History

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 responded to a call to ministry and became the first house-parents. By August 1915, the home was filled with 16 children. Rev. Tufts saw the need to expand and called upon churches and donors for support. The first new building on campus, Grier Cottage, was opened to children in 1917. That tradition of responsive support continues to this day.

When Reverend Tufts died in 1923, the Edgar Tufts Memorial Association (ETMA) was formed to benefit the Banner Elk ministries he founded: Grace Hospital, Lees-McRae Institute, and Grandfather Orphans’ Home. Trustees from Concord and Holston Presbyteries constituted an ETMA governing body to oversee the operation of these three organizations. The next leader of the ministry was Edgar H. Tufts, son of the founder, who served as director for 19 years. During his tenure, Mr. Tufts oversaw construction of several needed buildings. The four beautiful stone buildings from those years still stand on our campus today, a testament to Edgar's vision for enduring ministry with children. 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 has constantly updated 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 orphan or half-orphaned status. Later, Grandfather Home started to serve children whose parents had some degree of dysfunction. Gradually, children from homes commonly referred to as broken families or troubled homes became residents.

Beginning in the 1970s and into the 1980s, children identified as abused and neglected were the primary referral source. As services continued to be refined for the provision of new services, children who came from significantly abusive situations were admitted. In the 1990s, the ministry’s focus was on the child who had experienced significant abuse and multiple placements beyond his/her birth family – experiences that resulted in disruptive behavioral patterns.

In the last decade, the landscape of treatment services for traumatized children has shifted significantly. Today, the Grandfather Home residential treatment ministry most often serves a child whose background includes multiple placement failures and sexual abuse.

In 2002, Grandfather Home saw the need to assist children in transitioning from the residential program back into their communities. Therefore, community services initiatives began. That added dimension of work with children and families has blossomed in the last eight years. Statewide, children’s services have moved away from resident treatment center placements to community placements. Once again, Grandfather Home prepared itself to meet the needs of children today who we reference as “the child now before us.” Today, Grandfather Home’s Community Services has over 250 children in its daily care. Most of these children are in foster care homes. To date, we have facilitated over 180 adoptions to provide children the security and love of a permanent home and a forever family. We also provide a year of post-adoptive support services to these families.

Over the years, Grandfather Home has benefited from outstanding leadership from its staff, directors, board trustees, church friends and faithful donors. As we approach our centennial year in 2014, it is fitting to note that Jim Swinkola, our current Chief Executive Officer who began his effective tenure in 1983, is the Home’s longest serving leader. Grandfather Home now has a notably expanded scope of ministry and the resources required for enduring service into our second century.

Two books provide far more on the history of Grandfather Home for Children:

• The Child Now Before Us: The Story of Grandfather Home for Children 1914 – 1997 by Mary Dudley Gilmer

• And Set Aglow a Sacred Flame: History by Margaret Tufts Neal