Licking County Children's Home

Post card image showing the Licking County Children's Home

The Licking County Children’s Home, open for nearly 100 years, was a resource for many Licking County children who were homeless, impoverished, or of single or divorced parents. The original location was opened on December 21, 1880 on Eddy Street in Newark, Ohio and managed by Amelia Sutton. However, it moved to a new site in 1884 on 771 East Main Street in Newark. The new state-of-the-art facility that could house up to 125 children was designed by architect J.W. Yost, who also designed the former Licking County Jail. Children in the LCCH were called inmates; the lifestyles of the children varied based on matrons over the years.

In 1972, criticism led to a report of the Children’s Home, which found that it was poorly managed. In 1975, thirty-one children came forward with abuse allegations, which led to a task force to evaluate the home again. Citing abuse and other issues, the Licking County Children’s Home was closed in August 1975. The former home was used as a site for other organizations over the years, but it was torn down in October 2013.

Nearly forty years later in 2006, a monument was erected at 743 East Main Street to recognize children that had been buried on the grounds of the Licking County Children’s Home. It was found that at least six children died at the LCCH during the turn of the 20th century, and former Children’s Home resident Jon Emler found the potential burial locations while doing research. He raised funds for a monument for the children to be placed near their suspected burial areas, which is also the current location of the Licking County Highway Department.

S.F.