Shawn Acres Orphanage (Dayton, St. Marys: transfer, living, cottage)

[pennel]

My mother was raised in Shawn Acres Orphanage in Dayton Ohio, till she was 18 and then
released. I have been trying to get any records from there as I have been
told it is closed down now.
Does anyone know about the place and how I could get information about
the years my mother was there? Does anyone know anyone that worked there.? She was there from birth, she was three week old when her dad left her there. 1921 to 1939.
Please email me at copper_pennie2002@yahoo.com and let me know anything that could help me . I would appreciate it.

[esya]

I would expect that the records would be transferred to the local county social service department or the state social service department when it closed. I have adopted siblings that lived there for a short while well after 1939 and I was told that one of them did track down one of their birth parents.

[pennel]

esya, thank you so much for the reply. Your siblings are adopted from there. WOW
I will check with the agencys you said.

[kristinlowery]

Did you find anything out? My dad was there too, from 3yrs til 18. I heard that they still have old pictures hanging up there if you go to those offices now. My dad always told us stories, did you mother? take care! KRIS

[oncepast]

I was there from 1961 to 1969. There was 11 of us, only 4 got to stay at Shawen Acres. Rest were adopted out. It is still there, only closed and used for office space. It is currently fighting from being destroyed. I believe it is on the registry as historic sights. Dayton still wants to destroy it.

[bullsdad]

I to remember living there. Some of my brothers and I were in cottage #5. We all got to be together eventually except 1 of my sisters. I must of been 2 or 3 years old. There were 10 of us and I was next to the youngest. I would really like to meet her again. She moved to St. Marys Ohio the last I heard. That was 32 or 33 years ago. Some of my siblings have past away since then.

[JefferyT]

Folks with connections to Shawen Acres should check out this discussion thread at Dayton History Books Online.