New exhibit at DeKalb History Center, "Home: The United Methodist Children's Home"

A few years ago, the United Methodist Children’s Home was on one of the routes I took regularly in DeKalb County. There were several buildings, including an old church on a large property with many trees. It would be hard not to notice the beautiful setting. I heard the UMCH was moving, and the future of the property was briefly uncertain. In 2017, the city of Decatur purchased the former property and buildings of UMCH, and it became known as Legacy Park.

This week a new exhibit opens at DeKalb History Center, located on the first floor of the Historic DeKalb Courthouse. The exhibit is called “Home: The United Methodist Children’s Home” and tells the history through photographs, text and audio. The exhibit will be open Monday through Fridays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Saturdays 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.

Decatur-based photographer Beate Sass took the photographs and conducted interviews for the exhibit, combining the two into a manuscript. Moira Bucciarelli assisted with interviews. Past residents, employees and volunteers of the UMCH were interviewed and recorded.

The history of UMCH goes back to 1871 when it was founded in Norcross as a place for children abandoned following the Civil War. In 1877 it moved to Decatur. Originally it was known as the Orphan’s Home. Through the years it became a place not just for orphans, but for children whose parents were not able to take care of them due to illness or financial difficulty. The UMCH has been helping children and families for over 152 years.

Today, Wellroot Family Services is the organization that was formerly known as UMCH. They are still nurturing families with a faith-centered focus. According to Wellroot.org, “With a focus on the whole family, Wellroot’s evidence-based programs were designed to keep families together whenever possible, provide short-term foster families when needed, and nurture and educate teens and young adults to break the cycle of trauma in their lives.”

Legacy Decatur is the non-profit formed to manage the 77-acre park and lease buildings to other nonprofit organizations. The 1906 Moore Chapel on the campus is safe from demolition. However, what will be done with the other buildings is uncertain.

United Methodist Children’s Home Moore Chapel. Photo by Valerie Biggerstaff

Kennesaw State University students examined the property and buildings in 2015 to determine if a potential historic district was possible. Nineteen buildings and a historic bell were considered contributing resources for the historic district. Seven of the 19 buildings were constructed between 1903 and 1919. Granite was the primary construction material of six of those buildings. There was also an attempt to identify the property as a historic district in the 1990s. (Atlanta Constitution, May 15, 2017, “Children’s home site holds many treasures”)

Front view of one of the granite buildings at Legacy Park, formerly United Methodist Children’s Home. Photo by Valerie Biggerstaff

A side view of the same granite building. A few of the other buildings can be seen in this photograph. Today the property is Decatur’s Legacy Park. Photo by Valerie Biggerstaff

The DHC exhibit includes historic and new photographs, oral histories from past residents, employees and volunteers. More information is available on the DHC website. The DHC recommends you bring headphones and your phone when you visit the exhibit, which will enable you to listen to the interview recordings as you view photographs taken by Beate Sass.

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