PICTORIAL H1STOR1J of The Oxford Orphanage Founded in 1872 bij Qrand Lodge of North Carolina A. F. & A. U. This attractiue book mas printed bi] the bogs in the printing department of Oxford Orphanage 1922 C t 3U.7 on Preface E HAVE long felt the need of some means of conveying to our friends a better idea of our work than we have yet adopted. This booklet is gotten up with the hope that it may give to those who see it a better con¬ ception of the great work we are trying to do for the orphan children under our care. It illustrates the provision which is be¬ ing made for their physical development, as well as their pleasure. Also the manual training, whereby our children are able to learn a trade while they are getting an edu¬ cation. We have eleven grades in our school, and a child has the opportunity to obtain preparation which will admit him .or her into the highest grade colleges of the State without examination. The Christian training we seek to give the children should enable them to possess a high moral sense of their duty to God and man. The education they receive should be a good foundation for them from a literary standpoint; and the manual train¬ ing given will enable them to earn a living with little or no apprenticeship. R. L. BROWN, Superintendent. NCC NcU St. John’s College T. JOHN’S COLLEGE was found¬ ed by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, A. F. & A. M., in 1855 for the purpose of educating the children of Masons. It was not a suc¬ cess and eked out an existence, changing management several times, until the war between the States came. Then the College ceased to function entirely. In December, 1872, the question was brought up in the Grand Lodge as to what disposition should be made of the property. There was a motion to sell it but Bro.Jno. H. Mills offered a substitute motion that it be turned into an Orphanage. The vote was a tie. Grand Master Jno. Nichols cast the deciding vote for the Orphanage. Bro. Jno. H. Mills was elected the first Superintendent and an appropriation of $500 per year was made for its maintenance. Thus came into existence the first Orphan¬ age in North Carolina, and one of the first in the South. Bro. Mills assumed the duties of his of¬ fice at once, and proceeded to solicit funds to open the institution. His efforts were sufficiently successful for him to open the old St. John’s College building as an Or¬ phanage, and on February 1, 1873, the first children were admitted: Robert Lee Par¬ rish, Nancy Parrish and Isabel Parrish of Granville County. The first year there were admitted 136 children. We can imagine the difficulty encountered by Mr. Mills in providing for so many children with a $500 appropriation in the hard times following the Civil War. No man with less determination and abili¬ ty could have done it. But it seems that God’s blessing was up¬ on the work, and while there were many dis¬ couragements and the children sometimes lacked the necessities, God’s providence gradually opened the way to the hearts of the people, until the Orphanage was well established with ample income to sup¬ ply the needs of the children. The following Superintendents have served the institution: J. H. Mills served n years, B. F. Dixon served 7 years; Julian T. Harris (died in office) served 2 months; W. S. Black served 3 years; N. M. Lawrence served 4 years; W. J. Hicks (died in office) served 12 years; R. L. Brown elected 1910—after having served as Assistant Superintendent for 18 months. At the present time, 1922, the Orphan¬ age is caring for 375 to 380 children with only 25 per cent of them children of Ma¬ sons. About 3700 children have received the benefits of its care and training from the day the first child was admitted to the present. Some of these children have won for themselves very enviable positions in the ministry, professional life and busi¬ ness. The present Board of Directors is com¬ posed of the following: J. H. Webb, Grand Master, ex officio, Chairman; B. S. Royster, P. G. M., Secretary; T. A. Green; J. Bailey Owen, P. G. M.; Dred Peacock; E. F. Lov- ill; R. L. Flowers; A. B. Andrews, P. G. M.; and Geo. S. Norfleet, P. G. M. The Executive Committee consists of J. H. Webb, J. Bailey Owen and B. S. Roy¬ ster. Officers: Superintendent, R. L. Brown; Lady Supervisor, Miss N. N. Bemis; Treasurer and Bookkeeper, Mr. Ivey Al¬ len; Assistant, Miss N. P. Bessent. The faculty consists of 4 officers, 12 teachers, 2 Physical Directors, one for boys and one for girls; 10 Cottage Mothers; 6 Matrons, and 7 Heads of Industrial Depart¬ ments, beside a Physician and a Dentist. The plant consists of the following: tract of land with 242 acres just on the edge of the town of Oxford; the Main Building (St. John’s College); four cot¬ tages for girls and one Baby Cottage; four cottages for boys; dining hall; one office building; Superintendent’s residence; Treasurer’s residence; three industrial buildings which contain the Laundry and Sewing Room, the Printing Office and Shoe Shop, and the Wood-working Shop; Hos¬ pital building; two homes for department managers; splendidly