Ramsey County History – Spring 2016: “Building the New Salvation Army Rescue Home of St. Paul, 1913”

Building the New Salvation Army Rescue Home of St. Paul, 1913
Author: Kim Heikkla

The first Salvation Army Rescue Home to assist women who were either homeless, prostitutes, addicted, or unmarried mothers, opened in St. Paul in 1898, but it and its successor were soon outgrown. Adjutant True Earle, superintendent of the Home from 1913 to 1918, then enlisted the financial support and assistance of a number of St. Paul business leaders and their wives, particularly Joseph and William Elsinger, to build a new home at 1471 Como Avenue. Celebrated architect Clarence H. Johnston designed the much bigger facility, which opened in October 1913. By 1920, the Salvation Army made unwed mothers the sole focus of its rescue work with women. The home ended its unmarried mother program in 1973. Today the building is the Salvation Army Booth Brown House and provides housing assistance for young people.
PDF of Heikkila article