TIP #860 - ORPHANAGES IN KENTUCKY

Records of all the children who lived all or part of their lives in an orphanage is impossible to
find. Records are sealed, records have been destroyed. The only glimpse we can find is in the
letters and diaries, the oral history passed on from generation to generation. Possibly, with
enough digging through the census records, some names can be found.

In the book "Benevolent Institutions - 1910", published by the Washington Government Printing
House, the following were the orphanages in Kentucky as of that year.

Bardstown: St. Thomas' Orphan Asylum, run by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. This housed
orphans and destitute children. Founded in 1858.

Clay City: Highland Orphans' Home. Run by the Presbyterian Church in the U.S., bounded 1908, orphan children only.

Cold Spring: St. Joseph's Orphanage. Run by St. Boniface's Society for Roman Catholic Children ages 2-17. Founded 1877.

Covington: Covington Protestant Children's Home. A private corporation for destitute children, founded 1882.

Covington: St. John's German Orphan Asylum. Run by St. John's Orphan Society for German orphan children. Founded 1850.

Frankfort: Mary K. Williams Home for Orphan Girls. Run by the Protestant Episcopal Church. For orphan girls, founded 1895?

Lexington: Children's Home. Private corporation for illegitimate, abandoned and neglected children. Founded 1889.

Lexington: Lexington Orphan Asylum. Private corporation for orphan children, bounded 1833.

Louisville:
Children's Home, run by the Church of Christ, presumably for orphan children, founded 1878.

Colored Orphan's Home. Run by Orphans' Home Society for orphan children. Founded 1878.

German Baptist Orphans' Home, run by Southern German Baptist Churches. For orphan and destitute children; founded 1871.

German Protestant Orphan's Home. Private corporation for orphan and destitute children. Founded 1851.

Home of the Innocents. Run by the Protestant Episcopal Church for homeless and indigent children. Founded 1875.

Kentucky Home for Colored Children. Run by Kentucky Home Society for Colored Children. For destitute and neglected children; founded 1908.

Louisville Baptist Orphans' Home. Run by the Baptist Churches of Kentucky for Baptist orphan children. Founded 1869.

Methodist Episcopal Orphans' Home. Run by the Methodist Episcopal Church for orphan children from 2 ½ to 13. Founded 1871.

Orphanage of the Good Shepherd. Run by the Protestant Episcopal Church for indigent boys over 5. Founded 1869.

Orphan's Home. Run by the Christian Church (Disciples) for orphan children from 2 to 12. Founded 1872.

Presbyterian Orphans' Home. Run by the Presbyterian Orphan's Home Society. Founded 1855.

Protestant Episcopal Orphan Asylum. Run by the Protestant Episcopal Church for orphan girls. Founded 1836.

Receiving Home. Ran by the Kentucky Children's Home Society for dependent, neglected and homeless children. Founded 1895.

St. Joseph's Orphans' Home. Private corporation for Catholic orphan and destitute children. Founded 1849.

St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum. Run by Sisters of Charity for orphan and dependent girls. Founded 1832.

Newport: Campbell County Protestant Orphan's Home. Private corporation for orphan children from 3 to 18. Founded 1884.

Versailles: Cleveland Orphan Institution. Private corporation for orphan girls; founded 1875.

I am sure there were other orphanages prior to 1910 and after 1910 but these are the major ones I was able to locate.

© Copyright 22 October 2009, Sandra K. Gorin