Smith Street Cottage

Smith Street Cottage was one of the Cottage Homes that were established at Kennion House at Walkerville in the mid to late 1970s. The others included Fuller Street Cottage and Garden Cottage. Run by the Anglican Church, Smith Street Cottage was previously the house of the superintendent of Kennion House and it accommodated children from 1 to 12 years of age. In 1984 Smith Street Cottage was moved to Ferryden Park and renamed Ross Cottage.

During the 1970s and 1980s the government encouraged non-government care providers to move away from large institutions and develop smaller group residential care for children in need. After the passing of the Community Welfare Act in 1972, non-government agencies were required to sign agreements with the government and to adhere to standards of residential care.

In the mid to late 1970s Kennion House at Smith Street, Walkerville, began to restructure its operation and created a number of smaller Cottage Homes from its original buildings. Smith Street Cottage had been the original superintendent’s house. The house of the deputy superintendent became Fuller Street Cottage and the annexe of Kennion House became Garden Cottage. Each functioned as a separate group home.

Smith Street Cottage accommodated children from 1 to 12 years of age.

In 1984 the Kennion House property was to be put up for sale and so Smith Street Cottage was relocated to Ferryden Park and renamed Ross Cottage.