Glenn Home helped children for many years

By Dr. Dipa Sarkar
Special to the Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE September 23, 2006 08:39 pm

— The Glenn Home, the former Vigo County Home for dependent children, was located on a hill overlooking U.S. 40, about 5 miles east of Terre Haute in the small community of Glenn.
In 1881, the Indiana Legislature authorized the commissioners of every county to establish group homes for dependent children. These homes were required to have healthy, safe environments with trained personnel. They were to have adequate schooling, medical and dental care, proper nourishment, exercise and, most importantly, stimulating environment for the proper growth of bodies and mind.
Vigo County already had the well-endowed Rose Orphan Home, which was opened in 1884 with a legacy from the estate of railroad magnate, Chauncey Rose as its name implies, but it was for true orphans only.
In 1901, the Board of Children’s Guardians decided to build a home for dependent children. The county bought the 60-acre Klatte Farm upon which the Glenn Home was built. The home was a cluster of buildings influenced by the Georgian Revival style, placed in a hilltop setting surrounded by lovely trees and vines. The original dormitory buildings are now gone, but the main building constructed in 1903 still survives and has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In the summer of 1903, children began to arrive. Its first director was Ovid Lawrence, who remained until just before his death in 1917. Ovid’s wife served as the principal matron. They and the members of the staff lived in the quarters in the main building. The children lived in three almost identical two-story buildings, each containing dormitories and day room and each with a matron in charge.
During their stay at the Glenn Home, the children attended public school for half a day and kept busy the other half by learning some occupation. The boys worked at the farm and a sizable garden provided food. The girls learned housekeeping skills, sewing, baking and small kitchen chores.
The Glenn Home was seen by the community leaders as an ideal place for these unfortunate children. Their lives were stabilized, they were well-fed and provided with clean beds and regular health care. Accommodations were modest, but very clean and sanitary. The girls’ sewing skills were demonstrated by the attractive curtains, table cloths and clothing.
The Glenn Home functioned successfully for several decades, continuing to balance school, vocational training and guidance in a home-like atmosphere. Even during the depression and World War II, it continued to function well. Original dormitories were replaced by modern buildings. In 1949, the Rose Orphans Home closed and their children were placed in the Glenn Home. By 1960, the Home’s population was decreasing due to an increase in the number of licensed foster homes.
In 1973, Circuit Judge Joseph Anderson announced plans to close the Glenn Home. In 1979, the county purchased three group homes around Terre Haute to house dependent teens and Glenn Home was closed. The property was sold at auction in the early 1980s and the buildings were converted into apartments. Later, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology purchased the buildings for use as a chapter house and established Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, which housed the students of the fraternity.
The Glenn Home is gone now. Over the years, it served many children from newborns to age 18. It is hoped that fond memories remain for those whose lives were touched by the care they received there.