The Jenkins Orphanage (now officially known as the Jenkins Institute For Children) was established in 1891 by Rev. Daniel J. Jenkins in Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

. Jenkins was a former slave turned minister who, upon stumbling across homeless youths, decided to organize an orphanage for young African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 children. The original site of this orphanage was at 660 King Street, but the number of orphans on roll quickly outgrew the facilities. In 1893, the orphanage moved to the Old Marine Hospital

Old Marine Hospital

Old Marine Hospital was designed by Robert Mills. Construction started in 1831 and was completed in 1833. It is a Gothic revival building at 20 Franklin St. in Charleston, South Carolina. It was built for sick sailors and other transient persons....

 at 20 Franklin Street. This National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

, designed by Robert Mills

Robert Mills (architect)

Robert Mills , most famously known for designing the Washington Monument, is sometimes called the first native born American to become a professional architect, though Charles Bulfinch perhaps has a clearer claim to this honor...

, served as home of the orphanage until 1937. Its present day location is in North Charleston, South Carolina

North Charleston, South Carolina

North Charleston is the 3rd largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina with incorporated areas in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. On June 12, 1972 the city of North Charleston incorporated and was the 9th largest city in South Carolina. According to the 2010 Census, North...

.

Jenkins Orphanage Bands

The orphanage took in donations of musical instruments. Not being a musician, Jenkins hired two local Charleston musicians — P.M. "Hatsie" Logan and Francis Eugene Mikell — to tutor the boys in music. Upon its establishment, it became the only black instrumental group organized in South Carolina. The band's debut was on the streets of Charleston with the permission of the mayor, police chief, and Chamber of Commerce

Chamber of commerce

A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...

. The Jenkins Orphanage Band, wearing discarded Citadel

The Citadel (military college)

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also known simply as The Citadel, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States...

 uniforms, performed throughout the United States and even toured England raising money for the support of the orphanage. It played in inaugural parades of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...

 and William Taft

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...

. It appeared at the St. Louis Exposition

St. Louis Exposition

St. Louis Exposition can refer to either:*Saint Louis Exposition *Louisiana Purchase Exposition...

 and the Anglo-American Exposition in 1914. It toured the USA from coast to coast, and played in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, and Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

. As many as five bands were on tour during the 1920s. The band ceased to exist in the 1980s.

In 2003, a 10-minute Fox Movietone News newsreel feature about the band, filmed on November 22, 1928, was entered into the United States National Film Registry

National Film Registry

The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...

as being worthy of preservation.

External links

• Jenkins Institute For Children
• Avery Research Center
• University of South Carolina Archives
• Time Magazine
• The Charleston Jazz Initiative
• South Carolina Music Hall of Fame
• Charleston Jazz by Jack McCray

• Excerpt of Fox Movietone News: Jenkins Orphanage Band at the South Carolina University Libraries Moving Image Research Collections