The Parsons Child and Family Center Records, 1830-
SC17377

Quantity:	44 Boxes
Access:	open to Research with the exception of Case Files of Children Series
Acquisition:	Deed of Gift
Processed By:	Carla Meili, Student Assistant, State University of New York,  University at Albany, 2003

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Historical Note

The Albany Orphan Asylum opened its doors to its first child on December 2, 1829. Founded by Orissa Healy and Eliza Wilcox, the asylum's first home was a rented house that was located on Washington Avenue in Albany, New York. By June 1830, the asylum housed seventy children and had attracted much favor among the citizens of Albany. In 1832 the asylum moved to a new home at Western Avenue and Robin Street, where it would remain for almost the next 75 years. The first name of the institution was the Society for the Relief of Orphan and Destitute Children in the City of Albany; about 1850 it became known as the Albany Orphan Asylum.

Rev. Timothy Fuller served as superintendent from 1866 until his death in 1879. He was succeeded by his son, Albert D. Fuller, who served as superintendent until his death in 1893. Albert D. Fuller was devoted to the Albany Orphan Asylum and its children, as can be seen in the correspondence between him and children who had left the Asylum to return to their parents or were bound out to families. It was during Mr. Fuller's tenure as superintendent that the majority of the children's records were kept, including the individual case files. In 1891, Albert Fuller was also placed in charge of the Lathrop Memorial, another home in Albany for orphaned children. After he died in 1893, his wife, Helen Fuller, who served until 1902, succeeded him.

By 1904, the facility on Western Avenue was considered to be inadequate, so the trustees began to consider building a new facility. Believing children should be housed in smaller groups in a home-like setting instead of barracks with a communal mess hall, the board of managers (trustees), adopted what is known as the "cottage plan," and began building a complex of four "homes" at 140 New Scotland Avenue; in 1907 the facility was opened. In 1910, the board named the cottages in honor of past leaders, James D. Wasson, Archibald McIntyre, General John T. Rathbone, and the Fuller Family.   A substantial gift in 1914 from Mrs. John D. Parsons Jr. , in memory of her late husband financed the building of Parsons Cottage. By the 1930s, it was no longer an orphan asylum, so the name was changed in 1935 to the Albany Home for Children.   In 1959 the present facility on Academy Road was built. In 1976 the name of the institution was changed to the Parsons Child and Family Center, honoring the major benefactor, John D. Parsons, Jr.

From its beginning, the mission of the asylum was to provide food, shelter, and attention to the physical, emotional, and educational needs of orphaned and dependent children.   These children included those who, although their parents may have been living, were neglected or not well provided for by them.  The initial charge for caring for a child was fifty cents a week if the parent or guardian could afford it.  If a child was destitute, the asylum would accept him/her if it had the funds.  Many of the children returned to their parent(s) when their economic situation or health improved.  The number of children received without pay was regulated by the condition of the funds belonging to the society.  The counties who sent children to the asylum were charged for the care of those children.  Much of the early financial support of the asylum came from local churches, which held fairs and benefits to raise money for the institution.  The society also accepted gifts or money and property from individuals to further its mission.

At eight or nine years of age, many children were indentured to families who needed or wanted a child to help with domestic work, farm work, or for companionship.  Children were indentured for a specific period of time, as indicated in the contracts found in many of the case files.

The governing body of the asylum was the Board of Trustees and the superintendent. The first officers of the institution were elected June 10, 1830; James O. Wasson was the first president of the board. The earliest minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees refer to another governing body, the "Lady Managers. " However, records of the Ladies Association Auxiliary to the Albany Orphan Asylum in this collection do not begin until 1904. The Board of Trustees concerned itself with the organization, property, and expenses of the asylum and documented their activities in annual reports. The Ladies Auxiliary concerned itself with promoting the welfare of the children of the asylum. They had oversight and general supervision of the internal affairs of the asylum. They made suggestions to the Board concerning such affairs, and they took upon themselves matters referred to them by the Board.

