Slide 1
Homeland’s Founding Women
Interwoven in Time
Homeland’s story is woven from courage and compassion.
Nearly 160 years ago, visionary women came together to create a place of safety and dignity for those who had no one else to turn to. That simple but powerful act became the foundation of the Homeland we know today.
From the very beginning, women have led Homeland with strength and purpose. Their legacy lives on in our all-women Board of Managers, whose dedication and wisdom keep this mission thriving for future generations.
Homeland’s Board of Managers is dedicated to creating and sustaining the welcoming environment for which Homeland is known. They are the hands-on organizers of all the little things that make life pleasurable for residents—the things that make Homeland feel like home. They focus on big goals while never forgetting Homeland’s rich and productive past.
We are proud to honor the extraordinary women whose vision shaped Homeland and those who continue to carry it forward — a living thread of compassion connecting past and present.
Architects of Change
Following the Civil War, women from several Harrisburg churches, among others in the community, saw the need to support the widows and orphans of soldiers injured or killed in the conflict. Two women from each of the supporting churches were elected to help establish the Society for the Home for the Friendless and were appointed to its original Board of Managers.
Zion Lutheran Church
Mrs. (Simon) Margaretta Brua Cameron
Mrs. (Dr. George) Clara Dock
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Mrs. Mary R. Leacock
Mrs. (Robert Alexander) Anne Buehler Lamberton
Locust Street Methodist Church
Mrs. Sarah Shrom Beatty Waugh
Mrs. (George) Mary A. Murphy Wilt
Old School Presbyterian Church
Mrs. (James) Eliza McCormick
Mrs. (Anthony B.) Eliza Cameron Warford
German Reformed Church
Mrs. (Rudolph Frederick) Mary Ann Reily Kelker
Miss Emily L. Reily
First Baptist Church
Mrs. (George) Eliza Cunkle
Mrs. Christian Frazer
New School Presbyterian Church
Mrs. (Dr. William H.) Eleanor R. Crain Rutherford
Mrs. (David, Sr.) Susanna Mowry Fleming
Free Baptist Church
Mrs. (James) Eliza D. Calder
Mrs. (Josiah W.) Mary E. Miley Jones
Fourth Street Bethel Church
Mrs. (John) Mary H. Winebrenner
Mrs. Barbara McFadden
IRON LADIES: Coming 2027
Homeland’s origin presents a unique opportunity to uncover and tell a thought-provoking story with themes relevant to our time. And we are elated that local playwright Cindy Rock Dlugolecki has written a play inspired by Homeland’s founding women.
A love of history has fueled many of Cindy’s writing projects. She has written 22 plays of various lengths—most recently QUILL-ADELPHIA, a musical about the 1787 Constitutional Convention and the man chosen to engross the document that articulates the tenets of American democracy. All of Cindy’s plays have been workshopped or performed—whole or in part as readings—on Central PA stages.
We can’t wait to invite you, your family and your friends to experience this historical play which will be staged at Harrisburg’s Gamut Theatre (formerly the location of one of Homeland’s founding churches) in 2027.
