USA > New York > New York and its institutions, 1609-1871. A library of information, pertaining to the great metropolis, past and present > Part 19
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NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
only on the island being higher, surrounded with cultivated gardens, finely-arranged gravel walks and carriage-ways, and with play-grounds covered with asphaltum, and shaded with trees of rare growth. A large platform, with seats, has been erected on the central roof of the main Asylum, affording visitors an extended view of the enchanting scenery of Fort Washington and the High Bridge. The location in summer is one of the choicest in the world, though somewhat bleak in winter.
The children who come under the care of the society are between the ages of five and fourteen, and may for the sake of brevity be divided into two general classes. First, the truant and disobedient; secondly, the friendless and neg- lected. The first are either voluntarily surrendered by their parents for discipline, or committed by the magistrates for reformation. The second class found in a state of friendless- ness and want, or of abandonment, or vagrancy, may be com- mitted by the mayor, recorder, any alderman or magistrate of the city. The charter requires that, when such commitment shall have been made, a notice shall be forthwith served on the parent, if any can be found, and that the child shall be retained twenty days at the House of Reception, during which period, if satisfactory assurances or securities for the training of the child be given, the magistrate may revoke the commitment; but if not, it becomes the ward of the managers- of the Asylum, who may indenture the same at discretion to a suitable person.
The House of Reception, No. 61 West Sixteenth street, is a broad, well-arranged, four-story brick edifice, with iron stairways, first occupied in 1859, and cost, including ground, $40,000. It accommodates comfortably one hundred and thirty children, and is always filled, as most remain here four or five weeks before they are sent to the Asylum. The first great lesson inculcated after admission, is cleanliness, without which there cannot be self-respect, laudable ambition, or godliness. The child is stripped of its filthy garments, taken by a kind woman to a vast bathing tub, supplied with jets of hot and cold water, and thoroughly scrubbed, after which it is clothed with a new clean suit, retained alone until pronounced by the physician free from infectious disease, after which it is assigned to its appropriate class, and enters upon the study and discipline of the Institution. Bathing is
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NEW YORK JUVENILE ASYLUM.
continued regularly twice a week during the year, ample facilities being provided in both Houses.
The schools, long under the able Principalship of James S. Appley, Esq., are conducted by graduates selected for their skill in discipline, and the children make rapid progress in study while they remain in the Institution. The libraries of the Asylum contain nearly two thousand volumes. Fifty of the boys are at present instructed and employed in the tailor shop; thirty in the shoe shop, fifteen at a time; others toil in the gardens, supplying all the vegetables for the family ; while others are made useful in cleaning halls, washing veg- etables, sweeping yards, making the beds in the dormitories, etc. Hours are set apart for family and public religious in- struction and worship, for lectures, instruction in music, temperance meetings, and other opportunities of culture. The children retire at a quarter before eight in summer, and at seven in winter, and are required to rise with the sun or before it. Nine or ten hours are thus given for uninterrupted sleep. The managers secured for a number of years for their Superintendent the services of Dr. S. D. Brooks, an educated physician and a gentleman of fine administrative talent, coupled with a long experience in training truant children. He has recently connected himself with the "New York In- stitution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb," and his place in the Asylum has been filled by Mr. E. M. Carpenter, late of the House of Refuge, at Rochester, New York, another gentleman of large and successful experience.
The sanitary interests of the Asylum have been so well con- ducted that of the fifteen thousand three hundred and thirty- six children admitted since its opening in January, 1853, only sixty-three have died, and during 1864-65 but one death occurred.
