Jenkins Orphanage

The orphanage was established in Charleston in 1891 by the Rev. Daniel Jenkins, an African American Baptist minister, who founded it for black children with city assistance. More than 500 lived there by 1896. Its band played concerts across the US and Europe to help fund the orphanage, it was prominent in early jazz history. Alumni played for Duke Ellington, Count Basie and others. Jenkins Orphanage moved here in 1937 but its historic buildings burned in the 1980s. Presently, the organization is actively in business as the Daniel Joseph Jenkins Institute for Children. The state marker is located at the entrance.

KEYWORDS: JENKINS ORPHANAGE, BAND, JAZZ, DUKE ELLINGTON, COUNT BASIE, REV. DANIEL JENKINS, GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR