2900 Millwood Avenue
Epworth Children's Home
To the east of Old Shandon lies a community that has been a neighbor since the suburb's earliest years. Opened in 1896 as Epworth Orphanage, this Methodist-based institution was erected on property formerly occupied by the old Congaree Racetrack. In addition to its approximately 29.5-acre campus, Epworth also maintained a working 101.5-acre farm on the "Baughman Tract."
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Epworth Children's Home, 2018. Historic Columbia collection
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Epworth Orphanage student body and faculty, circa 1935. Image courtesy Epworth Children's Home
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Sporting outfits provided by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Epworth's band is seen here in about 1940. Image courtesy Epworth Children's Home
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Residents of Epworth Orphanage bake cookies in the institution's kitchen during the late 1940s. Image courtesy Epworth Children's Home
From its onset, Epworth was championed by the Methodist Church for its prime location just outside of the capital city. Situated on land that lent itself well to variety of agricultural and mechanical pursuits, Epworth's campus soon featured a school, print shop, marble yard, and farm, all of which underwrote the institution's expenses while teaching students life skills. As with other schools, Epworth also offered a variety of extracurricular activities such as sports and band. Like the suburb to its west, Epworth grew over succeeding generations. Adding more buildings and staff to accommodate greater numbers of children, the institution changed its name to the Epworth Children's Home in 1951. Over a century after its founding, Epworth’s history remains intertwined with that of Old Shandon.