Overview

The orphanage was built in 1873 due to a newspaper error following the 1872 Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod convention in St. Louis.[1] A newspaper mistakenly mentioned that the Lutheran Church had planned to build an orphanage at the convention. While this was untrue, the church leaders decided that this was a good idea and launched plans to build one.[2] The church bought 38 acres at 343 West Lake Street in Addison, DuPage County, Illinois, and started the construction. The first building was meant to house 50 residents, but was later expanded in 1875, 1878, 1890, 1897, and 1922.[3] The architect Frederick Alschlager designed the 1897 addition to the building.[4]

In its early years, most orphans and residents stayed at the German Evangelical Lutheran Orphan Asylum (also known as the German Lutheran Orphan Asylum) until they were 14, then were sent to live with families in the area to learn farming and other trades until they were 18 years old.[5]

Next door to the orphanage was the Evangelical Lutheran Teachers Seminary. In 1913, the seminary moved to River Forest and the building was converted to house the Kinderheim Association (see Kinderheim for details).[6] Kinderheim was also run by the Lutheran church as a training and industrial school for children going through the court system. The building was razed in 1924 and a new structure was constructed to house up to 300 children in 1925.[7]

In 1940, Kinderheim and the orphanage were combined into one organization. The building that housed the German Evangelical Lutheran Orphan Asylum was demolished in 1959 and replaced by Lutherbrook. The original Kinderheim building served as an orphanage and campus for the organization until 1960. From 1961 to 2000 it was Addison’s Village Hall, after which it was demolished and replaced.[8] A historical marker nearby stands in its memory, created out of the original doorframe, windowsills, and brick of the building.[9] The marker includes plaques for the combined Kinderheim orphanage and the Lutheran Teacher’s Seminary.

The German Evangelical-Lutheran Orphan Home Association of Northern Illinois held an annual picnic in Addison, which was very popular. The picnic was known as the “Kinderheim Picnic” and the “Orphan Home Picnic.” The event also included a tour of the German Evangelical-Lutheran Orphan Home Association of Northern Illinois. “It was so popular that in 1890, five of Addison’s citizens formed the Addison Railroad Company and made an agreement with the Illinois Central Railroad to maintain the short two-mile line connecting Addison to the Illinois Central Railroad that came out of Chicago.”[10] The very first train came to Addison for the Orphan Home Picnic on 21 September 1890. After the festive outing that day, the thousands of children and adults began to board trains back to Chicago around 5pm. Around 7pm, the east bound train was standing at the Kedzie Avenue crossing on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad tracks, just a few feet from the Douglas Park station when a Chicago, Burlington & Quincy—Downer’s Grove express train crashed into the rear car of the picnic train.[11] Seven people died and at least eleven were seriously injured. For more information on this event that involved the Orphan Home Picnic, Barry A. Fleig’s Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries’ article “Children’s Picnic – then Horror” is recommended.

Institution Name

Alternative Names:

• German Evangelical Lutheran Orphans’ Home Association
• German Lutheran Orphan Asylum
• Evangelical Lutheran Orphan Home
• Evangelisch-lutherisches Waisenhaus

Type of Institution: Orphanage

Location and Building

Street Address: 343 W. Lake St.

Locality: Addison

County: DuPage County

State: Illinois

Notes on the building (does it still exist?): Demolished in 1959

Administration Information

Date of Founding: 1873

Date of Name, Place, or Mission Change, or Merger: 1934, 1940

Date of Overall Closure: 1940

Dates of Operation at This Address Under This Name with the Same Mission: 1873-1940

After Change See: Lutheran Child Welfare Association

Successor: Lutheran Child Welfare Association

Related To: Lutheran Orphans’ Home (Peoria), Kinderheim (Addison Manual Training School for Boys and Industrial School for Girls).

Notes: In 1934, the orphan home was merged with the Lutheran Children’s Friend Society in Peoria. In 1940, the orphanage merged with Kinderheim (Addison Manual Training School for Boys and Industrial School for Girls).

Administration:

• 1910: German Evangelical Orphan Society, Private corporation (Lutheran)
• 1923: Evangelical Lutheran Church
• German Evangelical Lutheran Orphanage Association of North Illinois
• Orphan Home Association

Contributors/Support: Various congregations of Missouri Synod Lutheran Churches.

Bequests from:

• William Buschmann, died 1894, for $5,000.[12]
• F. D. Scheibie, died 1904, for $500.[13]
• Katharine Hahn, died 1906, for $200.[14]

Notable People

Rev. J. Grosse: President of the asylum in 1895.[15]

Rev. Theodore Thormahlen: Superintendent of the orphan home before 1940.[16]

Rev. Adolph Pfotenhauer: Superintendent of the Lutheran Orphanage at Addison.

Mr. Ernst Leubner: Superintendent or head of German Lutheran Orphans’ Asylum in Addison.[17]

Rev. H. Merz: Superintendent in 1915.

Mrs. H. Merz: Matron in 1915.

Rev. M. K. C. Vetter: Superintendent in 1925.

Past Residents:

• Mrs. Pauline A. Kruse (abt. 1907-1999): raised in Lutheran Orphanage, Addison.[18]

Intake Information and Requirements

Intake Gender/Sex: Female, Male

Intake Age:

• 1910: 2 to 10, but many older
• 1915: up to 14 years
• 1923: boys from 2-15 years, girls from 2-18 years

Intake Ethnicity/Race: 1923: White

Intake Religion: 1910: No restriction

Intake Specifics:

• 1910: Orphan
• 1915: Orphan and half-orphans, charges $1 per week per child. Capacity, 120.

Number of Residents:

• 1895: 121 residents.[19]
• Circa 1896: 166 residents.[20]
• 1915: capacity at 120.

Records

Archives and Repositories

Addison Historical Museum

135 W. Army Trail Blvd., Addison, Illinois

630-628-1433

https://www.addisonadvantage.org/visitors/history_2/index.php

https://addisonhistory.pastperfectonline.com

Concordia Historical Institute

http://concordiahistoricalinstitute.org
804 Seminary Place
Saint Louis MO 63105 USA
314-505-7935
reference@concordiahistoricalinstitute.org

https://concordiahistoricalinstitute.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/archival_objects/3118.

Sources

City of Chicago, Department of Public Welfare. 1915. Social Service Directory. Chicago: City of Chicago. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Social_Service_Directory/1YgDAAAAMAAJ.

Fleig, Barry A. 2020. “Children’s Picnic – then Horror.” Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries: A Historical and Contemporary Resource. https://chicagoandcookcountycemeteries.com/2020/02/15/childrens-picnic-then-horror/. 

Huenink, James. 2021. “Chicago Lutheran History: The Lutheran Orphanage-1873,” Medium. https://hueninkwrites.medium.com/chicago-lutheran-history-the-lutheran-orphanage-1873-88c3475c5234.

Illinois Department of Public Welfare. 1927. Nineth Annual Report of the Department of Public Welfare, July 1, 1925 to June 30, 1926. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Journal Co. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Annual_Report/pmAbAQAAIAAJ.

Illinois Department of Visitation of Children Placed in Family Homes. 1912. Sixth Annual Report of the Department Visitation of Children Placed in Family Homes, Board of Administration of the State of Illinois, For the Year Ending December 31, 1911. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Journal Co. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Report_for_of_the_Department_Visitation/e1I9AQAAMAAJ.

—. 1914. Seventh Annual Report of the Department Visitation of Children Placed in Family Homes, Board of Administration of the State of Illinois, For the Year Ending December 31, 1913. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Journal Co.

“Kinderheim Arch,” HMdb.org. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=47431.

Lenker, John Nicholas. 1896. Lutherans in All Lands: The Wonderful Works of God. Milwaukee: Lutherans in All Lands Company. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lutherans_in_All_Lands/6nMrAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.

“Lutheran Homes at Addison to be Run as One,” Chicago Tribune, 18 August 1940, part 3, page 3, col. 1. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

“Newspaper error leads to home for orphans,” Chicago Tribune, 18 August 1940, Section 17, page 2, col. 2. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

“Site of Lutheran Teacher’s Seminary: 1864-1913.” HMdb.org. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=47436.

“The Story of US Orphanages: Illinois.” Former Children’s Homes. Accessed on 23 July 2022. http://www.formerchildrenshomes.org.uk/illinois.html.

United States Bureau of the Census. 1913. Benevolent Institutions 1910. Washington, D. C.: Governmental Printing Office. https://books.google.com/books?id=fmgGAQAAIAAJ.

—. 1927. Children Under Institutional Care, 1925. Washington, D. C.: Governmental Printing Office. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=PFXZTGK-ZyAC&rdid=book-PFXZTGK-ZyAC&rdot=1.

Wolf, Edmund Jacob. 1889. The Lutherans in America: A Story of Struggle, Progress, Influence and Marvelous Growth. New York: J. A. Hill & Company. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Lutherans_in_America/x0U3AAAAMAAJ.

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[1] “Newspaper error leads to home for orphans,” Chicago Tribune, 18 August 1940, Section 17, page 2, col. 2. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] “Frederick Alschlager has designed…,” The Chicago Chronicle, 8 September 1895, page 22, col. 4. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[5] “Newspaper error leads to home for orphans,” Chicago Tribune, 18 August 1940, Section 17, page 2, col. 2. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[6] “Site of Lutheran Teacher’s Seminary: 1864-1913.” HMdb.org. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=47436.

[7] “Newspaper error leads to home for orphans,” Chicago Tribune, 18 August 1940, Section 17, page 2, col. 2. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[8] “Kinderheim Arch,” HMdb.org. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=47431.

[9] “Kinderheim Arch,” HMdb.org. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=47431.

[10] Fleig, Barry A. 2020. “Children’s Picnic – then Horror.” Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries: A Historical and Contemporary Resource. https://chicagoandcookcountycemeteries.com/2020/02/15/childrens-picnic-then-horror/. 

[11] “Dangers of Travel,” The Ogle County Press, 27 September 1890, page 6, col. 5. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[12] “Court of Record,” The Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illinois), 9 May 1894, page 10, col. 1. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[13] “German Lutherans Gain $1500,” The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), 19 October 1904, page 4, col. 6. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[14] “Katharine Hahn died Dec. 23…,” Herald News (Joliet, Illinois), 8 March 1907, page 10, col. 2. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[15] “Excursion Benefit for Orphans,” Chicago Tribune, 16 September 1895, page 8, col. 3. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[16] “Lutheran Homes at Addison to be Run as One,” Chicago Tribune, 18 August 1940, part 3, page 3, col. 1. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[17] Lenker, John Nicholas. 1896. Lutherans in All Lands: The Wonderful Works of God. Milwaukee: Lutherans in All Lands Company. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lutherans_in_All_Lands/6nMrAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0. Page. 769.

[18] “Pauline A. Kruse,” Chicago Tribune, 15 July 1999, section 2, page 11, col. 4. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[19] “Excursion Benefit for Orphans,” Chicago Tribune, 16 September 1895, page 8, col. 3. Imaged at Newspapers.com.

[20] Lenker, John Nicholas. 1896. Lutherans in All Lands: The Wonderful Works of God. Milwaukee: Lutherans in All Lands Company. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lutherans_in_All_Lands/6nMrAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0. Page. 769.