
- 2000
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries
Find It at the Library
Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting repoductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library
