History
Lexington Home
By
Oct 15, 2003, 16:46

When the Tiffin, Ohio Junior Order Home took in more children than its capacity, the Juniors pondered the possibility of building a branch Home. The idea failed twice during the National Convention, once in 1903, and again in 1921. The National Convention was only held every two years, and the next time it met in 1923 the Tiffin Home had over 200 children more than its capacity. The North Carolina Juniors, having the highest Junior Order membership, were eager to have a branch Home in their state. They offered to fund this project considerably. It was decided that a branch Home would be built in Lexington, North Carolina.

The cornerstone laying ceremony was held on August 19, 1925. On March 1, 1928, the first 22 children (all from North Carolina) arrived. The Home in Lexington continued to grow. More buildings were constructed including the North Carolina Building, South Carolina Building, Pennsylvania Building, powerhouse, barns, superintendent’s residence, and the Sam F. Vance building (1932), which included a large auditorium, high school classrooms, vocational guidance rooms, home economics department, and a large modern gymnasium.

Daily life at the Lexington Home was much like that of the Tiffin Home. There was the routine of breakfast, farm work and chores, dinner, homework, and bed. During the summer months the children enjoyed organized recreational activities such as tennis tournaments, basketball, and baseball. They also had a swimming pool donated in 1933 by the Orphan’s Home League of Louisville, KY.

Religious services were an important part of the childrens’ lives. Since the Home was in a rural location, worship services were held in the Home’s auditorium. The Junior Home Church had no denominational affiliations, but required the pastor to be a regularly ordained minister of an orthodox, Protestant denomination.

There was a general loss of membership in the Junior Order during the depression. Members who could not afford to pay their dues had little choice but to withdraw from the Junior Order. The Social Security Act of 1935 made it possible for mothers to support their children.

The National Council decided at their November 1939 meeting to revert to one Home – in Tiffin, Ohio. It was decided that the North Carolina Juniors would take the responsibility of keeping the Lexington Home open for North Carolina children only. Children in the Lexington Home who were from states other than North Carolina traveled by train to Tiffin, and on the return trip the Tiffin orphans from North Carolina were transferred to Lexington.

In 1944, the National Council announced that the Tiffin Home would be closed, and the remaining 100 children be sent to the Lexington Home. The Tiffin Home buildings would be leased to the State of Ohio for institutional use. The Lexington Home continued to operate on a largely self-sufficient basis during World War II.

Despite their declining membership, the Junior Order continued to promote the Home throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. The admission requirements were relaxed in the 1940’s to include those whose mothers were deceased, but the father was still living, and children whose fathers were in the Armed forces. In the 1950’s, the Home admitted children whose uncle, grandfather, or cousin was a member of the Junior Order. In 1968, the Council amended its By-laws to allow the Council to provide financial support for the Home even if no children of Junior Order members resided there.

Financial difficulties continued to plaque the Home in the 1970’s. Even though the Board applied for financial assistance for eligible children through the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program and established an Emergency Repair Fund during the 1970’s, the North Carolina Junior Order raised money for and built a Memorial Chapel at the Home.

The Board of Trustees for the Home actively pursued certification by the Social Service Commission. The North Carolina Department of Human resources required that the Home and the state Junior Order be incorporated separately. The Social Service Commission licensed the Home as a child care institution in 1975. Because of the licensing, the criteria for child care changed greatly after 1975. In 1979, a financial development officer joined the staff of the Home. Today, restoration and renovation of the Home’s (now known as the American Children’s Home) buildings continues.

Information taken from the book The Home Down South: The Junior Order Children’s Home 1925-1985, Sam Leonard Beck, 1994