- Elwyn Inc.
Elwyn, Inc. is the second oldest care facility for the mentally disabled in the
United States , established in 1852. [The first care facility for the mentally disabled in the US was theWalter E. Fernald State School , established in 1848.] Elwyn Inc. is located inElwyn, Pennsylvania , in Middletown Township,Delaware County, Pennsylvania . It has had a variety of names over its history, including the "Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-minded Children". In 1966, it became the "Elwyn Institute".Elwyn is named for its founder, Dr.
Alfred L. Elwyn , a Pennsylvania nonpracticing physician and philanthropist.Elwyn Inc. has served as a consultant in the United States and overseas, assisting with the development of similar services.
History
Elwyn travelled to Boston for a meeting of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1849. He had promised to take a letter from Rachel Laird, a blind girl living in Philadelphia, toLaura Bridgman (December 21 1829 –May 24 1889 ), who was a famous blind deaf mute in Boston. Bridgman was studying at theSouth Boston Institute for the Blind , and while there Elwyn visited a classroom for mentally deficient children run by teacher Dr.James Richards .Elwyn was impressed with Richards' work, and resolved to do something similar in Pennsylvania. In 1852, with Richards, Elwyn established a training school for the retarded in
Germantown, Pennsylvania . In 1853, the Pennsylvania State Legislature formally chartered "The Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-Minded Children" with Richards as its first superintendent in Germantown. The school soon outgrew its facilities in Germantown, and in 1857 a 60 acre farm was purchased inMedia, Pennsylvania to house a new facility with help from the Pennsylvania legislature. The buildings were completed in 1859 and Elwyn, Richards, and 25 students moved in onSeptember 1 1859 . The school was officially dedicatedNovember 2 1859 .In 1870, Dr. Elwyn became President of the Elwyn School. The
West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad had a nearby stop called the "Greenwood" stop, but local residents called it the "Elwyn Station". The nearby community also become known as "Elwyn".Locations
* Elwyn, Inc., founded 1852.
**Elwyn, Pennsylvania , Main facility, established in 1859.
**Philadelphia , established in 1982.
**Wilmington, Delaware , established in 1974.
**Vineland, New Jersey ,Vineland Training School , established 1888, merged with Elwyn in 1988.
* Elwyn California, independent affiliate, established in 1974.
**Fountain Valley, California
**Torrance, California
*Israel Elwyn , independent affiliate, established in 1984.Notes
External links
* [http://www.elwyn.org/About_Us/History.html Elwyn Inc. History]
* [https://www.cu.edu/ColemanInstitute/archives/sites.html "Elwyn Historical Archives", The Archives and Library on Disability, University of Colorado]
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