DePelchin Faith Home
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded in 1893 in memory of Kezia Payne DePelchin, a remarkable social worker, teacher, and nurse in Houston during the latter half of the 1800s. The orphanage moved to this building upon completion in 1913 and remained here until 1938. Designed by architects Mauran and Russell, the renaissance revival structure features an open arcade on the bottom story and an entryway flanked with Doric pilasters that support a classical cornice. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1984
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1893, the DePelchin Faith Home honored Kezia Payne DePelchin, a social worker, teacher, and nurse who spent the late nineteenth century tending Houston's most vulnerable. The orphanage moved into this Renaissance Revival building — designed by the architects Mauran and Russell, with an open arcade and a Doric-flanked entry — upon its completion in 1913, and remained until 1938.
Why it matters
The home carries forward the legacy of a pioneering woman in social work at a time when caring for orphaned and needy children was becoming an organized civic responsibility rather than a matter of private charity.
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Related people
- · Kezia Payne DePelchin
Themes & tags
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