equipped sanitary Dairy barn with two glazed tile silos with 225 tons’ capacity; three barns, two cribs and several large storage houses as well as hog houses. All of these are of brick construction except farmers’ houses and barns. This home is for the dependent orphan children of the State and only such can gain admission. Money will not buy its privileges or pay for its benefits. Here the children of the poor have all the advanta¬ ges the rich can give their children. They are cared for with the tenderest affection by the consecrated officers and teachers who do not work for the money they get, but are willing to spend their lives for the children, if need be. . ■ ■ V-: CAMPUS. OXFORD ORPHANAGE. OXFORD. NORTH CAROLINA MAIN BUILDING, MASONIC ORPHAN ASYLUM, THE ORIGINAL ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE BUILDING mn BhhHhh WILLIAM ■ J • HI CKJ' MEMORIAL- H05P1TAL ■ CHiClET- C *H00K-ARCHITECT ■ CHARLOTTE, N.C. - oixon * (>t?riAN 'A/Tiun- AT 'fflXF0R.V TXOTL'U ■ CA20UHA GRAND LODGE HALL UPSTAIRS, DINING HALL FIRST FLOOR—SOME OF THE 380 CHILDREN OFFICE BUILDING BABY COTTAGE FRONT CHILDREN FROM BABY COTTAGE ON THEIR PLAYGROUND PLAY ROOM, BABY COTTAGE BABY COTTAGE—KIN DERGARTEN ROOM GIRL’S COTTAGE—EIGHT COTTAGES IN ALL, FOUR FOR GIRLS AND FOUR FOR BOYS FIRST GRADE ELEVENTH GRADE SHRINE SWIMMING POOL (A present from Oasis and Sudan Temples) SHRINE SWIMMING POOL, 100 FEET LONG, 25 FEET WIDE BASKET BALL—GIRLS ■**&-*mf* BASKET BALL—BOYS VOLLEY BALL BASEBALL Industrial Training E BELIEVE it is as important to teach children how to work as it is to give them an education. It has therefore been, and still is, the policy of the Oxford Orphanage, to have all the children learn to do something that will enable them to make a living when they go out in the world. The pictures immediately following are intended to give an idea of the various means we employ to accomplish this ob¬ ject. In further explanation, however, we will state that all the children, boys and girls, are taught to clean house. They all keep their own homes. The girls have a class in Domestic Science, so that all may know how to cook when they leave us. Since it is practicable to have only a few work at a time in our cook room, and they only remain there one year, we use this class in Domestic Science so all the girls may know how to cook when they go out from us. The class in Manual Arts and Basketry enables the boys and girls to learn the art of basket work, wood-turning and carving, toy-making, and making useful things of cement, as well as other serviceable and ornamental articles. The class in Telegraphy and Typewrit¬ ing gives the children an opportunity to become skilled operators. The Laundry and the Sewing rooms give the girls training which fits them to make their own clothes and keep them in proper condition. The Printing Office, the Wood-working Shop and the Shoe Shop afford the boys opportunity to learn a lucrative and useful occupation. The Farm and Dairy are not only very necessary parts of our plant, but we make them serve the purpose of developing the boys into a class of citizens who are the back-bone of this great nation. COOK ROOM DINING ROOMS DISH WASHING AND VEGETABLE ROOM BAKE SHOP STORE ROOM NO. 1 STORE ROOM NO. 2 GIRLS’ SEWING ROOM—Making Girls’ Clothes BOYS’ SEWING ROOM—Making Boys’ Clothes LAUNDRY WASHING DEPARTMENT : Sc .r~i I f- m ■ I I 1 | -,/ 'J LAUNDRY IRONING DEPARTMENT COMPOSING ROOM, PRINTING DEPARTMENT. Equipped with Modern Machinery for All Kinds of Commer¬ cial Job Printing. Did $33,000 worth in 1922 TWO MERGENTHALER LINOTYPES PRESS ROOM, PRINTING DEPARTMENT. Here Is Printed The Orphans’ Friend and Masonic Journal. Circu¬ lation 18,000 Weekly SHOE-MAKING. Boys Make All the Children’s Shoes, besides doing $4,500.00 repair work for Customers wE£m& SHOES MADE IN OUR SHOP. These are not sold, but are for the use of our Children only WOODWORKING SHOP. Makes all kinds of material for house-building. Cuts up more than 200,000 feet of lumber for Commercial purposes per year CLASS IN TELEGRAPHY mn BASKETRY AND MANUAL ARTS MANUAL ARTS EXHIBIT SUPERINTENDENT’S RESIDENCE TREASURER’S COTTAGE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS The Farm HIS IS one of the best assets of the Orphanage. In the past io years it has been brought, by a systematic plan of land improve¬ ment, from one of the poorest tracts in Granville County to one of the richest, most productive farms in the State and capable of growing 75 to 90 bushels of corn as well as 4 crops of Alfalfa hay to the acre. The tract consists of 242 acres. About 30 acres of these are used for trucking and most of the vegetables are made here; 150 acres are devoted to corn, ensilage and al¬ falfa hay. The other portion is used for grazing, except some ten acres which are devoted to buildings and campus. DAIRY HERD. This herd of Holsteins gives an average of 3 gallons of milk. About 35 head —- .. \gg . ir—-is» - rf hf* **f f il? 4 5 |Qm| *1 I? 1 X fat / fv y>- Jp ' T vi , ss£. i )/ DAIRY BARN. Silo capacity 225 tons DAIRY BARN. Capacity 50 cows