The Chase Home for Children - Our History
January 1877 - May/June 1879
The Children's Home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire -- known today as The Chase Home for Children -- is founded by Charles A. Holbrook, Daniel Marcy, C.W. Pickering, Albert R. Hatch, Ichabod Goodwin and T. Salter Tredick " .... for the prurpose of establishing and maintaining a home and hospital for the relief of children under 14 years of age, without distinction of creed or color ...." The reisdents included motherless children whose fathers, espcially seafaring men, are "obliged by occupation to be much away from home, children of poor parents, and children rendered temporarily homeless." The small house was located on Mount Vernon Street in Portsmouth.
The "Home" soon moved to the Thomas Bailey Aldrich House at 51 Court Street, which had been donated to the "Home" by the owner, George Bilbruck. The "Home" was sponsored by various religious organizations and was active in seeking local funds for its operations. In May/June 1879, the Children's Home was incorporated.
April 1881 and August 1881-83
In April 1881, George B. Chase of New York sold the Chase Family Homestead at 53 Court Street to the "Home" for $1. The mansion had been owned by his family for three generations. Mr. Chase also provided all the furnishings for the home. The deed specifies that the home be "forever held, preserved and devoted to a Home for Children ...." In August 1881, by order of the state Senate and House of Representatives (Chapter 166), the Children's Home " .... shall henceforth be known as 'The Chase Home for Children' in Portsmouth, New Hampshire."
In 1883, the Chase Home moved into the Chase Family Homestead at 53 Court Street. The Cottage Hospital, a grassroots effort to care for the needy, then moved into the Thomas Bailey Aldrich Home next door at 51 Court Street.
November 1887 and March 1895
In November 1887, by order of the State Senate and House of Representatives (Chapter 306), the Chase Home ".... shall hearafter be known as 'The Chase Home for Children and Cottage Hospital' in Portsmouth, New Hampshire."
In March 1895, by order of the State Senate and House of Representatives (Chapter 263), the name of Chase Home for Children and Cottage Hospital was amended to create "two distinct corporations of the same." (Note: In February 1911, the name of Cottage Hospital was changed to Portsmouth Hospital, which later became Portsmouth Regional Hospital.)
February 1915-1917
The Trustees of The Chase Home for Children purchased ".... a tract of land fronting on Middle Road and extending to Greenleaf Avenue (Portsmouth) containing about 22 acres ...." (Excerpt from the Trustees' Annual Meeting Report, 1915.)
In 1916, a new building was constructed for The Chase Home for Children at the Middle Road site. ".... Every effort has been made to give The Chase Home for Children a thoroughly equipped and fireproof building ...." (Excerpt from the Trustees' Annual Meeting Report, 1915.)
In 1917, The Chase Home for Children moved into its spacious new building at 698 Middle Road in Portsmouth.