The Home for Friendless Women

Public Archives Photo from Lost Ottawa

“Any girl or woman desiring to forsake a life of sin will find a helping hand and shelter if needed at the Home for Friendless Women, 412 Wellington Street” was the notice that ran regularly in the Ottawa Citizen’s classified advertisements through the 1880s. It was more like a workhouse, operating as a laundry, than a place for women to find shelter.  Shortly after opening they were processing over 80,000 pieces a year, by 1900 10,000 pieces a month.

The Ironing room of Ottawa’s Home for Friendless Women opened in February of 1895 and was established by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in 1888, to provide a place of succour for “fallen” or otherwise destitute women. In the days before social services, and you were a fallen woman you had no where else to go. In its first year it was home to 6 discharged prisoners, 9 unemployed servants and 2 destitute mothers with 3 children.  The women did laundry on a more or less industrial scale to earn their keep.

In the 1920’s the home would move to another building which is now Cambridge Street. In Beechwood Cemetery, there is a stone marking “The Home for Friendless Women Plot”.

 

 

Article sent by Debora Cloutier—Lost Ottawa

Block with the Home for the Friendless Women at 412 Wellington, in 1891.In previous entries, the locations given was 660. However, this does not correspond with the information found in the accession file. As one Heritage Ottawa document point out, the existence of the home for so long points to ongoing social conditions. (LAC PA-011254).

 

 

Related reading:

 

I am a Laundry Girl

Embroidery of the Insane?

Did You Know About the House of Industry?

 

 

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
16 Dec 1986, Tue  •  Page 6