About the Collection
The Boys’ Home Association, later known as the Boys’ Service Council, was founded by Juvenile Judge Walter Scott Criswell. Judge Criswell and his wife, Anna, never had children of their own; but they dedicated their lives to helping others. He also served as president of the Juvenile Judges Association of Florida and the Florida Crippled Children’s Commission.
The Boy’s Home was not just a home for troubled boys, it was a safe haven for those who had lost one or both of their parents and did not have family members to turn to. The 10-building facility closed in 2008.
The Florida State Genealogical Society has a collection of records from the Boys’ Home of Jacksonville from 1915 to 1955 that were obtained in 2020. These records have been indexed by surnames that are searchable.
What you can find in these records:
- Name of child
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Date arrived
- Name of parents
- Name of siblings
- Date leaving the home
- Letters to and from the Judge -not in all files
- Updates on the child after leaving – not in all files
- Pictures of child -not in all files
Preserving these records for the families of these residents is our number one priority.
Indexes
File Folders
Contains 4,016 records with applications from 1910 to 1963.
Notebooks
Contains 1,785 records with applications from 1906 to 1934.
Index Cards
Contains 1,670 records with applications from 1915 to 1969.