Stella Henson Griggs Batson

Memories of Thompson Orphanage: Charlotte, North Carolina Stella Henson Griggs Batson

The stories in this book are true. They will give you a glimpse into the lives of little children who are now grown men and women. However, before you read the stories, there is a brief history of the orphanage that I believe you will find interesting. No longer is the orphanage downtown Charlotte but moved outside the city limits to the orphanage farm on St. Peter's Lane, Matthews, North Carolina. This is where our lake was and where the earlier children used to have so much enjoyment. Most of them in these stories mention the farm and the lake. These small children would have had little chance to grow up into strong men and women who could go out into the world and compete with the best of men had it not been for people who cared. In the cases of the people in these stories, it was Thompson Orphanage in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Episcopal Church, and others that gave willingly toward the support of the orphanage. You will get a glimpse into the lives of individuals from the day they went to Thompson Orphanage until this day. Also, another purpose of this book is help the public understand orphanages. So many people feel sorry for children in orphanages. These are blessed children because they were given the chance in life that so many others needed but were not as fortunate. The ones to feel sorry for are those whose families can't afford to care for their children and those children who are abused, neglected, and have no one to help them escape their situation.