The correctives applied are mainly moral, the rod being very rarely employed ; but the hundreds of unruly boys re- ceived annually make more and more necessary the erection of a high enclosure around the premises. The building was long poorly supplied with water from wells, and the danger of fire was a source of deep and constant anxiety, but the construction of the high-service reservoir has at last obviated this difficulty. A steam pump has recently been connected with the general heating apparatus, capable of throwing two hundred gallons of water per minute to any part of the build- ings, with well-arranged iron pipe and hose for the speedy ex-
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NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
tinction of fire. The plan of the Institution is the early return of the children to their parents, or their indenture to respon- sible families in the country ; hence few remain over six months. The State of Illinois, the garden of the West, was early selected as the place for the deportation and indentur- . ing of the children, and over three thousand have been placed in these Western homes. A House of Reception, under charge of a resident agent, has been established at Chicago. This agent regularly visits the children and corresponds with the families in which they live, taking care that justice is done to all concerned. Children are not indentured without the consent of their parents, except in extreme cases. They are often placed in large numbers in a township or county, and thus allowed to continue their early acquaintance, and rival each other in attainments and worth. Clergymen and other persons of character are requested to instruct and other- wise care for them after their indenture, and very few have turned out badly. More than $250,000 have been contributed by private parties toward the support of this Institution since its establishment, its chief revenue being derived from the city government. It is admirably conducted, and ranks among the best institutions of the age.
THE HOUSE OF MERCY.
(Eighty-sixth street, North river.)
Woman has in all time borne a conspicuous part in works of benevolence and reformation. There is an intensity in the female nature which generally develops into positive traits of character, either for good or for evil. She loves or hates with all her heart, and can hardly occupy a middle ground. The instincts of a good and true woman are easily aroused by the cries of the wretched and helpless, and her entire nature is at once thrown into efforts for their relief. In the quick -. ness of her perceptions, in the depth and constancy of her sympathy and affection, as well as in the sublimity of her faith, she has often excelled her more hardy companion. But alas! an angel corrupted becomes a devil, and a woman abandoned to treachery and lust becomes a mournful wreck, of all others the most difficult to recover. Nature thus abused seeks to avenge itself of the outrage, by sadly invert- ing all her high-wrought faculties, degrading to the deepest infamy all that was formed for sublimity and purity. Only woman can intimately superintend the recovery of her own
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NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
fallen sex, and the age has produced not a few who have suc- cessfully toiled in this dark and forbidding field.
The House of Mercy was founded in 1854, through the untiring exertions of Mrs. S. A. Richmond, wife of the late Rev. William Richmond, formerly rector of St. Michael's Church, New York. The act of incorporation was passed February 2d, 1855. The efforts of the society for several years were on a limited scale, and conducted in private houses hired or gratuitously furnished by the friends of the enterprise. The zeal and efforts of Mrs. Richmond, who was a Christian lady of rare endowments and great address, dur- ing the infancy of the movement are infinitely above all praise. She not only sought with the most careful training the reformation of the fallen in the Institution, but shrank from no other toil or exposure. For several years she so suc- cessfully plead the cause of the society at the markets, in the streets, and before the counters of the merchants, that the supplies of the House were never exhausted. When her failing health compelled her to resign the superintendency in the Institution, she still conducted the branch office at No. 304 Mulberry street, receiving and sending to Eighty-sixth street the women who desired to reform. She was succeeded in the management of the Institution by several members of the sisterhood of St. Mary, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, who had spent some time at St. Luke's. At first only the internal government was committed to them, but for several years past the financial department, in connection with the trustees, has been in their charge also, leaving the committee of ladies to whom this was at first assigned as merely repre- sentatives from their respective churches. The sisters have succeeded with much satisfaction both to themselves and others. The younger class of fallen women are taken, a large part of them being between twelve and twenty years of age. They are not compelled to remain against their will, and if very refractory are sent away. Deep-rooted virtue is with them a plant of slow growth, hence a period of exclusion from ordinary society for one or two years is considered essential to their thorough reformation. Many return to their friends, after spending a few weeks or months in the Institution; some depart at the request of the sisters, or without it; others remain long, and then go to service in good families, or enter upon the responsible duties of the conjugal state. Quite a large number of the inmates have been confirmed as members of
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THE HEBREW ORPHAN ASYLUM.
