Kurn Hattin Homes for Children is a non-profit located in Westminster, Vermont, which serves as a charitable home and school for boys and girls, ages 6–15, who are affected by tragedy, social or economic hardship, or other disruption in family life. It was founded in 1894 by Reverend Charles Albert Dickinson, and was originally called New England Kurn Hattin Homes. It is the oldest childcare organization in the northeast United States to be continuously supported completely by charity.
Founder
Charles Dickinson was a congregational minister who served at Boston’s Berkeley Street Temple from 1887 - 1900. Dickinson was instrumental in expanding the accessibility of the congregational church by creating a ministry of smaller neighborhood churches, rather than the larger churches that catered only to the wealthy. A pioneer in new methods of residential child care and social services, Dickinson founded Kurn Hattin Homes based on a long-term view of societal reform through proper education and social preparation of youth.
Name
The name "Kurn Hattin" stems from the Hebrew name for "The Horns of Hattin", the mountain range in Palestine where Christ is said to have recited the Beatitudes. In 1893, Kurn Hattin's founder, Charles Albert Dickinson, visited the site in his hometown of Westminster, Vermont, which he had secured for the purpose of establishing a safe haven for homeless boys. Looking out over the landscape, he noted its resemblance to the biblical location.
Coverage
Kurn Hattin Homes for Children garnered national attention when the school was featured on CBS Evening NewsJanuary 20, 2014, following the announcement that its music teacher, Lisa Bianconi, was a finalist for the inaugural Grammy Music Educator Award. In 2013, Kurn Hattin Homes' music program director, Lisa Bianconi, was nominated for the inaugural Grammy Music Educator Award. She was selected from 30,000 nominees around the country and became one of only 10 finalists for the award—the only finalist to be chosen from New England. In 1907, W. J. Van Patten wrote An Appeal for Kurn Hattin, an article detailing Kurn Hattin’s charitable activities and an appeal to prospective donors for funds for expansion and improvements at the Homes. In 1931, the Vermont People’s National Bank of Brattleboro published With Interest – The Mount of Beatitudes, a book featuring a detailed explanation of Kurn Hattin Homes and its mission and including numerous photos from the period. John L. Hurd, a graduate of Kurn Hattin Homes’ Class of 1919, wrote a memoir entitled, Kurn Hattin, The Story of Home, which was published in 1989. The book chronicles Kurn Hattin Homes between the years between 1913 and 1985. A second edition of the book is slated for 2014. The National Society of New England Women, an organization with philanthropic ties to Kurn Hattin Homes, regularly publishes a retrospective of its activities including numerous references to Kurn Hattin in Papers, 1895-2002.
