St. Louis Orphan's Home Records | St. Louis County Library

Familysearch has digitized Orphan's home records for St. Mary's and St. Ann's Orphan's homes. See ORP-1, ORP-2, ORP-3, ORP-4 below for complete guides to the films.

ORP-5 Journal of Commitments to the House of Refuge, 1854-1899 is available on microfilm in the History & Genealogy Department.

ORP-6 German General Protestant Orphan's Home Intake Records is available on microfilm in the History & Genealogy Department.

Records of the St. Louis Protestant Orphan's Home are available through Missouri State Archives.

Item #1 St. Ann's Orphans Home Index Cards A-Z

NOTE: Index Card File in Alphabetical Order. Records Primarily from 1900 to 1910.

Item #2 St. Ann's Orphans Home Individual Files Surnames A-M

NOTE: Contains individual files of children involved in adoption at St. Anne's Home from 1900. The files appear to be in alphabetical order including letters, baptismal records,.. Some letters included requests for information about parentage many years later. Item 2 contains letters A-M. N-Z can be located of FHL 1987663 Item 1.

Records for Children and Parents of Foundlings, Adoptions, Widows, 1853-1929

Catholic Church. Catholic Services for Children & Youth (St. Louis, Missouri) (Main Author)
Catholic Church. St. Ann's Hospital (St. Louis, Missouri) (Added Author)
Catholic Church. St. Mary's Orphanage (St. Louis, Missouri) (Added Author)
4 microfilm reels ; 35 mm.

Item # 1 St. Ann's Orphan's Home, Individual Files Surnames N-Z

NOTE: Contains individual files of children involved in adoption at St. Anne's Home from 1900. The files appear to be in alphabetical order including letters, baptismal records,.. Some letters included requests for information about parentage many years later. Item 1 contains letters N-Z. A-M can be located of FHL 1987662 Item 2.

Item # 2 St. Mary's Orphan's Home; St. Ann's Orphan's Home & St. Joseph's Home - Children placed. Surnames A-N

NOTE: Contains "Children Placed" from approximately 1900 to 1920. These are in rough alphabetical order including letters from A-O. The records include some detailed correspondence and circuit court records. Scattered throughout are "Application for Admissions of Children... Office of the Catholic Orphan's Board." Some of the Children are half orphans. Records for names from O-Z will be found on FHL # 1987664 Item 1.

Records for Children and Parents of Foundlings, Adoptions, Widows, 1853-1929

Item #1 St. Mary's, St. Ann's, & St. Joseph's Orphan's Homes - Children Placed, Surnames N-Z

NOTE: Contains "Children Placed" from approximately 1900 to 1920. These are in rough alphabetical order including letters from O-Y. The records include some detailed correspondence and circuit court records. Scattered throughout are "Application for Admissions of Children... Office of the Catholic Orphan's Board." Some of the Children are half orphans. Records for names from A-O will be found on FHL # 1987663 Item 2.

Item #2 City Foundlings, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1886-1916

NOTE: Includes date of admission, name where found, by when found (Quite often a policeman), by whom taken and when. (Many died).

Item #3 Adoptions, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1914-1916

NOTE: In chronological order. Includes date, name of child, date of birth, who adopted the child and their address, and what priest recommended the new parents.

Item #4 Financial Ledger, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1911-1915

NOTE: Indexed. Includes name of mother, her age, where she was born, current address, occupation, religion, similar information for father (seldom listed), child's name and birth date.

Items #5 Children's Ledger, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1912-1934

NOTE: Item 5 (1911-1915) Item 5 contains child's name and birth date, father's and mother's name (if known), birthplace, name of adoptive parent and address.

St. Ann's Orphan's Home - Children Ledger

Items #6 Children's Ledger, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1912

NOTE: Item 6 contains date of entry, child's name, birth date and location, baptismal date and location, mother's name, date of adoption and name of adoptive parents. Contains 4 entries for 1933.

Items #7 Children's Ledger, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1912

Note: Item 7 (1915-1916). Item 7 contains mother's information including maiden name, age, birthplace, address, occupation, religion: sometimes includes same information for father, child's name and birthdate.

Item #8 Children's Admissions, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1916-1920

Note: Card file from St. Ann's Hospital. Includes date of entry, mother's name, address, birthplace, age, occupation, religion, father's name and same information for father, infant's name, date of birth and date of entry. (Appears to be similar to Item 10).

Item #9 Widow's Home Register, St. Ann's Home, 1916-1917

NOTE: Chronological. Ledger includes name of patient, date of entry, religion, payment of date of discharge; including Catholics, Protestants, and Jews.

Item #10 Mother's Register, St. Ann's Orphan's Home, 1916-1918

NOTE: Card file from St. Ann's Hospital. Includes date of entry, mother's name, address, birthplace, age, occupation, religion, father's name, and same information for father, infant's name, date of birth, and date of entry. (Appears to be similar to Item 8).

Mother's Register, St. Ann's Orphan's Home 1917

Item # 11 Record of Patients

NOTE: Chronological. Record book from St. Ann's Home listing Children and Babies, 1853-1854, Adults 1853-1884; and a list of names, 1957 back to 1953.

