About this property
The Andrew Drumm Institute was an orphanage for boys near Independence, Missouri. Built on a 370-acre working farm, it provided a means of support and education for disadvantaged boys starting in 1929. Andrew Drumm, the founder of the Drumm Institute, was a successful cattle rancher who had made his fortune in California, Texas, and Oklahoma. Married but childless, he always helped the lesser privileged, especially children. The idea of the institute was outlined in his will. His will described the creation of "a home, school and farm for orphaned or indigent boys." Drumm died in 1919, but he had drawn up his will in 1912. Andrew Drumm acquired a farm in 1912 to form the basis of his plan to instill self-respect and agriculture skill in indigent boys that would come under the care of the institute. Issues with settling his estate after his death in 1919 delayed the opening of the institute until 1929. The institute was self-supporting through a combination of the endowment from Andrew Drumm, and use of the farm output for food and revenue. The boys had farm and house chores to perform that matched their age and abilities, they and received a small allowance and any profit from their 4-H farm-based projects. The boys' education was a combination of schooling at the institute and well as off-site education at local schools. The institute hosted about 20 boys per year until 1944, when expanded facilities allowed an average of 35 per year, with another expansion in the 1960s leading to a peak of nearly 54 boys in 1970. Expansion in the 1970s, changes in child labor laws, state licensing requirements and additional regulations limited the institute's ability to be self-sustaining through production and preparation of home grown food. After several failed attempts at re-purposing, an agreement permitting the development of a golf course on the grounds provided a new source of revenue. The institute is currently known as the Drumm Farm Center for Children. One famous alumni of the institute, Richard Rhodes, wrote about his experiences there in his book A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood (1990). Andrew Drumm Institute was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 2006. It is a historic district consisting of 10 contributing buildings, primarily the living quarters and classrooms for the boys. After the institute's change away from farming, many of the farm buildings and fencing deteriorated and were removed. A golf course has been built on 209 acres of the surrounding land. Rhodes, Richard (1990). A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-69066-3.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Drumm, Andrew, Institute
This page lists Drumm, Andrew, Institute. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Nearby Historic Sites
Questions about this property
When was Drumm, Andrew, Institute listed on the National Register?
Drumm, Andrew, Institute was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 2006.
What type of historic resource is Drumm, Andrew, Institute?
Drumm, Andrew, Institute is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Drumm, Andrew, Institute?
The period of significance for Drumm, Andrew, Institute is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1929.
Can I research the history near Drumm, Andrew, Institute?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Drumm, Andrew, Institute will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Jackson County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Jackson County.
Explore JacksonCounty ›More historic places in Missouri
Browse all historic places in Missouri.
View Missourihistoric sites ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Drumm, Andrew, Institute will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.