The History of Grandfather Home

Grandfather Home for Children began in 1914 when Reverend Edgar Tufts, a Presbyterian minister, converted a farmhouse belonging to Lees-McRae Institute (now Lees-McRae College) into an orphanage for homeless children. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Holcombe were the first house-parents. Soon the home was filled with children, and a dormitory and school were constructed. While serving as director of the home, Edgar H. Tufts, son of the founder, oversaw construction of many of the stone buildings on the campus. These beautiful stone buildings still exist on our campus today, a testament to Edgar's vision.

When Reverend Tufts died in 1923, the Edgar Tufts Memorial Association was formed to benefit the ministries he founded: Grace Hospital, Lees-McRae Institute, and Grandfather Orphans’ Home. Trustees from Concord and Holston Presbyteries constituted a governing body to oversee the operation of these organizations. In 1957, Grandfather Home for Children was incorporated separately with an independent board of trustees, while retaining its roots with the Presbyterian Church.

Over the decades, Grandfather Home refocused its ministry to provide help to a changing population of children in need. Starting in 1914 and for the next several decades, children were admitted due to the orphan or half-orphaned status. Later, Grandfather Home started to serve children whose parents had some degree of dysfunction. Gradually, though, children from homes commonly referred to as broken families or troubled homes were served.

Beginning in 1970s and into the 1980s, children identified as abused and neglected were the primary referral source. As services continued to be refined, children who came from significantly abusive situations were admitted. In the 1990s, the ministry’s focus is on the child who has experienced multiple placements, significant abuse, and disruptive behavioral patterns.

 Cost-Per-Child at Grandfather Home in Selected Years

• 1924 - .61 cents per day
• 1934 - .63 cents per day
• 1966 - .99 cents per day
• 1998 - $165.00 per day  
• 2000 - $181.80 per day
• 2005 - $318.00 per day