On August 18, 1894 the Articles of Association were signed for New England Kurn Hattin Homes, and the Reverend Charles Albert Dickinson, then pastor of Boston’s Berkeley Temple and a native of Westminster, VT, had succeeded in creating a haven for boys and girls who needed a secure place to live, go to school, and grow up to become happy, productive adults. Reverend Dickinson was a man before his time; he believed that young children in need or orphans could be cared for in a nurturing rural setting rather than the urban childcare institution which existed at the time.
The name Kurn Hattin stems from the Hebrew name for the mountain range in Palestine where Christ is said to have recited the Beatitudes. When a close friend of Dickinson’s saw the bucolic setting for the first time he uttered the words, ” And may these hills be blessed.”
Kurn Hattin Milestones
| 1849 | Charles A. Dickinson, founder, was born in Westminster, Vermont | |
| 1872 | Charles Dickinson graduated from Harvard College | |
| 1879 | Charles Dickinson graduated from Andover Theological Seminary | |
| 1894 | Reverend Dickinson took a leave from Berkeley Temple to establish the Kurn Hattin Home for Boys | |
| 1894 | Kurn Hattin Homes was incorporated in Vermont on August 18, 1894 | |
| 1894 | Volume 1, No. 1 of the Kurn Hattin magazine was published | |
| 1895 | Bequest of Sarah J. Warner’s home and property in Saxtons River, VT, which later became the Girls’ Department |
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| 1897 | First Annual Meeting of the Vermont Corporation was held in Westminster | |
| 1900 | Permanent endowment fund was started with a legacy of $2,000 | |
| 1907 | Reverend Dickinson passed away | |
| 1907 | The title “Kurn Hattin Home Association” was replaced by “New England Kurn Hattin Homes” | |
| 1908 | Main Building, now known as Mathey Building, was destroyed by fire | |
| 1914 | The Kurn Hattin Alumni Association was founded | |
| 1923 | Kurn Hattin began admitting girls | |
| 1927 | W. I. “Pete” Mayo took over as Kurn Hattin director and served for 35 years | |
| 1931 | A band was organized at the boys’ campus and an orchestra on the girls’ campus | |
| 1935 | The Kurn Hattin magazine became The Kurn Hattin Bulletin | |
| 1963 | School became coeducational, busing students between campuses | |
| 1963 | Mr. Mayo passed away | |
| 1978 | Long-term goal of having all Kurn Hattin children live in small cottages was achieved | |
| 1989 | The Mayo Memorial Center was dedicated | |
| 1994 | Kurn Hattin celebrated 100 years of service | |
| 2005 | Maysilles Cottage was erected, named for David J. Maysilles, class of 1943, former executive director |
Choose a decade from the timeline above for more events from Kurn Hattin’s history.