BAYLAND ORPHAN HOME   -- Wilson named Bayland in honor of this entity

A group of returning Confederate soldiers created an orphanage near Baytown in 1867 for orphans of their fallen comrades near today’s Baytown (an area then known as Baylands).  Within two years, 76 children were living at the Orphan’s Home.  Not all children were without  parents, some  were relinquished by  parents who could not care for them due to extreme poverty.  The mothers were sometimes allowed to stay on with their children and were given room, board and clothing in exchange for work.

In the fall of 1887, the Board of the Orphan’s Home purchased a 35 acre tract known as Dr. Perl’s Place (part of the current Woodland Heights) for $5,000.  A large building was built for $3,000. On July 1, 1888, 40 children were transferred from the Baylands Orphanage to the new Home located at approximately Bayland and Julian.  The children worked on the large farm operation and went to school on site.  In 1897, the farming operation and some of the land were sold off.  The number of orphans dwindled to 13 by 1907 with their matron being Kezia DePelchin, a relative of the same family that the DePelchin Children’s Home is named after.  Ms. DePelchin and a friend started a home for infants and babies located in the friend’s house on Washington as little ones were not accepted at the Bayland House.  

Sadly, the Bayland Home was severely damaged by fire on New Year’s Eve 1914.  Plans were already in the works though to relocate the Home further out of the City in the southwest area off of Richmond and Bissonnet prior to the fire.  The remaining land was sold off for residential development.

The Woodson Place subdivision within Woodland Heights is roughly the property formerly owned by the Bayland Orphan Home.