St. Joseph Children's Home history

The mission of St Joseph Children’s Home (SJCH) is “Giving Children a Home.” Since 1849, SJCH has provided a loving home to Louisville’s most vulnerable children – first orphans, and in later years those children removed from their homes due to neglect, abuse, domestic violence or substance abuse.

Child and Family Services of Michigan had its earliest beginning in 1883 in Illinois.

At that time, about 130 children and youth aged 2 to 15 lived at the site, 2823 Frankfort Ave., in an 1885 building that's still there today.

St Joseph's Orphans Home, which stood on the northeast corner of Montana Ave. at Custer Ave.. The Home was built in 1892-93 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, on land purchased by the Sisters and built with money donated by companies, businessmen and friends of the Sisters.

Orphans and Nuns at St Joseph's, ca 1900

In 1912, a devastating fire consumed the orphanage taking the lives of five nuns and three boys.

To more effectively promote the Society's work, branches were opened in 1913 in Detroit and Grand Rapids.

In 1916 a new headquarters and receiving building was dedicated in St Joseph, made possible by a $20,000 bequest from Charles A. Chapin formerly of Niles, who was for many years a benefactor of the Society.

In 1921, the name of the organization was changed from Michigan Children's Home Society to Michigan Children's Aid Society (MCAS) in an effort to make even clearer to the public that the word home in the title did not indicate institutional methods of child care.

By 1929, the two orphanages merged to be known as St Peter-St Joseph Children’s Home with an archway built to mark that day and the entrance to our home for children.

"In 1935, the home had suffered a $35,000 fire, but 200 children and 14 nuns marched safety and without panic through the flames, winning the admiration of the community."

In August of 1949, St Joseph's Orphanage on Frankfort Avenue in Crescent Hill was preparing to celebrate a three-way 100th anniversary – for the orphanage, the St Joseph Catholic Orphans Society and its annual picnic, which was held July 27 that year.

A significant era in the Society's history ended in 1951 with the death of President Edwin S. George.

Robert Barstow became State Director in 1953, one year before the last grant from the Children's Fund was received.

The agency's primary problem at that time was financial and an application was made to the Michigan United Fund (MUF). The first MUF allocation came in 1955 at which time, by agreement with MUF, the Society withdrew from many local community chests.

COURTESY OF THE FACEBOOK GROUP ST. JOSEPH'S ORPHANGE CHILDREN IN HELENA, MT Cuban Refugee Children at St Joseph's 1961-65 Photos courtesy of the facebook community St Joseph's Orphanage Children in Helena, MT Please visit the facebook group for fascinating personal stories and over 100 photographs.

At the close of the orphanage in 1965, most of the 14 children remaining were Cuban refugees.