State School Home for Colored Soldiers' Orphans

1869 Announcement Circular for Bridgewater School

OFFICE OF THE COLORED SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' ORPHANS COMMITTEE, 711 SANSOM STREET. Philadelphia, October 2Oth, 1869.

To the Widows of the Colored Soldiers and Sailors of Pennsylvania, whose children have not yet entered the State School-Home for Colored Soldiers and Sailors’ Orphans:

The Committee, below named, take pleasure in informing you that Mr. and Mrs. JAMES STITZEL, late of the McAlisterville Soldiers’ Orphan School, will take charge of this School-Home, as Principal and Matron, on the First of November.

The Home was opened on the 18th of June, 1868. Since that date 133 orphans have been admitted into it; but the following lists, made after careful inquiry, show that 159 others still remain out, scattered through the State. You, the mothers of most of these children, have not yet made application for their admission, either, as we presume, because you do not know how, or because you are ignorant of your rights. We therefore now inform you that the Orphans of all the Colored Soldiers and Sailors of Pennsylvania, who lost their lives either by wounds received or disease contracted in the late War, have a right by law to enter this School-Home at the age of four years, or older, there to receive board, lodging, clothing, medical attendance, a good English education, including Sunday-School instruction and proper care in all respects at the expense of the State, until they are sixteen.

By the amended Pension Act of July 26th, 1868, the increased pension of $2.00 a month, received for each child, is not lost by sending it to the School-Home.

The Home is in Bucks County, pleasantly situated on the Delaware, sixteen miles from Philadelphia, two miles and a half from Bristol and one mile from Schenck’s Station, on the Philada. and Trenton Railroad, and is the place formerly known as "Bristol College." It is a large, substantial brick building, three and four stories high and two hundred and four feet long, to which is attached a lot of excellent land of thirteen and a half acres, extending to the river, and capable of producing all the vegetables which will be needed by the School. The premises cost $14,000, the repairs, furniture and bringing in the orphans, over $7000. Of these funds, $6000 were contributed by the Philada. Branch of the United States Sanitary Commission; the remainder, by certain just men and women, mostly of Philadelphia.

Cars from Philadelphia to Schenck’s Station are taken at the Kensington Dépot, corner of Front and Harrison Streets. Letters for the School should be addressed Bridgewater P. O., Bucks Co., and packages, by Express, 711 Sansom Street, Philadelphia.

Mothers, or some friend in the place of each, will be permitted to visit the School once in three months, and remain over night. They are requested not to bring company to pass the night, as this causes inconvenience.

There will be a vacation of five weeks every summer, when those children who have comfortable homes will be allowed to visit them.

Those of you who wish to apply will please at once forward your addresses with the name and address of the pension agent, if any, employed by each, to B. P. Hunt, 1724 Frankford Road. An agent of the Committee will then call upon you to assist in making out your applications and to conduct your children to the School-Home, free of expense. Our present agent is Miss Phebe T. Chamberlain. In case all the orphans of a family are not placed in the School together, let the oldest come first.

The mothers named in the list further on, who have made application, but have not yet sent their children to the School, are requested to do so without further delay.

We have now informed you of your rights and beg you not to neglect to claim them. In return for the lives which our brave men of color gave up to the country, the State now offers their children the great privilege of free education, with the leisure to acquire it. Let no selfish motive nor evil counsel deprive them of the precious right.

By authority received from Col. Geo. F. McFarland, State Superintendent of Soldiers’ Orphans.

LOUIS WAGNER, Late commander of Camp Wm. Penn,
Chairman, 204 South Fourth Street.
ROBT. R. CORSON,
Secretary, 711 Sansom Street.
B. P. HUNT,
Treasurer, 1724 Frankford Road.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

Edward S. Buckley, 308 S. Fourth St.
N. B. Browne, (Safe Deposit Company, Chestnut ab, Fourth St.
E. W. Clark, 35 S. Third St.
Aubrey H. Smith, 1516 Pine St.
J. G. Rosengarten, S. E. cor. 6th and Walnut Sts.
Atherton Blight, 520 Walnut St.
Henry M. Laing, 30 N. 2d St.
William Still, 1216 Washington Avenue.
James A. Wright, 115 Walnut St.
Mrs. Passmore Williamson, 720 Ruttonwood St.
Mrs. William H. Furness, 1426 Pine St.
Mrs. Aubrey H. Smith, 1516 Pine St.
Mrs. Edward Hopper, 917 Clinton Street.
Mrs. Richard P. White, 412 Spruce St.
Miss S. L. Baldwin, 123 South Twentieth Street.
Mrs. George S. Lang, Media.
Miss Elizabeth Stephenson, 123 Price Street, Germantown.
Robert Purvis, Byberry.

CONDUCTORS OF THE SCHOOL-HOME. (Appointed by Col. Geo. F. McFarland, State Superintendent )

Mr. JAMES STITZEL, Principal. Mrs. H. E. STITZEL, Matron.
Mr. James M. Stradling, Mrs. Georgiana W. Stradling, Miss Carline M. Dodson, Teachers.

Source

• "Announcement From The Office Of The Colored Soldiers' And Sailors' Orphans Committee". Correspondence And Finances Of The School Of Colored Soldiers' And Sailors' Orphans, Germantown Historical Society/ Historic Germantown -- Pamphlet Boxes African-American History Collection, October 20, 1869.
  https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3A162576.