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Davis-Stuart
History
Davis-Stuart
School, Inc. (the original name) began when George N. Davis
and his wife, Mary Estelle Kinports Davis donated their 574
acre farm near Lewisburg, WV to the Synod of West Virginia,
now part of the Synod of the Trinity, Presbyterian Church
USA to serve as a home for orphaned and dependent children.
The home was chartered in 1919 to a board of directors in
memory of Mr. Davis’ father and mother, Col. James Ward
Davis and Margaret Lynn Stuart Davis, hence the name "Davis-Stuart."
The initial task of organizing the home out of the farm lay
with Dr. J.L. Lineweaver, pastor of the Beckley Presbyterian
Church. He served for six months as the first employee of
Davis-Stuart, taking a leave of absence from his church. Under
the leadership of R.K. Robinson, the first superintendent,
the facility began quickly receiving the first residents into
an enlarged farm house in the fall of 1920. The facility grew
quickly and became a home to as many as 70 youngsters at a
time, some as young as six years old. The original program
was designed to provide an environment in which children could
learn values, habits, manners, and some vocational skills.
The girls were taught homemaking techniques and the boys participated
in the daily operation of the farm. The children also participated
in school, recreational activities, and worship services.
In the 60’s the Board of Directors restricted the age
of children served to over 12 years of age. In addition to
the main campus in Lewisburg, three group homes were established
in the state, located in Beckley, Bluefield, and Princeton,
WV, each licensed to accommodate six residents. By the 70’s
the number of children in each of the six campus cottages
was limited to eight and the licensed capacity established
at forty-four residents. Also during this time, the program
expanded with the addition of staff specializing in education,
work training, and family services. The program became more
specialized in its focus, utilizing positive peer culture
problem solving groups with each cottage to teach the residents
how to communicate and assist each other. The focus of treatment
was upon the behavioral disorders of the residents. In 2000,
the fourth group home was established in Maxwelton in memory
of Alicia McCormick. As with the other group homes, the Alicia
McCormick House is also licensed to accommodate six residents.
Today we operate as a private, non-profit agency governed
by an independent Board of Directors. We are a validated ministry
of the Synod of the Trinity, Presbyterian Church, USA. Davis-Stuart
is a Presbyterian therapeutic residential treatment facility
for adolescents ages 12 to 17 who, for various reasons, cannot
live at home. All children placed here are in the custody
of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
A typical length of stay is approximately six to nine months.
At our main campus we provide an array of services to ensure
the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the residents.
The West Virginia Department of Education provides an on-campus
school for grades 6-12 at the main campus. Group home residents
attend school in the local community.
Davis-Stuart has been blessed by the continued support of
the Presbyterian Church over the years. Many changes have
occurred since the home was founded in 1919; however, despite
the changes during the past eighty-six years the mission remains
the same, taking care of children.
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