Orphanage Residents Reunite

Did you know Pressley Ridge has been helping children and families since 1832 and started as two orphanages? These photos are from our recent Orphanage Reception for previous residents or family members of the orphanages. Many great stories were told and fun was had by all!

What do peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ice skating excursions, and a grand staircase have in common? They’re just a few of the memories shared at a recent reception for former residents of Pressley House and the Protestant Home for Children. Modern day Pressley Ridge resulted from the merger of those two orphanages.

Attendees included former residents and their family members who told bittersweet stories of their connections to the orphanages.

Sisters, Eleanor and Ruth, became residents of the Protestant Home in 1928 after their mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis. They lived there until 1937. Decades later, the sisters still have memories of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches they frequently ate for lunch.

Another pair of sisters, Alice and Sandy, became residents of Pressley House after their mother died. They reminisced about ice skating outings in the winter and the grand staircase in the entryway of the orphanage.

Another attendee, Barbara, came hoping to learn more about her grandfather’s childhood. He lived in the orphanage in 1900.

Together, their stories filled the room with memories of Pressley Ridge’s rich history.