History of Monroe Harding
Monroe Harding holds a rich, 128-year history. In 1893, Mrs. Fannie E. Harding generously donated her twelve-room residence and five acres in Nashville to help orphaned children of Middle Tennessee. Mrs. Harding’s donation is a memorial to her late husband, Dr. James Monroe Harding. In 1934, under the astute leadership of William Dunn Trabue, funds were raised at the height of the Great Depression to purchase land for Monroe Harding to move to a 23-plus acre suburban tract on Glendale Lane. The Glendale Lane campus was home to Monroe Harding until April 2019, when the organization’s headquarters moved to its new location on Vantage Way in the Metro Center area of Nashville.
Since the establishment of Monroe Harding, first as an orphanage, then as a Children’s Home, to the Monroe Harding of today, the organization adapted to meet the needs of children and young adults throughout the greater Nashville area. Monroe Harding provides comprehensive services to children and teenagers in foster care (0-19 years old), young adults who are preparing to age out or have aged out of state custody (ages 16-26), and young adults victimized by crime (ages 18-24). More than 16,000 children and young adults experienced Fannie Harding’s legacy.
Monroe Harding’s cause is to ensure that foster care youth and other vulnerable young people build a solid foundation of strengths that position them for success in adulthood. Its mission is changing young people’s lives. Our cause and mission are accomplished through trauma and resiliency informed programs and services in: foster care, supportive housing, clinical, emotional and mental health support services, and a comprehensive resource center for young adults who have experienced foster care, been victims of crime, and other vulnerable young adults.
Today, just as in Fannie Harding’s day, Monroe Harding strives to give every child and young adult the chance for a better life.
