Pennsylvania Memorial Home
Brookville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Established in 1890 by Kate Scott and Annie Wittenmyer of the Woman's Relief Corps, an advocate for Civil War veterans. It was the first home in the nation to accept not only former soldiers, but also their wives, children, widows, and orphans.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
A generation after the Civil War, the men who had served the Union were aging, and their families often had nowhere to turn. In 1890 Kate Scott and Annie Wittenmyer of the Woman's Relief Corps founded a home in Brookville that broke new ground: it took in not only veterans but also their wives, children, widows, and orphans. It is remembered as the first such home in the nation to care for whole families.
Why it matters
The home reflects how women organized to answer the long aftermath of the Civil War, redefining veterans' care to embrace the families who had sacrificed alongside the soldiers.
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Related people
- · Kate Scott
- · Annie Wittenmyer
Themes & tags
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