Records for Children and Parents of Foundlings, Adoptions, Widows, 1853-1929

Item #1 Baptism Register, St. Mary's Orphanage, 1909-1929

NOTE: Indexed. Includes child's name, date of birth and baptism, and parents' names. 8 pages, chronological.

Item #2 Children's / Foundlings Registers, Infant Asylum Sisters of Charity, 1853-1884

NOTE: From Infant Asylum corner of Marion and Menard founded by the Sisters of Charity. Chronological. Includes Child's name, age, baptismal date, date of death if applicable and by whom placed.

Infant Asylum Sisters of Charity Children's / Foundlings Register

Item #3 Children's / Foundlings Registers, St. Ann's Hospital and Foundling Home. 1885-1912

NOTE: Includes child's name, age, date placed, date baptized, birth place, by whom placed, and by whom taken or date of death. Chronological.

St. Ann's Hospital and Foundling Home Children's / Foundlings Register 1888

Item #4 Children's / Foundlings Registers, St. Ann's Hospital and Foundling Home. 1912-1924

NOTE: Includes child's name, age, date placed, date baptized, birth place, by whom placed, and by whom taken or date of death. Chronological.

St. Ann's Hospital and Foundling Home Children's / Foundlings Register 1914

Records for Children and Parents of Foundlings, Adoptions, Widows, 1853-1929

St. Louis City Registrar. Journal of Commitments to the House of Refuge, 1854-1899

See:

Greenwood, Peggy. "The House of Refuge" Vol. XXV. PP. 45-49.
Greenwood, Peggy. "The House of Refuge" Vol. XXV. PP. 91-94.
Greenwood, Peggy. "The House of Refuge" Vol. XXV. PP. 121-124.
Greenwood, Peggy. "The House of Refuge" Vol. XXVI. PP. 45-48.
Greenwood, Peggy. "The House of Refuge" Vol. XXVI. PP. 81-84.

3 March 1851 the Missouri Legislature passed "An act to establish the Missouri Juvenile Reform School. The "House of Refuge" in St. Louis was the sixth such institute in the United States. By 1858, the school had already received 581 children. The Missouri Historical Society holds a Journal of Commitments to the House of Refuge for the period 28 July 1854 to 28 January 1899 which has been microfilmed and is available from History & Genealogy on microfilm roll ORP-5: St. Louis City Registrar, Journal of Commitments to the House of Refuge, 1854-1899. These rolls have been indexed in Greenwoods' articles.

German General Protestant Orphan's Home Intake Records

Book #1 Nov. 1878 - Sep 1916
Book #2 29 Nov 1917 - 18 Mar 1943

Records are indexed. See Source:

Index to intake records, German General Protestant Orphans' Home, St. Louis, Missouri by Draper, Kelly
Call Number: R 977.866 I38
Publication Date: 2003

Greenwood, Peggy. "Beyond the Orphanage". Winter 1991. Vol. XXIV No. 4 PP. 103-108.
Greenwood, Peggy. "Beyond the Orphanage, Part II". Spring 1993. Vol. XXVI No. 1. PP. 1-6.

Study of years 1850 to 1870 of the institutions for dependent children in the St. Louis area.

This collection is available at The State Historical Society of Missouri. It is 70 Volumes On 8 Microfilm Rolls.

The St. Louis Protestant Orphans' Asylum was founded as the St. Louis Association of Ladies for the Relief of Orphan Children by Mrs. Ann Perry in 1834. It was created in response to the 1832 cholera epidemic which left many St. Louis children without parents. After expanding their facilities and services, the name was changed to St. Louis Protestant Orphans' Asylum in 1848. In 1869, the group merged with the Western Sanitary Commission, a volunteer organization designed to provide relief for veterans of the Civil War. Consequently, the group moved from its north St. Louis location to the Rock House in Webster Groves, originally the sight of Webster College School for Boys purchased by the Western Sanitary Commission in 1861. The St. Louis Protestant Orphans' Asylum changed its name to the Edgewood Children's Center in June, 1943. At the same time, an admissions policy was developed that accepted children who could not function in foster homes. In 1956, upon recommendation of the Social Planning Council of St. Louis, the Edgewood Children's Center merged with the Forest Pack Children's Center, a facility for treatment of emotionally disturbed children established by the Junior League in 1945.

Another merger occurred in 1978 between the Edgewood Children's Center and the Girls' Industrial Home and School. Founded as the Girls' Industrial School in 1853, this group was established as a learning center for poverty stricken girls. It evolved into a treatment center
for girls with psychiatric problems, receiving assistance from the Municipal Psychiatric Clinic and Child Guidance Clinic.

The collection includes records of the St. Louis orphanage and child care center including bylaws; histories; annual reports; managers' board minutes; matrons' day books; admissions and departures records; visitors' records and financial registers. Collection includes records of
the Girls' Industrial Home and School (1853-1978) which merged with the St. Louis Protestant Orphans' Asylum in 1978 and also, the Visiting Committee Records of the Old Soldiers' Orphan Home (1865-1869) which merged with the St. Louis Protestant Orphans' Asylum in December 1869,, and Civil War veterans' orphans records of admissions and discharges.

A Volume List is available from the Missouri State Archives.