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The History of The Larkin Center
Since 1896, regardless of race, color, creed or place of residence, Larkin Home has served the emotional and physical needs of more than 2,000 children.
Prior to the official founding of the Children’s Home, in 1896,
two events occurred which turned out to be the seeds that have matured
into The Larkin Center. On May 2, 1893, in the modest home of Heinrich
Degener (sometimes spelled “Degner”), a mother lay dead. Her
death was caused by complications following the birth of twins. There were
no relatives to care for these three-day old babies. The grief stricken
father did not know where to turn for assistance. Conrad Ackemann, then
an undertaker, came to the aid of Heinrich. He contacted Miss Mary Peabody,
then boarding at 463 St. Charles Street in Elgin, Illinois, and she agreed
to care for the Degener twins. Finanacial support for their care was provided
by Mrs. Vincent Lovell. From 1894 to 1895 this home was known as the “Mary
Peabody Home for Babies.”On Christmas Eve, two years later, tragedy struck the home of William Swift, an Elgin policeman. Upon the death of his 23-year wife, Swift has to find someone to take care of his three-week old daughter. Conrad Ackemann again came to the rescue. When he and Harry Slater appealed to Mary Peabody for help, she consented to also provide foster care for the Swift baby as well as the Degener twins. A public fund was immediately established to compensate Miss Peabody for her work.
The Elgin Children’s Home Society was formally organized in the home of Miss Emma Silvers located on St. Charles Street in Elgin, Illinois. The first permanent officers were: D.R. Beebe, President; Conrad Ackemann, Vice President; Miss Mattie Busche, Secretary; Harry Slater, Treasurer; Col. William Smailes, Corresponding Secretary. By December of 1898, Miss Peabody and her “family” of 30 children were living in a home on East Chicago Street in Elgin, Illinois. This was the first home exclusively devoted to caring for children.
According to early records, Mary Peabody resigned in December of 1899.In January of 1902, Cyrus H. Larkin offered to the Elgin Children’s Home Society an 11-room home with four adjoining lots. He made one request- that the “home” be named “Larkin Home For Children” in memory of his mother, the late Mrs. Sarah A. Larkin. And, if this “home” ever had to be sold to move to larger quarters, that the Larkin name be retained.
Following Mr. Larkin’s death on May 5, 1902, his daughter, Mrs. D. Brewster (May Larkin) Hoornbeek, donated several gifts to the Home.
Up to 1910, businessmen generally directed the activities of the Larkin board. By that time, because they felt the detail work had become the “work of mothers,” board duties were turned over to an all-women membership. Men began returning to the board in the late 1950’s. On April 12, 1911, it was decided to make an immediate purchase of three acres of land on Larkin Avenue, and to raise funds for the construction of a new home. 1212 Larkin Avenue Home was formally opened to the public on June 10, 1912. It was made up of four open dorm wings for the orphans. Extra trolley cars had to be put into service to handle the more than 1,500 persons who were “high impressed” after visiting “the beautiful new structure on Larkin Avenue.” This structure became an administration building when the group home program was initiated in 1966. The McGraw Wildlife Foundation financed the first group home known as the McGraw Youth Center for abused and neglected boys.
In its early years, Larkin Home was considered an orphanage. Since 1911, however, Larkin board members urged the media to inform the public that “Larkin Home was no longer an orphanage, but an institution for all children whose parents were unable to care for them properly in their own homes. Regardless of race, color, creed or place of residence, children come to the Larkin Center by referral. They are admitted to Larkin suffering from a variety of emotional hurts that make staying in the child’s own home undesirable and harmful.
In 1971, The Larkin Home for Children became The Larkin Center when services were added to provide treatment and care to adults suffering from mental disabilities. The Larkin Center continued to grow with the addition of a Day Treatment School in 1968 in response to the need for a structured special education program able to meet the needs of kids with special needs. A day treatment program was initiated in 1973, to serve those students who live at home with their families and require a highly structured and nurturing therapeutic environment during the day.
Larkin Center has grown from a home giving custodial care to one of the finest treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children and adults in the State of Illinois. Larkin has developed from a staff of one warm, motherly person with open arms and heart, who took in homeless children to a highly skilled staff deeply sensitive to and aware of the needs of dependent, neglected, disturbed children and adults.
©2005 The Larkin Center, All Rights Reserved.
Site Funded By: SBC Foundation
Accredited by: The Council on Accreditation on Services for Families and Children, Inc. and The Commission on Schools of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Member Agency Of: The Child Wefare League of America, United Way of Elgin and IL Childcare Association.