ORPHAN ASYLUM OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL. (See page 343,)
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THE HOUSE OF MERCY.
the church by the bishop at his annual visit to the Institution, a few of whom have failed in the performance of their religious obligations, but many of them have nobly persevered. The Institution is mainly supported and entirely controlled by the Protestant Episcopal church, one of her clergymen offici- ating as chaplain.
On the 16th of June, 1859, ten lots of ground, containing a large country mansion, were purchased at a cost of about $12,000. The property is situated between Eightv-fifth and Eighty-sixth streets, near the Hudson river. Six lots have since been added. Several successful fairs have been held, and a number of State and city donations received, the largest of which was granted by the Legislature of 1867, amounting to $25,000. The earnings of the inmates have thus far been small, and the society depends upon its annual subscribers and the gifts of the benevolent for the support of the House. When the mansion was purchased it was said to be able to accommodate one hundred inmates besides the ladies in charge, but like too many other estimates it fell short just one half. It has never afforded the space or ar- rangement for suitably classifying and dividing its forty-five or fifty inmates, a matter of vital importance in such an insti- tution. For several years the society sought for means to enlarge their buildings. The State grant of 1867, supple- mented by liberal subscriptions from the friends of the enter- prise, enabled them in 1869 to carry forward this much-de- sired project.
The corner-stone of the new building was laid by Bishop Potter of New York on the 16th of October, 1869, in the presence of Bishops Southgate. Lav, Quintard, and a large number of clergymen and friends of the Institution from the city. An interesting address, containing valuable reminis- cences of the past, was delivered by Rev. Dr. Peters. The building occupies a beautiful site, almost overhanging the Hudson, fronting on Eighty-sixth street, and, at a pleasant remove from the new Boulevard. It is built of sandstone and red brick, relieved with dressings of Ohio stone. On entering the principal door, access is had to a spacious hall; opening out of this are offices, and beyond a broad staircase of iron ascending to the upper stories. On the floor above is a cor- ridor, ninety feet in length, lighted by windows taken from the old oratory, thus connecting the old building with the chapel, dining-hall, and school-rooms. The chapel is fifty feet
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NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
in length, terminating at the eastern end in a circular apse ; the altar and reredos are of carved stone, supported by pillars of polished marble, the sanctuary being laid with encaustic tile. At the west end, on either side of the door, are apart- ments for the Sisters, and above these, behind an open arcade, are two concealed galleries, one for visitors and the other for the sick. . In the second story are placed the infirmary, a Sister's room, bath-room, and a mortuary; over these a dormi- tory, divided into little rooms by low wainscot partitions and curtained doors. A slender bell-turret surmounts the roof, rising to the height of eighty-eight feet. The basement con- tains laundry, kitchen, pantries, and store-room. The stained glass for the windows was imported from England. The edifice cost $30,000, and the sixteen lots, with their buildings, are now valued at $100,000, and are free from debt. The number of inmates is now to be increased from forty-five to one hundred, and the managers propose to eventually remove the old frame mansion and complete a large quadrangle, in- closing the property of the Institution with permanent build- ings in the style of the one just erected.
HEBREW BENEVOLENT AND ORPHAN ASYLUM SOCIETY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
(Seventy-seventh street and Third avenue.)
N the Sth of April, 1822, a number of gentlemen of the Jewish persuasion, residents of the city of New York, organized the "Hebrew Benevolent Society," which was incorporated by act of Legislature Febru- ary 2, 1832, granting power to hold real and personal estate, the annual income of which should not exceed $2,000. The objects of the society were stated to be "charitable, and to afford relief to its members in cases of sickness and infirm- ity."
