History of the Home
L. Ida Dukes
Founder, The Children’s Fresh Air Home -1896
One woman, forty-one years old, mother of six children, began a mission program in 1896 that made a difference in the lives of over 20,000 children in the last one hundred thirteen years. Her name was Mrs. Isaac Reyner Dukes or L. Ida Dukes.
The Fresh Air home began through the dedicated work of L. Ida Dukes and an organization called Christian Endeavor. Beginning in 1896, Mrs. Dukes invited children whose families were unable to afford a summer retreat from city life for day excursions to a recreational area along the Delaware River in New Jersey. In 1911 Mrs. Dukes brought the first group of children to Wildwood, NJ for a longer respite. It was at this time that the Children’s Fresh Air Home became incorporated. The first year in Wildwood the group rented an Automobile Club House for sleeping quarters. In 1913 through the assistance of Mr. Henry Otten, a Christian man and local entrepreneur, Mrs. Dukes purchased a small home for use along the bay. In 1923 Mr. Otten matched funds raised by Mrs. Dukes and together they built the current structure located in North Wildwood, NJ for $30,000. The home was modeled after Mr. Otten’s hotel, which was located on the boardwalk at 17th Street in Wildwood.
After the death of Mrs. Dukes in 1937, Miss Myra Loring, who had served with Mrs. Dukes for ten years, became the Superintendent of the Fresh Air Home. Miss Loring served in this position from 1938 to 1988. She continued the traditions already established at the Home and established many more during her tenure. During the school year Miss Loring served as a teacher and then principal in Grenloch, NJ. The elementary school in which she was principal in now named after her. Miss Loring refused to accept a salary for her work all 50 years of her tenure. She passed away in 1988. Kris and Laura Perkins followed Myra Loring as superintendents. The Perkins provided 14 years of leadership. Today Kris serves as the Minister of Families at Park Street Church in Boston, MA. In 2003 the Fresh Air Home welcomed Craig and Karen Wille to the role of Superintendents. Prior to assuming this role, the Willes, residents of Moorestown, NJ, had served in various leadership capacities in the Home for many years.
For 113 continuous years the Fresh Air Home has provided a unique summer respite for deserving children from South Jersey communities. Eighty-two of those summers welcomed young guests to the current Home. Unfortunately, nearly a century of wear and tear in a seashore environment has taken its toll on the physical structure of the Home. In spite of the efforts of many volunteers to keep the Home in repair until funds could be raised for major renovations, concerns grew about the integrity of the structure. With safety as an utmost priority, the Board of Trustees made a difficult decision prior to the summer of 2006 to temporarily close the Fresh Air Home. A capital campaign, called the Century Campaign, has been launched to raise the money to renovate and expand the current structure. Please see the Century Campaign page for more information about this endeavor. In the absence of an active program at the Home, the mission remains very much alive. The Board of Trustees has been utilizing the summer operating budget to sponsor children, who would qualify for a stay at the Fresh Air Home, for a week stay at Camp Haluwasa, a Christian Camp located in Winslow, NJ. The Board of Trustees is excited and grateful to be partnering with the staff at Camp Haluwasa and they have welcomed our children with open arms.
