THE CHILDREN'S HOME STORY

In 1887, Founder Carrie Hammerly moved to Tampa from Leesburg, Virginia. She worked at the Tampa Journal, while aiding victims of 1887’s tragic yellow fever outbreak. With the heart to care for children, Hammerly began tending to orphaned and abandoned children as early as 1892.

As her commitment and the needs for orphans grew, so did the need for larger accommodations. For $3,000, she purchased a spacious home located on the northeast corner of Washington and Marion Streets, at 502 Washington. During this era, unwed mothers felt forced to conceal their pregnancy and abandoned their children, creating a greater need for Hammerly’s services. After formally creating The Children's Home of Tampa in January 1894, a national economic depression decreased funding opportunities and a freeze that devastated the region caused an enormous financial strain. This in turn created greater numbers of abandoned children who suffered from malnutrition and other chronic illnesses. The Board of Managers, as they were called, struggled to make ends meet, but never gave up on taking care of children in need. With a revived economy in the wake of the Spanish-American war, in 1898 The Children's Home began to refocus their efforts.

Under the leadership of Sarah McCampbell, Methodist missionary and widow, she worked at making the home “…as cheerful and comfortable as any ordinary home.” She urged local businesses to help fund the home’s renovations and financially support the ongoing needs. Businesses such as Ybor City cigar factories, Maas Brothers, Cohen, Friedman & Co., and Leonardi & Co. contributed to help stabilize the home.

More than 115 years later, The Children's Home continues to open the door and care for children who are without a permanent home or family to call their own. We work hard to carry on the tradition of love, compassion and care that was established by our founder, Carrie Hammerly.