Goodhue Center

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Open space and home to recreational programs for children sponsored by the Children’s Aid Society

Place Details

Place Matters Profile

Goodhue Center, the Children’s Aid Society (CAS)’s 42-acre Staten Island campus, is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary this year. Built on the estate donated by philanthopist Sara Goodue, it first opened in 1912 as a summer camp for local boys and a farm school for poor girls. Under the CAS, Goodhue soon became a safe haven for homeless and orphan children, brought in from the streets of Manhattan. At Goodhue, these children received medical care and agricultural training, before finding new homes and families westward or southward aboard the CAS’s “Orphan Trains.”

By the 1950s, Goodhue had expanded its services to became “a full-service community center” with a mental health clinic, lively after-school programs, summer days camps, teen programs and even a computer learning center. Several former campers and teen volunteers, can still be found very much involved at Goodhue today, in some capacity. “In a nod to Sarah Goodhue’s wishes,” it also continues to be open to the public.

Nominations

Lenny Librizzi

It is 40-plus acres and is run by the Children’s Aid Society. They have after-school and summer day camp programs and a residential facility on the grounds. There are ball fields, play areas, a pond, a stream, a pool, woodlands, golf driving range, a gym and more. Children have been attending programs there for 75 years, I think

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