St. Luke's Community House

Our History

St. Luke's was founded in 1913 by the Daughters of the King (an order of the Episcopal Church emphasizing prayer and service) as the "West Nashville Clinic." Founded by Miss Kate Edmondson, it began in four rooms of an old house in this area to serve families of inmates at the State Penitentiary. The following are dates and events taken from the minutes dating back to 1919:

1920	Cornerstone for main building at 5601 New York Ave. laid (Clinic wing and living room -- $10,000)
1926	Miss Juliet Wood named director. Functions: well baby and dental clinic, library, Christmas toys.

1930	Gymnasium and the kindergarten room built for $10,000.
1937	Clinic enlarged and completed as memorial to Mrs. Joseph Gibson, a founder.
1939	Full time boys' worker employed; outside fireplace built.
1940	West wing on main building built by St. Luke's Settlement Guild (composed of women of all Episcopal Churches in Davidson County) $1,015.
1941	Kitchen equipped by Settlement Guild.

1957	Miss Wood retired; Captain Fred Nussbaum (Church Army) made director.
1962	One-time fund raising drive to meet annual budget of $21,665. Services included clinics, kindergarten, Scout troops, summer camps, teen-town, Christmas bureau, counseling and emergency relief.
1963	Became part of Episcopal Development Corporation (EDC). Churches asked to channel money to St. Luke's through EDC.
1966	Study made by Executive Council of the Episcopal Church (the Rev. Reinhart B. Gutmann, advisor); subsequent reorganization of the board, by-laws, policy, etc. Constance Duprey, MSW, hired as director.
1967	Accepted as UGF agency and allocated $7,500. Settlement Guild became auxiliary to St. Luke's board; major improvements to the building under auspices of Settlement Guild and neighborhood workers.

1968	Survey of neighborhood by Settlement Guild established need for day care services.
1970	Frederick D. Rogers, ACSW, became part-time executive director. Day care service given top priority. Headstart program for 50 children began. Fence erected and concrete walk added.
1971	Fred Rogers became full-time executive director, bringing 30 years experience in community service work to St. Luke's. Giant garage sale held to raise money for This-n-That Thrift Shop. Shop opened April 1st with all profits to benefit St. Luke's. United Thank offering grant of $25,000 received to be used as match money for new Child Development Center building fund. Mobile Meals added to services provided.
1972	Day care for 3 and 4-year olds with emphasis on chi1d development began in west wing and gym, with financing through EDC, United Way, Title IV-A and This-n-That Thrift Shop. Construction begun on new Child Development Center wing of main building. New services added to community house program, including skating, additional clubs for all ages, tutoring of neighborhood school students.
1973	May 6 open house in new Child Development Center wing. $81,774.
1974	Board Planning Committee determined St. Luke's involvement with total family its primary goal. Day care established as first priority of services.
1975	Through Title XX funds, day care expanded to 80 children, with day home care for infants 6 months to 3 years, and before and after school for l2 year olds.

1976	This-n-That celebrated 5th anniversary. Day care serving 88 children. United Way increased allocation for 1977 by $15,000.
1977	Metro Clinic at St. Luke's became full general practice clinic, with daily doctor and nurses for all ages. Child Development Center licensed for 93 children.
1978	Thrift Shop occupied new building at 5007 Georgia Avenue. GED classes, held at St. Luke’s.
1980	Clinic housed at 5611 New York - $27,927 from Venture in Mission toward cost of relocating and remodeling donated building on St. Luke's vacant lot.
1981	Thrift Shop tenth birthday. Tenne-Senior and Second Harvest Food Bank satellite services added. Fred Rogers retired.
1982	Anne Stevens became executive director. Morning care for refugee children whose parents are learning English as a Second Language. Teen counseling program initiated with grant from SAFECO. Day care 10th birthday, with average enrollment of 112, 3 months to 10 years old.
1984	ESL program terminated.
1987	5602 California purchased, dedicated to Earl Pond. Adult Literacy program begun. Shelter program started. Evening care discontinued. Dandridge grant for personal services to elderly.
1988	Purchase of 5604 California. Long-Range Planning Committee appointed.
1989	Endowment Fund created. First musical benefit held. December 23 - house at 5610 California burned.
1990	VIM grant of $5,000 to renovate the club house for use by 2-year olds. Weekend meal program begun. Purchase of 5606 California Ave. This-n-That's giving for St. Luke's exceeds $1,000,000. St. Luke's Housing merged with Focus.
1991	Death of Ms. Betty Langford. Large gifts to In Perpetuity Endowment Fund.
1994	Two Year Center building opened.
1995	East portion of the main building burned and rebuilt.
1996	Fred D. Rogers Center built and opened in June. Center for Nonprofit Management Agency assessment recommended board reorganization, adding staff (associate executive director, development director, and administrative assistant) and significantly upgrading technology, such as adding a telephone system, a fax machine, and computers. Frist Foundation gives grant of $113,000 to fund the reorganization and staffing transition.
1997	Douglas Anderson joins St. Luke’s in June as executive director. Old clinic building at 5511 New York remodeled into administrative office building with funds from Frist Foundation. Anne Stevens, executive director since 1982, died in August after a brief illness.
1998	Fred D. Rogers dies. Child Development Center (preschool) is accredited by National Association for the Education of Young Children. St. Luke’s obtains conditional licensing for Youth Development Center (school age). Boys and Girls Club begins evening and Saturday program for older youth. New roof on main building. First million dollar budget. Inaugurated annual fund campaign and reached goal of $400,000. The Thrift Shop’s total contributions through 1998 equals $1,766,000.
1999	Boy Scouts initiates St. Luke’s cub troop. Held first Celebration Dinner honoring Jack O. Bovender. Established six board task forces to develop long-range plan. Held Art Reach 99 as fundraiser.
2000	Received the Marvin Runyon Leadership Award. Named a United Way Family Resource Center. Purchased property at 5510 California Avenue for administrative offices. Hired first Volunteer Program Manager. Held 2^nd Celebration Dinner honoring Charles W. Cook, Jr. Formed the West Nashville Community Development Partnership to rebuild and repair home for seniors/disabled.
2001	Launched new programs: ESL, YMCA Teen Program, Girl Scouts, Family Fun Nights. Held 3^rd Celebration Dinner honoring James W. Perkins. 30^th anniversary of the This N’ That Thrift Shop.
2002	Board approved building and endowment campaign of $5 million to construct and renovate the main building. Held 4^th Celebration Dinner honoring Jim Campbell.
2003	Construction began on new facilities. Preschool childcare temporarily relocated to McCann School. Held 5^th Celebration Dinner honoring Parker Sherrill.
2004	Open new facility. Added Infant and Toddle Care. Held 6^th Celebration Dinner honoring Claire Tucker. Obtained three-star rating for all childcare programs.

2005	Held 7^th Celebration Dinner honoring Larry Wieck. Brian W. Diller, former Executive Director of Nashville’s Table, joins St. Luke’s as Executive Director. Held 8th Annual Celebration Dinner: A Roast & Toast honoring Harriet Foley and Celebrating the 93rd Anniversary of St. Luke's Communitiy House at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Received $200,000 Neighborhood Initiatives grant from Bank of America to launch a Workforce Development program.
2006	Established partnership with Youth Encouragement Services (Y.E.S.) to administer After Care and Summer Youth programs. Vanderbilt University Americorp students partner with St. Luke’s to provide Health Screening services for area seniors.