Cordelia Harmon, born in Maine in 1822, devoted her life to caring for those affected by illness and poverty. Inspired perhaps by her own experience caring for her ailing mother, Harmon’s compassionate work led her to co-found The Boston Home with Phillips Brooks, the rector of Trinity Church, in 1881. Originally known as The Boston Home for Incurables, the institution was established on land formerly known as The Codman Farm, located at what was then Codman Street (now Gallivan Boulevard). After her death in 1883, Brooks praised her for the “incalculable” comfort and help she provided to the poor and suffering. A stained-glass window in her honor once adorned Trinity Church, where she was a devoted parishioner, though it did not survive renovations. Today, The Boston Home continues Harmon’s mission, specializing in care for adults with neurological disorders.
