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A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia — Foster Melvin Bittinger

2 entries connected to this source. Citations retain the recorded dates, pages, and research qualifications.

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May 21, 1921 · Eglon

Maple Grove Child Rescue Home Opens Near Eglon

The Maple Grove Child Rescue Home was dedicated and opened to children on the former Charlie Jones farm near Eglon. The Eglon Church of the Brethren congregation had proposed a receiving home for homeless children in 1919, building on district child-welfare work begun in 1914. The First and Second Districts of West Virginia and the Western District of Maryland jointly purchased and operated the property. Children could be cared for at Maple Grove and placed in private family homes; the term “orphanage” was commonly used, although the institution also served dependent and homeless children who were not necessarily without living parents.

Research status: Verified to source

  • Citation / research lead

    Foster Melvin Bittinger, A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia (1945), pp. 113–114

    Visit source ↗ (archive.org)
  • Additional source

    A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia — 1939 photograph captioned ‘Orphans’ home’

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1940–1942 · Eglon

Maple Grove Child Rescue Home Closes and Is Sold

Church leaders recommended closing and selling the Maple Grove Child Rescue Home in 1940. Their history cited increasingly restrictive interstate-placement laws, more demanding state licensing requirements, fewer requests to place children in family homes, and a growing belief that children’s needs could be better met in private homes. By 1942, the property had been sold to Clifford Feather for $4,000. The proceeds were divided among the three sponsoring Church of the Brethren districts in the same proportions as their original contributions, and some of the money supported the district’s work at Camp Galilee.

Research status: Verified to source

  • Citation / research lead

    Foster Melvin Bittinger, A History of the Church of the Brethren in the First District of West Virginia (1945), p. 114

    Visit source ↗ (archive.org)
Read full entry and research notes →