Pendleton Place was founded in 1975 by the Junior League of Greenville. At the time there were 14 beds. Pendleton Place was serving boys and girls birth to age 18.
Essentially, 3 ladies (Caroline Johnston and Sheila Lee) in the League begged the question to a friend in local law enforcement “what is happening to children when they are removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect”. The answer – they were sleeping in jail cells because there was no safer option.
Therefore, the ladies in the League raised the money and opened PP in the spring (we THINK based on JLG records I researched) in 1975. The original home, on the same property we are on today, was a two story home that operated as a house parent model (I can’t remember off the top of my head how many beds)
JLG General Membership meeting on December 4, 1974 – the membership voted to accept the project to open Pendleton Place.
Over the next few years – the women of the League held fundraisers, including a “bail of out jail” event featuring Mrs. Lee and then Senator Dick Riley.
It took only two years for funding to be secured and the home was purchased on April 10th, 1975 and that same year – Pendleton Place officially opened. Originally, the facility as we know it was a traditional 3 story home that provided care for 14 children ages 6 months to 18 years old.
House Parent Model Utilized
Staff was comprised of:
- Two House Parents
- One Housekeeper
- One Social Worker
Utilizing a “house parent” model – the parents (a husband and wife team named Shirley and Lenny Wickmann) took turns caring for the different age groups.
While one parent was up with the older children, the other was sleeping while the babies and toddlers slept. One transported to school, while one stayed home with the younger ones.
Along with the housekeeper and the social worker –the two house parents were the staff.
