On Sunday, November 8, 2009, Thornwell Home for Children held a dedication ceremony on the front lawn of Stewart Cottage to commemorate the renovation of Stewart Cottage, and to dedicate the building once again to the glory of God and to the care of Thornwell’s preschool children.


Stewart Cottage was originally constructed in 1950, thanks to Mr. J.W. Stewart, Sr., and his generous gift of $28,000. On May 22, 1951, the cottage was dedicated for service, and since that time has been a home for generations of children.






“We love this house,” said current Stewart Cottage Family Teacher, Becky Brown. “But it has served as home for hundreds of children for over half a century; it was time for a little updating.”

After nearly 8 months of interior construction and renovation, Stewart Cottage now has a completely updated kitchen, bathrooms that shine with new fixtures and tile, new, plush carpet, beautiful white ceiling tiles, redesigned sleeping quarters, and new bedroom furniture more suitable for preschool children.



“We are grateful to Mr. J.W. Stewart and the Stewart family for their gift of this lovely home,” said Becky, “and so very thankful for the generosity of all those who made this recent renovation possible. Everything is just beautiful.”
Left to Right: Les and Valerie Jones, Mary Stewart Newton, Amanda Stewart, Nell Stewart, and Florence Howard
The dedication ceremony began at 4:15 pm with an invocation given by Thornwell Campus Pastor, Rev. Hayes Noble. Following the invocation, remarks were given by Stewart Cottage Family Teacher, Becky Brown; Thornwell President, Skip Stansell; and Thornwell Vice President for Resource Development, Nancy Lindeman. Following Mrs. Lindeman’s remarks, commemorative plaques were presented to several members of the Stewart family in attendance. The ceremony ended with a Litany of Blessing and Dedication given by Pastor Noble. Refreshments, cottage tours, and a time of fellowship followed.


With sincere appreciation to the following Thornwell friends whose gifts made the 2009 Stewart Cottage renovation possible:


The Bailey Foundation, Clinton, SC
The Bailey Family Foundation, Inc.,Vero Beach, FL
Central Florida Presbytery Presbyterian Women
David Allen Company, Lexington, SC
Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC
Leanne & Eric Endsley, Friendsville, TN
Estate of Kathryn J. Judd, Atlanta, GA
George and Ladson Kesler, Hoschton, GA
Byron and Gail Parker, Laurens, SC
Bob and Rinnie Sade/James Towne Village, LLC, Charleston, SC
Stewart and Martha Spinks, Greenville, SC
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Greenwood, SC


To download a copy of the event program, click here.