In 1912, Page began the construction of a widows' colony for widowed and divorced women with children to support. Forty three-room shotgun houses were built to house families. As years passed and the old colony homes began to fall into disrepair, they were replaced with new two-bedroom brick cottages. A chapel and a nursery were also constructed at the colony. Each house was provided with free utilities and rent, and a quart of milk per child per day. In order for a woman and her family to live in the colony, she had to have at least one child still in school, including college; her children had to maintain a "C" average in school; and they had to observe all the colony rules of behavior.