In January, 1845, the "German Hebrew Benevolent Society," a rival organization, sprang up, which was the same year incorporated, and exerted a large influence for fourteen years. The objects of this organization, as set forth in its act
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HEBREW BENEVOLENT AND ORPHAN ASYLUM SOCIETY. 337
of incorporation, were-" to assist the needy, succor the help- less, and protect the weak." The proceedings of this society were transacted and the minutes kept in the German lan- guage. In 1847 this society voted $1,500 out of its general fund, and a portion of its annual receipts, toward the erection of a hospital. The Hebrew Benevolent Society promptly united in this movement, but, as the wealthier congregations withheld their support, the enterprise failed for lack of means. In 1859 the German Society having voted to appropriate the hospital fund for the establishment of an orphan asylum, and a home for aged and indigent Jews, and the opinion having become general that the cause of charity would be promoted by a union of the two societies, they were happily united, and a supplementary act of incorporation passed April 12, 1860, under the title of the "Hebrew Benevolent and Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York." The new or- ganization proposed "to relieve the sick, succor the poor and needy, support and comfort the widow, clothe, educate, and. maintain the orphan." This was to be done by the establish- ment of a well-regulated system of out-door relief for the poor ; by founding and maintaining an asylum for Jewish orphans ; and by establishing a home for the support of the aged poor. Any Israelite may become a member of the society on the payment of one hundred dollars. The busi- ness of the society is conducted by a president, vice-presi- dent, a treasurer, and eighteen trustees, six of whom are annually elected at the meeting of the society in April.
The last act of incorporation granted power to hold estate, the income of which should not exceed $15,000; authorized the city to grant land to the society for the erection of suit- able buildings ; and clothed it with the same power to man- age and indenture orphans that had been given to other societies. In 1861 the Corporation granted a beautiful plot of ground on the corner of Seventy-seventh street and Third avenue, and the sum of $30,000 toward the erection of an asylumn. The corner-stone of the building was laid Septem- ber 30th, 1862, and the edifice formally dedicated November 5, 1863. The Asylum consists of a main building and two wings, the principal front, on Seventy-seventh street, being one hundred and. twenty feet, with a depth of sixty, and cost $40,000. It is constructed of brick, is three stories high, besides a high basement and sub-cellar. The ceilings are high, the halls wide, the apartments conveniently arranged
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NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
with all the modern improvements, and crowned everywhere with completest order and tidiness. The lecture-room (or miniature synagogue), like every other part of the Institution, is replete with Jewish taste and trimming. A yard one hun- dred and twenty-five feet by one hundred and two, lying be- tween the Asylum and Third avenue, is devoted to a beautiful flower-garden, and ample play-grounds are furnished in the rear.
The Superintendent, Louis Schnabel, is a Jewish rabbi, and conducts the services of the Institution. At the opening of the Asylum fifty-six orphans, who had been provided for by the society in various places, were transferred to it, and the number has since reached one hundred and fifty-eight, the full capacity of the building. The children attend the public schools daily, where they generally excel in their stud- ies, and when promoted to the grammar department they also take up the study of Hebrew in the Asylum. These Hebrew scholars are divided into five classes, and many of the students attain a fine education. Experimental work- shops have recently been added, which if successful will soon be greatly enlarged. Ninety-five of the one hundred and fifty-eight in the Institution during 1869 were born in New York, and the remaining sixty-three represented eleven of the American States, and seven of the countries of Europe and Asia. Eight were admitted at the age of five, two at seven- teen; the larger portion are, however, received between the ages of seven and twelve years. Indentures are made only . to Hebrews of good standing.
Eight members of the board of directors are constituted a committee of charity and relief, who investigate by personal visitation the circumstances of all applicants. During 1869, 3,926 persons were relieved at an expense of $13,425. One hundred and forty-six persons were assisted to go West, South, or to return to friends in Europe.
The Hebrew fair, held during the last year, and one of the most successful ever held on Manhattan by any society, netted the Asylum $35,000, and the Mount Sinai Hospital over $100,000.
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HOUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
(Ninetieth street and East river.)
This Institution was commenced on the 2d of October, 1857, by five members of the "Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd," belonging to the Mother House of Angers, in France. The operations of the society began in a house in Fourteenth street, but in 1861 they erected a convent and chapel at the foot of Ninetieth street, East river. In 1864 a five-story brick building, fifty feet by ninety, was reared on Eighty-ninth street, one hundred and twenty-five feet from the convent, and in 1868 and 1869 another of the same size was joined to the end of the former, stretching across to Ninetieth street. The cost of their buildings has now exceeded $275,000, and another edifice is still to be added to complete their plan.
