This is the personal blog of Beth Feild Pisculli. I am the Great Grand-daughter of George Wythe Feild, Jr. and Jenny Bingham Feild. In 1920, my great grandparents, George and Jenny, donated their 95 year old ancestral home to the Jackson Orphan Asylum, and the organization, Jackson-Feild Homes for Girls (www.jacksonfeild.org), was born.
George Wythe Feild, Jr., and Jenny Bingham Feild
Walnut Grove, Ancestral Home of George and Jenny Feild
Jackson-Feild Homes (www.jacksonfeild.org) is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing programs and services for adolescent females ages 13 up to 21 who are “at risk” for mental health problems, delinquent behaviors and/or failure to complete their basic education. They operate residential programs for girls at the main campus in Jarratt, Virginia, which was the original ancestral home of the Feild family, and there is now also a home in Richmond, Virginia called 11th House.
The three primary programs of Jackson-Feild are 1) Mothers and Infants, 2) Female Group Home, and 3) Independent Living Program. There is also an accredited school on the main campus.
This is a view of the main campus today. Over the years, a chapel, gymnasium, multiple cottages, and administrative offices have been built.
My grandfather, Edward Carter Feild, only child of George Wythe Feild, Jr., was on the Board of Jackson-Feild for over 20 years. My grandfather died when I was 13; however, I knew and remember him well. He used to write me in his later years about his home in Charlottesville, the pond that would freeze every winter, and his plans for my next visit which always included making chocolate chess pie!
This is a picture of my grandfather at Walnut Grove:
I visited the home when I was very young, but did not remember. My parents always spoke of the "home"; however, it is in a rural area and we had not visited the area for many years. Thanks to the internet, I found Jackson-Feild on-line and finally went back for a tour in August 2006 with my parents. I fell in love with the organization and staff, and they asked me to participate on the Board of Trustees. What an honor!
Our photo album with pictures of our visit in August, 2006.
Being reunited with Jackson-Feild has been very special to me, in a spiritual way. After visiting the home and being asked to serve on the Board, I started researching Jackson-Feild and my grandfather's involvement. The enormity of it all became astounding to me! The connection that I made was one of thinking through the question...What would my ancestors think if they could see how far Jackson-Feild has come today? When I die, I want to leave a legacy. I truly believe that my great-grand father wanted that as well! He died when my grand father was young, so he never knew of his son's 20 year involvement with Jackson-Feild...but my grand father obviously felt compelled to live out that legacy as well, especially as his parent's only child. I guess we never know of the long-term affect we will have on our families, and the possibility of passing along charity, generosity, kindness, and hope to others.
My grandfather on the knee of his father, George Wythe Feild, Jr., benefactor of Walnut Grove to Jackson-Feild Home for Girls.
For me, Jackson-Feild has become a personal passion. I feel such a connection to the organization, and to the home. To read more about Jackson Feild, go directly to the website: www.jacksonfeild.org.
If you have a passion for helping young women, please support us. To learn more about opportunities for supporting Jackson-Feild, click on the following link - http://www.jacksonfeild.org/donor-support/.
Update and Reflections:
I created this blog in 2007 after serving on the Board for one year. I am now updating this blog in 2010 after having served on the Board of Jackson-Feild for three years.
The past three years of working with Jackson-Feild has been an emotional time. The state of Virginia has passed many laws which provide disincentives to social services organizations that place girls in residential treatment centers. The current theory is that a family should receive holistic treatment (i.e. treat the children and treat the parents who are abusing them, etc.) and that a child is better off in his or her own home than in residential treatment. While the theory has some merit, Jackson-Feild has never been a treatment center for children who would thrive by staying in their own environment...and there are many, many problems in the system today including a significant lack of funding for "holistic treatment". There is also a lack of funding for residential treatment as well. Right now, the economy is very volitile....unemployment is at an all-time high. However, the current staff of Jackson-Feild are very dedicated to the cause, and have developed a new strategy which would diversify the services provided by Jackson-Feild.
My family has relocated to London this year, so I will only be participating and contributing to Jackson-Feild from afar. For me personally, I cherish the memories of participating on the Board and visiting the home over the past three years. My grandparents are buried close by at Grace Episcopal Church and I visit their graves whenever I have a chance. No one is ever at the church...but I enjoy my quiet visits and I have had a chance to reflect on my own life, what my ancestors would have been like, on Jackson-Feild, and on my participation with the organization. I will be away for three years, but Jackson-Feild will be in my heart. And my goal is to make the most of my time internationally, so that I can participate fully in Jackson-Feild when I return.
