The Texas Pythian Home for children is called the ‘Castle on the Hill’. It was built with the architecture style of a castle due to the sponsorship of the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order established during the Civil War. The Pythians put their motto of Friendship, Charity and Benevolence into practice and established the Pythian Home in 1909. The Pythian Home is licensed by the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services as a basic child care facility for sixty-two children. This license requires certain standards to be maintained at all times. A licensing representative makes official visits to the Home to insure standards are met. We do not handle adoptions.
We accept children ages three to fourteen. The children may remain in residence as long as they are in school. This includes college, vocational, or trade school. We have specific criteria that must be met for placement of a child. The managing conservator is the only person able to place or withdraw a child. The children can come from anywhere in the state of Texas. At one time, a Pythian connection was required for placement. Now a child can be placed by meeting the criteria. All of the children placed in our care have families that remain a part of their lives while the family works to have the children return home.
The Home is located on 164 acres of farmland on the east side of Weatherford.The campus includes the main building and 2 dorms, playgrounds, a softball field, tennis and volleyball courts and a swimming pool. Children live in the dorms, attend Weatherford ISD schools and local churches. There are 6 to 8 children in each dorm, depending on age. They also participate in extra curricular activities such as soccer, football, basketball, band, Scouts, etc. We have many outstanding athletes and academic scholars. Our goal is to provide the children with a safe, stable environment, educational opportunities and positive life experiences.
We would love to show you the Home and what we do for children experiencing family hardships. Tours are available throughout the year by appointment.
If you would like more information, please call
Kristin Stansell at 817-594-4465 or email kstansell@pythianhome.org
Visitors are always welcome!
