Home of the Innocents
Encyclopedia
The Home of the Innocents is a nonprofit shelter and pediatric convalescent center in Louisville, Kentucky
.
In 2001 the Home served about 1,200 children.
and charged to "provide for the comfort and care of children of poor families and for destitute mothers". It was first located at 108 West Broadway and led by Dr. James Taylor Helm, in cooperation with Christ Church Cathedral
.
In 1930 it merged with the Protestant Episcopal Orphan Asylum, and moved into a former Durrett family mansion at 202 East Chestnut in 1942, a facility capable of housing 18 children at a time. The property was sold in 1969 for an expansion of Norton Children's Hospital
, and the Home of the Innocents moved to 505 East Chestnut, where capacity was gradually increased from 30 to 90 children by 1987. In 1975, the Home of the Innocents assumed the pediatric nursing services formerly provided by the old Louisville Jewish Convalescent Children's Home.
On March 5, 1999 the Home purchased the 20.5 acres (82,960.6 m²) Bourbon Stockyards site for $3.4 million, located east of Downtown Louisville
in the Butchertown
neighborhood. The Home constructed a $25 million campus on this site, funded by a capital campaign that included a $6.2 million donation from Kosair Charities
. In 2008 the Home entered the final stretch of a $26 million capital campaign for substantial expansion and improvements.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
Services
The Home operates the only dedicated pediatric nursing unit in Kentucky, giving care to children from birth to age 21 with a variety of birth defects and medical problems. The Home also operates a shelter for children removed from their homes due to violence or neglect, support services for pregnant teenagers, transitional housing for teenage mothers and their children and housing for severely emotionally disturbed teenagers so they can stay in their home community.In 2001 the Home served about 1,200 children.
History
It was founded on April 23, 1880 by a special act of the Kentucky General AssemblyKentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
and charged to "provide for the comfort and care of children of poor families and for destitute mothers". It was first located at 108 West Broadway and led by Dr. James Taylor Helm, in cooperation with Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral (Louisville, Kentucky)
The historic Christ Church Cathedral, located at 421 South 2nd Street Louisville, Kentucky, was founded on May 31, 1822. The original church building was completed in 1824, a new Romanesque Revival facade was added in 1870....
.
In 1930 it merged with the Protestant Episcopal Orphan Asylum, and moved into a former Durrett family mansion at 202 East Chestnut in 1942, a facility capable of housing 18 children at a time. The property was sold in 1969 for an expansion of Norton Children's Hospital
Norton Healthcare
Norton Healthcare is Kentucky's largest healthcare system with more than 40 locations in and around Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1886, Norton's current major products include pediatrics; women's services; orthopedics; cardiac care; stroke care; advanced surgical services; cancer diagnosis,...
, and the Home of the Innocents moved to 505 East Chestnut, where capacity was gradually increased from 30 to 90 children by 1987. In 1975, the Home of the Innocents assumed the pediatric nursing services formerly provided by the old Louisville Jewish Convalescent Children's Home.
On March 5, 1999 the Home purchased the 20.5 acres (82,960.6 m²) Bourbon Stockyards site for $3.4 million, located east of Downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville, Kentucky Metropolitan Area. Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north, Hancock Street to the east, York and Jacob Streets to the south, and 9th Street to the west...
in the Butchertown
Butchertown
Butchertown is a neighborhood just east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The first homes in the area were laid out in the 1820s along the newly completed Louisville to Lexington turnpike, referred to in that stretch as Story Avenue.- History :...
neighborhood. The Home constructed a $25 million campus on this site, funded by a capital campaign that included a $6.2 million donation from Kosair Charities
Kosair Charities
Since 1923, Kosair Charities has ensured children of Kentucky and southern Indiana receive the medical care they need. Kosair Charities is located at 982 Eastern Parkway in Louisville, Kentucky....
. In 2008 the Home entered the final stretch of a $26 million capital campaign for substantial expansion and improvements.