Church Charity Foundation Children

Church Charity (Children’s) Cottages - Dr. George Brush, a Civil War Navy doctor, before his naval career began, moved to Sayville from Huntington and met Margaret Smith, daughter of entrepreneur Jacob Smith, and married her. Their son, George Jr., died at the age of eleven. When Dr. and Mrs. Brush died, all their property went to her cousin, Ida Gillette. (Both Mrs. Brush and Ida Gillette were on the Library Board of Trustees.)  When Ida heard that the Episcopal orphanage in Brooklyn had burned, she donated this property to the Church Charity Foundation of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island for use as an orphanage.  The buildings, built in 1924, one for boys and one for girls, were in use until 1940.  In 1959 St. Ann’s acquired the buildings and property for $35,000 from a developer who had purchased them and then defaulted on payments. Today, the buildings house the church’s Thrift Shop as well as the Sayville Project. On the back of the above photo, at the very top, in cursive, is June R. Below that, in child's non-cursive handwriting are other names: Edith Coddington, Vita L, Lois M, Ruth R, Ruth H, June Brown, Mary Whitehouse. There is no indication of orientation. Below that, in pen, is Sayville, N.Y. 1940 (?).