The order was founded by Père Eudes in 1661, with the avowed object of affording a refuge for fallen women and girls who desired to reform. Being an enclosed order, a veil of secrecy is thrown over most of their doings. The Lady Superior converses with the outside world through an iron- grated ceiling, inside of which the curious are seldom per- mitted to step, and the order, except a few outside Sisters, are
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NEW YORK AND ITS INSTITUTIONS.
forever concealed in the shadows of the cloister. By recep- tion of novices, the order now numbers ninety members, besides the out-door Sisters; twelve of these are engaged in founding an order in Brooklyn, and eleven in Boston. The Institution is a house of correction, seeking the reform of abandoned women, some of whom come voluntarily, others by persuasion, some are sent by the courts, and some are placed here by their friends.
The Sisters declare that moral means alone are employed for the reformation of the inmates, and that those who come voluntarily can depart at pleasure; but some who have escaped have told doleful stories about the discipline and fare, upon the merits of which we shall not attempt to decide. The Sisters dwell in the convent, but some of them are said to be always with the inmates both night and day, in recreation, toil, devotion, and slumber. The inmates are divided into four classes, each of which is entirely separated from all the rest, with whom they are never allowed to communicate. . The first class consists of penitent magdalens, who have been converted from the error of their ways, and who have been admitted to a low grade of the order. The second class is composed of penitent women and girls, received into the Asylum but not yet converted. The third is a preservation class, composed of children who are in danger of falling, most of whose parents are bad. The fourth consists of girls between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one, who have been committed by the magistrates, and who remain during the term of commitment. About twenty-nine hundred have been received into the Institution since its founding, very many of whom are said to have reformed, though the screen which prevents public inspection leaves greater place for distrust than with almost any other institution in New York. In February, 1870, no less than seven hundred inmates were ' concealed within those walls, three hundred of whom had been sent by the magistrates, and the superioress informed us that one hundred and fifty more could be well accommo- dated. . Their chief occupation is machine and liand sewing, embroidery, with various other species of remunerative handicraft, and laundry work. The Institution has a priest who conducts service every morning in the chapel, where all attend. This institution is noted as the place of the involun- tary confinement of Mary Ann Smith, the daughter of a Romanist, who had embraced Protestantism. Many of the
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BT. BARNABAS HOUSE.
girls received remain permanently through life, a few after- wards marry, some after their reformation go out to service in good families, and not a few descend again to old practices and "wallow in the mire." The Public Authorities have dealt very liberally with this Institution.
ST. BARNABAS HOUSE.
(No. 304 Mulberry street.)
HIS House was originally opened by Mrs. William Richmond, under the name of the "Home for Home- less Women and Children." Before her death it was purchased by the New York Protestant Episcopal City Mission Society, and opened in June, 1865, under the name of the St. Barnabas House. In 1866 the society pur- chased the adjoining building, No. 306 Mulberry street, in the front of which the chapel was located, leaving the basement, second story, and attic of this building, as well as all of the building No. 304, for the purposes of the Home. A rear building, connected with No. 306, furnished convenient rooms for the clergy and committees. The buildings are of brick, of moderate size, and contain fifty beds, sixteen of which are for children.
The House was opened by the above-mentioned society as a sort of experiment, and an executive committee was appointed for its management, who relied mainly on special contributions for its support. The House is designed as a place of refuge for homeless women and children, applying from the streets or wandering in from the country ; also for women discharged from the hospital, cured, but requiring a few days of repose to recover strength, but destitute of home, friends, and money. It is however intended only as a tempo- rary resting-place, hence most of those admitted are sent to situations during the first week. The average stay of 2,150 women in the House during 1869 was three and one-fifth days. During 1865 there were but two months that there were over eighty inmates received. In November, 1866, the
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