These women helped establish the Society for the Home for the Friendless and were appointed to its original board of managers.
Eighteen women stand behind the history of Harrisburg’s Homeland Center.
In 1866, women from nine city churches, two from each congregation, met to discuss a problem in their community and how to solve it.
The meeting, at that time, was revolutionary for several reasons.
“It was probably unusual for multiple churches and denominations to come together like that, and it was women that led this effort,” said Wendy Shumaker, director of marketing for Homeland Center. “I think that it was probably unusual and necessary all at the same time.”
What they came up with was an institution that would last for decades.
After the Civil War, many women were left widowed and children orphaned. The 18 women decided to do something about it and, in 1867, established a chapter of the “Society for the Home for the Friendless.” In 1870, they built their own facility to house those in need, which is now Homeland Center.
Tasked with fundraising for the building, the group undertook what David Morrison, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, called a “significant business venture.”
“They were the visionaries,” Morrison said. “They saw a need, and they came up with a way to address that need.”
Although Homeland Center, now a continuing care retirement community located in Uptown Harrisburg, knew some of this history, staff recently started digging deeper into the story of its formation.
Each year, the center creates and sells a calendar to raise money, and Shumaker needed a theme for 2024. When she brought up the idea of spotlighting Homeland’s history, staff and board members showed enthusiastic support. And so, Shumaker, with help from Morrison, HHA’s board President Jeb Stuart, church leaders and local historians, dug in.
Included in the calendar is information on each of the nine founding churches, the 18 women and the origin of the center.
During the research process, the development team at the center uncovered handwritten notes and meeting minutes from the first time the women gathered. Local historians also found pictures and the full names of the women, who were often only identified by their husband’s names. Among them were Margaretta Brua Cameron, member of Zion Lutheran Church, and Eliza McCormick, member of Old School Presbyterian Church, now Pine Street Presbyterian. The women’s husbands, Simon Cameron and James McCormick, were both prominent Harrisburg figures, as were several of the other women’s husbands.
In order to make the Home for the Friendless a reality, the women needed the help of their husbands to get loans to support the project, as women at the time could not. The men would also make up the board of trustees. However, it was the women who managed day-to-day operations of the organization.
“Those women went beyond the limits of their time and showed that you can be successful,” Morrison said.
While Homeland Center has transitioned from helping widows and orphans to providing care for senior citizens, the mission has remained the same.
“The evolution of becoming what we are today was because of the center responding to the needs of the community,” Shumaker said. “We are still taking care of people and providing excellent care.”
The legacy of those 18 women remains at the center in a very visible way, as the organization maintains a board of managers, made up of 18 women who oversee care of Homeland Center’s facility. This board serves alongside the board of trustees, today consisting of men and women.
The impact of the founding churches is also an important aspect of the calendar, which highlights each of their histories.
Pine Street Presbyterian Church, located on N. 3rd Street, was one of the founding churches of Homeland. However, that piece of history was missing from the church’s archives.
Kenneth Hays, the historian of the congregation, was intrigued by the history, as he knew nothing about the church’s involvement. However, when he found out, it made sense, as the church has always been dedicated to local service work, he explained.
“I was very interested,” he said. “I will definitely put this in the archives now.”
Homeland hopes that from this project will come opportunities to provide history presentations at churches and possibly even a play centered around the story of the women. Shumaker has been inspired to see how many people have been a part of building upon Homeland Center’s and Harrisburg’s history.
“The fact that so many people have come together even for this small project is truly amazing,” Shumaker said.
The 2024 Homeland Lottery Calendars are currently available for purchase. Everyone who purchases a calendar is eligible to be entered into daily drawings for cash prizes of up to $100.
While the calendars will help support the center financially, those involved in the project are just as excited to see how the process has created new partnerships and how the history will continue to connect the community.
“It’s important not to let history slip through our fingers because that history can teach valuable lessons,” Morrison said.
Homeland Center is located at 1901 N. 5th St., Harrisburg. For more information or to purchase a calendar, visit www.homelandcenter.org.
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