The Lutheran Home in Germantown, now Silver Springs – Martin Luther School, began in 1859 as an orphanage for children that was originally located in the Mt.
The Lutheran Home in Germantown later moved to the Silver Springs property in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, where it continues as a residential treatment facility for children and school for elementary students and middle schoolers.
"[1] Elizabeth Schaeffer would place that dollar in her knitted purse that would be cherished by the Home in Germantown for generations.
[1] Elizabeth Schaeffer became the director of the school but relied on the help of the women of the local Lutheran congregations to help her keep up with the work of the home.
By the middle of June, thirteen had been admitted and very quickly, Schaeffer and the other leaders realized that it was necessary to secure a larger space.
It was within the city limits and was in easy traveling distance to the downtown portion of Philadelphia by railroad or horse carriage.
[1] In 1864, the home grew exponentially[citation needed] because of the number of children left orphaned by the deaths and violence of the Civil War.
[4] From the beginning, Elizabeth Schaeffer imagined this ministry to be inclusive to all and a place that would teach the children skills and practices to excel in the world.
The Home would describe itself as a place, "for destitute orphan children without distinction of creed or country, where they may be educated in any useful branch of business to which they may be inclined, and thus prepared for the active duties of life.
Elizabeth Schaeffer highly disliked the idea of transferring the control and responsibility, but realized the inevitable as the Home became a larger corporation.
E. L. Leisey, reflected on his experience and according to his description, he served as a, "big brother, a Bible School teacher, playground director, chauffeur, and general utility man.
Over 100 years after its founding, the Lutheran Orphans' Home at Germantown was moved to the Silver Springs farm in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania where it still resides today.
While nonsectarian with regard to whom it serves (holding true to its mission from the very beginning), Silver Springs remains a Social Ministry Organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
In 1969, the Silver Springs program was expanded with the establishment of Martin Luther School, a state licensed private school designed to serve the special education needs of children that live in the residential treatment facility and also children of the communities of the tristate area.
[6] Holding true to the mission and values of Elizabeth Schaeffer, The intentions of the corporation are exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, particularly to afford a home, education, and support for destitute or dependent children and mental health services for such children and others without distinction of creed, color, or country, and to engage in related study and research.[7]Today[when?]