Photograph of Harper Hall, one of the new units of the Summit County Children's Home. Located at 264 S. Arlington in Akron, Ohio, the institution provided a home for children who were orphaned, abandoned, impoverished, neglected or temporarily placed. A growing social consciousness about children's welfare in the late nineteenth century led to the establishment of the home. Summit County commissioners purchased the seven-acre property of Dr. Mendal Jewett in 1889 and renovated it into the home. The house was adequate for 20 or 30 children, but there were 60 "inmates" by the early 1900s. Plans were drawn up for a new building in 1910, and 100 children moved into the building in November of 1911. At its peak, the home cared for about four hundred children, although placement in foster homes began to be favored over larger institutions. Gradually, the facility emptied its wards until all of the children had new places to live. The building was converted into offices for the Summit County Children Services Board.
