The San Francisco Foundling Asylum Society was founded in 1851 by Reverend Albert Williams in order to help five siblings, aged 3-12, who had been orphaned on a voyage from Australia to California. A prefabricated cottage on Folsom near Rincon Hill was leant to the Society and managed by the Reverend’s wife. A Board of Managers was formed, comprised solely of women, mostly the wives of other Protestant clergymen. Within a year, 26 children resided in the home. Seeing the need for more space, the Board of Managers went door to door for donations to buy property and fund construction costs for a larger facility. In 1854 they built a 2-story stone dormitory on two blocks between Haight, Buchanan, Hermann and Laguna which they named the San Francisco Protestant Orphan Asylum (SFPOA). Costs for running SFPOA were covered by subscription donations from local Protestant churches and wealthy patrons including Lillie Coit[1], James Flood[2], James Phelan[3], Jane Stanford[4], Levi Strauss[5] and Adolph Sutro[6]. Local merchants sponsored outings for the children and SFPOA residents developed friendships with neighborhood children. The orphanage soon grew from 26 to 300. Newborns were left on the doorstep and because some of these newborns died from exposure before being found, a box on weighted springs was built next to the front door with an alarm that continued to ring until the infant was removed from the box.
Unwed mothers were allowed to take refuge at the orphanage. In 1875 210 babies were born there, with 175 left abandoned at the front door. That year, 188 of the 385 newborns survived. Mortality rates at the orphanage hovered at 60%. Children were put up for adoption, placed in homes as indentured servants, or aged out at 17.
In 1887 SFPOA came under public scrutiny when it was disclosed that the decomposed body of a 2-month-old baby was found in a dumpster. A former nurse then testified that nurses were poisoning newborns with carbolic acid. While SFPOA was cleared of any wrongdoing, it made the news again in 1892 when former employees reported filthy conditions. A grand jury ruled that the doctors and matron should be charged, though no further action was taken. A year later, the City Coroner demanded an investigation after badly emaciated bodies were found stacked in a box outside the back of the building. By this time, there were 13 other orphan asylums scattered throughout the City, responsible for almost 2,000 children in total. SFPOA mortality rates were no different from the other orphanages and the institution was once again cleared of any wrongdoing.
The building was badly damaged in the 1906 Earthquake[7] but was spared from the subsequent fires. Repairs were completed within six months and, in attempt to rebrand themselves, SFPOA changed its name to Babies’ Aid.
There was an on-sight school from 1854 until 1897 when residents began attending public school. In 1910 a patron payed for the boys at Babies’ Aid to attend Lick/Wilmerding vocational schools. In 1911 a bequest allowed the Board of Managers to purchase land near Danville in Contra Costa County that was called Camp Swain. Children were sent there for the summer from 1911-1946.
55 boys from Babies’ Aid served in the military during World War I[8]. Many alumni would return for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.
In 1919 the Board of Managers determined that the building was no longer habitable. Babies’ Aid relocated to the Maria Kip Orphanage at Lake and 7th near the Presidio[8A] and the original property was sold to the State of California. The building was demolished. The land was later sold to the City and developed.
Babies’ Aid remained at the Presidio site until 1923 when the Board of Managers was able to purchase 10 acres on Vincente in Parkside. Babies’ Aid implemented a cottage system: six cottages housed twenty children each with a cottage mother in charge. Rooms were big and there was a closet for each child with a communal living room, dining room and kitchen. Children had bicycles and pets. They went to public school, attended dances and had chores. They stayed an average of 35 months.
By 1934 only 6% of the resident children were actual orphans. The mortality rate had dropped to 1.6%. The children began referring to their residence as Edgewood and in 1944 the name was officially changed.
Despite a host of fundraisers, Edgewood permanently closed in 1948 due to a lack of funding. In total, SFPOA/Babies’ Aid/Edgewood cared for 3,500 children.
In 1951, keeping the Edgewood name, the site reopened as a residential treatment facility for emotionally disturbed children. It still exists today[9].
[1] Lillie Coit: story coming October 8th
[2] James Flood: story coming October 25th
[3] James Phelan: story coming February 7th
[4] Jane Stanford: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=3921
[5] Levi Stauss: story coming September 26th
[6] Adolph Sutro: story coming March 14th
[7] 1906 Earthquake and Fires: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=2849
[8] World War I: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4079
[8A] The Presidio: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=5121[9] Visit them at https://sfserviceguide.org
