History

Wilmer Hall originated in 1864 and was started by Bishop Richard H. Wilmer, the second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Wilmer saw the plight of Civil War orphans and planned a children’s home for them in Mobile, Alabama. Originally the home was located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama because of concerns of an attack on the port city from the Union Navy.

In the early 1900s, the home was moved to Spring Hill in Mobile. The first four buildings were designed in a Tudor style and housed the children as well as the deaconesses who cared for them. For the next 40 years, these buildings were more than adequate. However, as needs grew and the number of children increased, four more cottages were constructed behind the four original buildings. In addition to the cottages, a gymnasium was built on the back of the property. These buildings were completed in 1968.

In 2008 the Wilmer Hall Board of Trustees publicly reaffirmed its core mission of providing a long-term residential home for children who cannot live with their natural parents. In returning to this mission, Wilmer Hall has expanded its programs and services. In addition to the Residential Living Program, we now have a Transitional Living Program, a Transitional Family Program and an Education Program.