Series Description

The majority of records Parsons Child and Family Center (Albany Orphan Asylum) are organized into eleven series that document primarily administrative functions activities this institution from its founding in 1830 until early 1930s.

I.  Organizational Papers Series, 1830-1996. Boxes 1-7.

The organizational series consists of material relating to the history and formation of the Asylum, including the original stockholders book from 1848. This volume contains a manuscript copy of the Constitution of the Society for the Relief of Orphans and Destitute Children and a print copy of same, June 3, 1830. The original stockholders each paid $2 and some families became joint stock holders. As stated in the constitution, the society was to be managed by a president and a board of managers, and that board was vested with the power to make by-laws, rules, and regulations as they thought proper for carrying out the objects of the society. The account book kept by Superintendent Orissa Healy, 1831-1833, includes name of first child received on December 2, 1829, record of children at the Asylum from 1830-1839, and the name of person or family to whom children were bound out. The volume containing the Original Act of Incorporation of the Society for the Relief of Orphans and Destitute Children, March 30, 1831, also includes memoranda admitting children to the Society, 1832-1865. The minutes of meetings of the Board of Managers (Trustees), 1841-1921, excluding 1848-1857, are contained in two volumes of manuscript records with some typewritten reports of meetings. Included in the records are the names of board members present at meetings, suggestions for internal investigation of arrangements and proceedings in the asylum, recommendations made for the hiring of teachers, weekly dietary costs per child, and appointment of members to various committees in charge of fulfilling the plans and goals for the Asylum made by the Board. Annual Reports, Superintendent's Reports, and Treasurer's Reports, 1832-1996, are manuscripts, printed, or typewritten, and some are bound volumes.

II. Records of Children Series, 1835-1909. Boxes 8-25.

The Records of Children series consists mostly of manuscript records of children admitted to the asylum. The two earliest volumes, 1835-1842 and 1843-1882, contain dates children were received, age, by whom sent, when discharged, and remarks about the parents, including indicating if the child was an orphan. The later volume, 1843-1882, is indexed alphabetically, and includes case numbers 2383-2483, which can be cross referenced to the Record of Children in box 9, a Monthly Record of Children volume, a Population Book, and a Records of Indentured Children volume. The later volume also contains a list of children supported at the asylum in 1876 and a list of children who were bound out to families or ran away and later either returned to the asylum or were bound out a second time.

The five Record of Children volumes, covering the years 1877 through 1903, contain detailed information of children and their parents in two columns. Memoranda in regard to the child include: date of admission, date of birth, orphan status, by whom the child was brought to the asylum, place of birth, mental condition, physical condition, when vaccinated, if the child had a contagious disease, date of discharge, by whom taken, and when indenture terminated. Memoranda in regard to parents include: place of birth, address, occupation, religion, and names of relatives and friends. These volumes include case numbers 2448-7818 of the children so that they can be cross-referenced to the Monthly Record of Children volumes, Population Books, Records of Indentured Children, and the 1843-1882 Record of Children. The Lathrop Memorial volume is similar in format to the previous four volumes, but consists of information about the children at that institution, which Albert Fuller took charge of in 1891.

The Monthly Record of Children Received and Discharged volumes, 1877-1897, consist of monthly lists of children received and discharged, and the number of children on hand during that month. These volumes contain annual lists of children supported by the Asylum and lists of children out on trial or temporarily absent. Sanitary conditions for each month are also reported. Also included are registration numbers, which can be cross-referenced to the volumes in series containing case numbers for children.

Population Books, 1876-1909, are indexed alphabetically by the county that had jurisdiction over the care of the children. Information includes date received, date discharged, date of birth, by whom brought, and the name of the Superintendent of Poor of the county charged for children. These records also contain case numbers, so they can be cross-referenced to other volumes in series containing case numbers.

Records of Indentured Children, six volumes, indexed alphabetically, 1879-1907. Information about each child includes name, birth date, admission date, parentage, mental and physical condition, remarks, indenture date and copies of correspondence reporting children's condition. The majority of the correspondence consists of letters between indentured children and Mr. Fuller (until his death in 1893), and then Mrs. Fuller, who became Superintendent after the death of her husband. Some records include case numbers so that records can be cross-referenced to other volumes in series.

