The Oxford Orphanage, proposed by prominent reformer and activist John Haymes Mills, became North Carolina's first orphanage when it opened its doors in 1873. The state's Grand Lodge of Masons established the orphanage and built it on land that was once part of St. John's College. The orphanage's 1900 Annual Report to the Grand Lodge provides updates from the offices and departments of the institution.

By way of introduction, the board of directors offers a statement emphasizing the importance of the orphanage's role in the lives of needy children and notes the financial and educational achievements of the facility, which realized unprecedented fiscal stability at the turn of the twentieth century while substantially reducing its debt. The board also discusses future building projects and an electric light plant. Following the board of directors' statement is a detailed treasurer's report. This report includes information about the general fund and the building fund and provides monthly tables detailing receipts and disbursements from December 1899 through November 1900. The report of the superintendent outlines orphanage operations, detailing instructional classes for younger students. The superintendent describes the various industrial departments that sought to provide the children with marketable skills upon leaving the orphanage: cooking, sewing, and laundry for the girls; farming, printing, and woodworking for the boys. A list of children living in the orphanage, arranged by original county of residence, is included.

See also:

The Oxford Orphanage Report of 1908
The Oxford Orphanage Report of 1938

Monique Prince