Billie Walter

In 1877, a dying widow appealed to Rev. James Fulton, the young pastor of the Fourth United Presbyterian Church of Allegheny, to help her find homes for her five soon-to-be orphaned children. Rev. Fulton called together the women of the United Presbyterian churches of Pittsburgh and Allegheny City and challenged them to find a solution to this problem. They women formed the United Presbyterian Women’s Association, and the first orphans’ home was opened in a rented six room house on Sherman Avenue in Pittsburgh in 1878.

In 1929 the Orphan’s Home moved to its current location in Mars, Pennsylvania.  During the Depression years parents had no means to support their children would bring them to the home to be cared for until the age of fourteen when they would either be returned home or placed in substituted care. In the 1950’s, the Orphanage was renamed the United Presbyterian Home for Children as its emphasis began to reflect the change from caring for orphans to caring for children from broken homes. Until the mid 1970’s, the children came to the home either as orphans or from families broken by poverty or death.

In 1990 the name was changed to Mars Home for Youth and continues to serve youth who have been neglected and abused.

So what was it like to grow up in a Children’s Home?  Well, the Children’s Home itself was a large Tudor style building sitting high at the top of the hill.   It was clean and well kept.  At the time, the Children’s Home housed about sixty children.  It was separated into six different departments.  Each department had it own housemother.  The different departments were:

• Preschool Department (boys & girls) - 2 years to 6 years
• Junior Girls Department - 7 years  to 12 years
• Junior Boys Department - 7 years to 12 years
• Intermediate Girls Department - 13 years to 16 years
• Senior Boys Department - 13 years to 18 years
• Senior Girls Cottage - 17 years and 18 years

The children lived in the Children’s Home until they were returned to their parents, adopted or graduated from high school. The Children’s Home was still being run by the Presbyterian Church so by default we all became Presbyterians and attended church on Sunday and bible study on Wednesday nights.  We also had to read from the bible daily and memorize passages from it.  To this day I can still name all of the books of the bible in order.

Everything at the Children’s Home was done in an institutional manner.  They made the rules and we followed them.  We were all treated the same.  I never felt abused but I also never felt loved.

• My daily schedule over the next eight years was pretty much set in stone.
• We were awakened by a bell at 6 AM.  We would rise, make our beds and get ready for breakfast.
• At 6:20 AM the bell would ring again to let us know it was time to proceed to the community dining room where all sixty children met for their meals.  We would start every meal by saying grace.  Breakfast usually consisted of juice and cereal.  We were expected to eat everything that was put on our plates.
• From 6:45 AM to 7:15 AM, we would either have kitchen, dining room or pantry chores.  The girls in the kitchen would pack the lunches for that day.  It would consist of two sandwiches, one meat or cheese and the other one peanut butter and jelly.  We would also get an apple and would be given a nickle for a carton of milk.  The girls in the dining room would clean off the tables and set them up for the next meal.  The girls in the pantry would wash and dry the dishes, by hand of course.  There were no dishwashers.
• From 7:15 AM until 7:45 AM we would be doing our department cleaning duties.  They consisted of cleaning the toilets, sinks, showers, hallway and the television room.
• From 7:45 AM until 8:30 AM we would get ready for school.
• At 8:30 AM we would head out the door to school.  We attended a public school in Mars, where we were known as the “Home Kids.”  While we weren’t required to wear uniforms to school, we were required to wear skirts that would reach the floor when we were kneeling down.  In grade school this was never an issue, but in high school during the 60’s, we would roll our skirts up to look more like the other kids at school.  Since most of our clothes were donated by members of the community, often by our friends, it was often a source of embarrassment.
• School would end at 2:45 PM and we would be home by 3 PM.  We would spend the next hour in study hall.  If we didn’t have homework, we were required to sit there and read a book until study hall was over.
• Between 4 PM and 5 PM was our first free time of the entire day.  We could play, read or watch T.V.
• At 5:15 PM the dinner bell would ring and once again we headed to the dining room.  Dinner usually consisted of a meat, vegetable and a potatoes.  Sometimes we would have rice or spaghetti.  We always had milk as our beverage.
• From 6 PM. until 7 PM we had kitchen clean up again.  From 7 PM until 9 PM was free time again.  We would usually shower and then watch TV.
• From 9 PM until 9:45 PM we would have another study hall.  At 9:45 PM we would go to our housemothers room and she would read to us from the Bible.
• At 10 PM it was lights out and no talking was allowed.  I lived this schedule for most of the next eight years with the later years becoming a little more lenient for later hours and dating options.

Living in a Children’s Home wasn’t all that bad.  At least I was with other kids my age and I was being treated fairly.  It certainly was a lot better than the foster homes I had lived it.