PAM. N. AMER. Our Work Among the Negroes Historical Sketch * Mrs. E. L. Albright Peck Home, New Orleans, La. In New Orleans, Home Mission work antedates the organization of our Society. It was inaugurated in 1870 by Mrs. Hartzell, wife of Bishop Hartzell. Through her influence a mission school was established in 1887, and through a generous gift by Mrs. Zela Bennett and the continued effort of the Central New York Conference, an Industrial Home was built in 1889, and named in honor of Bishop Peck. At that time it was the only Protestant Mission Home in the state of Louisiana for its Negro population of 1,000,000, 30,000 of whom lived in that city. After eight years of most effective work the Home was burned, but the Peck School of Domestic Science in connection with New Orleans University kept it in re- membrance. The new building, erected in 1911-12, at a cost of $25,000, is crowded with eager, hopeful students. Thayer Home, South Atlanta, Ga. The first Industrial Home for Negro girls was the outgrowth of the thought and earnest effort of Dr. E. O. Thayer, President of Clark University, who united with Northern friends in securing funds for a building which, in 1889, was transferred to the Woman’s Home Missionary Society. During the years since that time the girls in the Home have recited with the University classes, and girls in the University have been trained in various industries in the Home. Haven Home, Savannah, Ga. In the year 1881, Asbury Church, built by Bishop Gil- bert Haven, became the nucleus of a city missionary work. In 1885 a building which we continued to use for twenty- ^Presented ai the annual meeting oi the Woman's Home Missionary Society October. 1913. five years was purchased, and an Industrial Home estao- lished therein. Eight of its graduates have been teachers in the school, and one, at least, a missionary in Africa. Two churches and six Sunday Schools have been estab- lished in connection with this work, and an important mission at Speedwell, near Savannah, named in honor of Mrs. Speedwell, of Louisville. Ky., a generous giver toward the work. In 1912 the site had become undesirable and the prop- erty was sold to the city for a public school. Browning Home, Camden, S. C. The work here, like that in New Orleans, antedates the organization of our Society. In 1864 Mrs. Sarah Mather purchased a property and opened an academy. In 1889 this became the property of the Woman’s Home Missionary Society by gift and purchase, and the academy still bears the name Mather, in her honor. Large gifts from Fannie O. Browning and Lucy Babcock made pos- sible the halls bearing their names. The gift from an unknown friend of $25,000 brought to us in 1912 an ex- cellent school building, with accommodations for 500 boys and girls in the day school. Allen Home, Ashcznlle, N C. In 1887 Dr. L. M. Pease, founder of Five Points Mis- sion, New 'S'ork City, donated to us a lot on which were a small school building and two cottages, on condition that a graded school for Negroes should be maintained there. This became our first graded Industrial School. Through the years the property has been improved and etilarged. The cottages have given place to a commodious and well-equipped Home. Mrs. Marriage Allen, of Lon- don, England, contributed $2,500 to the building of the Home, and Mr. Lurandus Beach, $2,000 to the building of the new schoolhouse. Over 6,000 boys and girls have attended the day school, and the third generation of girls can now be found among those in the Home Berry Chapel, the colored Methodist Episcopal Church of Asheville, has its origin as a “class” in the school. For years its services were held in the school chapel, but it has now growm to such strength that a few years since it entertained the North Carolina Conference in its own neat building. 'Boylan Home, Jacksonville, Fla. During the dark days of slavery two large plantations t)ore the tiame of Boylan. A member of this family, Mrs. De Groot, desired to give the name to a Home that would have for its object the uplifting and saving of down- trodden humanity. For this purpose she made generous contribution toward the building of Boylan Home. The original cottage has given place to a commodious building with 100 boarding pupils and a day school. Brewster Hospital, also in Jacksonville, is giving loving ministry to the colored race. Its trained nurses are well received by the best white families. Emerson Home, Ocala, Fla. This is one of our smaller schools, but it has trained and sent out a number of very worthy girls, one of whom is a missionary in Africa, and others are teachers in schools of our Society. Adeline Smith Home, Little Rock, Ark. • The need of special training for girls was so keenly felt at Philander Smith University that Mrs. Smith made possible the establishment of an Industrial Home by a generous gift, and the work was opened in 1883. Since that time it has co-operated with the college in preparing the students for intelligent Christian living. Elizabeth L. Rust Home, Holly Springs, Miss. This Home, named in honor of our first General Cor- responding Secretary, was opened in 1884, on the campus of Rust University, which is situated in the Black Belt of Mississippi. The' work here has been remarkable for its self-denial, economy, and high spiritual atmosphere. Greatly handicapped for years by lack of room, a new wing has just been added to the building, .with better accommodations and equipment, and it is now starting on a career of larger usefulness. New Jersey Home, Morristown, Tenn. In 1884, in response to an appeal from President Hill, of Morristown Academy, for an Industrial Home for girls in connection with that school, the New Jersey Con- ference began raising funds for that purpose. With the aid of other Conferences the Home was built jn 1890, and its work has been most successful. Scores of well-trained young women have gone out to help in the uplift of their race Kent Hotne, Greensboro, N. C. The same year — 1884 — Troy Conference undertook the erection of a Home for girls in connection with Bennett College. The building was named in memo^ of the hus- band of Mrs. Anna Kent, who has given to it most gener- ous support. The first building, destroyed by fire, has been replaced by a larger one, giving better opportunities for the excellent training for which the Home has been noted. King Home, Marshall, Texas At the annual meeting of our Society in 1886, steps were taken for the establishment of an Industrial Home in connection with Wiley University, which is located in the midst of a Negro population of 900,000, of whom 250,000 are within a radius of one hundred miles. (The ratio of Negroes to whites in the state of Texas is thirty to one.) Central Ohio Conference began the work of raising funds for this Home, and their gifts included one of $2,(X)0 from Mrs. Jane King. Other Conferences helped, and -the building was opened in 1890. The value of the training given here to young women, and especially to teachers, can be judged by the fact that the state employs 3,000 Negro teachers in its public schools. Eliza Dee Home, Austin, Texas This Home was opened in 1905, in affiliation with Sam- uel Huston College. It received its name in honor of Miss Eliza Dee, who gave $3,000 toward the building. West Texas also gave largely toward the building and furnish- ings. From its beginning, the Home and the Domestic Science class have been crowded to their utmost capacity. The total estimated value of our Industrial Homes and schools for Negroes is $254,850. Woman’s Home Missionary Society Methodist Episcopal Church 150 Fifth Avenue, New York City 50 or less, 6c. ; 50 lo 100. 10c.