III. Admission Records Series, 1865-1908. Boxes 26-27.

This series consists of certificates and memoranda containing the name, birth date, date of admission of the child, and name of county and amount charged for care of child. Some of the memoranda in box 27 include the name of the mother and father and whether or not the child can be placed in a home.

IV. Visitors Register Series, 1900-1913. Box 28.

The Albany Orphan Asylum Register contains original signatures and addresses of visitors on the date they visited the asylum. The names of visitors between 1901-1907 in the Lathrop Memorial Register were copied from another source. From 1908-1913 the signatures are original. That volume also contains daily menus of the Albany Orphan Asylum for September 1, 1929 through February 17, 1930.

V. Ladies Association Auxiliary to the Albany Orphan Asylum Series, 1904-1931. Box 29.

These two volumes of Secretary's Books of the Ladies Association Auxiliary to the Albany Orphan Asylum, Minutes of Meetings, 2/2/1904-1/1/1906 and 10/1920-11/1931, include reports of sanitary conditions at the asylum, the health and welfare of the children, suggestions for purchases to be made from donations, and observations. The earlier volume (1904-1905) is in manuscript form and contains a copy of the by-laws of the group.

VI. Buildings and Grounds Series, 1837-1913. Box 30. 

The Building and Grounds Series is made up of contracts, deeds, specifications, and photocopies of photographs of buildings. Included in the series are an appeal to the public for money to care for the orphans, 1832; a letter to Mrs. Russell Sage requesting money to erect a new cottage in 1907; a bequest of money made by William James to the Albany Orphan Asylum in 1837; building contracts, and specifications for buildings to be erected at Washington Avenue.

VII. Correspondence, News, and Research Materials, 1836-1957. Box 31.

This series contains letters to and from past presidents of the Board of Trustees and friends of the asylum. In addition, one folder contains news clippings about events surrounding the asylum. Also included are pieces of research on local notable people such as Edward Cornelius Delavan, an abstinence agitator who was connected to the temperance movement in the middle 1800s, and Louis Leach Woodward, who served on the Board of Trustees from 1941 to 1951.

VIII. Photographs and Printed Materials. 1840-1922. Box 32.

This series contains some original photographs of children and buildings and some photocopies of photographs. Also included are printed materials such as the Memoriam to Albert D. Fuller and a biography of John D. Parsons, Jr., after whom the Parsons Child and Family Center was named.

IX. Legal Records, 1890, 1901. Box 33

This series contains the court transcripts of a brutality case that was brought against an employee of the Albany Orphan Asylum. This record contains testimony from seven hearings: one hearing contains evidence given by the alleged victim, a 14 year old boy and six sections of transcripts are inquiries into the management of the Albany Orphan Asylum. Included in this series is a N. Y. Supreme Court Petition and Order for payment of an unclaimed portion of the proceeds of the sale of real property.

X. The Publications Series, 1980-1996. Box 34.

Included in this series are two issues of the Parsons Newsletter, 1980, as well as pamphlets with general information about Parsons, admission policies and procedures, and adoption.

XI. Case Files of Children Series, 1880-1945. Boxes 35-44.

Access to these files is restricted. Interested researchers must obtain written permission from the Director of the Parsons Center.

The Case Files series is organized alphabetically by child, and each folder is organized chronologically, with beginning date and ending date of contents. The files include letters from Albert Fuller to the children who were bound out to families, returned home to their parents, or were living independently. After Mr. Fuller died, his wife, Helen Fuller, serving as acting superintendent, continued correspondence with the children and their families. Also included are Indenture Agreements made between the Asylum and the people to whom children were bound out. The majority of the records were created between 1880-1893, the years Albert Fuller was superintendent. Some folders contain much more detailed information than others do. See the appendix for a complete listing of all the names listed in the case files.

Container List

Appendix: Casefiles of Children

Access to these files is restricted. Interested researchers must obtain written permission from the Director of Parson Center.